The Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) was established in 1979 under Section 2816 of the Public Health Law (PHL). This section of the public health law clearly defines the parameters within which SPARCS is run and the regulations the system is subject to, including which facilities and services are to report data to SPARCS.
Data submission requirements and compliance expectations are described in the PHL New York Codes, Rules, and Regulations, Section 400.18 – Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS), which outlines the reporting, contents, maintenance, and protections that regulate SPARCS. This section goes into detail about the responsibilities of SPARCS and how the system shall be run internally.
Any violation of the above permissions and data use agreements may be liable according to the provisions of the Public Health Law, including (but not limited to) PHL Section 12.