(a) Notwithstanding Section 17006, the board, officer, committee, person, or society having custody of the records cited in Section 17006 may disclose to any law enforcement agency:
(1) The name, address, birthdate, social security number, physical description, and physical whereabouts of any person receiving relief, if a warrant has been issued for the arrest of the person for the commission of a felony or misdemeanor.
The board, officer, committee, person, or society having custody of the records may release the information specified by this subdivision to any law enforcement agency upon a written request from the agency specifying that a warrant of arrest for the commission of a felony or misdemeanor has been issued as to the applicant or recipient. This request may be made only by the head of the law enforcement agency or by an employee of the agency so authorized and identified by name and title by the head of the agency, in writing, to the county welfare department. It is the intent of this section that a county welfare department shall notify all applicants of public social services that release of confidential information of their records will not be protected if there is a felony or misdemeanor arrest warrant against the applicant. A recipient of public social services shall be notified at the time of renewal of his or her application for relief of release of confidential information if there is a felony or misdemeanor arrest warrant issued against the recipient.
(2) The name, address, telephone number, birthdate, social security number, physical description, and physical whereabouts of any person receiving relief upon request of any law enforcement agency specifying that the person is deceased and that the agency is otherwise unable to adequately identify the person.
(3) (A) If in any of the circumstances specified in subparagraph (B), a county welfare department learns that a misdemeanor or felony arrest warrant has been issued for that individual, the county welfare department may report the physical whereabouts of, and other information authorized by this section pertaining to, the applicant or recipient to the appropriate law enforcement agency.
(B) The disclosure of information authorized by subparagraph (A) may be made only if knowledge of the outstanding warrant comes to the attention of the county welfare department as a result of an unsolicited disclosure in one of the following circumstances:
(i) It is received in the process of obtaining or reviewing an application for public social services.
(ii) It is received through a regular investigation for the purposes of determining or reviewing eligibility for public social services.
(iii) It is received from an independent source.
(b) This section shall not be construed to authorize the release of a general list identifying individuals applying for or receiving public relief.
(Amended by Stats. 1995, Ch. 227, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1996.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018