(a) All records maintained by the court of cases coming before it under the provisions of sections 17a-673 and 17a-680 to 17a-690, inclusive, shall be sealed and available only to the respondent or the respondent's counsel unless the court, after hearing held with notice to the respondent, determines such record should be disclosed for cause shown.

(b) Medical treatment facilities shall keep and submit such records of all persons examined, admitted or treated pursuant to sections 17a-673 and 17a-680 to 17a-690, inclusive, as may be required by the department.

(c) No person, hospital or treatment facility may disclose or permit the disclosure of, nor may the department disclose or permit the disclosure of, the identity, diagnosis, prognosis or treatment of any such patient that would constitute a violation of federal statutes concerning confidentiality of alcohol or drug patient records and any regulations pursuant thereto, as such federal statutes and regulations may be amended from time to time. The department shall adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to protect the confidentiality of any such information that is obtained by the department.

(d) If the person seeking treatment or rehabilitation for alcohol dependence or drug dependence is a minor, the fact that the minor sought such treatment or rehabilitation or that the minor is receiving such treatment or rehabilitation, shall not be reported or disclosed to the parents or legal guardian of the minor without the minor's consent. The minor may give legal consent to receipt of such treatment and rehabilitation. A minor shall be personally liable for all costs and expenses for alcohol and drug dependency treatment afforded to the minor at the minor's request under section 17a-682.

(e) The commissioner may use or make available to authorized persons information from patients' records for purposes of conducting scientific research, management audits, financial audits or program evaluation, provided such information shall not be utilized in a manner that discloses a patient's name or other identifying information.

(P.A. 74-280, S. 18, 25; P.A. 75-569, S. 11; P.A. 77-544, S. 10, 16; P.A. 86-371, S. 10, 45; P.A. 90-209, S. 10; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 18, 39; 93-435, S. 59, 95; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 99-234, S. 5; P.A. 00-27, S. 7, 24; P.A. 09-145, S. 15.)

History: P.A. 75-569 rewrote section, deleting former Subsec. (a) re records kept by medical and treatment facilities, replacing former Subsec. (b), now (a), re report to commissioner with statement that records be submitted at department's request, replacing disclosure provisions in former Subsec. (c), now (b), and replacing former Subsec. (d), now (c) re notification of next-of-kin or police of patient's admission and condition with provisions for availability of information to authorized persons for purposes stated; P.A. 77-544 replaced reference to specific federal laws in Subsec. (b) with general descriptive phrase; P.A. 86-371 substituted references to commission and executive director for references to department and commissioner of mental health and made technical changes; P.A. 90-209 added new Subsec. (a) re disclosure of records maintained by court, relettered former Subsecs. (a) and (b) as Subsecs. (b) and (c), in new Subsec. (c) substituted “no person, hospital, treatment facility or the commission may disclose or permit the disclosure of” for “the commission shall not permit the disclosure of” and made technical changes, added new Subsec. (d) re minors (provisions re confidentiality and payment liability for a minor seeking drug treatment were incorporated from repealed Secs. 19a-382 and 19a-385) and in new Subsec. (e) made a technical change; Sec. 17-155bb transferred to Sec. 17a-630 in 1991; P.A. 93-381 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to make technical changes and, with P.A. 93-435, replaced references to commission on alcohol and drug abuse and its executive director with references to commissioner and department of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; Sec. 17a-630 transferred to Sec. 19a-126h in 1995; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; Sec. 19a-126h transferred to Sec. 17a-688 in 1997; P.A. 99-234 deleted obsolete reference to Sec. 17a-677; P.A. 00-27 made technical changes in Subsecs. (a), (c), (d) and (e), effective May 1, 2000; P.A. 09-145 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) by deleting references to Sec. 17a-465a.

Annotations to former section 17-155bb:

Cited. 203 C. 641; 212 C. 50.

Annotations to former section 17a-630:

Cited. 225 C. 450; 230 C. 43.

Cited. 30 CA 839; 33 CA 647.

Annotation to present section:

Subsec. (c):

Impliedly authorizes plaintiff to maintain a private cause of action for injunctive relief. 54 CA 663.