235B.6 Authorized access.

1. Notwithstanding chapter 22, the confidentiality of all dependent adult abuse information shall be maintained, except as specifically provided by subsections 2 and 3.

2. Access to dependent adult abuse information other than unfounded dependent adult abuse information is authorized only to the following persons:

a. A subject of a report including all of the following:

(1) To an adult named in a report as a victim of abuse or to the adult’s attorney or guardian ad litem.

(2) To a guardian or legal custodian, or that person’s attorney, of an adult named in a report as a victim of abuse.

(3) To the person or the attorney for the person named in a report as having abused an adult.

b. A person involved in an investigation of dependent adult abuse including all of the following:

(1) A health practitioner or mental health professional who is examining, attending, or treating an adult whom such practitioner or professional believes or has reason to believe has been the victim of abuse or to a health practitioner or mental health professional whose consultation with respect to an adult believed to have been the victim of abuse is requested by the department.

(2) An employee or agent of the department responsible for the investigation of a dependent adult abuse report or for the purpose of performing record checks as required under section 135C.33.

(3) A representative of the department involved in the certification or accreditation of an agency or program providing care or services to a dependent adult believed to have been a victim of abuse.

(4) A law enforcement officer responsible for assisting in an investigation of a dependent adult abuse allegation.

(5) A multidisciplinary team, if the department of human services approves the composition of the multidisciplinary team and determines that access to the team is necessary to assist the department in the investigation, diagnosis, assessment, and disposition of a case of dependent adult abuse.

(6) The mandatory reporter who reported the dependent adult abuse in an individual case.

(7) Each board specified under chapter 147 and the Iowa department of public health for the purpose of licensure, certification or registration, disciplinary investigation, or the renewal of licensure, certification or registration, or disciplinary proceedings of health care professionals.

c. A person providing care to an adult including all of the following:

(1) A licensing authority for a facility, including a facility or program defined in section 235E.1, providing care to an adult named in a report.

(2) A person authorized as responsible for the care or supervision of an adult named in a report as a victim of abuse or a person named in a report as having abused an adult if the court or registry deems access to dependent adult abuse information by such person to be necessary.

(3) An employee or agent of the department responsible for registering or licensing or approving the registration or licensing of a person, or to an individual providing care to an adult and regulated by the department.

(4) The legally authorized protection and advocacy agency recognized pursuant to section 135C.2 if a person identified in the information as a victim or a perpetrator of abuse resided in or receives services from a facility, including a facility or program defined in section 235E.1, or agency because the person is diagnosed as having a developmental disability or a mental illness.

(5) To an administrator of an agency certified by the department of human services to provide services under a medical assistance home and community-based services waiver, if the information concerns a person employed by or being considered by the agency for employment.

(6) To the administrator of an agency providing mental health, intellectual disability, or developmental disability services under a regional service system management plan implemented in accordance with section 331.393, if the information concerns a person employed by or being considered by the agency for employment.

(7) To an administrator of a hospital licensed under chapter 135B if the data concerns a person employed or being considered for employment by the hospital.

(8) An employee of an agency requested by the department to provide case management or other services to the dependent adult.

d. Relating to judicial and administrative proceedings, persons including all of the following:

(1) A court upon a finding that information is necessary for the resolution of an issue arising in any phase of a case involving dependent adult abuse.

(2) A court or agency hearing an appeal for correction of dependent adult abuse information as provided in section 235B.10.

(3) An expert witness or a witness who testifies at any stage of an appeal necessary for correction of dependent adult abuse information as provided in section 235B.10.

(4) A court or administrative agency making a determination regarding an unemployment compensation claim pursuant to section 96.6.

e. Other persons including all of the following:

(1) A person conducting bona fide research on dependent adult abuse, but without information identifying individuals named in a dependent adult abuse report, unless having that information open to review is essential to the research or evaluation and the authorized registry officials give prior written approval and the adult, the adult’s guardian or guardian ad litem, and the person named in a report as having abused an adult give permission to release the information.

(2) Registry or department personnel when necessary to the performance of their official duties or a person or agency under contract with the department to carry out official duties and functions of the registry.

(3) The department of justice for the sole purpose of the filing of a claim for reparation pursuant to sections 915.21 and 915.84.

(4) A legally constituted adult protection agency of another state which is investigating or treating an adult named in a report as having been abused.

(5) The office of the attorney general.

(6) A health care facility administrator or the administrator’s designee, following the appeals process, for the purpose of hiring staff or continued employment of staff.

(7) To the administrator of an agency providing care to a dependent adult in another state, for the purpose of performing an employment background check.

(8) To the superintendent, or the superintendent’s designee, of a school district or to the authorities in charge of an accredited nonpublic school for purposes of a volunteer or employment record check.

(9) The department of inspections and appeals for purposes of record checks of applicants for employment with the department of inspections and appeals.

(10) The state or a local long-term care ombudsman if the victim resides in or the alleged perpetrator is an employee of a long-term care facility as defined in section 231.4.

(11) The state office or local office of public guardian as defined in section 231E.3, if the information relates to the provision of legal services for a client served by the state or local office of public guardian.

(12) A nursing program that is approved by the state board of nursing under section 152.5, if the information relates to a record check performed pursuant to section 152.5A.

(13) To the board of educational examiners created under chapter 272 for purposes of determining whether a license, certificate, or authorization should be issued, denied, or revoked.

(14) The department on aging for the purposes of conducting background checks of applicants for employment with the department on aging.

(15) To the Iowa veterans home for purposes of record checks of potential volunteers and volunteers in the Iowa veterans home.

(16) To the administrator of a certified nurse aide program, if the data relates to a record check of a student of the program performed pursuant to section 135C.33.

(17) To the administrator of a juvenile detention or shelter care home, if the data relates to a record check of an existing or prospective employee, resident, or volunteer for or in the home.

(18) To the employer or prospective employer of a school bus driver for purposes of an employment record check.

(19) To a free clinic as defined in section 135.24A for purposes of record checks of potential volunteers and existing volunteers at the free clinic.

f. To a person who submits written authorization from an individual allowing the person access to information on the determination only on whether or not the individual who authorized the access is named in a founded dependent adult abuse report as having abused a dependent adult.

3. Access to unfounded dependent adult abuse information is authorized only to those persons identified in subsection 2, paragraph “a”, paragraph “b”, subparagraphs (2), (5), and (6), and paragraph “e”, subparagraphs (2), (5), and (10).

91 Acts, ch 231, §6; 92 Acts, ch 1163, §50; 95 Acts, ch 50, §1; 95 Acts, ch 93, §4; 96 Acts, ch 1183, §29; 97 Acts, ch 42, §2; 98 Acts, ch 1090, §65, 84; 99 Acts, ch 141, §32; 2000 Acts, ch 1067, §3; 2000 Acts, ch 1153, §2; 2001 Acts, ch 8, §3; 2001 Acts, ch 20, §4, 5; 2002 Acts, ch 1034, §3; 2003 Acts, ch 98, §3 – 5; 2005 Acts, ch 46, §1; 2005 Acts, ch 175, §143; 2006 Acts, ch 1008, §3; 2006 Acts, ch 1030, §28; 2006 Acts, ch 1152, §2; 2007 Acts, ch 10, §167; 2008 Acts, ch 1093, §8, 9; 2008 Acts, ch 1187, §116; 2009 Acts, ch 23, §51, 52; 2009 Acts, ch 93, §3; 2010 Acts, ch 1062, §9; 2011 Acts, ch 98, §9; 2012 Acts, ch 1019, §95; 2012 Acts, ch 1047, §2; 2013 Acts, ch 18, §32; 2014 Acts, ch 1107, §11, 12; 2015 Acts, ch 56, §22; 2015 Acts, ch 69, §75; 2018 Acts, ch 1048, §13; 2018 Acts, ch 1104, §3, 5

Referred to in §235B.3, 235B.4, 235B.7, 235B.8, 235B.12, 235E.2, 235E.4, 331.909

Subsection 2, paragraph e, subparagraph (11) amended

Subsection 2, paragraph e, NEW subparagraph (19)