2012 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 36a - The Banking Law of Connecticut
Chapter 664a - Administration and Enforcement
Section 36a-43 - (Formerly Sec. 36-9l). Disclosure of financial records pursuant to lawful authority.

(a) Except as provided in section 36a-44, a financial institution shall disclose financial records pursuant to a lawful subpoena, summons, warrant or court order served upon it if the party seeking the records causes such subpoena, summons, warrant or court order or a certified copy thereof to be served upon the customer whose records are being sought, at least ten days prior to the date on which the records are to be disclosed, provided a court of competent jurisdiction, for good cause, may waive service of such subpoena, summons, warrant or court order, or certified copy thereof, upon such customer. If such subpoena was issued by the Commissioner of Administrative Services or the Commissioner of Social Services pursuant to section 17b-137, 17b-452 or 17b-454, service of such subpoena upon the customer shall not be required.

(b) A customer of a financial institution shall have standing to challenge a subpoena of the customer’s financial records, by filing an application or motion to quash in a court of competent jurisdiction. Upon the filing of such application or motion by the customer, and service of such application or motion upon the financial institution and the person issuing the subpoena, production of the records shall be stayed, without liability to the financial institution, until the court holds a hearing on the motion or application and an order is entered sustaining, modifying or quashing the subpoena.

(c) A financial institution shall disclose financial records pursuant to a certificate, signed by the Commissioner of Administrative Services or the Commissioner of Social Services in accordance with the provisions of section 36a-42, or pursuant to an agreement with the IV-D agency under subsection (c) of section 17b-137.

(d) No such financial institution shall be held civilly or criminally responsible for disclosure of financial records pursuant to a certificate, subpoena, summons, warrant or court order which on its face appears to have been issued upon lawful authority.

(P.A. 77-294, S. 3, 6; P.A. 79-361, S. 2; P.A. 81-61, S. 2; P.A. 86-161; P.A. 88-251; P.A. 89-264, S. 1; P.A. 93-262, S. 62, 87; P.A. 94-122, S. 24, 340; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-7, S. 14, 38; P.A. 01-209, S. 5, 7; P.A. 05-139, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 79-361 made previous provisions Subsecs. (a) and (c), inserting new Subsec. (b) re disclosure of records under certificate signed by administrative services commissioner and adding reference to such certificates in Subsec. (c); P.A. 81-61 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that if a subpoena is issued by the commissioner of administrative services, income maintenance or human resources service upon the customer is not required, and amended Subsec. (b) to require disclosure pursuant to a certificate signed by the commissioner of income maintenance or human resources and to delete the requirement that a copy of the certificate be mailed to the customer five days prior to disclosure; P.A. 86-161 amended Subsec. (a) to make the party seeking the disclosure of a customer’s financial records responsible for serving the subpoena or similar legal document on the customer; P.A. 88-251 inserted new Subsec. (b) re a customer’s standing to challenge a subpoena of his financial records and relettered previously existing Subsecs; P.A. 89-264 amended Subsec. (a) by adding exception re Sec. 36-9m; P.A. 93-262 changed reference to commissioners of income maintenance and human resources to commissioner of social services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 94-122 made technical changes, effective January 1, 1995; Sec. 36-9l transferred to Sec. 36a-43 in 1995; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-7 amended Subsec. (c) by adding “or pursuant to an agreement with the IV-D agency under subsection (c) of section 17b-137”, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 01-209 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that if subpoena is issued pursuant to Sec. 17b-452 or 17b-454, service upon the customer is not required, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 05-139 amended Subsec. (b) to eliminate reference to the ten-day notice period required by Subsec. (a) as time limit for filing application or motion to quash.

Cannot infer the right to a hearing from the provision for notice in statute. 179 C. 102. Cited. 188 C. 325. Cited. 219 C. 204.

Cited. 36 CA 171.

Subsec. (b):

Bank customer has no standing to challenge procedural irregularities in manner of administrative subpoena service on financial institution in which he has account. 219 C. 204.

Cited. 28 CA 653.

Annotation to present section:

Legislative history of section fails to indicate any intent to afford customer an implied private right of action against financial institution for its disclosure of customer’s financial records in violation of section. 283 C. 136.