2015 Oklahoma Statutes
Title 40. Labor
§40-4-508. Information to be kept confidential - Disclosure.

INFORMATION TO BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL - DISCLOSURE.

A. Except as otherwise provided by law, information obtained from any employing unit or individual pursuant to the administration of the Employment Security Act of 1980, any workforce system program administered or monitored by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, and determinations as to the benefit rights of any individual shall be kept confidential and shall not be disclosed or be open to public inspection in any manner revealing the individual's or employing unit's identity. Any claimant or employer or agent of such person as authorized in writing shall be supplied with information from the records of the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, to the extent necessary for the proper presentation of the claim or complaint in any proceeding under the Employment Security Act of 1980, with respect thereto.

B. Upon receipt of written request by any employer who maintains a Supplemental Unemployment Benefit (SUB) Plan, the Commission or its designated representative may release to such employer information regarding weekly benefit amounts paid its workers during a specified temporary layoff period, provided such Supplemental Unemployment Benefit (SUB) Plan requires benefit payment information before Supplemental Unemployment Benefits can be paid to such workers. Any information disclosed under this provision shall be utilized solely for the purpose outlined herein and shall be held strictly confidential by the employer.

C. The provisions of this section shall not prevent the Commission from disclosing the following information and no liability whatsoever, civil or criminal, shall attach to any member of the Commission or any employee thereof for any error or omission in the disclosure of such information:

1. The delivery to taxpayer or claimant a copy of any report or other paper filed by the taxpayer or claimant pursuant to the Employment Security Act of 1980;

2. The disclosure of information to any person for a purpose as authorized by the taxpayer or claimant pursuant to a waiver of confidentiality. The waiver shall be in writing and shall be notarized;

3. The Oklahoma Department of Commerce may have access to data obtained pursuant to the Employment Security Act of 1980 pursuant to rules promulgated by the Commission. The information obtained shall be held confidential by the Department and any of its agents and shall not be disclosed or be open to public inspection. The Oklahoma Department of Commerce, however, may release aggregated data, either by industry or county, provided that such aggregation meets disclosure requirements of the Commission;

4. The publication of statistics so classified as to prevent the identification of a particular report and the items thereof;

5. The disclosing of information or evidence to the Attorney General or any district attorney when the information or evidence is to be used by the officials or other parties to the proceedings to prosecute or defend allegations of violations of the Employment Security Act of 1980. The information disclosed to the Attorney General or any district attorney shall be kept confidential by them and not be disclosed except when presented to a court in a prosecution of a violation of Section 1-101 et seq. of this title, and a violation by the Attorney General or district attorney by otherwise releasing the information shall be a felony;

6. The furnishing, at the discretion of the Commission, of any information disclosed by the records or files to any official person or body of this state, any other state or of the United States who is concerned with the administration of assessment of any similar tax in this state, any other state or the United States;

7. The furnishing of information to other state agencies for the limited purpose of aiding in the collection of debts owed by individuals to the requesting agencies or the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission;

8. The release to employees of the Department of Transportation or any Metropolitan Planning Organization as defined in 23 U.S.C., Section 134 and 49 U.S.C., Section 5303 of information required for use in federally mandated regional transportation planning, which is performed as a part of its official duties;

9. The release to employees of the State Treasurer's office of information required to verify or evaluate the effectiveness of the Oklahoma Small Business Linked Deposit Program on job creation;

10. The release to employees of the Attorney General, the State Insurance Fund, the Department of Labor, the Workers' Compensation Commission, and the Insurance Department for use in investigation of workers' compensation fraud;

11. The release to employees of any Oklahoma state, Oklahoma county or Oklahoma municipal law enforcement agency for use in criminal investigations and the location of missing persons or fugitives from justice;

12. The release to employees of the Center of International Trade, Oklahoma State University, of information required for the development of International Trade for employers doing business in the State of Oklahoma;

13. The release to employees of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education of information required for use in the default prevention efforts and/or collection of defaulted student loans guaranteed by the Oklahoma Guaranteed Student Loan Program. Any information disclosed under this provision shall be utilized solely for the purpose outlined herein and shall be held strictly confidential by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education;

14. The release to employees of the Center for Economic and Management Research of the University of Oklahoma, the Center for Economic and Business Development at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, or a center of economic and business research or development at a comprehensive or regional higher education institution within The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education of information required to identify economic trends. The information obtained shall be kept confidential by the higher education institution and shall not be disclosed or be open to public inspection. The higher education institution may release aggregated data, provided that such aggregation meets disclosure requirements of the Commission;

15. The release to employees of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services of information required to identify economic trends. The information obtained shall be kept confidential by the Office of Management and Enterprise Services and shall not be disclosed or be open to public inspection. The Office of Management and Enterprise Services may release aggregate data, provided that such aggregation meets disclosure requirements of the Commission;

16. The release to employees of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services of information required to evaluate the effectiveness of mental health and substance abuse treatment and state or local programs utilized to divert persons from inpatient treatment. The information obtained shall be kept confidential by the Department and shall not be disclosed or be open to public inspection. The Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, however, may release aggregated data, either by treatment facility, program or larger aggregate units, provided that such aggregation meets disclosure requirements of the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission;

17. The release to employees of the Attorney General, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Insurance Department for use in the investigation of insurance fraud and health care fraud;

18. The release to employees of public housing agencies for purposes of determining eligibility pursuant to 42 U.S.C., Section 503(i);

19. The release of wage and benefit claim information, at the discretion of the Commission, to an agency of this state or its political subdivisions, or any nonprofit corporation that operates a program or activity designated as a partner in the Workforce Investment Act One-Stop delivery system pursuant to 29 U.S.C.A., Section 2481(b), based on a showing of need made to the Commission and after an agreement concerning the release of information is entered into with the entity receiving the information;

20. The release of information to the wage record interchange system, at the discretion of the Commission;

21. The release of information to the Bureau of the Census of the U.S. Department of Commerce for the purpose of economic and statistical research;

22. The release of employer tax information and benefit claim information to the Oklahoma Health Care Authority for use in determining eligibility for a program that will provide subsidies for health insurance premiums for qualified employers, employees, self-employed persons, and unemployed persons;

23. The release of employer tax information and benefit claim information to the State Department of Rehabilitation Services for use in assessing results and outcomes of clients served;

24. The release of information to any state or federal law enforcement authority when necessary in the investigation of any crime in which the Commission is a victim. Information that is confidential under this section shall be held confidential by the law enforcement authority unless and until it is required for use in court in the prosecution of a defendant in a criminal prosecution;

25. The release of information to vendors that contract with the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission to provide for the issuance of debit cards, to conduct electronic fund transfers, to perform computer programming operations, or to perform computer maintenance or replacement operations; provided the vendor agrees to protect and safeguard the information it receives and to destroy the information when no longer needed for the purposes set out in the contract;

26. The release to employees of the Office of Juvenile Affairs of information for use in assessing results and outcomes of clients served as well as the effectiveness of state and local juvenile and justice programs including prevention and treatment programs. The information obtained shall be kept confidential by the Office of Juvenile Affairs and shall not be disclosed or be open to public inspection. The Office of Juvenile Affairs may release aggregated data for programs or larger aggregate units, provided that the aggregation meets disclosure requirements of the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission; or

27. The release of information to vendors that contract with the State of Oklahoma for the purpose of providing a public electronic labor exchange system that will support the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission's operation of an employment service system to connect employers with job seekers and military veterans. This labor exchange system would enhance the stability and security of Oklahoma's economy as well as support the provision of veterans' priority of service. The vendors may perform computer programming operations, perform computer maintenance or replacement operations, or host the electronic solution; provided each vendor agrees to protect and safeguard all information received, that no information shall be disclosed to any third party, that the use of the information shall be restricted to the scope of the contract, and that the vendor shall properly dispose of all information when no longer needed for the purposes set out in the contract.

D. Subpoenas to compel disclosure of information made confidential by this statute shall not be valid, except for administrative subpoenas issued by federal, state, or local governmental agencies that have been granted subpoena power by statute or ordinance. Confidential information maintained by the Commission can be obtained by order of a court of record that authorizes the release of the records in writing. All administrative subpoenas or court orders for production of documents must provide a minimum of twenty (20) days from the date it is served for the Commission to produce the documents. If the date on which production of the documents is required is less than twenty (20) days from the date of service, the subpoena or order shall be considered void on its face as an undue burden or hardship on the Commission. All administrative subpoenas, court orders or notarized waivers of confidentiality authorized by paragraph 2 of subsection C of this section shall be presented with a request for records within ninety (90) days of the date the document is issued or signed, and the document can only be used one time to obtain records.

E. Should any of the disclosures provided for in this section require more than casual or incidental staff time, the Commission shall charge the cost of such staff time to the party requesting the information.

F. It is further provided that the provisions of this section shall be strictly interpreted and shall not be construed as permitting the disclosure of any other information contained in the records and files of the Commission.

Added by Laws 1980, c. 323, § 4-508, emerg. eff. June 13, 1980. Amended by Laws 1981, c. 259, § 26, emerg. eff. June 25, 1981; Laws 1982, c. 304, § 23, operative Oct. 1, 1982; Laws 1984, c. 251, § 1, emerg. eff. May 29, 1984; Laws 1990, c. 235, § 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1990; Laws 1993, c. 349, § 35, eff. Sept. 1, 1993; Laws 1994, c. 195, § 8, emerg. eff. May 16, 1994; Laws 1995, c. 340, § 20, eff. July 1, 1995; Laws 1997, c. 30, § 20, eff. July 1, 1997; Laws 1997, c. 359, § 15, eff. July 1, 1997; Laws 2000, c. 348, § 3, eff. Nov. 1, 2000; Laws 2001, c. 363, § 28, eff. July 1, 2001; Laws 2002, c. 452, § 26, eff. Nov. 1, 2002; Laws 2003, c. 177, § 8, eff. Nov. 1, 2003; Laws 2005, c. 182, § 12, eff. Nov. 1, 2005; Laws 2006, c. 176, § 27, eff. July 1, 2006; Laws 2007, c. 354, § 15, eff. Nov. 1, 2007; Laws 2010, c. 216, § 13, eff. July 1, 2010; Laws 2010, c. 330, § 1, eff. July 1, 2010; Laws 2011, c. 256, § 15; Laws 2012, c. 196, § 15, emerg. eff. May 8, 2012; Laws 2012, c. 304, § 132; Laws 2014, c. 220, § 10, eff. Nov. 1, 2014; Laws 2014, c. 282, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2014; Laws 2015, c. 249, § 19, eff. Nov. 1, 2015.

NOTE: Laws 1997, c. 133, § 453 repealed by Laws 1999, 1st Ex. Sess., c. 5, § 452, eff. July 1, 1999. Laws 2002, c. 160, § 1 repealed by Laws 2003, c. 3, § 19, emerg. eff. March 19, 2003.