2017 Oregon Revised Statutes
Volume : 10 - Highways, Military, Juvenile Code, Human Services
Chapter 419B - Juvenile Code: Dependency
Section 419B.035 - Confidentiality of records; when available to others.

(a) Any law enforcement agency or a child abuse registry in any other state for the purpose of subsequent investigation of child abuse;

(b) Any physician, physician assistant licensed under ORS 677.505 to 677.525, naturopathic physician licensed under ORS chapter 685 or nurse practitioner licensed under ORS 678.375 to 678.390, at the request of the physician, physician assistant, naturopathic physician or nurse practitioner, regarding any child brought to the physician, physician assistant, naturopathic physician or nurse practitioner or coming before the physician, physician assistant, naturopathic physician or nurse practitioner for examination, care or treatment;

(c) Attorneys of record for the child or child’s parent or guardian in any juvenile court proceeding;

(d) Citizen review boards established by the Judicial Department for the purpose of periodically reviewing the status of children, youths and youth offenders under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court under ORS 419B.100 and 419C.005. Citizen review boards may make such records available to participants in case reviews;

(e) A court appointed special advocate in any juvenile court proceeding in which it is alleged that a child has been subjected to child abuse or neglect;

(f) The Office of Child Care for certifying, registering or otherwise regulating child care facilities;

(g) The Office of Children’s Advocate;

(h) The Teacher Standards and Practices Commission for investigations conducted under ORS 342.176 involving any child or any student in grade 12 or below;

(i) Any person, upon request to the Department of Human Services, if the reports or records requested regard an incident in which a child, as the result of abuse, died or suffered serious physical injury as defined in ORS 161.015. Reports or records disclosed under this paragraph must be disclosed in accordance with ORS 192.311 to 192.478;

(j) The Office of Child Care for purposes of ORS 329A.030 (10)(g), (h) and (i); and

(k) With respect to a report of abuse occurring at a school or in an educational setting that involves a child with a disability, Disability Rights Oregon.

(2)(a) When disclosing reports and records pursuant to subsection (1)(i) of this section, the Department of Human Services may exempt from disclosure the names, addresses and other identifying information about other children, witnesses, victims or other persons named in the report or record if the department determines, in written findings, that the safety or well-being of a person named in the report or record may be jeopardized by disclosure of the names, addresses or other identifying information, and if that concern outweighs the public’s interest in the disclosure of that information.

(b) If the Department of Human Services does not have a report or record of abuse regarding a child who, as the result of abuse, died or suffered serious physical injury as defined in ORS 161.015, the department may disclose that information.

(3) The Department of Human Services may make reports and records compiled under the provisions of ORS 419B.010 to 419B.050 available to any person, administrative hearings officer, court, agency, organization or other entity when the department determines that such disclosure is necessary to administer its child welfare services and is in the best interests of the affected child, or that such disclosure is necessary to investigate, prevent or treat child abuse and neglect, to protect children from abuse and neglect or for research when the Director of Human Services gives prior written approval. The Department of Human Services shall adopt rules setting forth the procedures by which it will make the disclosures authorized under this subsection or subsection (1) or (2) of this section. The name, address and other identifying information about the person who made the report may not be disclosed pursuant to this subsection and subsection (1) of this section.

(4) A law enforcement agency may make reports and records compiled under the provisions of ORS 419B.010 to 419B.050 available to other law enforcement agencies, district attorneys, city attorneys with criminal prosecutorial functions and the Attorney General when the law enforcement agency determines that disclosure is necessary for the investigation or enforcement of laws relating to child abuse and neglect or necessary to determine a claim for crime victim compensation under ORS 147.005 to 147.367.

(5) A law enforcement agency, upon completing an investigation and closing the file in a specific case relating to child abuse or neglect, shall make reports and records in the case available upon request to any law enforcement agency or community corrections agency in this state, to the Department of Corrections or to the State Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision for the purpose of managing and supervising offenders in custody or on probation, parole, post-prison supervision or other form of conditional or supervised release. A law enforcement agency may make reports and records compiled under the provisions of ORS 419B.010 to 419B.050 available to law enforcement, community corrections, corrections or parole agencies in an open case when the law enforcement agency determines that the disclosure will not interfere with an ongoing investigation in the case. The name, address and other identifying information about the person who made the report may not be disclosed under this subsection or subsection (6)(b) of this section.

(6)(a) Any record made available to a law enforcement agency or community corrections agency in this state, to the Department of Corrections or the State Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision or to a physician, physician assistant, naturopathic physician or nurse practitioner in this state, as authorized by subsections (1) to (5) of this section, shall be kept confidential by the agency, department, board, physician, physician assistant, naturopathic physician or nurse practitioner. Any record or report disclosed by the Department of Human Services to other persons or entities pursuant to subsections (1) and (3) of this section shall be kept confidential.

(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this subsection:

(A) A law enforcement agency, a community corrections agency, the Department of Corrections and the State Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision may disclose records made available to them under subsection (5) of this section to each other, to law enforcement, community corrections, corrections and parole agencies of other states and to authorized treatment providers for the purpose of managing and supervising offenders in custody or on probation, parole, post-prison supervision or other form of conditional or supervised release.

(B) A person may disclose records made available to the person under subsection (1)(i) of this section if the records are disclosed for the purpose of advancing the public interest.

(7) An officer or employee of the Department of Human Services or of a law enforcement agency or any person or entity to whom disclosure is made pursuant to subsections (1) to (6) of this section may not release any information not authorized by subsections (1) to (6) of this section.

(8) As used in this section, "law enforcement agency" has the meaning given that term in ORS 181A.010.

(9) A person who violates subsection (6)(a) or (7) of this section commits a Class A violation. [1993 c.546 §§20,20a; 1995 c.278 §51; 1997 c.328 §8; 1999 c.1051 §181; 2003 c.14 §224; 2003 c.412 §1; 2003 c.591 §8; 2005 c.317 §1; 2005 c.659 §2; 2009 c.348 §§3,4; 2009 c.393 §1; 2012 c.3 §2; 2013 c.624 §84; 2014 c.45 §43; 2017 c.108 §5; 2017 c.356 §43; 2017 c.377 §1; 2017 c.616 §2]