VIRGINIA ACTS OF ASSEMBLY -- CHAPTER
An Act to amend and reenact §63.2-104.1 of the Code of
Virginia, relating to confidentiality of information about victims of certain
crimes.
[H 373]
Approved
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §63.2-104.1 of the Code of Virginia is amended and
reenacted as follows:
§63.2-104.1. Confidentiality of records of persons receiving
domestic and sexual violence services.
A. In order to ensure the safety of adult, youth, and
child victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or
stalking, or victims of a violation of §18.2-48, 18.2-355, 18.2-356,
18.2-357, or 18.2-357.1, and their families, programs and individuals
providing services to such victims of sexual or domestic violence
shall protect the confidentiality and privacy of persons receiving services.
B. Except as provided in subsections C and D, programs and
individuals providing services to victims of sexual or domestic violence,
dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, or victims of a violation of §
18.2-48, 18.2-355, 18.2-356, 18.2-357, or 18.2-357.1, shall not:
1. Disclose any personally identifying information or
individual information collected in connection with services requested,
utilized, or denied through sexual or programs for victims of
domestic violence programs, dating violence, sexual assault, or
stalking, or victims of a violation of §18.2-48, 18.2-355, 18.2-356, 18.2-357,
or 18.2-357.1; or
2. Reveal individual client information without the informed,
written, reasonably time-limited consent of the person (or in the case of an
unemancipated minor, the minor and the parent or guardian or in the case of an
incapacitated person as defined in § 64.2-2000, the guardian) about
whom information is sought,; the minor and his parent or legal
guardian, in cases in which the client is an unemancipated minor; or the
guardian of an incapacitated person as defined in §64.2-2000, whether for
this program or any other Federal, State, tribal, or territorial grant program,
except that. However, consent for release may not be given by the
abuser or alleged abuser of the minor, or incapacitated
person, or the abuser or alleged abuser of the other parent of the
minor.
C. If release of information described in subsection B is
compelled by statutory or court mandate, the program or individual providing
services shall:
1. The service provider shall make Make
reasonable attempts to provide notice to victims affected by the disclosure of
information; and
2. The service provider shall take Take steps
necessary to protect the privacy and safety of the persons affected by the
release of the information.
D. Programs and individuals providing services to victims of sexual
or domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, or
victims of a violation of §18.2-48, 18.2-355, 18.2-356, 18.2-357, or
18.2-357.1, may share:
1. Nonpersonally identifying data in the aggregate regarding
services to their clients and nonpersonally identifying demographic information
in order to comply with Federal, State, tribal, or territorial reporting,
evaluation, or data collection requirements;
2. Court generated information and law-enforcement generated
information contained in secure, governmental registries for protection order
enforcement purposes; and
3. Information necessary for law enforcement and prosecution
purposes.
For purposes of this section, "programs" shall
include public and not-for-profit agencies the primary mission of which is to
provide services to victims of sexual or domestic violence, dating
violence, sexual assault, or stalking, or victims of a violation of §18.2-48,
18.2-355, 18.2-356, 18.2-357, or 18.2-357.1.
E. For the purposes of this section, a person may be a
victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, or a
victim of a violation of §18.2-48, 18.2-355, 18.2-356, 18.2-357, or
18.2-357.1, regardless of whether any person has been charged with or convicted
of any offense.
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