Sec. 17a-500. (Formerly Sec. 17-180). Maintenance and confidentiality of records of cases of persons with psychiatric disabilities. Exchange of information concerning commitment status of firearm perm
Sec. 17a-500. (Formerly Sec. 17-180). Maintenance and confidentiality of records of cases of persons with psychiatric disabilities. Exchange of information
concerning commitment status of firearm permit applicants and holders. (a) Each
court of probate shall keep a record of the cases relating to persons with psychiatric
disabilities coming before it under sections 17a-75 to 17a-83, inclusive, 17a-450 to 17a-484, inclusive, 17a-495 to 17a-528, inclusive, 17a-540 to 17a-550, inclusive, 17a-560
to 17a-576, inclusive, and 17a-615 to 17a-618, inclusive, and the disposition of them.
It shall also keep on file the original application and certificate of physicians required
by said sections, or a microfilm duplicate of such records in accordance with regulations
issued by the Probate Court Administrator. All records maintained in the courts of probate under the provisions of said sections shall be sealed and available only to the respondent or his or her counsel unless the Court of Probate, after hearing held with notice to
the respondent, determines such records should be disclosed for cause shown.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services, in accordance with section 17a-499,
shall maintain information on commitment orders by a probate court and shall provide
such information to the Commissioner of Public Safety in fulfillment of his obligations
under sections 29-28 to 29-38, inclusive, and section 53-202d, in such a manner as to
report identifying information on the commitment status including, but not limited to,
name, address, sex, date of birth and date of commitment, for a person who applies for
or holds a permit or certificate under said sections 29-28 to 29-38, inclusive, and section
53-202d. The Commissioner of Public Safety shall maintain as confidential any such
information provided to him and shall use such information only for purposes of fulfilling his obligations under sections 29-28 to 29-38, inclusive, and section 53-202d, except
that nothing in this section shall prohibit said commissioner from entering such information into evidence at a hearing held in accordance with section 29-32b.
(c) (1) The Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services shall obtain
from the Commissioner of Public Safety the status of any firearm application, permit
or certificate under sections 29-28 to 29-38, inclusive, and section 53-202d, of each
person who is the subject of an order of commitment pursuant to section 17a-499, in
such a manner so as to only receive a report on the firearm application, permit or certificate status of the person with respect to whom the inquiry is made.
(2) The Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services shall report to the
Commissioner of Public Safety any commitment status and identifying information for
any person who is an applicant for or holder of any permit or certificate under said
sections 29-28 to 29-38, inclusive, and section 53-202d.
(3) The Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services shall advise the
hospital for psychiatric disabilities to which a person has been committed of the status
of a firearm application, permit or certificate of such person under sections 29-28 to 29-38, inclusive, and section 53-202d, as reported by the Commissioner of Public Safety
for consideration by such hospital in any psychiatric treatment procedures.
(4) The Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services and a hospital for
psychiatric disabilities shall maintain as confidential any information provided to said
commissioner or such hospital concerning the status of a firearm application, permit or
certificate under sections 29-28 to 29-38, inclusive, and section 53-202d, of any person.
(1949 Rev., S. 2648; P.A. 77-595, S. 6, 9; P.A. 94-27, S. 6, 17; P.A. 95-257, S. 48, 58; P.A. 98-129, S. 18.)
History: P.A. 77-595 replaced "complaint" with "application", allowed use of microfilmed records and required records
be sealed and available only to respondent and his counsel unless court orders disclosure after hearing; Sec. 17-180 transferred to Sec. 17a-500 in 1991; P.A. 94-27 deleted reference to Secs. 17a-580 to 17a-603, inclusive, effective July 1, 1994;
P.A. 95-257 substituted "persons with psychiatric disabilities" for "mentally ill persons", effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 98-129 designated the existing provisions as Subsec. (a), added Subsec. (b) to require the Commissioner of Mental Health
and Addiction Services to maintain information on commitment orders and provide such information to the Commissioner
of Public Safety with respect to persons who apply for or hold a firearm permit or certificate and require the Commissioner
of Public Safety to maintain such information as confidential and use it only for specified purposes and added Subsec. (c)
to require in Subdiv. (1) that the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services obtain from the Commissioner
of Public Safety the status of any firearm application, permit or certificate of any person who is the subject of a commitment
order, require in Subdiv. (2) that the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services report to the Commissioner
of Public Safety any commitment status and identifying information for a person who is an applicant for or holder of a
firearm permit or certificate, require in Subdiv. (3) that the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services advise
a hospital for psychiatric disabilities of the status of a firearm application, permit or certificate of a committed person and
require in Subdiv. (4) that the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services and a hospital for psychiatric
disabilities maintain as confidential information concerning the status of a firearm application, permit or certificate; (Revisor's note: In 2001 references to Sec. 29-38a were replaced editorially by the Revisors with references to Sec. 29-38, since
Sec. 29-38a was repealed by P.A. 99-212).