SB 616 - This act prohibits peer support specialists who obtain information from law enforcement officers or emergency services personnel while acting in their capacity as a peer support specialist to disclose any confidential information unless certain conditions specified in the act are met. These conditions include threats of suicide, information relating to the abuse of spouses, children, or the elderly, admission of criminal conduct, and disclosure of certain protected information for which appropriate consent to disclose has been given. There is no prohibition on communication between peer support specialists or any communication between the specialists and the supervisors or staff of an employee assistance program. There is also no prohibition on communication regarding fitness of an employee for duty between an employee assistance program and an employer.
This act is identical to SB 385 (2017), a provision of SCS/HCS/HB 57 (2017), a provision of SS#2/SCS/HCS/HBs 302 & 228 (2017), and similar to HCS/HB 586 (2017).
MIKE WEAVER