Section 9E.7. Confidentiality of information.

  1.  a.  Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, information collected, created, or maintained by the secretary related to applicants, eligible persons, and program participants is confidential unless otherwise ordered by a court or released by the lawful custodian of the records pursuant to state or federal law.

  b.  A program participant’s name and address maintained by a local governmental body that is part of an ongoing investigation or inspection of an alleged health code, building code, fire code, or city ordinance violation allegedly committed by the program participant is confidential information.

  2.  Upon request from the department of public safety, the secretary may share confidential information with the department of public safety. Such confidential information received by the department of public safety may be released to a law enforcement agency upon verification that the release will aid the law enforcement agency in responding to an emergency situation, a criminal complaint, or an ongoing investigation.

  3.  This section shall not be construed to prohibit the dissemination of information relating to the program to any agency or organization if necessary for carrying out the official duties of the agency or organization, or to a person if disseminated for an official purpose, or to any other person if necessary to protect a person or property from a threat of imminent serious harm.

  4.  If a program participant has notified the program participant’s landlord in writing that the individual is a program participant pursuant to this chapter, a local ordinance or the landlord shall not allow the display of the program participant’s name at an address otherwise protected under this chapter.

  5.  This section shall not be construed to prohibit the enforcement of a lease agreement between a program participant and a program participant’s landlord.

2015 Acts, ch 96, §8, 17

Section takes effect January 1, 2016; 2015 Acts, ch 96, §17

NEW section