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25LSO-0758
2025
STATE OF WYOMING
25LSO-0758
Numbered
2.0
SENATE FILE NO. SF0157
Department of family services-confidentiality amendments-2.
Sponsored by: Senator(s) Olsen, Barlow, Crago and Nethercott and Representative(s) Filer, Singh and Washut
A BILL
for
AN ACT relating to the department of family services; creating a new duty for the director of the department of family services to review the effectiveness and impact of the department's programs; authorizing the sharing of data; creating exceptions for the sharing of confidential information; requiring rulemaking; requiring a report; and providing for effective dates.
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
Section 1
.
W.S. 9
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2
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2104(a) by creating a new paragraph (x), 14
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3
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214(a), 14
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6
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203(g)(intro), 14
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6
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306, 14
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6
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437 by creating a new subsection (c), 14
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6
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604(a) by creating a new paragraph (vi), 21
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18
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202(a)(vi)(C), 35
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20
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108 and 42
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2
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111(a) are amended to read:
9
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2
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2104.
Duties and powers of director of department.
(a)
The director shall:
(x)
Notwithstanding any confidentiality requirements of W.S. 14
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3
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214(a), 14
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6
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203(g), 14
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6
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306, 14
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6
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437(a), 14
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6
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604(a), 35
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20
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108 and 42
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2
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111(a), review the effectiveness and impact of programs and services which shall include sharing data to the extent permitted by federal law for the purposes of referrals, provision of services and participation in bona fide research.
14
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3
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214.
Confidentiality of records; exceptions; penalties; access to information; attendance of school officials at interviews; access to central registry records pertaining to child protection cases.
(a)
All records concerning reports and investigations of child abuse or neglect are confidential except as provided by W.S.
9
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2
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2104(a)(x) and
14
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3
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201 through 14
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3
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215. Any person who willfully violates this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) or imprisoned in the county jail not more than six (6) months, or both.
14
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6
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203.
Jurisdiction; confidentiality of records.
(g)
Except as provided by subsection (j) of this section
and W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
2104(a)(x)
, all information, reports or records made, received or kept by any municipal, county or state officer or employee evidencing any legal or administrative process or disposition resulting from a minor's misconduct are confidential and subject to the provisions of this act. The existence of the information, reports or records or contents thereof shall not be disclosed by any person unless:
14
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6
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306.
Disclosure of information and data.
Except as provided by W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
2104(a)(x), a
ll information and data obtained in the discharge of official duties by the supervising probation officer is privileged information and shall not be disclosed directly or indirectly to anyone other than to the juvenile court, department of family services, department of education, department of health or to others entitled to receive reports as ordered by the court, such as multidisciplinary teams.
14
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6
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437.
Records and reports confidential; exceptions; inspection.
(c)
Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, the department may share data in accordance with W.S. 9
‑
2
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2104(a)(x).
14
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6
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604.
Access to and dissemination of information.
(a)
Information contained in the juvenile justice information system shall be accessible, whether directly or through an intermediary, to:
(vi)
The department for purposes of sharing data for referrals, provision of services and participation in bona fide research in accordance with W.S. 9
‑
2
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2104(a)(x).
21
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18
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202.
Powers and duties of the commission.
(a)
The commission shall perform the following general functions:
(vi)
In cooperation with the community colleges and the University of Wyoming, develop and maintain a common transcript and transfer process system that uses common course numbering for all undergraduate courses provided at the community colleges and the University of Wyoming. The development and ongoing maintenance of the statewide course numbering system, including determining course equivalencies, shall be accomplished with the assistance of appropriate committees that shall include faculty members and staff of the community colleges and the University of Wyoming. The system shall:
(C)
Extend to the community college commission, the Wyoming department of education, the department of workforce services
, the department of family services
and the University of Wyoming a statewide longitudinal education data system, which shall serve as a statewide exchange for management and analytical reporting in support of education and workforce outcomes;
35
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20
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108.
Records confidential; exception.
Except as provided under W.S.
9
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2
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2104(a)(x) and
35
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20
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116, records of the department or other agency or the court pertaining to a vulnerable adult receiving protective services under this act are not open to public inspection. Information contained in those records shall not be disclosed to the public in any manner that will identify any individual. The records may be made available for inspection only upon application to the court pursuant to W.S. 35
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20
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112 for good cause shown.
42
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2
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111.
Prohibited disclosure and use of records; penalty; judicial discovery.
(a)
Except as provided in this section
, and by W.S. 9
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2
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2104(a)(x) to the extent allowed by federal law
, no person shall disclose, receive, use or knowingly permit or participate in the use of any information derived from records maintained pursuant to law or acquired in the performance of duties under this article for purposes not directly related to the administration of this article.
Section 2
.
The department of family services shall promulgate all rules necessary to implement the provisions of this act.
Section 3.
The department of family services shall report to the joint judiciary interim committee on the types of data that are shared pursuant to this act and any safeguards that have been implemented to protect personal data not later than October 1, 2025.
Section 4.
(a)
Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, this act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.
(b)
Section 1 of this act is effective July 1, 2025
.
(END)
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SF0157