§ 54-59-16 — Confidentiality

The department may receive from various agencies and various agencies may provide to
the department any information from the agencies necessary to effect the purposes of this
chapter without regard to the confidential nature of the information. Each agency shall notify the
department regarding the confidential nature of any information submitted to the department.
The department is subject to the same restrictions and penalties regarding the dissemination of
this information as the entity involved. Except for a request for access authorized by section
54-10-22.1 or a request to access information collected to carry out section 54-59-09, 54-59-11,
or 54-59-13, the department shall refer a request for access to or inspection of information
provided by an agency to that agency for response. Referral to the agency satisfies any
responsibility of the department to provide that information under open records requirements.
Upon court order, the department shall provide access to or inspection of this information in
accordance with restrictions of that entity involved governing dissemination of that information.