§ 37-3-810 — Confidentiality - Public meetings

(a) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the commission may access information made confidential pursuant to chapter 1 of this title. (b) (1) Except as provided in subsection (c), investigatory meetings of the commission shall not be subject to title 8, chapter 44, part 1 and shall be closed to the public. Any minutes or other information made confidential pursuant to state or federal law and generated during an investigatory meeting shall be sealed from public inspection; provided that the commission shall comply with subsection (c). (2) Each statutory member of the commission and each person otherwise attending an investigatory meeting shall sign a statement prepared by the commission indicating and affirming an understanding of and adherence to the confidentiality requirements, including the possible civil or criminal consequences of any violation or breach of such requirements. (c) Notwithstanding subsection (b), the commission shall conduct meetings that are open to the public to periodically make available, in a general manner that does not reveal information made confidential pursuant to state or federal law, the aggregate findings of its reviews and its recommendations. (d) All information made confidential pursuant to state or federal law acquired by the commission in the exercise of its duties: (1) Remains confidential after being acquired by the commission; (2) Is not subject to discovery or introduction into evidence in any criminal or civil proceedings; and (3) May only be disclosed as necessary to carry out the purposes of this part. (e) Subsection (d) shall not prohibit a person from testifying in a civil or criminal action about matters within such person's knowledge that was obtained independently from any commission meeting.

Legislative History

Acts 2010, ch. 1060, § 1.