(a) Notwithstanding Section 10850, an authorized employee of a county welfare department may disclose confidential information concerning a public social services applicant or recipient to any law enforcement agency where a warrant has been issued for the arrest of the applicant or recipient for the commission of a felony or a misdemeanor. Information that may be released pursuant to this section shall be limited to the name, address, telephone number, birth date, social security number, and physical description of the applicant for, or recipient of, public social services.
(b) A county welfare department may release the information specified by this section to any law enforcement agency only upon a written request from the agency specifying that a warrant of arrest for the commission of a felony or misdemeanor has been issued against the applicant or recipient. This request may be made only by the head of the law enforcement agency, or by an employee of the agency so authorized and identified by name and title by the head of the agency in writing to the county welfare department. A county welfare department shall notify all applicants of public social services that release of confidential information from their records will not be protected if a felony or misdemeanor arrest warrant is issued against the applicant. A recipient of public social services shall be notified, at the time of renewal of his or her application for public social services, that a release of confidential information can be made if a felony or misdemeanor arrest warrant is issued against the recipient.
(c) This section shall not be construed to authorize the release of a general list identifying individuals applying for or receiving public social services.
(d) The provisions of this section shall be operative only to the extent permitted by federal law. The section shall not apply to, but shall exclude, the Medi-Cal program, established pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000) and following.
(Amended (as amended by Stats. 1995, Ch. 227, Sec. 2) by Stats. 2002, Ch. 918, Sec. 10. Effective January 1, 2003. Applicability is subject to limitations in subd. (d).)