A housing authority created pursuant to this part may, without the need to provide written documentation that consent has been obtained from a client, provide information to a county welfare department in order to aid that department in the administration of public social services programs provided for pursuant to Division 9 (commencing with Section 10000) of the Welfare and Institutions Code. This section may be implemented either through an automated data exchange system or through a manual system. Any housing authority maintaining and providing information pursuant to this section shall comply with confidentiality and privacy laws concerning the collection, maintenance, and dissemination of information, as contained in Section 10850 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and the federal Privacy Act of 1974 contained in Section 552a of Title 5 of the United States Code. The authority shall provide a written form to each person about whom information is to be provided to a county welfare department pursuant to this section. The form shall notify the person that the information exchanges may occur. A copy of the form may be retained by the person and the authority. The form shall specify the purpose for which the information has been solicited, the entities to which the information may be provided, the uses that may be made of the information, as set forth in Section 552a(e)(3) of Title 5 of the United States Code, and the right of the client to request review of the information that has been provided to the county welfare department. The authority may provide only information that is necessary to determine eligibility for county welfare department programs or services for which the client has applied or which he or she is receiving. The authority shall allow the client to review the information it has provided to a county welfare department, upon request of the client. This section is not intended to eliminate any other legal obligation of the authority to obtain consent from a client before releasing information to another entity.
(Added by Stats. 1993, Ch. 985, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1994.)