Bill Text: CT SB00237 | 2012 | General Assembly | Chaptered
Bill Title: An Act Concerning The Sharing Of Information Between The Labor Department And The Board Of Regents For Higher Education.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2012-06-15 - Signed by the Governor [SB00237 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2012-SB00237-Chaptered.html
Substitute Senate Bill No. 237
AN ACT CONCERNING THE SHARING OF INFORMATION BETWEEN THE LABOR DEPARTMENT AND THE BOARD OF REGENTS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (g) of section 31-254 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2012):
(g) (1) Notwithstanding any of the information disclosure provisions of this section, the administrator shall disclose information obtained pursuant to subsection (a) of this section to: (A) A regional workforce development board, established pursuant to section 31-3k, to the extent necessary for the effective administration of the federal Trade Adjustment Assistance Program of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended from time to time, the federal Workforce Investment Act, as amended from time to time, and the state employment services program established pursuant to section 17b-688c for recipients of temporary family assistance, provided a regional workforce development board, enters into a written agreement with the administrator, pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection, concerning protection of the confidentiality of such information prior to the receipt of any such information; [or] (B) a nonpublic entity that is under contract with the United States Department of Labor to administer grants which are beneficial to the interests of the administrator, provided such nonpublic entity enters into a written agreement with the administrator, pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection, concerning protection of the confidentiality of such information prior to the receipt of any such information; or (C) the president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, appointed under section 10a-1a, for use in the performance of such president's official duties to the extent necessary for evaluating programs at institutions of higher education governed by said board pursuant to section 10a-1a, provided such president enters into a written agreement with the administrator, pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection, concerning protection of the confidentiality of such information prior to the receipt of any such information.
(2) Any written agreement shall contain safeguards as are necessary to protect the confidentiality of the information being disclosed, including, but not limited to a:
(A) Statement from the regional workforce development board, [or] nonpublic entity, or president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, as appropriate, of the purposes for the requested information and the specific use intended for the information;
(B) Statement from the regional workforce development board, [or] nonpublic entity, or president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, as appropriate, that the disclosed information shall only be used for such purposes as are permitted by this subsection and consistent with the written agreement;
(C) Requirement that the regional workforce development board, [or] nonpublic entity, or president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, as appropriate, store the disclosed information in a location that is physically secure from access by unauthorized persons;
(D) Requirement that the regional workforce development board, [or] nonpublic entity, or president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, as appropriate, store and process the disclosed information maintained in an electronic format in such a way that ensures that unauthorized persons cannot obtain the information by any means;
(E) Requirement that the regional workforce development board, [or] nonpublic entity, or president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, as appropriate, establish safeguards to ensure that only authorized persons, including any authorized agent of the board, nonpublic entity, institution of higher education or such institution's governing board, are permitted access to disclosed information stored in computer systems;
(F) Requirement that the regional workforce development board, [or] nonpublic entity, or president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, as appropriate, enter into a written agreement, that has been approved by the administrator, with any authorized agent of the board, [or] nonpublic entity, or president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, which agreement shall contain the requisite safeguards contained in the written agreement between the board, [or] nonpublic entity, or president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education and the administrator;
(G) Requirement that the regional workforce development board, [or] nonpublic entity, or president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, as appropriate, instruct all persons having access to the disclosed information about the sanctions specified in this section, and further require each employee of such board, [or] nonpublic entity, or president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, and any agent of such board, [or] nonpublic entity, or president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, authorized to review such information, to sign an acknowledgment that [he or she] such employee or such agent has been advised of such sanctions;
(H) Statement that redisclosure of confidential information is prohibited, except with the written approval of the administrator;
(I) Requirement that the regional workforce development board, [or] nonpublic entity, or president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, as appropriate, dispose of information disclosed or obtained under this subsection, including any copies of such information made by the board, [or] nonpublic entity, or president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, after the purpose for which the information is disclosed has been served, either by returning the information to the administrator, or by verifying to the administrator that the information has been destroyed;
(J) Statement that the regional workforce development board, [or] nonpublic entity, or president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, as appropriate, shall permit representatives of the administrator to conduct periodic audits, including on-site inspections, for the purpose of reviewing such board's, [or] nonpublic entity's, or president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education's adherence to the confidentiality and security provisions of the written agreement; and
(K) Statement that the regional workforce development board, [or] nonpublic entity, or president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, as appropriate, shall reimburse the administrator for all costs incurred by the administrator in making the requested information available and in conducting periodic audits of the board's, [or] nonpublic entity's, or president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education's procedures in safeguarding the information.
(3) Any employee or agent of a regional workforce development board, [or] nonpublic entity, or president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, as appropriate, who discloses any confidential information in violation of this section and the written agreement, entered into pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection, shall be fined not more than two hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than six months, or both, and shall be prohibited from any further access to confidential information.