§ 473-e. Confidentiality of protective services for adults' records.
1. Definitions. When used in this section unless otherwise expressly
stated or unless the context or subject matter requires a different
interpretation:

(a) "Subject of a report" means a person who is the subject of a
referral or an application for protective services for adults, or who is
receiving or has received protective services for adults from a social
services district.

(b) "Authorized representative of a subject of a report" means (i) a
person named in writing by a subject to be a subject's representative
for purposes of requesting and receiving records under this article;
provided, however, that the subject has contract capacity at the time of
the writing or had executed a durable power of attorney at a time when
the subject had such capacity, naming the authorized representative as
attorney-in-fact, and such document has not been revoked in accordance
with applicable law; (ii) a person appointed by a court, or otherwise
authorized in accordance with law to represent or act in the interests
of the subject; or (iii) legal counsel for the subject.

2. Reports made pursuant to this article, as well as any other
information obtained, including but not limited to, the names of
referral sources, written reports or photographs taken concerning such
reports in the possession of the department or a social services
district, shall be confidential and, except to persons, officers and
agencies enumerated in paragraphs (a) through (g) of this subdivision,
shall only be released with the written permission of the person who is
the subject of the report, or the subject's authorized representative,
except to the extent that there is a basis for non-disclosure of such
information pursuant to subdivision three of this section. Such reports
and information may be made available to:

(a) any person who is the subject of the report or such person's
authorized representative;

(b) a provider of services to a current or former protective services
for adults client, where a social services official, or his or her
designee determined that such information is necessary to determine the
need for or to provide or to arrange for the provision of such services;

(c) a court, upon a finding that the information in the record is
necessary for the use by a party in a criminal or civil action or the
determination of an issue before the court;

(d) a grand jury, upon a finding that the information in the record is
necessary for the determination of charges before the grand jury;

(e) a district attorney, an assistant district attorney or
investigator employed in the office of a district attorney, a member of
the division of state police, or a police officer employed by a city,
county, town or village police department or by a county sheriff when
such official requests such information stating that such information is
necessary to conduct a criminal investigation or criminal prosecution of
a person, that there is reasonable cause to believe that the criminal
investigation or criminal prosecution involves or otherwise affects a
person who is the subject of a report, and that it is reasonable to
believe that due to the nature of the crime under investigation or
prosecution, such records may be related to the criminal investigation
or prosecution;

(f) a person named as a court-appointed evaluator or guardian in
accordance with article eighty-one of the mental hygiene law, or a
person named as a guardian for individuals with developmental
disabilities in accordance with article seventeen-A of the surrogate's
court procedure act; or

(g) any person considered entitled to such record in accordance with
applicable law.

3. The commissioner or a social services official may withhold, in
whole or in part, the release of any information in their possession
which he or she is otherwise authorized to release pursuant to
subdivision two of this section, if such official finds that release of
such information would identify a person who made a referral or
submitted an application on behalf of a person for protective services
for adults, or who cooperated in a subsequent investigation and
assessment conducted by a social services district to determine a
person's need for such services and the official reasonably finds that
the release of such information will be detrimental to the safety or
interests of such person.

4. Before releasing a record made pursuant to this article in the
possession of the department or a social services district, the
appropriate official must be satisfied that the confidential character
of the information will be maintained in accordance with applicable law,
and that the record will be used only for the purposes for which it was
made available.

5. In addition to the requirements of this section, any release of
confidential HIV related information, as defined in section twenty-seven
hundred eighty of the public health law, shall comply with the
requirements of article twenty-seven-F of the public health law.

6. When a record made under this article is subpoenaed or sought
pursuant to notice to permit discovery, a social services official may
move to withdraw, quash, fix conditions or modify the subpoena, or to
move for a protective order, as may be appropriate, in accordance with
the applicable provisions of the criminal procedure law or the civil
practice law and rules, to (a) delete the identity of any persons who
made a referral or submitted an application for protective services for
adults on behalf of an individual or who cooperated in a subsequent
investigation and assessment of the individual's needs for such
services, or the agency, institution, organization, program or other
entity when such persons are employed, or with which such persons are
associated, (b) withhold records the disclosure of which is likely to be
detrimental to the safety or interests of such persons, or (c) otherwise
to object to release of all or a portion of the record on the basis that
requested release of records is for a purpose not authorized under the
law.