Juvenile case files: inspection.

Existing law generally provides for the confidentiality of information regarding a minor in proceedings in the juvenile court and related court proceedings and limits access to juvenile case files. Existing law authorizes only certain individuals to inspect a juvenile case file, including, among others, the minor, his or her parents or guardian, and the attorneys for the parties, judges, referees, other hearing officers, probation officers, and law enforcement officers who are actively participating in criminal or juvenile proceedings involving the minor. Existing law also authorizes some of those individuals to receive copies of the case file. This bill would authorize an investigator employed by a county auditor-controller, as defined, who is authorized by a county board of supervisors to investigate suspected acts of waste, fraud, or abuse, including, but not limited to, misuse of personally identifiable information or protected health information of minors, to access, inspect, and copy a juvenile case file, or portions thereof, as necessary for the performance of his or her duties. The bill would authorize access, inspection, and copying only when the investigator is conducting an investigation within the scope of his or her duties, the information contained in the juvenile case file is reasonably believed to be relevant to the investigation, and prior notice is given to the director of the county child welfare agency or the county probation department. The bill would impose restrictions on the use of the confidential information and require subsequent sealing of the confidential information. The bill would require, in the event the county auditor-controller determines a juvenile's confidential information was improperly used in a manner detrimental to the interests of the child, that the county auditor-controller inform the child's attorney so that the attorney can take appropriate action commensurate with his or her duties to protect the interests of the child.