56.10.

 (a) A provider of health care, health care service plan, or contractor shall not disclose medical information regarding a patient of the provider of health care or an enrollee or subscriber of a health care service plan without first obtaining an authorization, except as provided in subdivision (b) or (c).

(b) A provider of health care, a health care service plan, or a contractor shall disclose medical information if the disclosure is compelled by any of the following:

(1) By a court order.

(2) By a board, commission, or administrative agency for purposes of adjudication pursuant to its lawful authority.

(3) By a party to a proceeding before a court or administrative agency pursuant to a subpoena, subpoena duces tecum, notice to appear served pursuant to Section 1987 of the Code of Civil Procedure, or any provision authorizing discovery in a proceeding before a court or administrative agency.

(4) By a board, commission, or administrative agency pursuant to an investigative subpoena issued under Article 2 (commencing with Section 11180) of Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

(5) By an arbitrator or arbitration panel, when arbitration is lawfully requested by either party, pursuant to a subpoena duces tecum issued under Section 1282.6 of the Code of Civil Procedure, or another provision authorizing discovery in a proceeding before an arbitrator or arbitration panel.

(6) By a search warrant lawfully issued to a governmental law enforcement agency.

(7) By the patient or the patient’s representative pursuant to Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 123100) of Part 1 of Division 106 of the Health and Safety Code.

(8) By a medical examiner, forensic pathologist, or coroner, when requested in the course of an investigation by a medical examiner, forensic pathologist, or coroner’s office for the purpose of identifying the decedent or locating next of kin, or when investigating deaths that may involve public health concerns, organ or tissue donation, child abuse, elder abuse, suicides, poisonings, accidents, sudden infant deaths, suspicious deaths, unknown deaths, or criminal deaths, or upon notification of, or investigation of, imminent deaths that may involve organ or tissue donation pursuant to Section 7151.15 of the Health and Safety Code, or when otherwise authorized by the decedent’s representative. Medical information requested by a medical examiner, forensic pathologist, or coroner under this paragraph shall be limited to information regarding the patient who is the decedent and who is the subject of the investigation or who is the prospective donor and shall be disclosed to a medical examiner, forensic pathologist, or coroner without delay upon request.

(9) When otherwise specifically required by law.

(c) A provider of health care or a health care service plan may disclose medical information as follows:

(1) The information may be disclosed to providers of health care, health care service plans, contractors, or other health care professionals or facilities for purposes of diagnosis or treatment of the patient. This includes, in an emergency situation, the communication of patient information by radio transmission or other means between emergency medical personnel at the scene of an emergency, or in an emergency medical transport vehicle, and emergency medical personnel at a health facility licensed pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 1250) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code.

(2) The information may be disclosed to an insurer, employer, health care service plan, hospital service plan, employee benefit plan, governmental authority, contractor, or other person or entity responsible for paying for health care services rendered to the patient, to the extent necessary to allow responsibility for payment to be determined and payment to be made. If (A) the patient is, by reason of a comatose or other disabling medical condition, unable to consent to the disclosure of medical information and (B) no other arrangements have been made to pay for the health care services being rendered to the patient, the information may be disclosed to a governmental authority to the extent necessary to determine the patient’s eligibility for, and to obtain, payment under a governmental program for health care services provided to the patient. The information may also be disclosed to another provider of health care or health care service plan as necessary to assist the other provider or health care service plan in obtaining payment for health care services rendered by that provider of health care or health care service plan to the patient.

(3) The information may be disclosed to a person or entity that provides billing, claims management, medical data processing, or other administrative services for providers of health care or health care service plans or for any of the persons or entities specified in paragraph (2). However, information so disclosed shall not be further disclosed by the recipient in a way that would violate this part.

(4) The information may be disclosed to organized committees and agents of professional societies or of medical staffs of licensed hospitals, licensed health care service plans, professional standards review organizations, independent medical review organizations and their selected reviewers, utilization and quality control peer review organizations as established by Congress in Public Law 97-248 in 1982, contractors, or persons or organizations insuring, responsible for, or defending professional liability that a provider may incur, if the committees, agents, health care service plans, organizations, reviewers, contractors, or persons are engaged in reviewing the competence or qualifications of health care professionals or in reviewing health care services with respect to medical necessity, level of care, quality of care, or justification of charges.

(5) The information in the possession of a provider of health care or health care service plan may be reviewed by a private or public body responsible for licensing or accrediting the provider of health care or health care service plan. However, no patient-identifying medical information may be removed from the premises except as expressly permitted or required elsewhere by law, nor shall that information be further disclosed by the recipient in a way that would violate this part.

(6) The information may be disclosed to a medical examiner, forensic pathologist, or county coroner in the course of an investigation by a medical examiner, forensic pathologist, or coroner’s office when requested for all purposes not included in paragraph (8) of subdivision (b). A medical examiner, forensic pathologist, or coroner shall not disclose the information contained in the medical record obtained pursuant to this paragraph to a third party without a court order or authorization pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision (c) of Section 56.11.

(7) The information may be disclosed to public agencies, clinical investigators, including investigators conducting epidemiologic studies, health care research organizations, and accredited public or private nonprofit educational or health care institutions for bona fide research purposes. However, no information so disclosed shall be further disclosed by the recipient in a way that would disclose the identity of a patient or violate this part.

(8) A provider of health care or health care service plan that has created medical information as a result of employment-related health care services to an employee conducted at the specific prior written request and expense of the employer may disclose to the employee’s employer that part of the information that:

(A) Is relevant in a lawsuit, arbitration, grievance, or other claim or challenge to which the employer and the employee are parties and in which the patient has placed in issue his or her medical history, mental or physical condition, or treatment, provided that information may only be used or disclosed in connection with that proceeding.

(B) Describes functional limitations of the patient that may entitle the patient to leave from work for medical reasons or limit the patient’s fitness to perform his or her present employment, provided that no statement of medical cause is included in the information disclosed.

(9) Unless the provider of health care or a health care service plan is notified in writing of an agreement by the sponsor, insurer, or administrator to the contrary, the information may be disclosed to a sponsor, insurer, or administrator of a group or individual insured or uninsured plan or policy that the patient seeks coverage by or benefits from, if the information was created by the provider of health care or health care service plan as the result of services conducted at the specific prior written request and expense of the sponsor, insurer, or administrator for the purpose of evaluating the application for coverage or benefits.

(10) The information may be disclosed to a health care service plan by providers of health care that contract with the health care service plan and may be transferred between providers of health care that contract with the health care service plan, for the purpose of administering the health care service plan. Medical information shall not otherwise be disclosed by a health care service plan except in accordance with this part.

(11) This part does not prevent the disclosure by a provider of health care or a health care service plan to an insurance institution, agent, or support organization, subject to Article 6.6 (commencing with Section 791) of Chapter 1 of Part 2 of Division 1 of the Insurance Code, of medical information if the insurance institution, agent, or support organization has complied with all of the requirements for obtaining the information pursuant to Article 6.6 (commencing with Section 791) of Chapter 1 of Part 2 of Division 1 of the Insurance Code.

(12) The information relevant to the patient’s condition, care, and treatment provided may be disclosed to a probate court investigator in the course of an investigation required or authorized in a conservatorship proceeding under the Guardianship-Conservatorship Law as defined in Section 1400 of the Probate Code, or to a probate court investigator, probation officer, or domestic relations investigator engaged in determining the need for an initial guardianship or continuation of an existing guardianship.

(13) The information may be disclosed to an organ procurement organization or a tissue bank processing the tissue of a decedent for transplantation into the body of another person, but only with respect to the donating decedent, for the purpose of aiding the transplant. For the purpose of this paragraph, “tissue bank” and “tissue” have the same meanings as defined in Section 1635 of the Health and Safety Code.

(14) The information may be disclosed when the disclosure is otherwise specifically authorized by law, including, but not limited to, the voluntary reporting, either directly or indirectly, to the federal Food and Drug Administration of adverse events related to drug products or medical device problems, or to disclosures made pursuant to subdivisions (b) and (c) of Section 11167 of the Penal Code by a person making a report pursuant to Sections 11165.9 and 11166 of the Penal Code, provided that those disclosures concern a report made by that person.

(15) Basic information, including the patient’s name, city of residence, age, sex, and general condition, may be disclosed to a state-recognized or federally recognized disaster relief organization for the purpose of responding to disaster welfare inquiries.

(16) The information may be disclosed to a third party for purposes of encoding, encrypting, or otherwise anonymizing data. However, no information so disclosed shall be further disclosed by the recipient in a way that would violate this part, including the unauthorized manipulation of coded or encrypted medical information that reveals individually identifiable medical information.

(17) For purposes of disease management programs and services as defined in Section 1399.901 of the Health and Safety Code, information may be disclosed as follows: (A) to an entity contracting with a health care service plan or the health care service plan’s contractors to monitor or administer care of enrollees for a covered benefit, if the disease management services and care are authorized by a treating physician, or (B) to a disease management organization, as defined in Section 1399.900 of the Health and Safety Code, that complies fully with the physician authorization requirements of Section 1399.902 of the Health and Safety Code, if the health care service plan or its contractor provides or has provided a description of the disease management services to a treating physician or to the health care service plan’s or contractor’s network of physicians. This paragraph does not require physician authorization for the care or treatment of the adherents of a well-recognized church or religious denomination who depend solely upon prayer or spiritual means for healing in the practice of the religion of that church or denomination.

(18) The information may be disclosed, as permitted by state and federal law or regulation, to a local health department for the purpose of preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability, including, but not limited to, the reporting of disease, injury, vital events, including, but not limited to, birth or death, and the conduct of public health surveillance, public health investigations, and public health interventions, as authorized or required by state or federal law or regulation.

(19) The information may be disclosed, consistent with applicable law and standards of ethical conduct, by a psychotherapist, as defined in Section 1010 of the Evidence Code, if the psychotherapist, in good faith, believes the disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of a reasonably foreseeable victim or victims, and the disclosure is made to a person or persons reasonably able to prevent or lessen the threat, including the target of the threat.

(20) The information may be disclosed as described in Section 56.103.

(21) (A) The information may be disclosed to an employee welfare benefit plan, as defined under Section 3(1) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. Sec. 1002(1)), which is formed under Section 302(c)(5) of the Taft-Hartley Act (29 U.S.C. Sec. 186(c)(5)), to the extent that the employee welfare benefit plan provides medical care, and may also be disclosed to an entity contracting with the employee welfare benefit plan for billing, claims management, medical data processing, or other administrative services related to the provision of medical care to persons enrolled in the employee welfare benefit plan for health care coverage, if all of the following conditions are met:

(i) The disclosure is for the purpose of determining eligibility, coordinating benefits, or allowing the employee welfare benefit plan or the contracting entity to advocate on the behalf of a patient or enrollee with a provider, a health care service plan, or a state or federal regulatory agency.

(ii) The request for the information is accompanied by a written authorization for the release of the information submitted in a manner consistent with subdivision (a) and Section 56.11.

(iii) The disclosure is authorized by and made in a manner consistent with the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-191).

(iv) Any information disclosed is not further used or disclosed by the recipient in any way that would directly or indirectly violate this part or the restrictions imposed by Part 164 of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations, including the manipulation of the information in any way that might reveal individually identifiable medical information.

(B) For purposes of this paragraph, Section 1374.8 of the Health and Safety Code shall not apply.

(22) Information may be disclosed pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 15633.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code by a person required to make a report pursuant to Section 15630 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, provided that the disclosure under subdivision (a) of Section 15633.5 concerns a report made by that person. Covered entities, as they are defined in Section 160.103 of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations, shall comply with the requirements of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) privacy rule pursuant to subsection (c) of Section 164.512 of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations if the disclosure is not for the purpose of public health surveillance, investigation, intervention, or reporting an injury or death.

(23) Information shall be disclosed between a county correctional facility, a county medical facility, a state correctional facility, or a state hospital to ensure the continuity of health care of an inmate being transferred between those facilities.

(d) Except to the extent expressly authorized by a patient, enrollee, or subscriber, or as provided by subdivisions (b) and (c), a provider of health care, health care service plan, contractor, or corporation and its subsidiaries and affiliates shall not intentionally share, sell, use for marketing, or otherwise use medical information for a purpose not necessary to provide health care services to the patient.

(e) Except to the extent expressly authorized by a patient or enrollee or subscriber or as provided by subdivisions (b) and (c), a contractor or corporation and its subsidiaries and affiliates shall not further disclose medical information regarding a patient of the provider of health care or an enrollee or subscriber of a health care service plan or insurer or self-insured employer received under this section to a person or entity that is not engaged in providing direct health care services to the patient or his or her provider of health care or health care service plan or insurer or self-insured employer.

(f) For purposes of this section, a reference to a “medical examiner, forensic pathologist, or coroner” means a coroner or deputy coroner as described in subdivision (c) of Section 830.35 of the Penal Code, or a licensed physician who currently performs official autopsies on behalf of a county coroner’s office or a medical examiner’s office, whether as a government employee or under contract to that office.

2601.

 Subject only to the provisions of that section, each person described in Section 2600 shall have the following civil rights:

(a) Except as provided in Section 2225 of the Civil Code, to inherit, own, sell, or convey real or personal property, including all written and artistic material produced or created by the person during the period of imprisonment. However, to the extent authorized in Section 2600, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation may restrict or prohibit sales or conveyances that are made for business purposes.

(b) To correspond, confidentially, with any member of the State Bar or holder of public office, provided that the prison authorities may open and inspect incoming mail to search for contraband.

(c) Subject to paragraph (23) of subdivision (c) of Section 56.10 of the Civil Code, as that paragraph relates to medically necessary sharing of personal medical and mental health information to further the continuity of care the disclosure of the minimum amount of protected mental health information necessary for the diagnosis and treatment purposes for offenders, to all privacy rights legally applicable to inmates.

(d) (1) To purchase, receive, and read any and all newspapers, periodicals, and books accepted for distribution by the United States Post Office. Pursuant to this section, prison authorities may exclude any of the following matter:

(A) Obscene publications or writings, and mail containing information concerning where, how, or from whom this matter may be obtained.

(B) Any matter of a character tending to incite murder, arson, riot, violent racism, or any other form of violence.

(C) Any matter concerning gambling or a lottery.

(2) Nothing in this section shall be construed as limiting the right of prison authorities to do the following:

(A) Open and inspect any and all packages received by an inmate.

(B) Establish reasonable restrictions as to the number of newspapers, magazines, and books that the inmate may have in his or her cell or elsewhere in the prison at one time.

(e) To initiate civil actions, subject to a three dollar ($3) filing fee to be collected by the Department of Corrections, Corrections and Rehabilitation, in addition to any other filing fee authorized by law, and subject to Title 3a (commencing with Section 391) of the Code of Civil Procedure.

(f) To marry.

(g) To create a power of appointment.

(h) To make a will.

(i) To receive all benefits provided for in Sections 3370 and 3371 of the Labor Code and in Section 5069.

3003.

 (a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, an inmate who is released on parole or postrelease supervision as provided by Title 2.05 (commencing with Section 3450) shall be returned to the county that was the last legal residence of the inmate prior to his or her incarceration. For purposes of this subdivision, “last legal residence” shall not be construed to mean the county wherein the inmate committed an offense while confined in a state prison or local jail facility or while confined for treatment in a state hospital.

(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), an inmate may be returned to another county if that would be in the best interests of the public. If the Board of Parole Hearings setting the conditions of parole for inmates sentenced pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 1168, as determined by the parole consideration panel, or the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation setting the conditions of parole for inmates sentenced pursuant to Section 1170, decides on a return to another county, it shall place its reasons in writing in the parolee’s permanent record and include these reasons in the notice to the sheriff or chief of police pursuant to Section 3058.6. In making its decision, the paroling authority shall consider, among others, the following factors, giving the greatest weight to the protection of the victim and the safety of the community:

(1) The need to protect the life or safety of a victim, the parolee, a witness, or any other person.

(2) Public concern that would reduce the chance that the inmate’s parole would be successfully completed.

(3) The verified existence of a work offer, or an educational or vocational training program.

(4) The existence of family in another county with whom the inmate has maintained strong ties and whose support would increase the chance that the inmate’s parole would be successfully completed.

(5) The lack of necessary outpatient treatment programs for parolees receiving treatment pursuant to Section 2960.

(c) The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, in determining an out-of-county commitment, shall give priority to the safety of the community and any witnesses and victims.

(d) In making its decision about an inmate who participated in a joint venture program pursuant to Article 1.5 (commencing with Section 2717.1) of Chapter 5, the paroling authority shall give serious consideration to releasing him or her to the county where the joint venture program employer is located if that employer states to the paroling authority that he or she intends to employ the inmate upon release.

(e) (1) The following information, if available, shall be released by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to local law enforcement agencies regarding a paroled inmate or inmate placed on postrelease community supervision pursuant to Title 2.05 (commencing with Section 3450) who is released in their jurisdictions:

(A) Last, first, and middle names.

(B) Birth date.

(C) Sex, race, height, weight, and hair and eye color.

(D) Date of parole or placement on postrelease community supervision and discharge.

(E) Registration status, if the inmate is required to register as a result of a controlled substance, sex, or arson offense.

(F) California Criminal Information Number, FBI number, social security number, and driver’s license number.

(G) County of commitment.

(H) A description of scars, marks, and tattoos on the inmate.

(I) Offense or offenses for which the inmate was convicted that resulted in parole or postrelease community supervision in this instance.

(J) Address, including all of the following information:

(i) Street name and number. Post office box numbers are not acceptable for purposes of this subparagraph.

(ii) City and ZIP Code.

(iii) Date that the address provided pursuant to this subparagraph was proposed to be effective.

(K) Contact officer and unit, including all of the following information:

(i) Name and telephone number of each contact officer.

(ii) Contact unit type of each contact officer such as units responsible for parole, registration, or county probation.

(L) A digitized image of the photograph and at least a single digit fingerprint of the parolee.

(M) A geographic coordinate for the inmate’s residence location for use with a Geographical Information System (GIS) or comparable computer program.

(2) The information required by this subdivision shall come from the statewide parolee database. The information obtained from each source shall be based on the same timeframe.

(3) All of the information required by this subdivision shall be provided utilizing a computer-to-computer transfer in a format usable by a desktop computer system. The transfer of this information shall be continually available to local law enforcement agencies upon request.

(4) The unauthorized release or receipt of the information described in this subdivision is a violation of Section 11143.

(f) Notwithstanding any other law, an inmate who is released on parole shall not be returned to a location within 35 miles of the actual residence of a victim of, or a witness to, a violent felony as defined in paragraphs (1) to (7), inclusive, and paragraph (16) of subdivision (c) of Section 667.5 or a felony in which the defendant inflicts great bodily injury on a person other than an accomplice that has been charged and proved as provided for in Section 12022.53, 12022.7, or 12022.9, if the victim or witness has requested additional distance in the placement of the inmate on parole, and if the Board of Parole Hearings or the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation finds that there is a need to protect the life, safety, or well-being of a victim or witness.

(g) Notwithstanding any other law, an inmate who is released on parole for a violation of Section 288 or 288.5 whom the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation determines poses a high risk to the public shall not be placed or reside, for the duration of his or her parole, within one-half mile of a public or private school including any or all of kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive.

(h) Notwithstanding any other law, an inmate who is released on parole or postrelease community supervision for a stalking offense shall not be returned to a location within 35 miles of the victim’s actual residence or place of employment if the victim or witness has requested additional distance in the placement of the inmate on parole or postrelease community supervision, and if the Board of Parole Hearings or the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, or the supervising county agency, as applicable, finds that there is a need to protect the life, safety, or well-being of the victim. If an inmate who is released on postrelease community supervision cannot be placed in his or her county of last legal residence in compliance with this subdivision, the supervising county agency may transfer the inmate to another county upon approval of the receiving county.

(i) The authority shall give consideration to the equitable distribution of parolees and the proportion of out-of-county commitments from a county compared to the number of commitments from that county when making parole decisions.

(j) An inmate may be paroled to another state pursuant to any other law. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation shall coordinate with local entities regarding the placement of inmates placed out of state on postrelease community supervision pursuant to Title 2.05 (commencing with Section 3450).

(k) (1) The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation shall be the agency primarily responsible for, and shall have control over, the program, resources, and staff implementing the Law Enforcement Automated Data System (LEADS) in conformance with subdivision (e). County agencies supervising inmates released to postrelease community supervision pursuant to Title 2.05 (commencing with Section 3450) shall provide any information requested by the department to ensure the availability of accurate information regarding inmates released from state prison. This information may include the issuance of warrants, revocations, or the termination of postrelease community supervision. On or before August 1, 2011, county agencies designated to supervise inmates released to postrelease community supervision shall notify the department that the county agencies have been designated as the local entity responsible for providing that supervision.

(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the Department of Justice shall be the agency primarily responsible for the proper release of information under LEADS that relates to fingerprint cards.

(l) In addition to the requirements under subdivision (k), the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation shall submit to the Department of Justice data to be included in the supervised release file of the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS) so that law enforcement can be advised through CLETS of all persons on postrelease community supervision and the county agency designated to provide supervision. The data required by this subdivision shall be provided via electronic transfer.

5073.

 (a) When jurisdiction of an inmate is transferred from or between the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the State Department of State Hospitals, and county agencies caring for inmates, these agencies shall disclose, by electronic transmission when possible, medical, dental, and mental health information regarding each transferred or released inmate. Information shall be disclosed between a county correctional facility, a county medical facility, a state correctional facility, a state hospital, or a state-assigned mental health provider to ensure the continuity of health care of an inmate being transferred between those facilities.

(b) All transmissions made pursuant to this section shall comply with the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (Part 2.6 (commencing with Section 56) of Division 1 of the Civil Code), Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 123100) of Part 1 of Division 106 of the Health and Safety Code, the Information Practices Act of 1977 (Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1798) of Title 1.8 of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code), the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) (Public Law 104-191), the federal Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) (Public Law 111-005), and the corresponding implementing regulations relating to privacy and security in Parts 160 and 164 of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations.