Sec. 54-258. Availability of registration information. Immunity.
Sec. 54-258. Availability of registration information. Immunity. (a)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of the general statutes, except subdivisions (3), (4)
and (5) of this subsection, the registry maintained by the Department of Public Safety
shall be a public record and shall be accessible to the public during normal business
hours. The Department of Public Safety shall make registry information available to
the public through the Internet. Not less than once per calendar quarter, the Department
of Public Safety shall issue notices to all print and electronic media in the state regarding
the availability and means of accessing the registry. Each local police department and
each state police troop shall keep a record of all registration information transmitted to
it by the Department of Public Safety, and shall make such information accessible to
the public during normal business hours.
(2) Any state agency, the Judicial Department, any state police troop or any local
police department may, at its discretion, notify any government agency, private organization or individual of registration information when such agency, said department,
such troop or such local police department, as the case may be, believes such notification
is necessary to protect the public or any individual in any jurisdiction from any person
who is subject to registration under section 54-251, 54-252, 54-253 or 54-254.
(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection,
state agencies, the Judicial Department, state police troops and local police departments
shall not disclose the identity of any victim of a crime committed by a registrant or
treatment information provided to the registry pursuant to sections 54-102g and 54-250
to 54-258a, inclusive, except to government agencies for bona fide law enforcement or
security purposes.
(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection,
registration information the dissemination of which has been restricted by court order
pursuant to section 54-255 and which is not otherwise subject to disclosure, shall not
be a public record and shall be released only for law enforcement purposes until such
restriction is removed by the court pursuant to said section.
(5) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection,
a registrant's electronic mail address, instant message address or other similar Internet
communication identifier shall not be a public record, except that the Department of
Public Safety may release such identifier for law enforcement or security purposes in
accordance with regulations adopted by the department. The department shall adopt
regulations in accordance with chapter 54 to specify the circumstances under which and
the persons to whom such identifiers may be released including, but not limited to,
providers of electronic communication service or remote computing service, as those
terms are defined in section 54-260b, and operators of Internet web sites, and the procedure therefor.
(6) When any registrant completes the registrant's term of registration or is otherwise released from the obligation to register under section 54-251, 54-252, 54-253 or
54-254, the Department of Public Safety shall notify any state police troop or local police
department having jurisdiction over the registrant's last reported residence address that
the person is no longer a registrant, and the Department of Public Safety, state police
troop and local police department shall remove the registrant's name and information
from the registry.
(b) Neither the state nor any political subdivision of the state nor any officer or
employee thereof, shall be held civilly liable to any registrant by reason of disclosure
of any information regarding the registrant that is released or disclosed in accordance
with subsection (a) of this section. The state and any political subdivision of the state
and, except in cases of wanton, reckless or malicious conduct, any officer or employee
thereof, shall be immune from liability for good faith conduct in carrying out the provisions of subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section.
(P.A. 98-111, S. 9; P.A. 99-183, S. 9, 13; P.A. 02-89, S. 89; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-4, S. 96.)
History: P.A. 99-183 amended Subsec. (a) to add exception for Subdivs. (3) and (4) of said Subsec., designate provisions
re notification as new Subdiv. (2) and amend said Subdiv. to replace "The Department of Public Safety" with "Any state
agency, the Judicial Department" and make technical changes, redesignate former Subdiv. (2) as Subdiv. (3) and amend
said Subdiv. to replace "Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection, the Department of Public
Safety," with "Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection, state agencies, the Judicial
Department,", add Subdiv. (4) providing that registration information the dissemination of which has been restricted by
court order pursuant to Sec. 54-255 and is not otherwise subject to disclosure shall not be a public record and shall be
released only for law enforcement purposes, redesignate former Subdiv. (3) as Subdiv. (5) and amend said Subdiv. to make
provisions applicable when a registrant "completes the registrant's term of registration or is otherwise released from the
obligation to register" rather than when a registrant "is released from the obligation to register" and to replace provision
that when notified a person is no longer a registrant the Department of Public Safety, state police troop and local police
department "shall remove and destroy all registration information pertaining to the person and shall make no further
disclosure of such information to any government agency, private organization or individual" with provision that said
department, troop and local police department "shall remove the registrant's name and information from the registry",
amended Subsec. (b) to replace "Neither the state nor any municipality, nor any branch, agency or employee thereof, shall
be liable" with "Neither the state nor any political subdivision of the state nor any officer or employee thereof, shall be
held civilly liable" and to add provision that the state and any political subdivision of the state and, except in cases of
wanton, reckless or malicious conduct, any officer or employee thereof, shall be immune from liability for good faith
conduct in carrying out Subsec. (a)(2), effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 02-89 amended Subsec. (a)(3) to replace reference to
Sec. 54-259 with Sec. 54-258a, reflecting repeal of Sec. 54-259 by the same public act; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-4 amended
Subsec. (a) to except in Subdiv. (1) the provisions of Subdiv. (5), add new Subdiv. (5) re confidentiality and authorized
release of registrant's electronic mail address, instant message address or other similar Internet communication identifier
and adoption of regulations specifying when and to whom such identifiers may be released and the procedure therefor and
redesignate existing Subdiv. (5) as Subdiv. (6).