Nebraska § 28-730 - Records and information; access; disclosure; limitation; review of cases; immunity; violation; penalty; video recording of forensic interviews; maintain; release or use; prohibited; exceptions.

§ 28-730. Records and information; access; disclosure; limitation; review of cases; immunity; violation; penalty; video recording of forensic interviews; maintain; release or use; prohibited; exceptions.

(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law regarding the confidentiality of records and when not prohibited by the federal Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, juvenile court records and any other pertinent information that may be in the possession of school districts, law enforcement agencies, county attorneys, the Attorney General, the Department of Health and Human Services, child advocacy centers, and other team members concerning a child whose case is being investigated or discussed by a child abuse and neglect investigation team or a child abuse and neglect treatment team shall be shared with the respective team members as part of the discussion and coordination of efforts for investigative or treatment purposes. Upon request by a team, any individual or agency with information or records concerning a particular child shall share all relevant information or records with the team as determined by the team pursuant to the appropriate team protocol. Only a team which has accepted the child's case for investigation or treatment shall be entitled to access to such information.

(2) All information acquired by a team member or other individuals pursuant to protocols developed by the team shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed except to the extent necessary to perform case consultations, to carry out a treatment plan or recommendations, or for use in a legal proceeding instituted by a county attorney or the Child Protection Division of the office of the Attorney General. Information, documents, or records otherwise available from the original sources shall not be immune from discovery or use in any civil or criminal action merely because the information, documents, or records were presented during a case consultation if the testimony sought is otherwise permissible and discoverable. Any person who presented information before the team or who is a team member shall not be prevented from testifying as to matters within the person's knowledge.

(3) Each team may review any case arising under the Nebraska Criminal Code when a child is a victim or any case arising under the Nebraska Juvenile Code. A member of a team who participates in good faith in team discussion or any person who in good faith cooperates with a team by providing information or records about a child whose case has been accepted for investigation or treatment by a team shall be immune from any civil or criminal liability. The provisions of this subsection or any other section granting or allowing the grant of immunity from liability shall not be extended to any person alleged to have committed an act of child abuse or neglect.

(4) A member of a team who publicly discloses information regarding a case consultation in a manner not consistent with sections 28-728 to 28-730 shall be guilty of a Class III misdemeanor.

(5) A child advocacy center shall maintain the video recording of all forensic interviews conducted at that child advocacy center. Such maintenance shall be in accordance with child abuse and neglect investigation team protocols established pursuant to section 28-728. The recording may be maintained digitally if adequate security measures are in place to ensure no unauthorized access.

(6) Information obtained through forensic interviews may be shared with members of child abuse and neglect investigation teams and child abuse and neglect treatment teams.

(7) A custodian of a video recording of a forensic interview shall not release or use the video recording or copies of such recording or consent, by commission or omission, to the release or use of the video recording or copies to or by any other party without a court order, notwithstanding any consent or release by the child victim or child witness, except that:

(a) The child advocacy center where a forensic interview is conducted may use the video recording for purposes of supervision and peer review required to meet national accreditation standards;

(b) Any custodian shall release or consent to the release or use of the video recording upon request to law enforcement agencies authorized to investigate, or agencies authorized to prosecute, any juvenile or criminal conduct described in the forensic interview;

(c) Any custodian shall release or consent to the release or use of the video recording upon request pursuant to a request under the Office of Inspector General of Nebraska Child Welfare Act;

(d) Any custodian shall provide secure access to view a video recording of a forensic interview upon request by a representative of the Department of Health and Human Services for purposes of classifying cases of child abuse and neglect pursuant to section 28-720 or determining the risk of harm to the child and needed social services of the family pursuant to section 28-713. Such representative shall be subject to the same release and use restrictions as any custodian under this subsection; and

(e) Any custodian shall release or consent to the release or use of the video recording pursuant to a court order issued under section 29-1912 or 29-1926.