Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 319i - Persons with Psychiatric Disabilities
Section 17a-500. (Formerly Sec. 17-180). - Maintenance and confidentiality of records of cases of persons with psychiatric disabilities. Exchange of information concerning commitment or admission status of firearm permit or certificate applicants and...

(a) Each court of probate shall keep a record of the cases relating to persons with psychiatric disabilities coming before it under sections 17a-75 to 17a-83, inclusive, 17a-450 to 17a-483, inclusive, 17a-495 to 17a-528, inclusive, 17a-540 to 17a-550, inclusive, 17a-560 to 17a-575, inclusive, and 17a-615 to 17a-618, inclusive, and the disposition of them. It shall also keep on file the original application and certificate of physicians required by said sections, or a microfilm duplicate of such records in accordance with regulations issued by the Probate Court Administrator. All records maintained in the courts of probate under the provisions of said sections shall be sealed and available only to the respondent or his or her counsel unless the Court of Probate, after hearing held with notice to the respondent, determines such records should be disclosed for cause shown.

(b) The Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services shall, notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, maintain information, in accordance with section 17a-499, on commitment orders by a probate court, and shall maintain information, in accordance with section 17a-506a, on voluntary admissions, and shall provide such information to the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection in fulfillment of his obligations under sections 29-28 to 29-38, inclusive, and section 53-202d, in such a manner as to report identifying information on the commitment or voluntary admission status, including, but not limited to, name, address, sex, date of birth and date of commitment or admission, for a person who applies for or holds a permit or certificate under said sections 29-28 to 29-38, inclusive, and section 53-202d. The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection shall maintain as confidential any such information provided to him and shall use such information only for purposes of fulfilling his obligations under sections 29-28 to 29-38, inclusive, and section 53-202d, except that nothing in this section shall prohibit said commissioner from entering such information into evidence at a hearing held in accordance with section 29-32b.
(c) (1) The Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services shall obtain from the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection the status of any firearm application, permit or certificate under sections 29-28 to 29-38, inclusive, and section 53-202d, of each person who is the subject of an order of commitment as provided in section 17a-499 or is the subject of a voluntary admission as provided in section 17a-506a, in such a manner so as to only receive a report on the firearm application, permit or certificate status of the person with respect to whom the inquiry is made.
(2) The Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services shall report to the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection any commitment or voluntary admission status and identifying information for any person who is an applicant for or holder of any permit or certificate under said sections 29-28 to 29-38, inclusive, and section 53-202d.
(3) The Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services shall advise the hospital for psychiatric disabilities to which a person has been committed or voluntarily admitted of the status of a firearm application, permit or certificate of such person under sections 29-28 to 29-38, inclusive, and section 53-202d, as reported by the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection for consideration by such hospital in any psychiatric treatment procedures.
(4) The Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services and a hospital for psychiatric disabilities shall maintain as confidential any information provided to said commissioner or such hospital concerning the status of a firearm application, permit or certificate under sections 29-28 to 29-38, inclusive, and section 53-202d, of any person.
(1949 Rev., S. 2648; P.A. 77-595, S. 6, 9; P.A. 94-27, S. 6, 17; P.A. 95-257, S. 48, 58; P.A. 98-129, S. 18; P.A. 11-51, S. 134; P.A. 13-3, S. 11; P.A. 18-86, S. 23; P.A. 22-69, S. 20.)
History: P.A. 77-595 replaced “complaint” with “application”, allowed use of microfilmed records and required records be sealed and available only to respondent and his counsel unless court orders disclosure after hearing; Sec. 17-180 transferred to Sec. 17a-500 in 1991; P.A. 94-27 deleted reference to Secs. 17a-580 to 17a-603, inclusive, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 95-257 substituted “persons with psychiatric disabilities” for “mentally ill persons”, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 98-129 designated the existing provisions as Subsec. (a), added Subsec. (b) to require the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services to maintain information on commitment orders and provide such information to the Commissioner of Public Safety with respect to persons who apply for or hold a firearm permit or certificate and require the Commissioner of Public Safety to maintain such information as confidential and use it only for specified purposes and added Subsec. (c) to require in Subdiv. (1) that the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services obtain from the Commissioner of Public Safety the status of any firearm application, permit or certificate of any person who is the subject of a commitment order, require in Subdiv. (2) that the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services report to the Commissioner of Public Safety any commitment status and identifying information for a person who is an applicant for or holder of a firearm permit or certificate, require in Subdiv. (3) that the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services advise a hospital for psychiatric disabilities of the status of a firearm application, permit or certificate of a committed person and require in Subdiv. (4) that the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services and a hospital for psychiatric disabilities maintain as confidential information concerning the status of a firearm application, permit or certificate; (Revisor's note: In 2001 references to Sec. 29-38a were replaced editorially by the Revisors with references to Sec. 29-38, since Sec. 29-38a was repealed by P.A. 99-212); pursuant to P.A. 11-51, “Commissioner of Public Safety” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection”, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 13-3 amended Subsec. (b) to require Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services to maintain information in accordance with Sec. 17a-506a on voluntary admissions, include obligations of Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection under Secs. 29-37p to 29-37s, require reporting of identifying information on voluntary admission status of applicants or holders including date of admission and make provisions applicable with respect to certificate under Secs. 29-37p to 29-37s, and amended Subsec. (c) to make provisions applicable with respect to certificate under Secs. 29-37p to 29-37s, make provisions applicable with respect to person who is the subject of a voluntary admission as provided in Sec. 17a-506a and replace “commitment status” with “commitment or voluntary admission status” and “committed” with “committed or voluntarily admitted”, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 18-86 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing reference to Sec. 17a-576 with reference to Sec. 17a-575, effective June 4, 2018; P.A. 22-69 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “17a-484” with “17a-483”, effective May 24, 2022.