(a) The board of supervisors of every county as a board, or by committee or by any person or society as it may authorize, shall investigate every application for relief from the funds of the county, shall supervise by periodic visitation every person receiving that relief, shall devise ways and means for bringing persons unable to maintain themselves to self-support, and shall keep full and complete records of the investigation, supervision, relief, and rehabilitation as shall be prescribed by the department. These records shall be confidential and shall not be open to examination or inspection, except by the grand jury of the county or by a board or an officer of the state or the county charged with the supervision or direction of that relief or with the control or expenditure of funds applicable to that relief. Any citizen shall be entitled to demand and receive from the board, officer, committee, person, or society having custody of these records a statement of the amount, character, and value of the relief received by any person.

(b) (1) This section shall not be construed to prohibit an employee of a county welfare department from disclosing confidential information concerning a public social services applicant or recipient to a state or local law enforcement agency investigating or gathering information regarding a criminal act committed in a welfare department office, a criminal act against any county or state welfare worker, or any criminal act witnessed by any county or state welfare worker while involved in the administration of public social services at any location. Further, this section shall not be construed to prohibit an employee of a county welfare department from disclosing confidential information concerning a public social services applicant or recipient to a state or local law enforcement agency investigating or gathering information regarding a criminal act intentionally committed by an applicant or recipient against any off-duty county or state welfare worker in retaliation for an act performed in the course of the welfare worker’s duty when the person committing the offense knows or reasonably should know that the victim is a state or county welfare worker.

(2) For purposes of this subdivision, “criminal act” means only an act that is in violation of state or local law.

(3) Disclosure of confidential information pursuant to this subdivision shall be limited to the applicant’s name, physical description, and address.

(Amended by Stats. 1994, Ch. 591, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 1995.)