01-05-2025
Attorney discusses privacy of local Autism and Special Needs Registry
BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — The Raleigh County Sheriff's Office voluntary Autism and Special Needs Registry aims to better serve those people and understand their needs during emergencies.
While some in the community asked whether the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office officials could possibly be forced to share the information with federal officials, Beckley attorney Robert Dunlap said the answer was 'no.'
Dunlap addressed the concerns on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, by explaining that federal health privacy laws protect those in the registry.
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'We have HIPAA (Health Information Portability and Accountability Act) protections. We have federal law protections,' said Dunlap. 'There must be a court order, some sort of administrative request that meets the court order's requirement, or there must be mandatory reporting laws or explicit consent from the individual.'
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Dunlap added that other exceptions include a public health emergency, legal court proceedings such as subpoenas, when an agency receives federal funding and when there is a shared data agreement between agencies.
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