Section 19-15-6. Use of information and records of protocol committees, review committees, and panels

   (a) Records and other documents which are made public records pursuant to any other provisions of law shall remain public records notwithstanding their being obtained, considered, or both, by a protocol committee, a review committee, or the panel.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, reports of a review committee made pursuant to Code Section 19-15-3 and reports of the panel made pursuant to Code Section 19-15-4 shall be public records and shall be released to any person making a request therefor but the panel protocol committee or review committee having possession of such records or reports shall only release them after expunging therefrom all information contained therein which would permit identifying the deceased or abused child, any family member of the child, any alleged or suspected perpetrator of abuse upon the child, or any reporter of suspected child abuse.

(c) Statistical compilations of data by a review committee or the panel based upon information received thereby and containing no information which would permit the identification of any person shall be public records.

(d) Members of a protocol committee, a review committee, or of the panel shall not disclose what transpires at any meeting other than one made public by Code Section 19-15-5 nor disclose any information the disclosure of which is prohibited by this Code section, except to carry out the purposes of this chapter. Any person who knowingly violates this subsection shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

(e) A person who presents information to a protocol committee, a review committee, or the panel or who is a member of any such body shall not be questioned in any civil or criminal proceeding regarding such presentation or regarding opinions formed by or confidential information obtained by such person as a result of serving as a member of any such body. This subsection shall not be construed to prohibit any person from testifying regarding information obtained independently of a protocol committee, a review committee, or the panel. In any proceeding in which testimony of such a member is offered the court shall first determine the source of such witness's knowledge.

(f) Except as otherwise provided in this Code section, information acquired by and records of a protocol committee, a review committee, or the panel shall be confidential, shall not be disclosed, and shall not be subject to Article 4 of Chapter 18 of Title 50, relating to open records, or subject to subpoena, discovery, or introduction into evidence in any civil or criminal proceeding.

(g) A member of a protocol committee, a review committee, or the panel shall not be civilly or criminally liable for any disclosure of information made by such member as authorized by this Code section.

(h) Members of the review committee, persons attending a review committee meeting, and persons who present information to a review committee may release information to such government agencies as is necessary for the purpose of carrying out assigned review committee duties.

(i) Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, information acquired by and documents, records, and reports of the panel and child abuse protocol committees and review committees applicable to a child who at the time of his or her death was in the custody of a state department or agency or foster parent shall not be confidential and shall be subject to Article 4 of Chapter 18 of Title 50, relating to open records.

Code 1981, § 19-1-6, enacted by Ga. L. 1990, p. 1785, § 1; Code 1981, § 19-15-6, as redesignated by Ga. L. 1991, p. 94, § 19; Ga. L. 1993, p. 1695, § 2; Ga. L. 1993, p. 1941, § 1; Ga. L. 1998, p. 609, § 4; Ga. L. 2001, p. 1158, § 1.