455.003. Rape crisis centers, confidentiality of information--employee competency to testify--rape crisis center defined. - Missouri Statutes

Rape crisis centers, confidentiality of information--employeecompetency to testify--rape crisis center defined.

455.003. 1. A rape crisis center shall:

(1) Require persons employed by or volunteering services to the rapecrisis center to maintain confidentiality of any information that wouldidentify individuals served by the center and any information or recordsthat are directly related to the advocacy services provided to suchindividuals; and

(2) Prior to providing any advocacy services, inform individualsserved by the rape crisis center of the nature and scope of theconfidentiality requirements of subdivision (1) of this subsection.

2. Any person employed by or volunteering services to a rape crisiscenter for victims of sexual assault shall be incompetent to testifyconcerning any confidential information in subsection 1 of this section,unless the confidentiality requirements are* waived in writing by theindividual served by the center.

3. As used in this section, the term "rape crisis center" shall meanany public or private agency that offers assistance to victims of sexualassault, as the term sexual assault is defined in section 455.010, who areadults, as defined by section 455.010, or qualified minors, as defined bysection 431.056, RSMo.

(L. 2007 H.B. 583)

*Word "is" appears in original rolls.