§ 16.50 Notice of compulsory legal process and emergency disclosures.

(a) Legal process disclosures. Components shall make reasonable efforts to provide notice to an individual whose record is disclosed under compulsory legal process, such as an order by a court of competent jurisdiction, and such process becomes a matter of public record. Notice shall be given within a reasonable time after the component's receipt of process, except that in a case in which such process is not a matter of public record, the notice shall be given within a reasonable time only after such process becomes public. Where an individual, or the individual's legal counsel, has not otherwise received notice of the disclosure in the litigation process, notice shall be mailed to the individual's last known address and shall contain a copy of such process and a description of the information disclosed. Notice shall not be required if disclosure is made from a system of records that has been exempted from the notice requirement. (b) Emergency disclosures. Upon disclosing a record pertaining to an individual made under compelling circumstances affecting health or safety, the component shall notify that individual of the disclosure. This notice shall be mailed to the individual's last known address and shall state the nature of the information disclosed; the person, organization, or agency to which it was disclosed; the date of disclosure; and the compelling circumstances justifying the disclosure.