The release of client specific information is governed by state and federal laws that were put in place to protect the privacy rights of citizens and to prevent the unauthorized release of highly sensitive personal information.
When inquiring about a case, SRS staff will make every effort to provide sufficient general information to meet your needs. Additionally, if a legislator expresses a concern about the handling of a specific case, a high level agency manager will review the situation to make sure that is was handled properly.
When responding to constituent complaint, it is important to remember that persons receiving SRS services often have access to multiple levels of case review, including formal administrative appeal and judicial review. Staff can share with the legislator and the legislator's constituent information about how a program is administered and possible next steps for the constituent. SRS urges the use of the administrative review process to address constituent grievances.
Kansas Legislators are generally not statutorily allowed any greater access to confidential information than any other person. Members of certain designated legislative committees are authorized by law to receive otherwise confidential information. This information can be used only in carrying out official duties in a closed or executive meeting. Information obtained pursuant to this provision generally cannot be further disclosed.
If information contained in this handbook does not meet your needs and you would like more specific case information from SRS on behalf of a constituent, you may wish to obtain a written release from a person with authority to grant a release. In this instance, we encourage you to contact SRS program staff first to determine whether your constituent had the authority to grant a release for the information in question. Because the rules relating to the release of information vary from program to program, it is not possible to provide a release document that covers all situations.
Please refer to the contact information in this book or contact the Secretary's Office at 785-296-3271 if you have additional questions.