Session Laws

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 84 of chapter 13 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 1984 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out clause (g) and inserting in place thereof the following clause:-

(g) investigate all complaints relating to the proper practice of social work by any person licensed under the provisions of section one hundred and thirty-six of chapter one hundred and twelve.

No person filing a complaint, reporting or providing information pursuant to this clause or assisting the board at its request in any manner in discharging its duties and functions, shall be liable in any cause of action arising out of such complaints, reporting or providing of information or assistance; provided, however, that the person making such complaint or reporting or providing such information or assistance does so in good faith. Any complaint, report, record or other information received or kept by the board in connection with an investigation conducted by the board pursuant to this clause shall be confidential; provided, however, that investigative records or information of the board shall not be kept confidential after the board has disposed of the matter under investigation by issuing an order to show cause, by dismissing a complaint or by taking other final action, except as otherwise provided by law or by rules or regulations of the board. The requirement that investigative records or information be kept confidential shall not at any time apply to requests from the person under investigation, the complainant, or such state or federal agencies, boards or institutions as the board shall determine by rule or regulation.

SECTION 2. Section 85N of chapter 231 of the General Laws, as amended by chapter 512 of the acts of 1985, is hereby further amended by striking out the second paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-

For the purposes of this section "professional society" shall mean a society having as members persons who are licensed or admitted to practice in the field of law, medicine, chiropractic, optometry, psychiatry or psychology, dentistry, accounting, engineering, land surveyor, as set forth in section eighty-one D of chapter one hundred and twelve, architecture or social work.