§ 19-13-76.Confidentiality; disclosure requirements
Chapter 13. Family Violence · Article 5. Family Justice Centers · Last amended 2026 · Last verified October 9, 2026
Full Text of § 19-13-76
Plain-English Summary
This section protects what victims say at a Georgia Family Justice Center. It took effect July 1, 2026. The core rule is in subsection (a): no information a victim shares within a center may be disclosed without the victim’s informed, written consent, except where required by law or court order. Every partner and participating agency must also follow all applicable state and federal confidentiality requirements.
That promise has a limit victims should know about. The article doesn’t relieve any partner, participating agency, employee or volunteer of a duty to report known or suspected abuse or neglect. Everyone working in or affiliated with a center must follow Georgia’s reporting laws, including Code Section 19-7-5, the mandatory child-abuse reporting law, and Code Section 30-5-4, along with any other applicable law. So a staff member who learns that a child is being abused may still have to report it, even if the victim objects.
When a report is required, the person reporting must limit disclosure to the information needed to satisfy the reporting duty and must otherwise keep victim and case information confidential as far as the law allows. To keep practices consistent, the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council may issue guidance and training standards on confidentiality and reporting for all centers. Section 19-13-78 adds separate rules about whether center records are public records.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is what I tell a Family Justice Center confidential in Georgia?
Generally yes. Information a victim shares within a Family Justice Center may not be disclosed without the victim’s informed, written consent, except as required by law or court order. Each partner and participating agency must also follow state and federal confidentiality rules.
Will Family Justice Center staff report child abuse?
They may have to. The article doesn’t relieve anyone working at a center of the duty to report known or suspected abuse or neglect. Personnel must follow Georgia’s reporting laws, including § 19-7-5 on child abuse and Code Section 30-5-4.
Can a court order a Family Justice Center to disclose what I said?
Yes. The consent requirement has an exception for disclosures required by law or court order, so a court order can require disclosure without your written consent. Mandatory abuse-reporting laws are another exception, though a person making such a report must limit it to the information necessary to satisfy the reporting duty.
How much can staff share when they make a mandatory abuse report?
Only what is necessary. When a report is required, the reporting party must limit disclosure to information necessary to satisfy the reporting obligation and otherwise keep the victim’s and the case’s information confidential to the extent the law permits. The council may issue guidance and training standards on applying these rules.
Does a verbal OK let a Family Justice Center share my information?
Not under this section. The consent must be informed and written. Without that written consent, information you share at a center can be disclosed only where required by law or court order, including the mandatory abuse-reporting laws that still bind center staff and volunteers.
Amendment History
Laws 2026, Act 719, § 1, eff. July 1, 2026.