Kansas Statutes 47-849. Same; contents of; reports, records and proceedings confidential and privileged
(a) The reports and records made pursuant to Kan. Stat. Ann. §§ 47-847 or 47-848, and amendments thereto, shall be confidential and privileged, including:
(1) Reports and records of executive or review committees of a professional society or organization;
Terms Used In Kansas Statutes 47-849
- Board: means the state board of veterinary examiners. See Kansas Statutes 47-846
- Committee: means an executive or review committee of a state professional society or organization or an impaired veterinarian committee. See Kansas Statutes 47-846
- Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Impaired veterinarian: means a veterinarian who is unable to practice veterinary medicine with reasonable skill and safety due to physical or mental disabilities, including deterioration through the aging process, loss of motor skill or abuse of drugs or alcohol. See Kansas Statutes 47-846
- State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Kansas Statutes 77-201
- Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
- Testify: Answer questions in court.
- Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
- Veterinarian: means an individual licensed to practice veterinary medicine in this state. See Kansas Statutes 47-846
(2) reports and records of the board or impaired veterinarian committee of a professional society or organization; and
(3) reports made pursuant to this act to or by any committee or any consultant.
Such reports and records shall not be subject to discovery, subpoena or other means of legal compulsion for their release to any person or entity and shall not be admissible in any civil or administrative action other than a disciplinary proceeding by the board.
(b) No person in attendance at any meeting of an executive or review committee of a state professional society or organization while such committee is engaged in the duties imposed by Kan. Stat. Ann. §§ 47-847 and amendments thereto shall be compelled to testify in any civil, criminal or administrative action, other than a disciplinary proceeding by the board, as to any committee discussions or proceedings.
(c) No person in attendance at any meeting of an impaired veterinarian committee shall be required to testify, nor shall the testimony of such person be admitted into evidence, in any civil, criminal or administrative action, other than a disciplinary proceeding by the board, as to any committee discussions or proceedings.
(d) Nothing in this section shall limit the authority, which may otherwise be provided by law, of the board to require an executive or review committee or officer or impaired veterinarian committee to report to the board any action or recommendation of such committee or officer or to transfer to the board records of such committee’s or officer’s proceedings or actions. Reports and records so furnished shall not be subject to discovery, subpoena or other means of legal compulsion for their release to any person or entity and shall not be admissible in evidence in any judicial or administrative proceeding other than a disciplinary proceeding by the board.
(e) A committee or officer may report to and discuss its activities, information and findings with other committees or officers without waiver of the privilege provided under this section, and the records of all such committees or officers relating to such report shall be privileged as provided under this section.