5. a. Records maintained pursuant to P.L.1994, c.133 (C. 2C:7-1 et seq.) shall be open to any law enforcement agency in this State, the United States, or any other state and may be released to:

(1) the Division of Child Protection and Permanency in the Department of Children and Families for use in carrying out its responsibilities under law; and

(2) the Department of Human Services and county and municipal welfare agencies for exclusive use in placing homeless families and persons in emergency shelters, which include but are not limited to, hotels and motels.

Law enforcement agencies in this State shall be authorized to release relevant and necessary information regarding sex offenders to the public when the release of the information is necessary for public protection in accordance with the provisions of P.L.1994, c.128 (C. 2C:7-6 et seq.).

b. An elected public official, public employee, or public agency is immune from civil liability for damages for any discretionary decision to release relevant and necessary information, unless it is shown that the official, employee, or agency acted with gross negligence or in bad faith. The immunity provided under this section applies to the release of relevant information to other employees or officials or to the general public.

c. Nothing in P.L.1994, c.133 shall be deemed to impose any liability upon or to give rise to a cause of action against any public official, public employee, or public agency for failing to release information as authorized in subsection d. of this section.

d. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent law enforcement officers from notifying members of the public exposed to danger of any persons that pose a danger under circumstances that are not enumerated in P.L.1994, c.133.

L.1994, c.133, s.5; amended 2006, c.6; 2006, c.47, s.23; 2012, c.16, s.5; 2013, c.38.