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HomeWelfare and Institutions CodeDiv. 5Pt. 1Ch. 6.2Art. 5§ 5542 Patient Records Access Rights

§ 5542 Patient Records Access Rights

Welfare and Institutions Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 5542 Patient Records Access Rights

Key Takeaways

  • •People who help patients with mental health issues can look at certain records to make sure the patients are being treated right.
  • •They can check things like reports on if patients were tied down or kept alone, or even reports after someone dies.
  • •They can only see records that aren’t secret by law.

Example

A family thinks their loved one in a mental health facility is being treated badly.

A patients’ rights advocate can look at the facility’s records to see if they followed the rules, like checking if they used restraints the right way.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 5542 Patient Records Access Rights

County patients’ rights advocates shall have the right to inspect or copy, or both, any records or other materials not subject to confidentiality under Section 5328 or other provisions of law in the possession of any mental health program, services, or facilities, or city, county or state agencies relating to an investigation on behalf of a client or which indicate compliance or lack of compliance with laws and regulations governing patients’ rights, including, but not limited to, reports on the use of restraints or seclusion, and autopsy reports. (Added by Stats. 1981, Ch. 841, Sec. 7.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

compliancepossessionpatientlienhealthportregulationconfidentiality

Related Statutes

  • § 5512 Patient Rights Advocate Training
  • § 5544 Client Information Disclosure
  • § 4690.7 Covid-19 Nonresidential Service Flexibility
  • § 5614.5 Mental Health Quality Indicators
  • § 5510 Mental Health Patient Rights

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Welfare and Institutions Code. Section 5542.
View Official Source