An employing state agency may provide a program to assist any of its state employees who have a behavioral or medical disorder, substance abuse problem, or emotional difficulty that affects their job performance, through referral for counseling, therapy, or other professional treatment. Each employing state agency may designate community diagnostic and referral resources as necessary to implement the provisions of this section. Any communication between a state employee and personnel or service providers of a state employee assistance program relative to the employee's participation in the program shall be a confidential communication. Any routine monitoring of telephone calls by the state agency does not violate this provision. All records relative to that participation shall be confidential and exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. This section is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act of 1995 in accordance with s. 119.15, and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2003, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.

History.--s. 1, ch. 90-196; s. 1, ch. 95-119; s. 27, ch. 96-406; s. 1, ch. 98-8; s. 3, ch. 2001-43.