§ 108A-116.  Production of customers' financial records in cases of suspected financial exploitation; immunity; records may not be used against account owner.

(a) An investigating entity may, under the conditions specified in this section, petition the district court to issue a subpoena directing a financial institution to provide to the investigating entity the financial records of a disabled adult or older adult customer. The petition shall be filed in the county of residence of the disabled adult or older adult customer whose financial records are being subpoenaed. The court shall hear the case within two business days after the filing of the petition. The court shall issue the subpoena upon finding that all of the following conditions are met:

(1) The investigating entity is investigating, pursuant to the investigating entity's statutory authority, a credible report that the disabled adult or older adult is being or has been financially exploited.

(2) The disabled adult's or older adult's financial records are needed in order to substantiate or evaluate the report.

(3) Time is of the essence in order to prevent further exploitation of that disabled adult or older adult.

(b) Delivery of the subpoena may be effected by hand, via certified mail, return receipt requested, or through a designated delivery service authorized pursuant to 26 U.S.C. § 7502(f)(2) and may be addressed to the financial institution's local branch or office vice president, its local branch or office manager or assistant branch or office manager, or the agent for service of process listed by the financial institution with the North Carolina Secretary of State or, if there is none, with the agent for service of process listed by the financial institution in any state in which it is domiciled.

(b1) A financial institution may challenge the subpoena by filing a motion to quash or modify the subpoena within ten days after receipt of delivery of the subpoena pursuant to subsection (b) of this section. The subpoena may be challenged only for the following reasons:

(1) There is a procedural defect with the subpoena.

(2) The subpoena contains insufficient information to identify the records subject to the subpoena.

(3) The financial institution is otherwise prevented from promptly complying with the subpoena.

(4) The petition was filed or subpoena requested for an improper purpose or based upon insufficient grounds.

(5) The subpoena subjects the financial institution to an undue burden or is otherwise unreasonable or oppressive.

Within two business days after the motion is filed, the court shall hear the motion and issue an order upholding, modifying, or quashing the subpoena.

(c) Upon receipt of a subpoena delivered pursuant to subsection (b) of this section identifying the disabled adult or older adult customer or, if the subpoena is challenged pursuant to subsection (b1) of this section, entry of a court order upholding or modifying a subpoena, a financial institution shall promptly provide to the head of an investigating entity, or his or her designated agent, the financial records of a disabled adult or older adult customer.

(d) All produced copies of the disabled adult's or older adult's financial records, as well as any information obtained pursuant to the duty to report found in G.S. 108A-115, shall be kept confidential by the investigating entity unless required by court order to be disclosed to a party to a court proceeding or introduced and admitted into evidence in an open court proceeding.

(e) No financial institution or investigating entity, or officer or employee thereof, who acts in good faith in providing, seeking, or obtaining financial records or any other information in accordance with this section, or in providing testimony in any judicial proceeding based upon the contents thereof, may be held liable in any action for doing so.

(f) No customer may be subject to indictment, criminal prosecution, criminal punishment, or criminal penalty by reason of or on account of anything disclosed by a financial institution pursuant to this section, nor may any information obtained through such disclosure be used as evidence against the customer in any criminal or civil proceeding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, information obtained may be used against a person who is a joint account owner accused of financial exploitation of a disabled adult or older adult joint account holder, but solely for criminal or civil proceedings directly related to the alleged financial exploitation of the disabled adult or older adult joint account holder.

(g) The petition and the court's entire record of the proceedings under this section is not a matter of public record. Records qualifying under this subsection shall be maintained separately from other records, shall be withheld from public inspection, and may be examined only by order of the court. (2013-337, s. 4; 2014-115, s. 44(a).)