(a)
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, individuals or entities contracting with the department or any board within the department for the provision of services relating to the treatment and rehabilitation of licentiates impaired by alcohol or dangerous drugs shall retain all records and documents pertaining to those services until such time as these records and documents have been reviewed for audit by the department. These records and documents shall be retained for three years from the date of the last treatment or service rendered to that licentiate, after which time the records and documents may be purged and destroyed by the contract vendor. This provision shall supersede any other provision of law relating to the purging or
destruction of records pertaining to those treatment and rehabilitation programs.
(b)
Unless otherwise expressly provided by statute or regulation, all records and documents pertaining to services for the treatment and rehabilitation of licentiates impaired by alcohol or dangerous drugs provided by any contract vendor to the department or to any board within the department shall be kept confidential and are not subject to discovery or subpoena.
(c)
With respect to all other contracts for services with the department or any board within the department other than those set forth in subdivision (a), the director or chief deputy director may request an examination and audit by the department’s internal auditor of all performance under the contract. For this purpose, all documents and records of the contract vendor in connection with such performance shall be retained by such vendor
for a period of three years after final payment under the contract. Nothing in this section shall affect the authority of the State Auditor to conduct any examination or audit under the terms of Section 8546.7 of the Government Code.