1.  CalHHS collects personal information on individuals only as allowed by law. CalHHS limits the collection of personal information to what is relevant and necessary to accomplish the lawful purpose of CalHHS. For example, CalHHS may need to know an individual’s home address, e-mail address, or telephone number, in order to answer the individual’s questions or in order to provide requested assistance.

2. CalHHS does not collect home, business or e-mail addresses, or account information from persons who simply browse CalHHS’s Internet website. CalHHS collects personal information about individuals through CalHHS’s website only if an individual provides such information to CalHHS voluntarily through e-mail, registration forms, or surveys, for example. The information that CalHHS automatically collects when user(s) visit the website includes, but may not be limited to, the client internet protocol address, the date and time when the website is visited, web pages displayed, and any forms that are uploaded. CalHHS uses encrypted and unencrypted session cookies (text files stored temporarily on a visitor’s computer by a web browser) to enable easy movement through the site. The information collected in this manner is not subject to requests made pursuant to the Public Records Act, and site visitors may request to have their information discarded without reuse or distribution.

3. CalHHS uses Google Analytics to help improve the website. CalHHS uses Google Analytics to help understand how visitors interact with the website so that the site can be improved. CalHHS allows Google to use only anonymous data of the type described above. You can read the privacy policy for Google Analytics. You can choose not to have your data collected by Google Analytics by downloading their opt-out browser add-on.

4. CalHHS endeavors to tell people who provide personal information to CalHHS the purpose for which the information is collected. CalHHS strives to tell persons, who are asked to provide personal information, about the general uses this Office will make of that information. This is done at the time of collection. With each request for personal information, CalHHS provides information on the authority under which the request is made, the principal uses CalHHS intends to make of the information, and the possible disclosures CalHHS is obligated to make to other government agencies and to the public.

5. CalHHS’s use of your e-mail. You may choose to provide us with personal information, as in e-mail with a comment or question. We use the information to improve our service to you or to respond to your request. Sometimes we forward your e-mail to other State employees who may be better able to help you, and this staff may be employed by a different agency within the State. Except for authorized law enforcement investigations or as required by law, we do not share your e-mail with any other organizations. We use your e-mail to respond appropriately. This may be to respond to you, to address issues you identify, to further improve our website, or to forward the e-mail to another agency for appropriate action.

Submission of an email to CalHHS or CalHHS staff, and/or communication through the website, does not create any attorney-client or other privileged or confidential relationship. Accordingly, do not disclose any information to us that you wish to remain private or confidential. 

6. CalHHS provides people who provide personal information with an opportunity to review that information. Individuals who provide personal information are allowed to review the information and contest its accuracy or completeness.

7. CalHHS uses personal information only as specified and consistent with those purposes, unless CalHHS obtains the consent of the subject of the information, or as required or allowed by law. The Public Records Act exists to ensure that California government is open and that the public has a right to have access to appropriate records and information possessed by many state and local government agencies. At the same time, there are exceptions that recognize the public’s right to access  records. These exceptions serve various needs, including maintaining the privacy of individuals. In the event of a conflict between this Policy and the Public Records Act, the Information Practices Act, or other law governing the disclosure of records, the applicable law will control.

8. CalHHS’s use of cookies. Cookies are simple text files stored on your computer by your web browser. The main State portal does not use cookies to maintain personalization, however some departmental applications may. The State makes every attempt to avoid the use of cookies. When needed to maintain the functionality of an application, unlike the common usage of cookies, the State only uses cookies during the session in which you access our interactive applications.

Cookies created on your computer by using this website do not contain “personal information” and do not compromise your privacy or security. We use the cookie feature only to store a randomly generated identifying temporary tag on your computer. You can refuse the cookie or delete the cookie file from your computer by using any of the widely available methods. However, if you turn your cookie option off, you may not be able to access some of the features in our interactive applications.

9. How CalHHS collects and uses your information. We do collect personal information directly from individuals who volunteer to use some of our services. Collection of this information is required to deliver the specific services, but use of these services is voluntary.

If you do nothing during your visit to the website but browse or download information, we automatically collect and store the following information about your visit:

1. The Internet Protocol Address and domain name used, but not the e-mail address. The Internet Protocol Address is a numerical identifier assigned either to your Internet service provider or directly to your computer. We use the Internet Protocol Address to direct Internet traffic to you and generate statistics used in the management of this site;
2. The type of browser and operating system you used;
3. The date and time you visited this site;
4. The webpages or services you accessed at this site;
5. The website you visited prior to coming to this website;
6. The website you visit as you leave this website; and
7. If you downloaded a form, the form that was downloaded.

The information we automatically collect or store is used to improve the content of our web services and to help us understand how people are using our services. This information does not identify you personally and is used for gathering website statistics. The information we automatically collect and store in our logs about your visit helps us to analyze our website to continually improve the value of the materials available. Our website logs do not identify a visitor by personal information, and we make no attempt to link other websites with the individuals that browse the State’s website.

Government Code § 11015.5 prohibits all state agencies from distributing or selling any electronically collected personal information, as defined above, about users to any third party without the permission of the user. The State does not sell any “electronically collected personal information.” Any distribution of “electronically collected personal information” will be solely for the purposes for which it was provided to us.

The State may provide or distribute certain lists and statistical reports of regulatory information as provided by law, but no personal information is sold or distributed, and all relevant legal protections still apply to the State’s websites.

CalHHS will provide additional explanations of this privacy policy, if requested. If any individuals have any further questions about CalHHS’s privacy policy, they are encouraged to contact CalHHS at chhsmail@chhs.ca.gov​.