(a) Except as otherwise provided in Title 5, Subtitles 7 and 12 of the Family Law Article, § 1–203 of this subtitle, and this section, a person may not disclose a report or record concerning child abuse or neglect.
(b) A report or record concerning child abuse or neglect shall be disclosed:
(1) under a court order;
(2) under an order of an administrative law judge, if:
(i) the request for disclosure concerns a case pending before the Office of Administrative Hearings; and
(ii) provisions are made to comply with other State or federal confidentiality laws and to protect the identity of the reporter or other person whose life or safety is likely to be endangered by the disclosure; or
(3) to the Division of Parole and Probation in the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services if, as a result of a report or investigation of suspected child abuse or neglect, the local department of social services has reason to believe that an individual who lives in or has a regular presence in a child’s home is registered under Title 11, Subtitle 7 of the Criminal Procedure Article based on the commission of an offense against a child.
(c) A report or record concerning child abuse or neglect:
(1) may be disclosed on request to:
(i) personnel of the Social Services Administration or a local department of social services, law enforcement personnel, and members of multidisciplinary case consultation teams, including an addiction specialist as defined in Title 5, Subtitle 12 of the Family Law Article or § 5–314 of this article, who are investigating a report of known or suspected child abuse or neglect or providing services to or assessing a child or family that is the subject of the report;
(ii) local or State officials responsible for the administration of child protective services, juvenile services, or child care, foster care, or adoption licensing, approval, or regulations, as necessary to carry out their official functions;
(iii) the State Council on Child Abuse and Neglect or its designee, the State Citizens Review Board for Children or its designee, or a child fatality review team, as necessary to carry out their official functions;
(iv) a person who is the alleged abuser or neglector, if that person is responsible for the child’s welfare and provisions are made for the protection of the identity of the reporter or any other person whose life or safety is likely to be endangered by disclosing the information;
(v) a licensed practitioner who, or an agency, institution, or program that, is providing treatment or care to a child who is the subject of a report of child abuse or neglect for a purpose relevant to the treatment or care;
(vi) a parent or other person who has permanent or temporary care and custody of the child, if provisions are made for the protection of the identity of the reporter or any other person whose life or safety is likely to be endangered by disclosing the information;
(vii) 1. the appropriate public school superintendent or the principal or equivalent employee of a nonpublic school that holds a certificate of approval from the State or is registered with the State Department of Education to carry out appropriate personnel or administrative actions following a report of suspected child abuse involving a student committed by:
A. a public school employee in that school system;
B. an employee of that nonpublic school;
C. an independent contractor who supervises or works directly with students in that school system or that nonpublic school; or
D. an employee of an independent contractor, including a bus driver or bus assistant, who supervises or works directly with students in that school system or that nonpublic school; and
2. if the report concerns suspected child abuse involving a student committed by an employee, independent contractor, or employee of an independent contractor described in item 1 of this item and employed by a nonpublic school under the jurisdiction of the superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the Archdiocese of Washington, or the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, the appropriate superintendent of schools;
(viii) the director of a licensed child care facility or licensed child placement agency to carry out appropriate personnel actions following a report of suspected child abuse or neglect alleged to have been committed by an employee of the facility or agency and involving a child who is currently or was previously under the care of that facility or agency;
(ix) the Juvenile Justice Monitoring Unit of the Office of the Attorney General established under Title 6, Subtitle 4 of the State Government Article;
(x) subject to subsection (d) of this section, a licensed practitioner of a hospital or birthing center to make discharge decisions concerning a child, when the practitioner suspects that the child may be in danger after discharge based on the practitioner’s observation of the behavior of the child’s parents or immediate family members; or
(xi) the president of a Maryland public institution of higher education, as defined in § 10–101 of the Education Article, or the Chancellor of the University System of Maryland, to carry out appropriate personnel or administrative actions following a report of child abuse committed:
1. by an employee of the institution who has on–campus contact with children; or
2. by a contractor, an employee of a contractor, or a volunteer of the institution who has on–campus contact with children; and
(2) may be disclosed by the Department of Human Services to the operator of a child care center that is required to be licensed or to hold a letter of compliance under Title 9.5, Subtitle 4 of the Education Article or to a family child care provider who is required to be registered under Title 9.5, Subtitle 3 of the Education Article, to determine the suitability of an individual for employment in the child care center or family child care home.
(d) Only the following information concerning child abuse and neglect may be disclosed to a practitioner of a hospital or birthing center under subsection (c)(1)(x) of this section:
(1) whether there is a prior finding of indicated child abuse or neglect by either parent; and
(2) whether there is an open investigation of child abuse or neglect pending against either parent.
(e) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 90 days or a fine not exceeding $500 or both.
