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Administration for Children and Families US Department of Health and Human Services
The Office of Child Support Enforcement Giving Hope and Support to America's Children
[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 45, Volume 2, Parts 200 to 499]
[Revised as of October 1, 1998]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 45CFR303.15]
[Page 153-154]

TITLE 45--PUBLIC WELFARE AND HUMAN SERVICES

PART 303--STANDARDS FOR PROGRAM OPERATIONS

Sec. 303.15 Agreements to use the Federal Parent Locator Service (PLS) in parental kidnapping and child custody cases.

     (a) Definitions. The following definitions apply to this section:

     (1) Authorized person means the following:

     (i) Any agent or attorney of any State having an agreement under this section, who has the duty or authority under the laws of the State to enforce a child custody determination.

     (ii) Any court having jurisdiction to make or enforce a child custody determination, or any agent of the court;

     (iii) Any agent or attorney of the United States, or of a State having an agreement under this section, who has the duty or authority to investigate, enforce, or bring a prosecution with respect to the unlawful taking or restraint of a child.

     (2) Custody determination means a judgment, decree, or other order of a court providing for custody or visitation of a child, and includes permanent and temporary orders, and initial orders and modifications.

     (b) If the State enters into an agreement with the Office that meets the requirements of section 463 of the Act and this section of the regulations, the State IV-D agency may request information from the Federal PLS for the purpose of:

     (1) Enforcing any State or Federal law with respect to the unlawful taking or restraint of a child; or

     (2) Making or enforcing a child custody determination.

     (c) An agreement under section 463 of the Act must contain the following provisions:

     (1) The Director will provide the State IV-D agency with the most recent home address and place of employment of an absent parent or child if the information is requested for the purposes specified in paragraph (b) of this section.

     (2) The State shall make requests for information under the agreement only for the purposes specified in paragraph (b) of this section.

     (3) The State shall make requests to the Federal PLS through the State PLS established under Sec. 302.35 of this chapter.

     (4) The State shall submit requests in the standard format and exchange media normally available to or used by the State PLS.

     (5) The State shall identify requests in a manner prescribed by the Office in instructions so that requests can be distinguished from other types of requests submitted to the Federal PLS.

     (6) The State shall impose, collect and account for fees to offset the costs to the State and the Office incurred in processing requests.

     (7) The State shall periodically transmit the fees collected to cover the costs to the Federal PLS of processing requests. Fees shall be transmitted in the amount and in the manner prescribed by the Office in instructions.

     (8) The State shall adopt policies and procedures to ensure that information shall be used and disclosed solely for the purposes specified in paragraph (b) of this section. Under this requirement, the State shall:

     (i) Restrict access to the information to authorized persons whose duties or responsibilities require access in connection with child custody and parental kidnapping cases;

     (ii) Store the information during nonduty hours, or when not in use, in a locked container within a secure area that is safe from access by unauthorized persons;

     (iii) Process the information under the immediate supervision and control of authorized personnel, in a manner which will protect the confidentiality of the information, and in such a way that unauthorized persons cannot retrieve the information by computer, remote terminal, or other means;

     (iv) Brief all employees who will have access to the data on security procedures and instructions;

     (v) Send the information directly to the requestor and make no other use of the information;

     (vi) After the information is sent to the requestor, destroy any confidential records and information related to the request.

     (d)(1) An agreement under section 463 of the Act must be signed by the Governor of the State or the Governor's designee.

     (2) The agreement must also be signed by the Attorney General of the State who must certify that the signing State official has the authority under State law to commit the State to the agreement.

[46 FR 54557, Nov. 3, 1981]