2023 District of Columbia Code › Title 16 - Particular Actions, Proceedings and Matters. [Enacted title] › Chapter 23 - Family Division [Family Court] Proceedings › Subchapter II - Parentage Proceedings › § 16–2348. Parentage records; confidentiality; inspection and disclosure

§ 16–2348. Parentage records; confidentiality; inspection and disclosure.
(a) Except on order of the Family Division, no records in a case over which the Division has jurisdiction under section 11-1101(11) shall be open to inspection by anyone other than the plaintiff, respondent, their attorneys of record, the IV-D agency, or authorized professional staff of the Superior Court. Any inspection shall be subject to the safeguards provided by section 16-925. The Family Division, upon proper showing, may authorize the furnishing of certified copies of the records or portions thereof to the respondent, the other parent, or custodian of the child, a party in interest, or their duly authorized attorneys. Certified copies of the records or portions thereof may be furnished, upon request, to the IV-D agency and the Corporation Counsel for use as evidence in nonsupport proceedings and to the Registrar as provided by section 16-2346(a).
(b) No person shall disclose, receive, or use records in violation of this section. Whoever willfully discloses, receives, makes use of, or knowingly permits the use of information in violation of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than the amount set forth in [§ 22-3571.01] or imprisoned not more than ninety days, or both. Violations of this section shall be prosecuted by the Corporation Counsel in the name of the District of Columbia.
(Dec. 23, 1963, 77 Stat. 592, Pub. L. 88-241, § 1; July 29, 1970, 84 Stat. 545, Pub. L. 91-358, title I, § 121(a); Oct. 1, 1976, D.C. Law 1-87, § 20(g), 23 DCR 2544; Oct. 8, 1981, D.C. Law 4-34, § 29(a), 28 DCR 3271; Apr. 30, 1988, D.C. Law 7-104, § 4(s), 35 DCR 147; Apr. 3, 2001, D.C. Law 13-269, § 106(r), 48 DCR 1270; June 11, 2013, D.C. Law 19-317, § 281(d), 60 DCR 2064.)
Prior Codifications
1981 Ed., § 16-2348.
1973 Ed., § 16-2348.
Effect of Amendments
D.C. Law 13-269, in subsec. (a), added “the IV-D agency,” following “attorneys of record,”; added “Any inspection shall be subject to the safeguards provided by section 16-925.” following the first sentence and added “the IV-D agency and” following “furnished, upon request, to”.
The 2013 amendment by D.C. Law 19-317 substituted “not more than the amount set forth in [§ 22-3571.01]” for “not more than $250” in (b).
Emergency Legislation
For temporary amendment of section, see § 5(p) of the Child Support and Welfare Reform Compliance Emergency Amendment Act of 1997 (D.C. Act 12-222, December 23, 1997, 44 DCR 114), and § 5(p) of the Child Support and Welfare Reform Compliance Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 1998 (D.C. Act 12-309, March 20, 1998, 45 DCR 1923).
Section 16 of D.C. Act 12-309 provided for the application of the act.
For temporary amendment of section, see § 5(s) of the Child Support and Welfare Reform Compliance Second Emergency Amendment Act of 1998 (D.C. Act 12-439, August 12, 1998, 45 DCR 6110), § 5(s) of the Child Support and Welfare Reform Compliance Legislative Review Emergency Amendment Act of 1998 (D.C. Act 12-503, October 27, 1998, 45 DCR 8495), and § 5(s) of the Child Support and Welfare Reform Compliance Second Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 1998 (D.C. Act 12-600, January 20, 1999, 46 DCR
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 281(d) of the Criminal Fine Proportionality Emergency Act of 2013 (D.C. Act 20-45, April 1, 2013, 60 DCR 5400, 20 DCSTAT 1300).
Temporary Legislation
For temporary (225 day) amendment of section, see § 5(p) of Child Support and Welfare Reform Compliance Temporary Amendment Act of 1998 (D.C. Law 12-103, May 8, 1998, law notification 45 DCR 3254).
For temporary (225 day) amendment of section, see § 5(t) of Child Support and Welfare Reform Compliance Temporary Amendment Act of 1998 (D.C. Law 12-210, April 13, 1999, law notification 46 DCR 3832).
For temporary (225 day) amendment of section, see § 105(t) of Child Support and Welfare Reform Compliance Temporary Amendment Act of 1999 (D.C. Law 13-57, March 7, 2000, law notification 47 DCR 1979).
For temporary (225 day) amendment of section, see § 105(m) of Child Support and Welfare Reform Compliance Temporary Amendment Act of 2000 (D.C. Law 13-207, March 31, 2001, law notification 48 DCR 3238).
Editor's Notes
Section 4(s) of D.C. Law 7-104 purported to substitute “Director of the Department of Human Services” for “Director of Public Health” in subsection (a) apparently without regard to the amendment of this section by D.C. Law 4-34.
Applicability of D.C. Law 19-317: Section 401 of D.C. Law 19-317 provided that the act shall apply only to offenses committed on or after June 11, 2013.