2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHT - Public Welfare and Charitable Institutions (§§ 1 — 1422) › Chapter 25 - Special Child Support Act (§§ 501 — 530) › § 504b - Rendering services

(1) The Administration shall render child support services as authorized by this chapter in the following cases:
(a) When the case is referred by the Temporary Assistance Program of the Department of the Family, by any agency or government body, or by the court, if the person whose case is referred receives assistance under the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Program, receives benefits or services under the Substitute Homes Program, or the Aid to Medical Indigent Families Program (Medicaid), subject to determinations on just cause for refusing to cooperate, pursuant to this chapter and other applicable laws;
(b) when the services are required under § 507 of this title;
(c) when it receives an interstate referral under Act No. 71 of June 20, 1956 as amended, known as the “Uniform Interstate Family Support Act”, or when it receives an interstate petition from an agency which administers a state plan approved by the federal government under Title IV, Part D, or from a foreign country which has signed a reciprocity agreement pursuant to the Federal Social Security Act, as amended, P.L. 93-657, or from a foreign country which has been designated as a foreign country with reciprocity by the Secretary of State of the United States, or
(d) when the services are authorized pursuant to a federal exemption on the requirement to request said services under Title IV-D.
(2) Services authorized under this chapter shall be rendered to the residents of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, as well as to the residents of the United States. Nonresidents shall cooperate in the establishment, modification and effective enforcement of the actions on child support to the same extent as is required from the residents of Puerto Rico.
(3) The Administration, when providing the services authorized under this section, shall:
(a) Establish safeguards against the unauthorized use or disclosure of information pertaining to the procedures set forth in this chapter, including the following:
(i) No information pertaining to the location of a party shall be disclosed to the other party against whom a protection order has been issued with respect to the first party.
(ii) No information pertaining to the location of a party shall be disclosed to the other party if the Administration has grounds to believe that to reveal same could result in possible physical or emotional harm to the first party.
(iii) No information pertaining to the financial records of any person in a financial institution shall be disclosed unless it is for the sole purpose and to the necessary extent to establish, modify, review or enforce a person’s child support obligations. Unauthorized disclosure shall be subject to civil sanctions pursuant to the applicable federal legislation.
(iv) No information shall be disclosed for purposes contrary to those set forth in § 6103 of the Federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, subject to the applicable penalties.
(v) No Administration employee shall have access to or exchange any information maintained by the Administration beyond the necessary for the performance of the duties of the Administration.
(vi) No information shall be disclosed in violation of any other applicable state or federal law.
(b) Set and impose administrative sanctions, including, without it being understood as a limitation, the destitution of the employee, for the unauthorized access or disclosure of confidential information pursuant to the dispositions set forth in this section.
History —Dec. 30, 1986, No. 5, p. 887, added as art. IV, § 5B on Aug. 17, 1994, No. 86, § 8; Dec. 20, 1997, No. 180, § 2; Aug. 1, 2003, No. 178, § 5.