Section 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.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.