CHAPTER 83 - CONFIDENTIAL CHARACTER OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE RECORDS
AN ACT IN RELATION TO THE CONFIDENTIAL CHARACTER OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE RECORDS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Delaware in General Assembly met:
Section 1. The several departments, bureaus, commissions, and agencies of the State of Delaware shall have the power to establish and enforce reasonable rules and regulations governing the custody, use, and preservation of the records, papers, files, and communications of such departments, bureaus, commissions, and agencies. Wherever, under provisions of law, names and addresses of recipients of public assistance are furnished to or held by any other agency or department of government, such agency or department of government shall be required to adopt regulations necessary to prevent the publication of lists thereof or their use for purposes not directly connected with the administration of public assistance.
Section 2. It shall be unlawful, except for purposes directly connected with the administration of general assistance, old age assistance, aid to the blind, or aid to dependent children, and in accordance with the rules and regulations of the department, bureau, commission, or agency administering such assistance or aid, for any person or persons to solicit, disclose, receive, make use of, or to authorize, knowingly permit, participate in, or acquiesce in the use of, any list of or names of, or any information concerning, persons applying for or receiving such assistance, directly or indirectly derived from the records, papers, files, or communications of such department, bureau, commission or agency or acquired in the course of the performance of official duties. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine not exceeding Five Hundred Dollars or by imprisonment not exceeding six (6) months or by both fine and imprisonment in the discretion of the court.
Approved April 7, 1941.