Section 2-308 - Dissemination of information.
§ 2-308. Dissemination of information [Amendment subject to abrogation.]
(a) Availability of information to agencies and units.-
(1) Any information, records, or statistics collected under this subtitle shall be available for use by any agency or unit required to provide information to the Department.
(2) By rule, the Secretary may establish conditions for the use or availability of the information described in paragraph (1) of this subsection as necessary:
(i) to preserve the information;
(ii) to protect any confidential information; or
(iii) because of a pending prosecution.
(b) Publication of statistics.-
(1) The Department:
(i) shall periodically publish statistics on the incidence of crime in the State; and
(ii) at least monthly shall publish statistics about the occurrence and cause of all motor vehicle accidents in the State.
(2) A statistical report on the incidence of crime published under this subsection may not name or otherwise identify a particular known or suspected offender.
(3) The Department shall distribute the reports required by this subsection to:
(i) each agency or unit that contributed information contained in the reports;
(ii) the press; and
(iii) any other interested person.
(4) By rule, the Secretary may establish conditions under which reports of specific motor vehicle accidents may be made available on request to the public.
(c) Document search fee.-
(1) The fee for conducting a document search is $4.
(2) The Department shall apply the money received from conducting document searches to the cost of providing this service.
(d) Information provided to Baltimore City Health Department.-
(1) The Department shall provide to the Baltimore City Health Department, on a written request, information concerning:
(i) a victim of a crime of violence, as defined in § 14-101 of the Criminal Law Article, who is a child residing in Baltimore City; and
(ii) a child convicted of a crime or adjudicated delinquent for an act that caused a death or near fatality.
(2) The Baltimore City Health Department:
(i) shall keep confidential any information provided under paragraph (1) of this subsection;
(ii) may use the information solely to develop appropriate programs and policies aimed at reducing violence against children in Baltimore City; and
(iii) shall be liable for the unauthorized release of any information provided under paragraph (1) of this subsection.
(3) Within 180 days after the Baltimore City Health Department receives information under this subsection, the Baltimore City Health Department shall submit a report to the Department detailing the purposes for which the record was used.
[An. Code 1957, art. 88B, §§ 10(a), 11; 2003, ch. 5, § 2; 2006, ch. 10; 2008, chs. 602, 603.]