§ 111-28. Department of Health and Human Services authorized to receive grants for benefit of blind and visually impaired; use of information concerning blind persons.
§ 111‑28. Department of Health and Human Services authorized to receive grants forbenefit of blind and visually impaired; use of information concerning blindpersons.
The Department of Health and Human Services may receive grants‑in‑aidfrom the federal government or any State or federal agency for the purpose ofrendering other services to the blind, visually impaired, and those in dangerof becoming blind. All of these grants shall be paid into the State treasuryand credited to the account of the Department of Health and Human Services, tobe used in carrying out the provisions of this law.
The Commission for the Blind may adopt rules as may be required by thefederal government or State or federal agency as a condition for receivingthese federal funds, not inconsistent with the laws of this State.
The Department of Health and Human Services may enter into reciprocalagreements with public welfare agencies in other states regarding assistanceand services to residents, nonresidents, or transients, and cooperate withother agencies of the State and federal governments in the provisions ofassistance and services and in the study of the problems involved.
The Department of Health and Human Services may establish and enforcereasonable rules governing the custody, use and preservation of the records,papers, files, and communications of the Department.
It is unlawful, except for purposes directly connected with theadministration of aid to the blind and visually impaired and in accordance withthe rules of the Department of Health and Human Services, for any person tosolicit, disclose, receive, make use of, or to authorize, knowingly permit,participate in, or acquiesce in the use of, any list of or name of, or anyinformation concerning, persons applying for or receiving aid to the blind andvisually impaired, directly or indirectly derived from the records, papers,files, or communications of the Department of Health and Human Services, theboard of county commissioners, or the county social services department, oracquired in the course of the performance of official duties.
The Department of Health and Human Services may release to the Divisionof Motor Vehicles in the Department of Transportation and to the North CarolinaDepartment of Revenue the name and medical records of any person listed in theregister of the blind in this State maintained under the provisions of G.S. 111‑4.All information and documents released to the Division of Motor Vehicles andthe Department of Revenue shall be treated by them as confidential for theiruse only and shall not be released by them to any person for commercial orpolitical purposes or for any purpose not directly connected with theadministration of Chapters 20 and 105 of the General Statutes. The Departmentof Health and Human Services may also release to the North Carolina Library forthe Blind and Physically Handicapped of the Department of Cultural Resources,the name and address of any person listed in the register of the blind in thisState maintained under the provisions of G.S. 111‑4. All informationreleased to the North Carolina Library for the Blind and Physically Handicappedshall be treated as confidential for its use only and shall not be released toany person for commercial or political purposes or for any purpose not directlyconnected with providing information concerning services offered by the NorthCarolina Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. (1939, c. 124; 1941, c. 186; 1969, cc. 871, 982; 1973,c. 476, s. 143; 1989, c. 752, s. 141; 1997‑443, s. 11A.118(a); 2000‑121,s. 18.)