SPIRO T. AGNEW, Governor                      1403

shall be paid the reasonable expenses necessary for the discharge of
his official duties. The State Director of [Public Welfare] Social
Services shall serve as executive secretary to the advisory council.

(b)    The advisory council to the State Dpeartment DEPART-
MENT shall have continuing responsibility for the initiation of activ-
ity leading to strengthened child welfare services including prevention
and control of illegitimacy by providing leadership through investi-
gation and recommendation of policy, programs and plans for their
implementation.

(c)    The advisory council shall report the results of its investiga-
tions and make its recommendations to the State Board [of Public
Welfare]. The council shall publish its assessment of the progress
and effectiveness of the State's efforts to strengthen child welfare
services and to control illegitimacy, and its recommendations for
their improvement, through the annual report of the State Depart-
ment [of Public Welfare] to the General Assembly.

5.

The State Board [of Public Welfare] is hereby authorized and
empowered to adopt from time to time [,] such rules and regula-
tions [,] as may be necessary [,] to carry out any of the duties
imposed upon it by law, and when adopted [,] such rules and regu-
lations shall have the force and effect of law. It shall likewise adopt
rules and regulations covering the custody, use and preservation of
the records, papers, files and communications of the State and local
departments concerning applicants and recipients of social services
and public assistance. The use of such records, papers, files and
communications by any other agency or department of government
to which they may be furnished snail be limited to the purposes
for which they are furnished.

5A.

The State Department [of Public Welfare] shall establish a cen-
tral registry of records containing all available identifying in-
formation of parents who have deserted or appear to have deserted,
children who are likely, or liable to be, recipients of public assistance
or foster care. To effectuate the purposes of this section, the State
Department may request and shall receive from departments, boards,
bureaus, commissions, and other agencies of the State or any of
its political subdivisions, and the same are authorized to provide,
such information, assistance and data as will enable the State De-
partment to locate these deserting or absent parents and to enforce
their liability for the support of their children. Any records estab-
lished pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be available
only to authorized representatives of the State and local [welfare]
departments, and other persons having a right thereto in their of-
ficial capacity.

6.

(1) Except in accordance with proper judicial or legislative order
and except to an officer of the State, or the United States, having a
right thereto in his official capacity, it shall be unlawful for any
person or persons to divulge or make known in any manner the
names of, the amounts paid to, or any other information concerning,