HARRY HUGHES, Governor                                         3275

[his] AN official capacity, and as necessary to discharge
responsibilities to administer public assistance, medical
assistance, or social services programs, it shall be unlawful for
any person or persons to divulge or make known in any manner any
information concerning any applicant for or recipient of social
services, child welfare services, cash assistance, food stamps,
or medical assistance, directly or indirectly derived from the
records, papers, files, investigations or communications of the
State, county or city, or subdivisions or agencies thereof, or
acquired in the course of the performance of official duties.

(c) Nothing [herein] IN THIS SECTION shall be construed to
prohibit:

(1)   [the] THE publication, for administrative or
research purposes, of statistics or other data so classified as
to prevent the identification of particular persons or cases; OR

(2)  THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES FROM OBTAINING
AN INDIVIDUAL'S FINANCIAL RECORDS FROM A FIDUCIARY INSTITUTION IN
THE COURSE OF VERIFYING THE INDIVIDUAL'S ELIGIBILITY FOR PUBLIC
ASSISTANCE . ; OR

(3)  DISCLOSURES AS PERMITTED BY § 1-303 OF THE
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS ARTICLE OF THE CODE.

62.

(a)  Every application for money, property, food stamps,
medical care or other assistance, under a social, health, or
nutritional program based on need, financed in whole or in part
by the State of Maryland, and administered by the Department of
Employment and Social Services, or the Department of Health and
Mental Hygiene, or by the local department of social services,
whether under this or any other article in this Code, shall be in
writing and signed by the applicant. Any person who in making and
signing such an application makes a false or fraudulent statement
with intent to obtain any such money, property, food stamps,
medical care or other assistance is guilty of perjury and upon
conviction therefor is subject to the penalties provided by law
for perjury.

(b)  Beginning July 1, 1979, whenever a photoidentification
card is issued to the recipient of any public assistance, the
Department of Social Services shall cause a duplicate
photoidentification print to be placed in the recipient's social
service case file.

(C) (1) THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES SHALL MAY REQUEST
AND OBTAIN FROM ANY FIDUCIARY INSTITUTION DOING BUSINESS IN THE
STATE ANY FINANCIAL RECORDS THAT THE DEPARTMENT DETERMINES ARE
NECESSARY TO VERIFY OR CONFIRM AN INDIVIDUAL'S ELIGIBILITY OR
INELIGIBILITY FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE.