WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFER, Governor .                    Ch. 318

(6) To a parent or other person who has permanent or temporary care and
custody of a child, if provisions are made for the protection of the identity of the reporter
or any other person whose life or safety is likely to be endangered by disclosing the
information.

(c)     Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit:

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

(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.

(d)     The Social Services Administration shall issue regulations governing access to
and use of confidential information which is in the possession of the Administration or
local departments of social services.

(e)     Any offense against the provisions of this section shall be a misdemeanor and
shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500) or imprisonment
for not exceeding ninety days, or both, in the discretion of the court.
Article - Family Law

5-701.

(a)     In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.

(b)     (1) "Abuse" means:

(i) the physical injury of a child by any parent or other person who has
permanent or temporary care or custody or responsibility for supervision of a child, or by
any household or family member, under circumstances that indicate that the child's
health or welfare is significantly harmed or at risk of being significantly harmed; or

(ii) sexual abuse of a child, whether physical injuries are sustained or
not.

(2) "Abuse" does not include, for that reason alone, providing a child with
nonmedical religious remedial care and treatment recognized by State law.

(c)     "Administration" means the Social Services Administration of the
Department.

(d)     "Child" means any individual under the age of 18 years.

(e)     "Court" means:

(1)     the circuit court for a county sitting as a juvenile court; or

(2)     in Montgomery County, the District Court sitting as a juvenile court.

- 1855 -