§ 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.

The Department of Health and Human Services may receive grants-in-aid from the federal government or any State or federal agency for the purpose of rendering other services to the blind, visually impaired, and those in danger of becoming blind. All of these grants shall be paid into the State treasury and credited to the account of the Department of Health and Human Services, to be used in carrying out the provisions of this law.

The Commission for the Blind may adopt rules as may be required by the federal government or State or federal agency as a condition for receiving these federal funds, not inconsistent with the laws of this State.

The Department of Health and Human Services may enter into reciprocal agreements with public welfare agencies in other states regarding assistance and services to residents, nonresidents, or transients, and cooperate with other agencies of the State and federal governments in the provisions of assistance and services and in the study of the problems involved.

The Department of Health and Human Services may establish and enforce reasonable 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 the administration of aid to the blind and visually impaired and in accordance with the rules of the Department of Health and Human Services, for any person to solicit, 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 any information concerning, persons applying for or receiving aid to the blind and visually impaired, directly or indirectly derived from the records, papers, files, or communications of the Department of Health and Human Services, the board of county commissioners, or the county social services department, or acquired in the course of the performance of official duties.

The Department of Health and Human Services may release to the Division of Motor Vehicles in the Department of Transportation and to the North Carolina Department of Revenue the name and medical records of any person listed in the register 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 and the Department of Revenue shall be treated by them as confidential for their use only and shall not be released by them to any person for commercial or political purposes or for any purpose not directly connected with the administration of Chapters 20 and 105 of the General Statutes. The Department of Health and Human Services may also release to the North Carolina Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, the name and address of any person listed in the register of the blind in this State maintained under the provisions of G.S. 111-4. All information released to the North Carolina Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped shall be treated as confidential for its use only and shall not be released to any person for commercial or political purposes or for any purpose not directly connected with providing information concerning services offered by the North Carolina 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; 2015-241, s. 14.30(s).)