§4304.1. Cooperation of government and nongovernment agencies.

(a) Cooperation of government agencies.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, including the provisions of section 731 of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343, No.176), known as The Fiscal Code, all government agencies shall:

(1) At the request of the department, provide information prescribed by the department regarding a person's wages, income, telephone numbers, addresses, Social Security numbers and date of birth, employer names, addresses and telephone numbers.

(2) Require the Social Security number of an individual who has one on any application for a professional or occupational license or certification; a permit; a driver's license, including a commercial driver's license; a recreational license; or a marriage license. Collection of the Social Security number shall be performed in such manner as to protect its confidentiality. If the government agency uses another identifying number on the face of the application, the government agency shall advise the applicant and shall keep the Social Security number on file at the agency.

(3) Require the Social Security number of any individual subject to a divorce decree, support order, paternity determination or acknowledgment of paternity in all records relating to the matter. Collection of the Social Security number shall be kept confidential.

(4) Require the Social Security number of a deceased individual in records relating to the death, including the death certificate.

(b) Cooperation of labor organizations.--Labor organizations shall at the request of the department provide information in a form prescribed by the department regarding wages, income, telephone numbers, addresses, Social Security numbers and date of birth, employer names, addresses and telephone numbers.

(b.1) Cooperation of financial institutions.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all financial institutions doing business in this Commonwealth shall:

(1) Provide for each calendar quarter such identifying information, asset information and benefit information as the department may specify for any obligor who owes past due support as identified by the department by name and Social Security number or other taxpayer identification number.

(2) Upon receipt of a notice of lien or seizure order from the domestic relations section or the department, encumber or surrender, as the case may be, identified assets of an obligor who is subject to a child support lien. The Supreme Court shall by general rule prescribe the form of the order. The financial institution shall remit to the domestic relations section or to the department the assets available in the account on the date of the receipt of the notice of lien or seizure order by the financial institution. Remittance by the financial institution shall be made within a reasonable period of time.

(b.2) Agreements between the department and financial institutions.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the department and any financial institution doing business in this Commonwealth are authorized to enter into agreements for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of subsection (b.1). The agreement may specify payment of a fee by the department to the financial institution to conduct the activities in accordance with subsection (b.1)(1) which shall not exceed actual and reasonable costs incurred by the financial institution.

(c) Penalty.--Following notice and hearing, the department may impose a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per violation upon any government agency, labor organization or financial institution which willfully fails to comply with a request by the department for information pursuant to this section.

(d) Confidentiality.--Any information provided or collected pursuant to this section shall be confidential and may be used by the department, the court or the domestic relations section solely for purposes of child and spousal support enforcement and, to the extent allowed by Federal law, for administration of public assistance programs. Any person, government agency, employer or agent of the department who divulges such information in a manner not provided in this section commits a misdemeanor of the third degree and, upon conviction, shall be sentenced to pay a fine of up to $1,000 per violation and costs and shall be subject to a term of imprisonment of not more than one year, or both.

(d.1) Notification.--No financial institution shall be required to notify an obligor of a request for information by the department or the court under this section.

(e) Immunity.--A person, government agency, labor organization or financial institution providing information, encumbering or surrendering property pursuant to this section shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability to any person or entity. The department, a court, a domestic relations section or an authorized employee of such an entity requesting information under this section or ordering the seizure, encumbrance or surrender of an asset held by a financial institution shall not be subject to any civil or criminal liability. A financial institution shall not be subject to any civil or criminal liability for encumbering or surrendering assets of an obligor as required by this section. The immunity provided by this subsection shall not apply to any person or agent of a government agency, labor organization or financial institution who knowingly supplies false information under this section.

(f) Data collection.--The department shall provide for the frequency and format, which may include automated data exchanges, for the collection of the information required in this section.

(g) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection:

"Account." A demand deposit account, checking or negotiable withdrawal order account, savings account, time deposit account or money market mutual fund account. The term does not include trust accounts, custodian accounts or accounts under 20 Pa.C.S. Ch. 53 (relating to the Pennsylvania Uniform Transfers to Minors Act).

"Asset information." Account balances, deposits, withdrawals, interest, investments, trusts, dividends, certificates of deposits and other asset information.

"Benefit information." Information regarding financial or health care benefits to which an individual may be entitled from government, an employer, an insurer or other source.

"Financial institution." A depository institution, as defined by section 3(c) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (64 Stat. 873, 12 U.S.C. § 1813(c)); an institution-affiliated party, as defined by section 3(u) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act; a Federal credit union or State credit union, as defined in section 101 of the Federal Credit Union Act (48 Stat. 1216, 12 U.S.C. § 1752), including an institution-affiliated party of such a credit union, as defined in section 206(r) of the Federal Credit Union Act; and a benefit association, insurer, safe deposit company, money market mutual fund or similar entity authorized to do business in this Commonwealth.

"Identifying information." Name, record address, Social Security number or other taxpayer identification number.

"Insurer." A foreign or domestic insurance company, association or exchange holding a certificate of authority under the act of May 17, 1921 (P.L.682, No.284), known as The Insurance Company Law of 1921; a risk-assuming preferred provider organization operating under section 630 of The Insurance Company Law of 1921; a health maintenance organization holding a certificate of authority under the act of December 29, 1972 (P.L.1701, No.364), known as the Health Maintenance Organization Act; a fraternal benefit society holding a certificate of authority under the act of December 14, 1992 (P.L.835, No.134), known as the Fraternal Benefit Societies Code; a hospital plan corporation holding a certificate of authority under 40 Pa.C.S. Ch. 61 (relating to hospital plan corporations); a professional health service plan corporation holding a certificate of authority under 40 Pa.C.S. Ch. 63 (relating to professional health services plan corporations); or a similar entity authorized to do insurance business in this Commonwealth.

(Oct. 16, 1996, P.L.706, No.124, eff. 60 days; Dec. 16, 1997, P.L.549, No.58, eff. Jan. 1, 1998; Dec. 15, 1998, P.L.963, No.127, eff. imd.)

Notation

1998 Amendment.  Act 127 amended subsec. (a)(2) and (3). Act 127 of 1998 was suspended by Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure No. 1910.50(3), as amended May 31, 2000, insofar as it is inconsistent with Rule No.1910.20 relating to the availability of remedies for collection of past due and overdue support.

1997 Amendment.  Act 58 of 1997 was suspended by Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure No. 1910.50(3), as amended May 31, 2000, insofar as it is inconsistent with Rule No.1910.20 relating to the availability of remedies for collection of past due and overdue support.

References in Text.  The act of December 14, 1992 (P.L.835, No.134), known as the Fraternal Benefit Societies Code, referred to in the def. of "insurer," was repealed by the act of July 10, 2002 (P.L.749, No.110). The subject matter is now contained in Article XXIV of The Insurance Company Law of 1921.