Section 25-4-118 - Cooperation with state and federal agencies, institutions of higher education, public and law enforcement officials, etc.; penalty for wrongfully securing or misusing information(a) In the administration of this chapter, the secretary shall cooperate to the fullest extent consistent with the provisions of this chapter with the U.S. Secretary of Labor and his successors, and the Federal Internal Revenue Service, and, notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, shall make such reports in such form and containing such information as either may from time to time require, and shall comply with such provisions as the U.S. Secretary of Labor, or his successors, or the Federal Internal Revenue Service may from time to time find necessary to insure the correctness and verification of such reports, and shall comply with the regulations prescribed by the U.S. Secretary of Labor, and his successors, governing the expenditures of such sums as may be allotted and paid to this state under Title III of the Social Security Act for the purpose of assisting in the administration of this chapter. Upon request therefor the secretary shall furnish to any agency of the United States charged with the administration of public works or assistance through public employment, the name, address, ordinary occupation, and employment status of each recipient of benefits and such recipient's rights to further benefits under this chapter.(b)(1) The secretary may make the state's records relating to the administration of this chapter available to the United States Railroad Retirement Board and may furnish the Railroad Retirement Board, at the expense of such board, such copies thereof as the Railroad Retirement Board deems necessary for its purposes. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, the secretary may also, upon request therefor, furnish to any public agency the name, address, ordinary occupation, unemployment status, and wage information of a recipient of benefits or of a recipient's rights to further benefits under this chapter and shall upon specific request furnish such information as is necessary (as determined by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture or the U.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare or their successors in regulations) for the purpose of determining eligibility of an individual for aid or services, or such information regarding any recipient of or party to such aid or services, or the amount of such aid or services, to needy families with children, or in connection with child support or food stamps provided such agencies make reimbursement for the administrative cost involved.(2) For the purpose of establishing and maintaining free public employment offices, the secretary is authorized to enter into agreements with the United States Railroad Retirement Board or any other agency of the United States, with any political subdivision of this state or with any private nonprofit organization, and as a part of such arrangement the secretary may accept moneys, services, or quarters as a contribution to the employment service account.(3) Moneys received from the United States Railroad Retirement Board as compensation for service or facilities supplied to said board shall be paid into the Unemployment Compensation Administration Fund and the employment service fund on the same basis as expenditures are made for such services or facilities from such funds.(c) The secretary may afford reasonable cooperation with any agency of the United States charged with the administration of any unemployment insurance law.(d) The secretary may, at his discretion, release information regarding employment, wages, wage rates, and unemployment to institutions of higher education of this state, or a federal governmental corporation upon payment of reasonable cost therefor, for the purpose of making economic analyses; provided, that such institution or corporation agrees that information so obtained will not be published or released by it to any person or persons in such manner as to permit the identification of any specific individual or employing unit.(e) The secretary may release any information authorized to be released under the provision of subsection (b) of this section to any public or law enforcement official as may be necessary for the performance of his official duties in accordance with such regulations as the secretary may prescribe and subject to the provision of subsection (f) of this section.(f) Whoever willfully makes a false statement or representation to obtain any information under the authority of subsection (e) of this section, either for himself or for any other person, or uses any information for any purpose other than in the performance of his official duties or in any other manner misuses such information, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction therefor, shall be punished by a fine of not less than $200.00 nor more than $1,000.00, or by imprisonment for not less than three nor more than 12 months or by both such fine and imprisonment.Ala. Code § 25-4-118 (1975)
Acts 1939, No. 497, p. 721; Code 1940, T. 26, §235; Acts 1967, No. 170, p. 528; Acts 1980, No. 80-756, p. 1561, §5; Acts 1982, No. 82-372, p. 533, §5.