20 CFR § 603.10 - What are the requirements for agreements?
(a) Requirements.
(1) For disclosures of confidential UC information under § 603.5(d)(2) (to a third party (other than an agent) or disclosures made on an ongoing basis); § 603.5(e) (to a public official), except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section; § 603.5(f) (to an agent or contractor of a public official); § 603.6(b)(1) through (4), (6), and (7)(i) (as required by Federal UC law); and § 603.22 (to a requesting agency for purposes of an IEVS), a State or State UC agency must enter into a written, enforceable agreement with any agency or entity requesting disclosure(s) of such information. The agreement must be terminable if the State or State UC agency determines that the safeguards in the agreement are not adhered to.
(2) For disclosures referred to in § 603.5(f) (to an agent or contractor of a public official), the State or State UC agency must enter into a written, enforceable agreement with the public official on whose behalf the agent or contractor will obtain information. The agreement must hold the public official responsible for ensuring that the agent or contractor complies with the safeguards of § 603.9. The agreement must be terminable if the State or State UC agency determines that the safeguards in the agreement are not adhered to.
(b) Contents of agreement—(1) In general. Any agreement required by paragraph (a) of this section must include, but need not be limited to, the following terms and conditions:
(i) A description of the specific information to be furnished and the purposes for which the information is sought;
(ii) A statement that those who request or receive information under the agreement will be limited to those with a need to access it for purposes listed in the agreement;
(iii) The methods and timing of requests for information and responses to those requests, including the format to be used;
(iv) Provision for paying the State or State UC agency for any costs of furnishing information, as required by § 603.8 (on costs);
(v) Provision for safeguarding the information disclosed, as required by § 603.9 (on safeguards); and
(vi) Provision for on-site inspections of the agency, entity, or contractor, to assure that the requirements of the State's law and the agreement or contract required by this section are being met.
(2) In the case of disclosures under § 603.5(d)(2) (to a third party (other than an agent) or disclosures made on an ongoing basis), the agreement required by paragraph (a) of this section must assure that the information will be accessed by only those entities with authorization under the individual's or employer's release, and that it may be used only for the specific purposes authorized in that release.
(c) Breach of agreement—(1) In general. If an agency, entity, or contractor, or any official, employee, or agent thereof, fails to comply with any provision of an agreement required by this section, including timely payment of the State's or State UC agency's costs billed to the agency, entity, or contractor, the agreement must be suspended, and further disclosure of information (including any disclosure being processed) to such agency, entity, or contractor is prohibited, until the State or State UC agency is satisfied that corrective action has been taken and there will be no further breach. In the absence of prompt and satisfactory corrective action, the agreement must be canceled, and the agency, entity, or contractor must be required to surrender to the State or State UC agency all confidential UC information (and copies thereof) obtained under the agreement which has not previously been returned to the State or State UC agency, and any other information relevant to the agreement.
(2) Enforcement. In addition to the actions required to be taken by paragraph (c)(1) of this section, the State or State UC agency must undertake any other action under the agreement, or under any law of the State or of the United States, to enforce the agreement and secure satisfactory corrective action or surrender of the information, and must take other remedial actions permitted under State or Federal law to effect adherence to the requirements of this subpart B, including seeking damages, penalties, and restitution as permitted under such law for any charges to granted funds and all costs incurred by the State or the State UC agency in pursuing the breach of the agreement and enforcement as required by this paragraph (c).
(d) The requirements of this section do not apply to disclosures of UC information to a Federal agency which the Department has determined, by notice published in the Federal Register, to have in place safeguards adequate to satisfy the confidentiality requirement of Section 303(a)(1), SSA, and an appropriate method of paying or reimbursing the State UC agency (which may involve a reciprocal cost arrangement) for costs involved in such disclosures. These determinations will be published in the Federal Register.