# § 669a. Nonliability for financial institutions providing financial records to State child support enforcement agencies in child support cases
**(a)** **In general** section 666(a)(17)(A) of this title
Notwithstanding any other provision of Federal or State law, a financial institution shall not be liable under any Federal or State law to any person for disclosing any financial record of an individual to a State child support enforcement agency attempting to establish, modify, or enforce a child support obligation of such individual, or for disclosing any such record to the Federal Parent Locator Service pursuant to .
**(b)** **Prohibition of disclosure of financial record obtained by State child support enforcement agency** A State child support enforcement agency which obtains a financial record of an individual from a financial institution pursuant to subsection (a) may disclose such financial record only for the purpose of, and to the extent necessary in, establishing, modifying, or enforcing a child support obligation of such individual.
**(c)** **Civil damages for unauthorized disclosure**
**(1)** **Disclosure by State officer or employee** If any person knowingly, or by reason of negligence, discloses a financial record of an individual in violation of subsection (b), such individual may bring a civil action for damages against such person in a district court of the United States.
**(2)** **No liability for good faith but erroneous interpretation** No liability shall arise under this subsection with respect to any disclosure which results from a good faith, but erroneous, interpretation of subsection (b).
**(3)** **Damages** In any action brought under paragraph (1), upon a finding of liability on the part of the defendant, the defendant shall be liable to the plaintiff in an amount equal to the sum of—
**(A)** the greater of—
**(i)** $1,000 for each act of unauthorized disclosure of a financial record with respect to which such defendant is found liable; or
**(ii)** the sum of—
**(I)** the actual damages sustained by the plaintiff as a result of such unauthorized disclosure; plus
**(II)** in the case of a willful disclosure or a disclosure which is the result of gross negligence, punitive damages; plus
**(B)** the costs (including attorney’s fees) of the action.
**(d)** **Definitions** For purposes of this section—
**(1)** **Financial institution** The term “financial institution” means—
**(A)** a depository institution, as defined in section 1813(c) of title 12;
**(B)** an institution-affiliated party, as defined in section 1813(u) of title 12;
**(C)** any Federal credit union or State credit union, as defined in section 1752 of title 12, including an institution-affiliated party of such a credit union, as defined in section 1786(r) of title 12; and
**(D)** any benefit association, insurance company, safe deposit company, money-market mutual fund, or similar entity authorized to do business in the State.
**(2)** **Financial record** section 3401 of title 12
The term “financial record” has the meaning given such term in .
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**Source Credit**: (Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title IV, § 469A, as added Pub. L. 104–193, title III, § 353, Aug. 22, 1996, 110 Stat. 2240; amended Pub. L. 105–200, title IV, § 406(c), July 16, 1998, 112 Stat. 672.)
## Editorial Notes
### Amendments
1998—Subsec. (a). inserted “, or for disclosing any such record to the Federal Parent Locator Service pursuant to ” before period at end.
## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
### Effective Date
For effective date of section, see section 395(a)–(c) of , set out as an Effective Date of 1996 Amendment note under .