Referral of complaints to the Secretary and other authorities.

§ 96.72 Referral of complaints to the Secretary and other authorities. (a) An accrediting entity must report promptly to the Secretary any substantiated complaint that: (1) Reveals that an accredited agency or approved person has engaged in a pattern of serious, willful, grossly negligent, or repeated failures to comply with the standards in subpart F of this part; or (2) Indicates that continued accreditation or approval would not be in the best interests of the children and families concerned. (b) An accrediting entity must, after consultation with the Secretary, refer, as appropriate, to a State licensing authority, the Attorney General, or other law enforcement authorities any substantiated complaints that involve conduct that is: (1) Subject to the civil or criminal penalties imposed by section 404 of the IAA (42 U.S.C. 14944); (2) In violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq. ); or (3) Otherwise in violation of Federal, State, or local law. (c) When an accrediting entity makes a report pursuant to paragraphs (a) or (b) of this section, it must indicate whether it is recommending that the Secretary take action to debar the agency or person, either temporarily or permanently.