The Secretary will establish a Complaint Registry to support the accrediting entities in fulfilling their oversight responsibilities, including the responsibilities of recording, screening, referring, and otherwise taking action on complaints received, and to support the Secretary in the Secretary's oversight responsibilities as the Secretary deems appropriate. The Secretary may provide for the Complaint Registry to be funded in whole or in part from fees collected by the Secretary pursuant to section 403(b) of the IAA (42 U.S.C. 14943(b)) or by the accrediting entities.

The Complaint Registry will:

Receive and maintain records of complaints about accredited agencies, approved persons and agencies temporarily accredited for one or two years after the Convention entered into force (including complaints concerning their use of supervised providers) and make such complaints available to the appropriate accrediting entity and the Secretary;

Receive and maintain information regarding action taken to resolve each complaint by the accrediting entity or the Secretary;

Track compliance with any deadlines applicable to the resolution of complaints;

Generate reports designed to show possible patterns of complaints; and

Perform such other functions as the Secretary may determine.

Forms and information necessary to submit complaints to the Complaint Registry electronically or by such other means as the Secretary may determine will be accessible through the Department's website to persons who wish to file complaints. Such forms will be designed to ensure that each complaint complies with the requirements of § 96.69.

Accrediting entities will have access to, and the capacity to enter data into, the Complaint Registry as the Secretary deems appropriate.

Nothing in this part shall be construed to limit the Secretary's authority to take such action as the Secretary deems appropriate with respect to complaints.