PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY
SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
(Economic Services Administration)
(Division of Child Support)
Subject of Possible Rule Making: New sections and/or amendments in chapter 388-14A WAC, to implement changes to the rules regarding distribution of child support collections.
Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 26.23.035.
Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: Depending on the state's budget, and depending on changes in state and federal law, the division of child support (DCS) updates its distribution rules. During the 2010 legislative session, the budget adopted requires that DCS change its distribution rules regarding collections from federal tax refund offsets so that those collections are (1) applied only to child support arrears and (2) applied first to debt that has been assigned to the state.
Process for Developing New Rule: DCS engages in modified collaborative rule making. Those persons wishing to participate in developing the new rules are encouraged to contact Nancy Koptur at the DSHS/DCS headquarters as soon as possible. DCS will post information regarding this rule development project and others on its web site, which can be found at http://www.dshs.wa.gov/dcs/, or on the DSHS economic services administration's policy review web site, which can be found at https://fortress.wa.gov/dshs/f2ws03esaapps/extpolicy/. DSHS/DCS encourages the public to take part in developing the rules. After the rules are drafted, DSHS will file a copy with the office of the code reviser with a notice of proposed rule making, and will send a copy to everyone currently on the mailing list and to anyone else who requests a copy.
Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Nancy Koptur, DCS Rules Coordinator, Division of Child Support, P.O. Box 9162, Mailstop 45860, Olympia, WA 98507-9162, e-mail nkoptur@dshs.wa.gov or nancy.koptur@dshs.wa.gov, phone (360) 664-5065, toll-free 1-800-457-6202, fax (360) 664-5342, TTY/TDD (360) 664-5011.
June 29, 2010
Katherine I. Vasquez
Rules Coordinator