Effective Date of Rule: May 26, 2010.

     Purpose: The division of child support (DCS) is filing this third emergency rule to maintain the status quo as we await the rule-making hearing for the adoption of final rules. THESE RULES ARE EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE PRIOR EMERGENCY RULES. This third set of emergency rules takes effect on May 28, 2010, and is identical in every respect to the prior emergency rules filed as WSR 09-20-030 and 10-04-037.

     BASIS FOR ADOPTION OF EMERGENCY RULES: In the 2009 legislative session, the Washington state legislature adopted ESHB 1794 (chapter 84, Laws of 2009), which makes changes to chapter 26.19 RCW, the Washington state child support schedule, based on recommendations of the 2007 child support schedule workgroup which was convened under 2SHB 1009 (chapter 313, Laws of 2007) and SHB 1845 (chapter 476, Laws of 2009), regarding medical support obligations in child support orders. Both of these bills had an effective date of October 1, 2009.

     DCS filed emergency rules under WSR 09-20-030 in order to implement this legislation by October 1, 2009. DCS filed the second emergency rules, identical to the first, under WSR 10-04-037 with an effective date of January 28, 2010. The second emergency rules expire May 27, 2010, and a third emergency filing is now necessary.

     DCS began the regular rule-making process by filing a CR-101, Preproposal notice of inquiry, for each of the bills: The CR-101 for ESHB 1794 was filed as WSR 09-10-046, and the CR-101 for SHB 1845 was filed as WSR 09-14-075. Because both of the bills impact the establishment of child support obligations, DCS determined that it was necessary to adopt just one set of rules which covers both bills instead of two separate rule-making projects.

     DCS has done a significant amount of redrafting and revising the rules from the form in which they were first proposed. After consulting with DCS staff, stakeholders and other partners, DCS intends to file the CR-102, Notice of proposed rule making, in June 2010.

     Between the filing of the CR-102 and the public rule-making hearing, DCS will again work with DCS staff, stakeholders and other partners to incorporate more comments and feedback. While the third emergency rules are exactly the same as the first emergency rules, DCS anticipates that because of the complexity of these two bills the rules proposed in the CR-102 will differ from the emergency rules in several respects, as will the final rules. DCS hopes to have final rules adopted as soon as possible.

     Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 388-14A-1020 What definitions apply to the rules regarding child support enforcement?, 388-14A-2035 Do I assign my rights to support when I receive public assistance?, 388-14A-2036 What does assigning my rights to support mean?, 388-14A-3140 What can happen at a hearing on a support establishment notice?, 388-14A-3205 How does DCS calculate my income?, 388-14A-3310 The division of child support serves a notice of support owed to establish a fixed dollar amount under an existing child support order, 388-14A-3312 The division of child support serves a notice of support owed for ((unreimbursed)) medical ((expenses)) support to establish a fixed dollar amount owed under a child support order, 388-14A-3315 When DCS serves a notice of support debt ((or)), notice of support owed ((or)), notice of support owed for ((unreimbursed)) medical ((expenses)) support, we notify the other party to the child support order, 388-14A-3317 What is an annual review of a support order under RCW 26.23.110?, 388-14A-3318 What is an annual review of a notice of support owed under WAC 388-14A-3312?, 388-14A-3320 What happens at a hearing on a notice of support owed?, 388-14A-3400 Are there limitations on how much of my income is available for child support?, 388-14A-4100 How does the division of child support enforce my obligation to provide health insurance for my children?, 388-14A-4110 If my support order requires me to provide ((health insurance)) medical support for my children, what do I have to do?, 388-14A-4112 When does the division of child support enforce a custodial parent's obligation to provide ((health insurance coverage)) medical support?, 388-14A-4115 Can my support order reduce my support obligation if I pay for health insurance?, 388-14A-4120 DCS uses the national medical support notice to enforce an obligation to provide health insurance coverage, 388-14A-4165 What happens when a noncustodial parent does not earn enough to pay child support plus the health insurance premium?, 388-14A-4175 ((Is an employer)) Who is required to notify the division of child support when insurance coverage for the children ends?, 388-14A-4180 When must the division of child support communicate with the DSHS health and recovery services administration?, 388-14A-5002 How does DCS distribute support collections in a nonassistance case?, 388-14A-5003 How does DCS distribute support collections in an assistance case?, 388-14A-5004 How does DCS distribute support collections in a former assistance case?, 388-14A-5005 How does DCS distribute federal tax refund offset collections?, 388-14A-5006 How does DCS distribute support collections when the paying parent has more than one case?, 388-14A-5007 If the paying parent has more than one case, can DCS apply support money to only one specific case?, 388-14A-6300 Duty of the administrative law judge in a hearing to determine the amount of a support obligation, and 388-14A-8130 How does DCS complete the WSCSS worksheets when setting a joint child support obligation when the parents of a child in foster care are married and residing together?; and new section WAC 388-14A-4111 When may DCS decline a request to enforce a medical support obligation?

     Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 26.09.105(17), 26.18.170(19), 26.23.050(8), 26.23.110(14), 34.05.020, 34.05.060, 34.05.220, 74.08.090, 74.20.040, 74.20A.055 (9) and (11).

     Under RCW 34.05.350 the agency for good cause finds that state or federal law or federal rule or a federal deadline for state receipt of federal funds requires immediate adoption of a rule.

     Reasons for this Finding: ESHB 1794 (chapter 84, Laws of 2009) and SHB 1845 (chapter 476, Laws of 2009) both had an effective date of October 1, 2009. Although DCS has begun the regular rule-making process to adopt rules under this bill, we were unable to complete the adoption process by the effective date. DCS continues the regular rule-making process and will adopt final rules as soon as possible.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 1, Amended 28, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0;      Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 1, Amended 28, Repealed 0.

     Date Adopted: May 11, 2010.

Katherine I. Vasquez

Rules Coordinator

     Reviser's note: The material contained in this filing exceeded the page-count limitations of WAC 1-21-040 for appearance in this issue of the Register. It will appear in the 10-13 issue of the Register.

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