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 sections 9, 10 and 11 of ESSB 5921 (chapter 42, Laws of 2011).
Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: ESSB 5921 (chapter 42, Laws of 2011), RCW 34.05.020, 34.05.220, 74.08.090, 74.20.040.
Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: These rules are necessary to implement sections 9, 10 and 11 of ESSB 5921 (chapter 42, Laws of 2011), under which recipients of child care subsidies or working connections child care (WCCC) subsidies are required to apply for child support enforcement services and cooperate with the department of social and health services (DSHS) division of child support (DCS) unless granted good cause not to do so. These rules deal with how DCS will implement ESSB 5921, and the department of early learning (DEL) will adopt its own eligibility rules. DCS will notify the community services division (CSD), which deals with eligibility for child care subsidies or WCCC subsidies under rules adopted by DEL. Any sanctions for failure to cooperate with DCS will be determined under DEL rules and will be imposed by CSD.
Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: DCS is working with CSD and DEL as we implement ESSB 5921.
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, Rules Coordinator, 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.
July 1, 2011
Katherine I. Vasquez
Rules Coordinator