Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: Due to the ongoing national and state emergency relating to COVID-19, the United States Postal Service (USPS) has made temporary changes to its certified mail signature gathering procedures to limit direct contact with recipients. The planned rule will clarify that these temporary procedures employed by USPS are acceptable for purposes of certified mail service if the USPS makes this change on a permanent basis.

Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: USPS based on certified mail delivery procedures and other guidance.

Process for Developing New Rule: The division of child support (DCS) engages in modified collaborative rule making. Those persons wishing to participate in developing the new rules are encouraged to contact Brady Horenstein at the DSHS DCS headquarters as soon as possible. DCS will post information regarding this rule development project and others on its website, which can be found at https://www.dshs.wa.gov/esa/division-child-support or on the DSHS economic services administration's policy review website, which can be found at https://fortress.wa.gov/dshs/f2ws03esaapps/extpolicy/. Rule-making forms and draft rules may also be found on the DSHS filings and rules page at https://www.dshs.wa.gov/sesa/rpau/filings-and-rulings.

DSHS/DCS encourages the public to take part in developing 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 Brady Horenstein, DCS, P.O. Box 9162, Mailstop 45860, Olympia, WA 98507-9162, phone 360-664-5291, fax 360-664-5342, TTY 1-800-833-6384, email HorenBJ@dshs.wa.gov.