Subject of Possible Rule Making: The division of child support (DCS) is proposing to amend WAC 388-14A-3375 What kinds of credits does the division of child support give when establishing or enforcing an administrative support order?, and other related rules as required to reflect the 2020 repeal of public assistance standards on which DCS calculates a credit available during administrative support establishment procedures to a paying parent for payments towards shelter care.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: When establishing administrative support orders, DCS is authorized by law to provide several different types of credits towards a noncustodial parent's support obligation. One such credit is for shelter care, either based on public assistance standards or one-half of the actual shelter payment. These public assistance standards referenced in WAC 388-14A-3375 were established by the community services division in WAC 388-478-0010, and have since been repealed due to legislative changes in the 2020 supplemental budget (ESSB 6168, chapter 357, Laws of 2020) with WSR 20-20-007.

Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: Not applicable.

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 Monica Turnbaugh at the department of social and health services (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/office-of-the-secretary/filings-and-rulings?field_type_value=Preproposal+Statement+of+Inquiry+%28CR-101%29&field_admincategory_value=Economic+Services.

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 Monica Turnbaugh, DCS Rules Coordinator, P.O. Box 9162, Mailstop 45860, Olympia, WA 98507-9162, phone 360-664-5339, fax 360-664-5342, TTY 1-800-833-6384, email Monica.Turnbaugh@dshs.wa.gov.