BP BHEAD INT S

AN ACT Relating to mandatory provisions in child support orders; and amending RCW 26.23.050.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. RCW 26.23.050 and 1991 c 367 s 39 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, the superior court shall include in all superior court orders which establish or modify a support obligation:

(a) A provision which orders and directs that the responsible parent make all support payments to the Washington state support registry;

(b) A statement that a notice of payroll deduction may be issued or other income withholding action under chapter 26.18 RCW or chapter 74.20A RCW may be taken, without further notice to the responsible parent at any time after entry of the court order, unless:

(i) One of the parties demonstrates, and the court finds, that there is good cause not to require immediate income withholding; or

(ii) The parties reach a written agreement that is approved by the court that provides for an alternate arrangement; and

(c) A statement that the receiving parent may be required to submit an accounting of how the support is being spent to benefit the child.

(2) The court may order the responsible parent to make payments directly to the person entitled to receive the payments or, for orders entered on or after July 1, 1990, direct that the issuance of a notice of payroll deduction or other income withholding actions be delayed until a support payment is past due if the court approves an alternate payment plan. The parties to the order must agree to such a plan and the plan must contain reasonable assurances that payments will be made in a regular and timely manner. The court may approve such a plan and modify or terminate the payroll deduction or other income withholding action at the time of entry of the order or at a later date upon motion and agreement of the parties. If the order directs payment to the person entitled to receive the payments instead of to the Washington state support registry, the order shall include a statement that the order may be submitted to the registry if a support payment is past due. If the order directs delayed issuance of the notice of payroll deduction or other income withholding action, the order shall include a statement that such action may be taken, without further notice, at any time after a support payment is past due. The provisions of this subsection do not apply if the department is providing public assistance under Title 74 RCW.

(3) The office of administrative hearings and the department of social and health services shall require that all support obligations established as administrative orders include a provision which orders and directs that the responsible parent shall make all support payments to the Washington state support registry. All administrative orders shall also state that a notice of payroll deduction may be issued, or other income withholding action taken without further notice to the responsible parent at any time after entry of the order, unless:

(a) One of the parties demonstrates, and the presiding officer finds, that there is good cause not to require immediate income withholding; or

(b) The parties reach a written agreement that is approved by the presiding officer that provides for an alternate agreement.

(4) If the support order does not include the provision ordering and directing that all payments be made to the Washington state support registry and a statement that a notice of payroll deduction may be issued if a support payment is past due or at any time after the entry of the order, the office of support enforcement may serve a notice on the responsible parent stating such requirements and authorizations. Service may be by personal service or any form of mail requiring a return receipt.

(5) Every support order shall state:

(a) That payment shall be made to the Washington state support registry or in accordance with the alternate payment plan approved by the court;

(b) That a notice of payroll deduction may be issued or other income withholding action under chapter 26.18 RCW or chapter 74.20A RCW may be taken, without further notice to the responsible parent at any time after entry of an order by the court, unless:

(i) The court approves an alternate payment plan under subsection (2) of this section;

(ii) One of the parties demonstrates, and the court finds, that there is good cause not to require immediate income withholding; or

(iii) The parties reach an alternate agreement that is approved by the court that provides for an alternate arrangement;

(c) The income of the parties, if known, or that their income is unknown and the income upon which the support award is based;

(d) The support award as a sum certain amount;

(e) The specific day or date on which the support payment is due;

(f) The social security number, residence address, and name and address of the employer of the responsible parent;

(g) The social security number and residence address of the physical custodian except as provided in subsection (6) of this section;

(h) The names, dates of birth, and social security numbers, if any, of the dependent children;

(i) In cases requiring payment to the Washington state support registry, that the parties are to notify the Washington state support registry of any change in residence address. The responsible parent shall notify the registry of the name and address of his or her current employer, whether he or she has access to health insurance coverage at reasonable cost and, if so, the health insurance policy information;

(j) That any parent owing a duty of child support shall be obligated to provide health insurance coverage for his or her child if coverage that can be extended to cover the child is or becomes available to that parent through employment or is union-related as provided under RCW 26.09.105;

(k) That if proof of health insurance coverage is not provided within twenty days, the obligee or the department may seek direct enforcement of the coverage through the obligor's employer or union without further notice to the obligor as provided under chapter 26.18 RCW; and

(l) The reasons for not ordering health insurance coverage if the order fails to require such coverage.

(6) The physical custodian's address shall be omitted from an order entered under the administrative procedure act. A responsible parent whose support obligation has been determined by such administrative order may request the physical custodian's residence address by submission of a request for disclosure under RCW 26.23.120.

(7) The superior court clerk, the office of administrative hearings, and the department of social and health services shall, within five days of entry, forward to the Washington state support registry, a true and correct copy of all superior court orders or administrative orders establishing or modifying a support obligation which provide that support payments shall be made to the support registry. If a superior court order entered prior to January 1, 1988, directs the responsible parent to make support payments to the clerk, the clerk shall send a true and correct copy of the support order and the payment record to the registry for enforcement action when the clerk identifies that a payment is more than fifteen days past due. The office of support enforcement shall reimburse the clerk for the reasonable costs of copying and sending copies of court orders to the registry at the reimbursement rate provided in Title IV-D of the social security act.

(8) Receipt of a support order by the registry or other action under this section on behalf of a person or persons who are not recipients of public assistance is deemed to be a request for support enforcement services under RCW 74.20.040 to the fullest extent permitted under federal law.

(9) After the responsible parent has been ordered or notified to make payments to the Washington state support registry in accordance with subsection (1), (3), or (4) of this section, the responsible parent shall be fully responsible for making all payments to the Washington state support registry and shall be subject to payroll deduction or other income withholding action. The responsible parent shall not be entitled to credit against a support obligation for any payments made to a person or agency other than to the Washington state support registry. A civil action may be brought by the payor to recover payments made to persons or agencies who have received and retained support moneys paid contrary to the provisions of this section.

(10) As used in this section, "good cause not to require immediate income withholding" means a written determination of why implementing immediate income withholding would not be in the child's best interests and, in modification cases, proof of timely payment of previously ordered support.