BP BHEAD INT S

AN ACT Relating to child support enforcement; amending RCW 26.23.050 and 74.20A.055; and reenacting and amending RCW 74.20A.056.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 26.23.050 and 1994 c 230 s 9 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) If the ((~~office of support enforcement~~)) division of child support is providing support enforcement services under RCW 26.23.045(1) (a), (b), or (c), or if a party is applying for support enforcement services by signing the application form on the bottom of the support order, the superior court shall include in all court orders that establish or modify a support obligation:

(a) A provision that orders and directs the responsible parent to 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 or 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 and that withholding should be delayed until a payment is past due; 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 ((~~might~~)) may be required to submit an accounting of how the support is being spent to benefit the child.

As used in this subsection and subsection (3) of this section, "good cause not to require immediate income withholding" means a written determination of why implementing immediate wage withholding would not be in the child's best interests and, in modification cases, proof of timely payment of previously ordered support.

(2) In all other cases not under subsection (1) of this section, the court may order the responsible parent to make payments directly to the person entitled to receive the payments, to the Washington state support registry, or may order that payments be made in accordance with an alternate arrangement agreed upon by the parties.

(a) The superior court shall include in all orders under this subsection that establish or modify a support obligation:

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

(A) One of the parties demonstrates, and the court finds, that there is good cause not to require immediate income withholding and that withholding should be delayed until a payment is past due; or

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

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

As used in this subsection, "good cause not to require immediate income withholding" is any reason that the court finds appropriate.

(b) The superior court may order immediate or delayed income withholding as follows:

(i) Immediate income withholding may be ordered if the responsible parent has earnings. If immediate income withholding is ordered under this subsection, all support payments shall be paid to the Washington state support registry. The superior court shall issue a mandatory wage assignment order as set forth in chapter 26.18 RCW when the support order is signed by the court. The parent entitled to receive the transfer payment is responsible for serving the employer with the order and for its enforcement as set forth in chapter 26.18 RCW.

(ii) If immediate income withholding is not ordered, the court shall require that income withholding be delayed until a payment is past due. The support order shall contain a statement that a notice of payroll deduction may be issued, or other income-withholding action under chapter 26.18 or 74.20A RCW may be taken, without further notice to the responsible parent, after a payment is past due.

(c) If a mandatory wage ((~~withholding order~~)) assignment under chapter 26.18 RCW is issued under this subsection and the ((~~office of support enforcement~~)) division of child support provides support enforcement services under RCW 26.23.045(1) (a), (b), or (c), the existing wage ((~~withholding~~)) assignment is prospectively superseded upon the ((~~office of support enforcement's~~)) division of child support's subsequent service of an income withholding notice.

(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~~)) division of child support 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) The address where the support payment is to be sent;

(b) That a notice of payroll deduction may be issued or other income withholding action under chapter 26.18 or 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) 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;

(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 or proof that the coverage is unavailable 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:

(a) Shall be omitted from an order entered under the administrative procedure act((~~. When the physical custodian's address is omitted from an order, the order shall state that the custodian's address is known to the office of support enforcement.~~));

(b) ((~~A responsible parent may request the physical custodian's residence address by submission of a request for disclosure under RCW 26.23.120 to the office of support enforcement~~)) May be omitted from a superior court order if the physical custodian is receiving services under RCW 26.23.045 from the division of child support.

(7)(a) When the physical custodian's address is omitted from any order the order shall state that the custodian's address is known to the division of child support.

(b) A responsible parent may request the physical custodian's residence address by submission of a request for disclosure under RCW 26.23.120 to the division of child support.

(8) 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~~)) division of child support 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)~~)) (9) Receipt of a support order by the registry or other action under this section on behalf of a person or persons who have not made a written application for support enforcement services to the ((~~office of support enforcement~~)) division of child support and who are not recipients of public assistance is deemed to be a request for payment services only.

((~~(9)~~)) (10) After the responsible parent has been ordered or notified to make payments to the Washington state support registry under 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 except as provided under RCW 74.20.101. 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.

Sec. 2. RCW 74.20A.055 and 1991 c 367 s 46 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The secretary may, in the absence of a superior court order, serve on the responsible parent or parents a notice and finding of financial responsibility requiring a responsible parent or parents to appear and show cause in an adjudicative proceeding why the finding of responsibility and/or the amount thereof is incorrect, should not be finally ordered, but should be rescinded or modified. This notice and finding shall relate to the support debt accrued and/or accruing under this chapter and/or RCW 26.16.205, including periodic payments to be made in the future. The hearing shall be held pursuant to this section, chapter 34.05 RCW, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the rules of the department.

(2) The notice and finding of financial responsibility shall be served in the same manner prescribed for the service of a summons in a civil action or may be served on the responsible parent by certified mail, return receipt requested. The receipt shall be prima facie evidence of service. The notice shall be served upon the debtor within sixty days from the date the state assumes responsibility for the support of the dependent child or children on whose behalf support is sought. If the notice is not served within sixty days from such date, the department shall lose the right to reimbursement of payments made after the sixty-day period and before the date of notification: PROVIDED, That if the department exercises reasonable efforts to locate the debtor and is unable to do so the entire sixty-day period is tolled until such time as the debtor can be located.

(3) The notice and finding of financial responsibility shall set forth the amount the department has determined the responsible parent owes, the support debt accrued and/or accruing, and periodic payments to be made in the future. The notice and finding shall also include:

(a) A statement of the name of the recipient or custodian and the name of the child or children for whom support is sought;

(b) A statement of the amount of periodic future support payments as to which financial responsibility is alleged;

(c) A statement that the responsible parent may object to all or any part of the notice and finding, and file an application for an adjudicative proceeding to show cause why said responsible parent should not be determined to be liable for any or all of the debt, past and future;

(d) A statement that, if the responsible parent fails in timely fashion to file an application for an adjudicative proceeding, the support debt and payments stated in the notice and finding, including periodic support payments in the future, shall be assessed and determined and ordered by the department and that this debt and amounts due under the notice shall be subject to collection action;

(e) A statement that the property of the debtor, without further advance notice or hearing, will be subject to lien and foreclosure, distraint, seizure and sale, order to withhold and deliver, notice of payroll deduction or other collection action to satisfy the debt and enforce the support obligation established under the notice.

(4) A responsible parent who objects to the notice and finding of financial responsibility may file an application for an adjudicative proceeding within twenty days of the date of service of the notice or thereafter as provided under this subsection. An adjudicative proceeding shall be held in the county of residence or other place convenient to the responsible parent.

(a) If the responsible parent files the application within twenty days, the department shall schedule an adjudicative proceeding to hear the parent's objection and determine the parents' support obligation for the entire period covered by the notice and finding of financial responsibility. The filing of the application stays collection action pending the entry of a final administrative order;

(b) If the responsible parent fails to file an application within twenty days, the notice and finding shall become a final administrative order. The amounts for current and future support and the support debt stated in the notice are final and subject to collection, except as provided under (c) and (d) of this subsection;

(c) If the responsible parent files the application more than twenty days after, but within one year of the date of service, the department shall schedule an adjudicative proceeding to hear the parents' objection and determine the parent's support obligation for the entire period covered by the notice and finding of financial responsibility. The filing of the application does not stay further collection action, pending the entry of a final administrative order, and does not affect any prior collection action;

(d) If the responsible parent files the application more than one year after the date of service, the department shall schedule an adjudicative proceeding at which the responsible parent must show good cause for failure to file a timely application. The filing of the application does not stay future collection action and does not affect prior collection action:

(i) If the presiding officer finds that good cause exists, the presiding officer shall proceed to hear the parent's objection to the notice and determine the parent's support obligation;

(ii) If the presiding officer finds that good cause does not exist, the presiding officer shall treat the application as a petition for prospective modification of the amount for current and future support established under the notice and finding. In the modification proceeding, the presiding officer shall set current and future support under chapter 26.19 RCW. The responsible parent need show neither good cause nor a substantial change of circumstances to justify modification of current and future support;

(e) Absent a showing of good cause for not filing the application timely, the department shall retain and/or shall not refund support money collected more than twenty days after the date of service of the notice. Money withheld as the result of collection action shall be delivered to the department. The department shall distribute such money, as provided in published rules. The department may only refund support moneys collected and retained by the department and may not refund support moneys that have previously been distributed to a person or entity other than the department.

(5) If an application for an adjudicative proceeding is filed, the presiding or reviewing officer shall determine the past liability and responsibility, if any, of the alleged responsible parent and shall also determine the amount of periodic payments to be made in the future, which amount is not limited by the amount of any public assistance payment made to or for the benefit of the child. If deviating from the child support schedule in making these determinations, the presiding or reviewing officer shall apply the standards contained in the child support schedule and enter written findings of fact supporting the deviation.

(6) If the responsible parent fails to attend or participate in the hearing or other stage of an adjudicative proceeding, upon a showing of valid service, the presiding officer shall enter an administrative order declaring the support debt and payment provisions stated in the notice and finding of financial responsibility to be assessed and determined and subject to collection action.

(7) The final administrative order establishing liability and/or future periodic support payments shall be superseded upon entry of a superior court order for support to the extent the superior court order is inconsistent with the administrative order.

(8) Debts determined pursuant to this section, accrued and not paid, are subject to collection action under this chapter without further necessity of action by a presiding or reviewing officer.

Sec. 3. RCW 74.20A.056 and 1994 c 230 s 19 and 1994 c 146 s 5 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

(1) If an alleged father has signed an affidavit acknowledging paternity which has been filed with the state office of vital statistics, the ((~~office of support enforcement~~)) division of child support may serve a notice and finding of parental responsibility on him. Service of the notice shall be in the same manner as a summons in a civil action or by certified mail, return receipt requested. The notice shall have attached to it a copy of the affidavit or certification of birth record information advising of the existence of a filed affidavit, provided by the center for health statistics, or certification of birth record information advising of the existence of a filed affidavit, provided by the center for health statistics, and shall state that:

(a) The alleged father may file an application for an adjudicative proceeding at which he will be required to appear and show cause why the amount stated in the finding of financial responsibility as to support is incorrect and should not be ordered;

(b) Pursuant to subsection (4) of this section, an alleged father may request that a ((~~blood or~~)) genetic test be administered to determine whether such test would exclude him from being a natural parent and, if not excluded, may subsequently request that the ((~~office of support enforcement~~)) division of child support initiate an action in superior court to determine the existence of the parent-child relationship; and

(c) If the alleged father does not request that a ((~~blood or~~)) genetic test be administered or file an application for an adjudicative proceeding, the amount of support stated in the notice and finding of parental responsibility shall become final, subject only to a subsequent determination under RCW 26.26.060 that the parent-child relationship does not exist.

(2) An alleged father who objects to the amount of support requested in the notice may file an application for an adjudicative proceeding up to twenty days after the date the notice was served. An application for an adjudicative proceeding may be filed within one year of service of the notice and finding of parental responsibility without the necessity for a showing of good cause or upon a showing of good cause thereafter. An adjudicative proceeding under this section shall be pursuant to RCW 74.20A.055. The only issues shall be the amount of the accrued debt, the amount of the current and future support obligation, and the reimbursement of the costs of ((~~blood or~~)) genetic tests if advanced by the department.

(3) If the application for an adjudicative proceeding is filed within twenty days of service of the notice, collection action shall be stayed pending a final decision by the department. If no application is filed within twenty days:

(a) The amounts in the notice shall become final and the debt created therein shall be subject to collection action; and

(b) Any amounts so collected shall neither be refunded nor returned if the alleged father is later found not to be a responsible parent.

(4) An alleged father who denies being a responsible parent may request that a ((~~blood or~~)) genetic test be administered ((~~at any time~~)) within one year from the date the notice and finding of parental responsibility is served upon him. The request for testing shall be in writing and served on the ((~~office of support enforcement~~)) division of child support personally or by registered or certified mail. If a timely request for testing is made, the department shall arrange for the test and, pursuant to rules adopted by the department, may advance the cost of such testing. The department shall mail a copy of the test results by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the alleged father's last known address.

(5) If the test excludes the alleged father from being a natural parent, the ((~~office of support enforcement~~)) division of child support shall file a copy of the results with the state office of vital statistics and shall dismiss any pending administrative collection proceedings based upon the affidavit in issue. The state office of vital statistics shall remove the alleged father's name from the birth certificate.

(6) The alleged father may, within twenty days after the date of receipt of the test results, request the ((~~office of support enforcement~~)) division of child support to initiate an action under RCW 26.26.060 to determine the existence of the parent-child relationship. If the ((~~office of support enforcement~~)) division of child support initiates a superior court action at the request of the alleged father and the decision of the court is that the alleged father is a natural parent, the alleged father shall be liable for court costs incurred.

(7) If the alleged father does not request the ((~~office of support enforcement~~)) division of child support to initiate a superior court action, or if the alleged father fails to appear and cooperate with ((~~blood or~~)) genetic testing, the notice of parental responsibility shall become final for all intents and purposes ((~~and may be overturned only~~)).

(8) The alleged father may, at any time, contest the issue of parentage presumed under this section by ((~~a subsequent~~)) initiating a superior court ((~~order entered~~)) action under RCW 26.26.060.