FINAL BILL REPORT

                  ESSB 6418

                          C 160 L 98

                      Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Implementing amendments to the federal personal responsibility and work opportunity reconciliation act of 1996.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Health & Long‑Term Care (originally sponsored by Senators Deccio, Wojahn, Fairley, Wood and Winsley; by request of Department of Social and Health Services).

Senate Committee on Health & Long-Term Care

House Committee on Law & Justice

House Committee on Appropriations

Background:  The federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Awelfare reform@) made significant changes to the child support enforcement system within and between states.  The intent of the changes was to increase collectibility of ordered support, by improved tracking of obligors, including increased use of Social Security numbers as identifiers, and by increasing the accurate and timely reporting of new hires, among other changes.

Compliance with the child support requirements of federal welfare reform is a condition for receipt of certain federal funding for poor children and families.

Summary:  A seven-day time period for remittance of withheld earnings is specified.  Parents provide certain information to the state child support case registry, and addresses of recipients are protected, under certain circumstances.  Agricultural industry reporting is facilitated.

The location of a noncustodial parent is protected upon request.  Penalties for false reporting or failure to report new hires are specified and increased.  Federal employer identification numbers are used by employers in reporting, replacing various other identifiers.

The Department of Social and Health Services must seek a waiver from a federal requirement to place Social Security numbers on license applications.  If a waiver is not granted, licensing authorities will collect Social Security numbers from applicants, but will not display them on the face of the license, and will not disclose them unless required by state or federal law.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate 48 1

House     74 23 (House amended)

Senate    30 19 (Senate concurred)

Effective:  June 11, 1998

          October 1, 1998 (1, 5, & 8)