Passed by the House April 5, 2012 Yeas 97   FRANK CHOPP ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives Passed by the Senate April 6, 2012 Yeas 45   BRAD OWEN ________________________________________ President of the Senate | I, Barbara Baker, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2828 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth. BARBARA BAKER ________________________________________ Chief Clerk | |
Approved May 2, 2012, 1:44 p.m. CHRISTINE GREGOIRE ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington | May 2, 2012 Secretary of State State of Washington |
State of Washington | 62nd Legislature | 2012 1st Special Session |
READ FIRST TIME 04/05/12.
AN ACT Relating to removing the requirement that the department of social and health services or the department of early learning take appropriate action to establish or enforce support obligations whenever it receives an application for subsidized child care services or working connections child care services; amending RCW 74.20.040 and 74.20.330; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 RCW 74.20.040 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 42 s 9 are each amended
to read as follows:
(1) Whenever the department receives an application for public
assistance on behalf of a child, ((or the department receives an
application for subsidized child care services or working connections
child care services,)) the department ((or the department of early
learning)) shall take appropriate action under the provisions of this
chapter, chapter 74.20A RCW, or other appropriate statutes of this
state to establish or enforce support obligations against the parent or
other persons owing a duty to pay support moneys.
(2) The secretary may accept a request for support enforcement
services on behalf of persons who are not recipients of public
assistance and may take appropriate action to establish or enforce
support obligations against the parent or other persons owing a duty to
pay moneys. Requests accepted under this subsection may be conditioned
upon the payment of a fee as required by subsection (6) of this section
or through regulation issued by the secretary. The secretary may
establish by regulation, reasonable standards and qualifications for
support enforcement services under this subsection.
(3) The secretary may accept requests for support enforcement
services from child support enforcement agencies in other states
operating child support programs under Title IV-D of the social
security act or from foreign countries, and may take appropriate action
to establish and enforce support obligations, or to enforce subpoenas,
information requests, orders for genetic testing, and collection
actions issued by the other agency against the parent or other person
owing a duty to pay support moneys, the parent or other person's
employer, or any other person or entity properly subject to child
support collection or information-gathering processes. The request
shall contain and be accompanied by such information and documentation
as the secretary may by rule require, and be signed by an authorized
representative of the agency. The secretary may adopt rules setting
forth the duration and nature of services provided under this
subsection.
(4) The department may take action to establish, enforce, and
collect a support obligation, including performing related services,
under this chapter and chapter 74.20A RCW, or through the attorney
general or prosecuting attorney for action under chapter 26.09, 26.18,
26.20, 26.21A, or 26.26 RCW or other appropriate statutes or the common
law of this state.
(5) Whenever a support order is filed with the Washington state
support registry under chapter 26.23 RCW, the department may take
appropriate action under the provisions of this chapter, chapter 26.23
or 74.20A RCW, or other appropriate law of this state to establish or
enforce the support obligations contained in that order against the
responsible parent or other persons owing a duty to pay support moneys.
(6) The secretary, in the case of an individual who has never
received assistance under a state program funded under part A and for
whom the state has collected at least five hundred dollars of support,
shall impose an annual fee of twenty-five dollars for each case in
which services are furnished, which shall be retained by the state from
support collected on behalf of the individual, but not from the first
five hundred dollars of support. The secretary may, on showing of
necessity, waive or defer any such fee or cost.
(7) Fees, due and owing, may be retained from support payments
directly or collected as delinquent support moneys utilizing any of the
remedies in chapter 74.20 RCW, chapter 74.20A RCW, chapter 26.21A RCW,
or any other remedy at law or equity available to the department or any
agencies with whom it has a cooperative or contractual arrangement to
establish, enforce, or collect support moneys or support obligations.
(8) The secretary may waive the fee, or any portion thereof, as a
part of a compromise of disputed claims or may grant partial or total
charge off of said fee if the secretary finds there are no available,
practical, or lawful means by which said fee may be collected or to
facilitate payment of the amount of delinquent support moneys or fees
owed.
(9) The secretary shall adopt rules conforming to federal laws,
including but not limited to complying with section 7310 of the federal
deficit reduction act of 2005, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 654, and rules and
regulations required to be observed in maintaining the state child
support enforcement program required under Title IV-D of the federal
social security act. The adoption of these rules shall be calculated
to promote the cost-effective use of the agency's resources and not
otherwise cause the agency to divert its resources from its essential
functions.
Sec. 2 RCW 74.20.330 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 42 s 10 are each
amended to read as follows:
(1) Whenever public assistance is paid under a state program funded
under Title IV-A of the federal social security act as amended by the
personal responsibility and work opportunity reconciliation act of
1996, and the federal deficit reduction act of 2005, each applicant or
recipient is deemed to have made assignment to the department of any
rights to a support obligation from any other person the applicant or
recipient may have in his or her own behalf or in behalf of any other
family member for whom the applicant or recipient is applying for or
receiving public assistance, including any unpaid support obligation or
support debt which has accrued at the time the assignment is made.
(2) Payment of public assistance under a state-funded program, or
a program funded under Title IV-A, IV-E, or XIX of the federal social
security act as amended by the personal responsibility and work
opportunity reconciliation act of 1996 shall:
(a) Operate as an assignment by operation of law; and
(b) Constitute an authorization to the department to provide the
assistance recipient with support enforcement services.
(3) ((Payment for subsidized child care services or working
connections child care services shall constitute an authorization to
the department to provide the recipient of the subsidy with support
enforcement services. The department is authorized to collect, but not
retain, child support payments under this subsection.)) Effective October 1, 2008, whenever public assistance is paid
under a state program funded under Title IV-A of the federal social
security act as amended by the personal responsibility and work
opportunity reconciliation act of 1996, and the federal deficit
reduction act of 2005, a member of the family is deemed to have made an
assignment to the state any right the family member may have, or on
behalf of the family member receiving such assistance, to support from
any other person, not exceeding the total amount of assistance paid to
the family, which accrues during the period that the family receives
assistance under the program.
(4)
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3 This act is necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the
state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect
June 7, 2012.