(1) After the service of a Notice of Support Debt and Registration under the Hague Convention (NOSDR-HC) as described in WAC 388-14A-7005, either party to the convention order may object and request a hearing on the notice.

(2) A hearing under this section is for the limited purpose of determining if the nonregistering party (also called the contesting party for the purposes of this section) can prove one or more of the defenses listed in RCW 26.21A.617.

(3) If the contesting party presents evidence establishing a full or partial defense under 26.21A.617, the presiding officer must:

(a) Not limit the right of the division of child support (DCS) to enforce any severable parts of the convention order;

(b) Continue the proceeding to allow the parties to gather additional relevant evidence; or

(c) Issue other appropriate orders.

(4) As provided in RCW 26.21A.620, DCS may enforce an uncontested portion of the registered convention order by all remedies available under the law of this state before there is a final administrative order.

(5) If the contesting party does not establish a defense under 26.21A.617 to the validity or enforcement of the convention order, the presiding officer must issue an order confirming the registered convention order.

(6) The other party to the convention order may participate as a party to any hearing under this section.

(7) The following grounds are the only grounds on which a tribunal of this state may refuse recognition and enforcement of a registered convention support order:

(a) Recognition and enforcement of the order is manifestly incompatible with public policy, including the failure of the issuing tribunal to observe minimum standards of due process, which include notice and an opportunity to be heard;

(b) The issuing tribunal lacked personal jurisdiction consistent with RCW 26.21A.100;

(c) The order is not enforceable in the issuing country;

(d) The order was obtained by fraud in connection with a matter of procedure;

(e) A record transmitted in accordance with RCW 26.21A.613 lacks authenticity or integrity;

(f) A proceeding between the same parties and having the same purpose is pending before a tribunal of this state and that proceeding was the first to be filed;

(g) The order is incompatible with a more recent support order involving the same parties and having the same purpose if the more recent support order is entitled to recognition and enforcement under this chapter in this state;

(h) Payment, to the extent alleged arrears have been paid in whole or in part;

(i) In a case in which the respondent neither appeared nor was represented in the proceeding in the issuing foreign country:

(i) If the law of that country provides for prior notice of proceedings, the respondent did not have proper notice of the proceedings and an opportunity to be heard; or

(ii) If the law of that country does not provide for prior notice of the proceedings, the respondent did not have proper notice of the order and an opportunity to be heard in a challenge or appeal on fact or law before a tribunal; or

(j) The order was made in violation of RCW 26.21A.625.  

(8) If the presiding officer does not recognize the convention support order under subsection (7)(b), (7)(d) or (7)(i) of this section, the presiding officer may not dismiss the proceeding without allowing a reasonable time for a party to request the establishment of a new convention support order.

(9) DCS must take all appropriate measures to request a child support order for the obligee if the application for recognition and enforcement was received under RCW 26.21A.607.