PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY
SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
(Economic Services Administration)
(Division of Child Support)
Subject of Possible Rule Making: WAC 388-14A-3600 The parties may resolve any child support case by entering a consent order or an agreed settlement.
Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 74.08.090, 34.05.220(1), 74.20A.055, 74.20A.056.
Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: The Division of Child Support (DCS) is rewriting this rule to clarify when the administrative law judge can sign a consent order on behalf of a parent appearing by phone. DCS does not want to give DCS the authority to sign on behalf of a parent because DCS wants to avoid any appearance of representation of the party by DCS, but wants to allow the ALJ to enter a consent order without requiring te physical presence of all parties.
Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: DCS will coordinate with the Office of Administrative Hearings throughout this rule-making process.
Process for Developing New Rule: DCS engages in modified collaborative rule making. Those persons wishing to participate in developing the new rules are encouraged to contact Nancy Koptur at the DSHS Division of Child Support (DCS) headquarters as soon as possible. DCS will post information regarding this rule development project and others on its web site, which can be found at www.wa.gov/dshs/dcs, or on the DSHS Economic Services Administration's regulatory improvement web site, which can be found at http://www-app2.wa.gov/dshs/esa/extpolicy/blue.asp. DSHS/DCS encourages the public to take part in developing the rules. After the rules are drafted, DSHS will file a copy with the Office of the Code Reviser with a notice of proposed rule making, and will send a copy to everyone currently on the mailing list and to anyone else who requests a copy.
Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting DCS Rules Coordinator, Nancy Koptur, Division of Child Support, P.O. Box 9162, Mailstop 45860, Olympia, WA 98507-9162, phone (360) 664-5065, e-mail nkoptur@dshs.wa.gov, 1-800-457-6202, fax (360) 664-5055, TTY/TDD (360) 664-5011.
April 12, 2001
Brian H. Lindgren, Manager
Rules and Policies Assistance Unit