PERMANENT RULES
SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
(Economic Services Administration)
Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.
Purpose: The DSHS division of child support (DCS) is amending existing rules to provide that, when setting a parent's support obligation for a child in foster care, DCS completes the Washington state child support schedule (WSCSS) worksheets using that parent's income and the income of the child's other parent, even if the other parent is not a party to the administrative determination of support. DCS does not impute income for another parent when paternity has not been established or when the other parent is known but dead. This rule-making project amends two existing rules and adopts two new rules.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 388-14A-3200 and 388-14A-8100.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 34.05.220(1), 74.08.090, 74.20A.055, 74.20A.056.
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 06-13-026 on June 13, 2006.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 2, Amended 2, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 2, Amended 2, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: July 26, 2006.
Andy Fernando, Manager
Rules and Policies Assistance Unit
3649.6(2) See WAC 388-14A-8100 for rules on completing the worksheets under the WSCSS for cases where DCS is determining support for a child in foster care.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 34.05.220(1), 74.08.090, 74.20A.055, 74.20A.056. 00-15-016 and 00-20-022, § 388-14A-3200, filed 7/10/00 and 9/25/00, effective 11/6/00. Formerly WAC 388-11-205.]
(2) When a child or children are placed in foster care, DCS may use the administrative process to set a support obligation:
(a) As a joint obligation for married parents who reside together;
(b) As two separate obligations for parents who do not reside together; or
(c) For just one parent, if:
(i) There is already a court or administrative order setting the support obligation of the other parent;
(ii) The other parent is dead; or
(iii) The other parent is unknown.
(3) When setting a support obligation for only one parent, DCS follows the procedure set out in WAC 388-14A-8125.
(4) When setting a joint support obligation for parents who are married and residing together, DCS follows the procedures set out in WAC 388-14A-8130.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 13.34.160(3), 13.34.270(7), 74.08.090, 74.13.031(11), 74.13.350, 74.20A.030(4), and 74.20A.310. 05-12-135, § 388-14A-8100, filed 6/1/05, effective 7/2/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090. 01-03-089, § 388-14A-8100, filed 1/17/01, effective 2/17/01.]
(2) The noncustodial parent (NCP) for whom DCS is setting support is called the party NCP, because that parent is a party to the administrative action.
(3) The parent for whom DCS is not setting support is called the non-party NCP, because that parent is not a party to the administrative action.
(4) DCS completes a Washington state child support schedule (WSCSS) worksheet using income information for both the party NCP and for the non-party NCP, instead of setting support based solely on the income of the party NCP.
(5) DCS uses the best available information regarding the income of both the party NCP and the non-party NCP, as provided in WAC 388-14A-3205.
(6) DCS does not include the income of a non-party NCP in the worksheets if:
(a) Paternity has not been established for the child;
(b) The non-party NCP's parental rights have been terminated; or
(c) The non-party NCP is known but deceased.
(7) DCS determines the support obligation of the party NCP without regard to:
(a) The amount of the non-party NCP's support obligation for the same child or children; or
(b) The cost of foster care placement, as provided in WAC 388-14A-8105.
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(2) DCS calculates each parent's income under the rules set out in WAC 388-14A-3205, and then calculates the income of the marital community by combining both parents' income in the "Father" column of the worksheet and does not put any income in the "Mother" column.
(3) DCS calculates the joint support obligation using the limitations contained in RCW 26.19.065:
(a) The joint child support obligation may not exceed forty-five percent of the net income of the marital community except for good cause.
(b) Even with the need standard limitation, there is a presumptive minimum obligation of twenty-five dollars per month per child.
(c) DCS or the administrative law judge (ALJ) may find reasons for deviation and must support those reasons with appropriate findings of fact in the support order.
(4) The support obligation in the "Father" column of the WSCSS worksheet is the joint support obligation of the parents. The support obligation in the "Mother" column of the WSCSS worksheet is irrelevant for purposes of this particular support calculation.
(5) DCS determines the joint support obligation of the parents without regard to the cost of foster care placement, as provided in WAC 388-14A-8105.
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