Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.

     Purpose: The division of child support (DCS) is adopting new and amended sections in chapter 388-14A WAC, intended as technical corrections to the rules adopted under WSR 11-22-116 which took effect on December 3, 2011. Those rules were adopted to implement changes in the federal regulations concerning establishing and enforcing intergovernmental child support obligations.

     AMENDED SECTIONS: WAC 388-14A-1020 What definitions apply to the rules regarding child support enforcement?, 388-14A-1025 What are the responsibilities of the division of child support?, 388-14A-1030 What kinds of services can the division of child support provide?, 388-14A-1036 Who can request DCS locate services?, 388-14A-1050 The division of child support cooperates with tribes and other states and ((Indian tribes)) countries for support enforcement purposes, 388-14A-1055 Can the division of child support collect support owed or assigned to another state, tribe or country?, 388-14A-2000 Who can receive child support enforcement services from the division of child support?, 388-14A-2010 Can I apply for support enforcement services if I do not receive public assistance?, 388-14A-2015 Does DCS accept an application from someone who is not a resident of Washington state?, 388-14A-3350 Are there any limits on how much back support the division of child support can seek to establish?, 388-14A-3370 What legal defenses are available to a noncustodial parent when DCS seeks to enforce a support obligation?, 388-14A-3800 Once a support order is entered, can it be changed?, 388-14A-3810 Once an administrative child support order is entered, how long does the support obligation last?, 388-14A-3900 Does DCS review my support order to see if it should be modified?, 388-14A-3901 Under what circumstances does DCS review a support order for modification?, 388-14A-3925 Who can ask to modify an administrative support order?, 388-14A-7100 The division of child support may register an order from a tribe or another state or country for enforcement or modification, 388-14A-7110 The division of child support may enforce interest on amounts owed under support orders entered or established in a jurisdiction other than Washington state, 388-14A-7115 Are there special rules for a hearing on a notice seeking to enforce interest on a support order?, 388-14A-7120 When does DCS update the interest on an intergovernmental case for enforcement?, 388-14A-7400 What can I do if I want to contest an ((interstate)) intergovernmental order to withhold income served on my employer?, 388-14A-7500 What can I do if I am concerned about the release of my personal information in an ((interstate)) intergovernmental referral? and 388-14A-8300 Who pays for genetic testing when paternity is an issue?; and NEW SECTIONS: WAC 388-14A-7600 Does DCS provide the same services in an intergovernmental case as it provides in a case where both parties reside in the state of Washington?, 388-14A-7610 The division of child support complies with federal requirements regarding intergovernmental cases, 388-14A-7620 How does DCS provide information to another jurisdiction in an intergovernmental case?, 388-14A-7630 What limited services does DCS provide?, 388-14A-7640 Payment and recovery of costs in intergovernmental IV-D cases, 388-14A-7650 What kind of federal audit requirements are there for intergovernmental cases?, 388-14A-7700 How does the division of child support (DCS) decide that a new case is an intergovernmental case?, 388-14A-7710 What does the division of child support (DCS) do when it decides that a case is an intergovernmental case?, 388-14A-7720 What is the division of child support (DCS) required to do when Washington is the initiating jurisdiction in an intergovernmental case?, 388-14A-7800 What is the division of child support (DCS) required to do when Washington receives a request for intergovernmental child support services?, 388-14A-7810 What is the division of child support (DCS) required to do when DCS receives a request for a determination of controlling order?, and 388-14A-7820 What is the division of child support (DCS) required to do when DCS acts as the responding jurisdiction in an intergovernmental case?

     Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 388-14A-1020, 388-14A-1025, 388-14A-1030, 388-14A-1036, 388-14A-1050, 388-14A-1055, 388-14A-2000, 388-14A-2010, 388-14A-2015, 388-14A-3350, 388-14A-3370, 388-14A-3800, 388-14A-3810, 388-14A-3900, 388-14A-3901, 388-14A-3925, 388-14A-7100, 388-14A-7110, 388-14A-7115, 388-14A-7120, 388-14A-7400, 388-14A-7500, and 388-14A-8300.

     Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 26.23.120, 34.05.350 (1)(b), 43.20A.550, 74.04.055, 74.08.090, 74.20.040(9), 74.20A.310.

     Other Authority: 45 C.F.R. Parts 301.1, 302.36, 303.7, 303.11, 305.63, and 308.2.

      Adopted under notice filed as WSR 12-21-026 on October 9, 2012.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 12, Amended 23, 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 0, Amended 0, 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 12, Amended 23, Repealed 0.

     Date Adopted: December 12, 2012.

Katherine I. Vasquez

Rules Coordinator

     "Absence of a court order" means that there is no court order setting a support obligation for the noncustodial parent (NCP), or specifically relieving the NCP of a support obligation, for a particular child.

     "Absent parent" is a term used for a noncustodial parent.

     "Accessible coverage" means health insurance coverage which provides primary care services to the children with reasonable effort by the custodian.

     "Accrued debt" means past-due child support which has not been paid.

     "Acknowledged father" means a man who has established a father-child relationship under RCW 26.26.300 through 26.26.375.

     "Adjudicated parent" means a person who has been adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction to be the parent of a child.

     "Administrative order" means a determination, finding, decree or order for support issued under RCW 74.20A.055, 74.20A.056, or 74.20A.059 or by the agency of an Indian tribe or another ((state's)) state or country's agency under an administrative process, establishing the existence of a support obligation (including medical support) and ordering the payment of a set or determinable amount of money for current support and/or a support debt. Administrative orders include:

     (1) An order entered under chapter 34.05 RCW;

     (2) An agreed settlement or consent order entered under WAC 388-14A-3600; and

     (3) A support establishment notice which has become final by operation of law.

     "Agency" means the Title IV-D provider of a state or tribe, or the central authority of another country. In Washington, this is the division of child support (DCS) within the department of social and health services (DSHS).

     "Agreed settlement" is an administrative order that reflects the agreement of the noncustodial parent, the custodial parent and the division of child support. An agreed settlement does not require the approval of an administrative law judge.

     "Aid" or "public assistance" means cash assistance under the temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) program, the aid to families with dependent children (AFDC) program, federally funded or state-funded foster care, and includes day care benefits and medical benefits provided to families as an alternative or supplement to TANF.

     "Alternate recipient" means a child of the employee or retiree named within a support order as being entitled to coverage under an employer's group health plan.

     "Annual fee" means the twenty-five dollar annual fee charged between October 1 and September 30 each year, required by the federal deficit reduction act of 2005 and RCW 74.20.040.

     "Applicant/custodian" means a person who applies for nonassistance support enforcement services on behalf of a child or children residing in their household.

     "Applicant/recipient," "applicant," and "recipient" means a person who receives public assistance on behalf of a child or children residing in their household.

     "Arrears" means the debt amount owed for a period of time before the current month.

     "Assistance" means cash assistance under the state program funded under Title IV-A of the federal Social Security Act.

     "Assistance unit" means a cash assistance unit as defined in WAC 388-408-0005. An assistance unit is the group of people who live together and whose income or resources the department counts to decide eligibility for benefits and the amount of benefits.

     "Birth costs" means medical expenses incurred by the custodial parent or the state, tribe or country for the birth of a child.

     "Cash medical support" is a term used in RCW 26.09.105 and certain federal regulations to refer to amounts paid by an obligated parent to the other parent or to the state in order to comply with the medical support obligation stated in a child support order.

     "Central authority" means the agency designated by a government to facilitate support enforcement with a foreign reciprocating country (FRC) pursuant to section 459A of the federal Social Security Act.

     "Conditionally assigned arrears" means those temporarily assigned arrears remaining on a case after the period of public assistance ends.

     "Conference board" means a method used by the division of child support for resolving complaints regarding DCS cases and for granting exceptional or extraordinary relief from debt.

     "Consent order" means a support order that reflects the agreement of the noncustodial parent, the custodial parent and the division of child support. A consent order requires the approval of an administrative law judge.

     "Controlling order" means the only order issued or, where multiple orders exist, the order determined by a tribunal to control prospective current support pursuant to the uniform interstate family support act (UIFSA), chapter 26.21A RCW.

     "Controlling order state" means the state in which the only order was issued or, where multiple orders exist, the state in which the order determined by a tribunal to control prospective current support pursuant to the UIFSA was issued.

     "Country" means a foreign country (or a political subdivision thereof) declared to be a Foreign Reciprocating Country (FRC) under 42 USC 659A and any foreign country (or political subdivision thereof) with which the state has entered into a reciprocal arrangement for the establishment and enforcement of support obligations to the extent consistent with federal law pursuant to 42 USC 659A.

     "Court order" means a judgment, decree or order of a Washington state superior court, ((another state's)) or a court of comparable jurisdiction((, or a tribal court)) of an Indian tribe or another state or country.

     "Current support" or "current and future support" means the amount of child support which is owed for each month.

     "Custodial parent or CP" means the person, whether a parent or not, with whom a dependent child resides the majority of the time period for which the division of child support seeks to establish or enforce a support obligation.

     "Date the state assumes responsibility for the support of a dependent child on whose behalf support is sought" means the date that the TANF or AFDC program grant is effective. For purposes of this chapter, the state remains responsible for the support of a dependent child until public assistance terminates, or support enforcement services end, whichever occurs later.

     "Delinquency" means failure to pay current child support when due.

     "Department" means the Washington state department of social and health services (DSHS).

     "Dependent child" means a person:

     (1) Seventeen years of age or younger who is not self-supporting, married, or a member of the United States armed forces;

     (2) Eighteen years of age or older for whom a court order requires support payments past age eighteen;

     (3) Eighteen years of age or older, but under nineteen years of age, for whom an administrative support order exists if the child is participating full-time in a secondary school program or the same level of vocational or technical training.

     "Determination of parentage" means the establishment of the parent-child relationship by the signing of a valid acknowledgment of paternity under RCW 26.26.300 through 26.26.375 or adjudication by the court.

     "Differentiated support amount" means an amount of child support that represents a parent's support obligation for more than one child and may justifiably be divided into "per child" amounts for each child covered by the support order, based on information contained in the support order.

     "Differentiated support order" means a child support order which provides a monthly amount of child support for two or more children, and either provides a specific support obligation for each child or provides enough information in the order so that the monthly amount may justifiably be divided into a "per child" amount for each child covered by the support order.

     "Disbursement" means the amount of child support distributed to a case that is paid to the family, state, other child support enforcement agency in another state or foreign country, Indian tribe, or person or entity making the payment.

     "Disposable earnings" means the amount of earnings remaining after the deduction of amounts required by law to be withheld.

     "Distribution" means how a collection is allocated or split within a case or among multiple cases.

     "Domestic partner" means a state registered domestic partner as defined in chapter 26.60 RCW.

     "Earnings" means compensation paid or payable for personal service. Earnings include:

     (1) Wages or salary;

     (2) Commissions and bonuses;

     (3) Periodic payments under pension plans, retirement programs, and insurance policies of any type;

     (4) Disability payments under Title 51 RCW;

     (5) Unemployment compensation under RCW 50.40.020, 50.40.050 and Title 74 RCW;

     (6) Gains from capital, labor, or a combination of the two; and

     (7) The fair value of nonmonetary compensation received in exchange for personal services.

     "Employee" means a person to whom an employer is paying, owes, or anticipates paying earnings in exchange for services performed for the employer.

     "Employer" means any person or organization having an employment relationship with any person. This includes:

     (1) Partnerships and associations;

     (2) Trusts and estates;

     (3) Joint stock companies and insurance companies;

     (4) Domestic and foreign corporations;

     (5) The receiver or trustee in bankruptcy; and

     (6) The trustee or legal representative of a deceased person.

     "Employment" means personal services of whatever nature, including service in interstate commerce, performed for earnings or under any contract for personal services. Such a contract may be written or oral, express or implied.

     "Family" means the person or persons on whose behalf support is sought, which may include a custodial parent and one or more children, or a child or children in foster care placement. The family is sometimes called the assistance unit.

     "Family arrears" means the amount of past-due support owed to the family, which has not been conditionally, temporarily or permanently assigned to a state. Also called "nonassistance arrears."

     "Family member" means the caretaker relative, the child(ren), and any other person whose needs are considered in determining eligibility for assistance.

     "Foreign order" means a court or administrative order entered by a tribunal other than one in the state of Washington, including an order entered by a tribunal in an Indian tribe or another state or country.

     "Foreign reciprocating country" or FRC means a country which the federal government has declared to be a foreign reciprocating country, which means that the foreign country has established, or undertakes to establish, procedures for the establishment and enforcement of duties of support owed to custodial parents who are residents of the United States, and that such procedures are substantially in conformity with the standards prescribed under title IV-D of the federal Social Security Act.

     "Foster care case" means a case referred to the Title IV-D agency by the Title IV-E agency, which is the state division of child and family services (DCFS).

     "Fraud," for the purposes of vacating an agreed settlement or consent order, means:

     (1) The representation of the existence or the nonexistence of a fact;

     (2) The representation's materiality;

     (3) The representation's falsity;

     (4) The speaker's knowledge that the representation is false;

     (5) The speaker's intent that the representation should be acted on by the person to whom it is made;

     (6) Ignorance of the falsity on the part of the person to whom it is made;

     (7) The latter's:

     (a) Reliance on the truth of the representation;

     (b) Right to rely on it; and

     (c) Subsequent damage.

     "Full support enforcement services" means the entire range of services available in a Title IV-D case.

     "Good cause" for the purposes of late hearing requests and petitions to vacate orders on default means a substantial reason or legal justification for delay, including but not limited to the grounds listed in civil rule 60. The time periods used in civil rule 60 apply to good cause determinations in this chapter.

     "Head of household" means the parent or parents with whom the dependent child or children were residing at the time of placement in foster care.

     "Health care costs" means medical expenses. Certain statutes in chapter 26.19 RCW refer to medical expenses as health care costs.

     "Health insurance" means insurance coverage for all medical services related to an individual's general health and well being. These services include, but are not limited to: Medical/surgical (inpatient, outpatient, physician) care, medical equipment (crutches, wheel chairs, prosthesis, etc.), pharmacy products, optometric care, dental care, orthodontic care, preventive care, mental health care, and physical therapy. Health insurance coverage does not include medical assistance provided under chapter 74.09 RCW.

     "Hearing" means an adjudicative proceeding authorized by this chapter, or chapters 26.23, 74.20 and 74.20A RCW, conducted under chapter 388-02 WAC and chapter 34.05 RCW.

     "I/me" means the person asking the question which appears as the title of a rule.

     "Income" includes:

     (1) All gains in real or personal property;

     (2) Net proceeds from the sale or exchange of real or personal property;

     (3) Earnings;

     (4) Interest and dividends;

     (5) Proceeds of insurance policies;

     (6) Other periodic entitlement to money from any source; and

     (7) Any other property subject to withholding for support under the laws of this state.

     "Income withholding action" includes all withholding actions which DCS is authorized to take, and includes but is not limited to the following actions:

     (1) Asserting liens under RCW 74.20A.060;

     (2) Serving and enforcing liens under chapter 74.20A RCW;

     (3) Issuing orders to withhold and deliver under chapter 74.20A RCW;

     (4) Issuing notices of payroll deduction under chapter 26.23 RCW; and

     (5) Obtaining wage assignment orders under RCW 26.18.080.

     "Initiating agency" or "initiating jurisdiction" means a state or Tribal IV-D agency or the central authority of another country, as defined in this rule, in which an individual has applied for or is receiving services.

     "Intergovernmental IV-D case" means a IV-D case in which the noncustodial parent lives and/or works in a different jurisdiction than the custodial parent and child(ren) that has been referred by an initiating agency to a responding agency for services. An intergovernmental IV-D case may include any combination of referrals between states, tribes, and countries. An intergovernmental IV-D case also may include cases in which a state agency is seeking only to collect support arrearages, whether owed to the family or assigned to the state.

     "Locate" can mean efforts to obtain service of a support establishment notice in the manner prescribed by WAC 388-14A-3105.

     "Medical assistance" means medical benefits under Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act provided to families as an alternative or supplement to TANF.

     "Medical expenses" for the purpose of establishing support obligations under RCW 26.09.105, 74.20A.055 and 74.20A.056, or for the purpose of enforcement action under chapters 26.23, 74.20 and 74.20A RCW, including the notice of support debt and the notice of support owed, means medical costs incurred on behalf of a child, which include:

     • Medical services related to an individual's general health and well-being, including but not limited to, medical/surgical care, preventive care, mental health care and physical therapy; and

     • Prescribed medical equipment and prescribed pharmacy products;

     • Health care coverage, such as coverage under a health insurance plan, including the cost of premiums for coverage of a child;

     • Dental and optometrical costs incurred on behalf of a child; and

     • Copayments and/or deductibles incurred on behalf of a child.

     Medical expenses are sometimes also called health care costs or medical costs.

     "Medical support" means any combination of the following:

     (1) Health insurance coverage for a dependent child;

     (2) Amounts owed by one parent to the other parent as a monthly payment toward the premium paid by the other parent for health insurance coverage for a dependent child;

     (3) Amounts owed by a noncustodial parent to the state as a monthly payment toward the cost of managed care coverage for the child by the state, if the child receives state-financed medical coverage through the department under chapter 74.09 RCW for which there is an assignment; and

     (4) Amounts owed by one parent to the other parent as his or her proportionate share of uninsured medical expenses for a dependent child.

     "Monthly payment toward the premium" means a parent's contribution toward:

     • Premiums paid by the other parent for insurance coverage for the child; or

     • Amounts paid for managed care coverage for the child by the state, if the child receives state-financed medical coverage through the department under chapter 74.09 RCW for which there is an assignment.

     This contribution is based on the obligated parent's proportionate share of the premium paid, but may not exceed twenty-five percent of the obligated parent's basic support obligation.

     "National Medical Support Notice" or "NMSN" is a federally mandated form that DCS uses to enforce a health insurance support obligation; the NMSN is a notice of enrollment as described in RCW 26.18.170.

     "Noncustodial parent or NCP" means the natural or biological parent, adoptive parent, adjudicated parent, presumed parent, responsible stepparent or person who signed and filed an affidavit acknowledging paternity, from whom the state seeks support for a dependent child. A parent is considered to be an NCP when for the majority of the time during the period for which support is sought, the dependent child resided somewhere other than with that parent.

     "Nonmedical expenses" means amounts incurred on behalf of a child which are not medical expenses as defined in this chapter. Nonmedical expenses include, but are not limited to, day care or other special childrearing expenses such as tuition and long-distance transportation costs to and from the parents for visitation purposes.

     "Obligated parent" means a parent who is required under a child support order to provide health insurance coverage or to reimburse the other parent for his or her share of medical expenses for a dependent child. The obligated parent could be either the NCP or the CP.

     "Other ordinary expense" means an expense incurred by a parent which:

     (1) Directly benefits the dependent child; and

     (2) Relates to the parent's residential time or visitation with the child.

     "Parent" means an individual who has established a parent-child relationship under RCW 26.26.101.

     "Parent-child relationship" means the legal relationship between a child and a parent of the child. The term includes the mother-child relationship and the father-child relationship.

     "Participant" means an employee or retiree who is eligible for coverage under an employer group health plan.

     "Pass-through" means the portion of a support collection distributed to assigned support that the state pays to a family currently receiving TANF.

     "Past support" means support arrears.

     "Paternity testing" means blood testing or genetic tests of blood, tissue or bodily fluids. This is also called genetic testing.

     "Payment services only" or "PSO" means a case on which the division of child support's activities are limited to recording and distributing child support payments, and maintaining case records. A PSO case is not a IV-D case.

     "Permanently assigned arrears" means those arrears which the state may collect and retain up to the amount of unreimbursed assistance.

     "Physical custodian" means custodial parent (CP).

     "Plan administrator" means the person or entity which performs those duties specified under 29 USC 1002 (16)(A) for a health plan. If no plan administrator is specifically so designated by the plan's organizational documents, the plan's sponsor is the administrator of the plan. Sometimes an employer acts as its own plan administrator.

     "Presumed parent" means a person who, by operation of law under RCW 26.26.116, is recognized as the parent of a child until that status is rebutted or confirmed in a judicial proceeding.

     "Private insurance" means accessible health insurance for a child provided by a parent without the need for service of a national medical support notice, and does not include health insurance provided by the state without a contribution from either parent.

     "Proportionate share" or "proportional share" means an amount equal to a parent's percentage share of the combined monthly net income of both parents as computed on the worksheets when determining a parent's child support obligation under chapter 26.19 RCW.

     "Putative father" includes all men who may possibly be the father of the child or children on whose behalf the application for assistance or support enforcement services is made.

     "Reasonable efforts to locate" means any of the following actions performed by the division of child support:

     (1) Mailing a support establishment notice to the noncustodial parent in the manner described in WAC 388-14A-3105;

     (2) Referral to a sheriff or other server of process, or to a locate service or department employee for locate activities;

     (3) Tracing activity such as:

     (a) Checking local telephone directories and attempts by telephone or mail to contact the custodial parent, relatives of the noncustodial parent, past or present employers, or the post office;

     (b) Contacting state agencies, unions, financial institutions or fraternal organizations;

     (c) Searching periodically for identification information recorded by other state agencies, federal agencies, credit bureaus, or other record-keeping agencies or entities; or

     (d) Maintaining a case in the division of child support's automated locate program, which is a continuous search process.

     (4) Referral to the state or federal parent locator service;

     (5) Referral to the attorney general, prosecuting attorney, the IV-D agency of another state, or the Department of the Treasury for specific legal or collection action;

     (6) Attempting to confirm the existence of and to obtain a copy of a paternity acknowledgment; or

     (7) Conducting other actions reasonably calculated to produce information regarding the NCP's whereabouts.

     "Required support obligation for the current month" means the amount set by a superior court order, tribal court order, or administrative order for support which is due in the month in question.

     "Resident" means a person physically present in the state of Washington who intends to make their home in this state. A temporary absence from the state does not destroy residency once it is established.

     "Residential care" means foster care, either state or federally funded.

     "Residential parent" means the custodial parent (CP), or the person with whom the child resides that majority of the time.

     "Responding agency" or "responding jurisdiction" means the agency that is providing services in response to a referral from an initiating agency in an intergovernmental IV-D case.

     "Responsible parent" is a term sometimes used for a noncustodial parent.

     "Responsible stepparent" means a stepparent who has established an in loco parentis relationship with the dependent child.

     "Retained support" means a debt owed to the division of child support by anyone other than a noncustodial parent.

     "Satisfaction of judgment" means payment in full of a court-ordered support obligation, or a determination that such an obligation is no longer enforceable.

     "Secretary" means the secretary of the department of social and health services or the secretary's designee.

     "Self-support reserve" or "self support reserve" means an amount equal to one hundred twenty-five percent of the federal poverty guideline for a one-person family.

     "State" means a state or political subdivision, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a federally recognized Indian tribe or a foreign country.

     "Superior court order" means a judgment, decree or order of a Washington state superior court, or of ((another state's)) a court of comparable jurisdiction in an Indian tribe or another state or country.

     "Support debt" means support which was due under a support order but has not been paid. This includes:

     (1) Delinquent support;

     (2) A debt for the payment of expenses for the reasonable or necessary care, support and maintenance including medical expenses, birth costs, child care costs, and special child rearing expenses of a dependent child or other person;

     (3) A debt under RCW 74.20A.100 or 74.20A.270; or

     (4) Accrued interest, fees, or penalties charged on a support debt, and attorney's fees and other litigation costs awarded in an action under Title IV-D to establish or enforce a support obligation.

     "Support enforcement services" means all actions the Title IV-D agency is required to perform under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act and state law.

     "Support establishment notice" means a notice and finding of financial responsibility under WAC 388-14A-3115, a notice and finding of parental responsibility under WAC 388-14A-3120, or a notice and finding of medical responsibility under WAC 388-14A-3125.

     "Support money" means money paid to satisfy a support obligation, whether it is called child support, spousal support, alimony, maintenance, enforcement of medical expenses, health insurance, or birth costs.

     "Support obligation" means the obligation to provide for the necessary care, support and maintenance of a dependent child or other person as required by law, including health insurance coverage, medical expenses, birth costs, and child care or special child rearing expenses.

     "Support order" means a court order, administrative order or tribal court order which contains a determination, finding, decree or order that sets a child support obligation (including medical support) and orders either the payment of a set or determinable amount of money for current support and/or a support debt, or the provision of medical support, or both.

     "Temporarily assigned arrears" means those arrears which accrue prior to the family receiving assistance, for assistance applications dated on or after October 1, 1997, but before October 1, 2008. After the family terminates assistance, temporarily assigned arrears become conditionally assigned arrears.

     "Temporary assistance for needy families," or "TANF" means cash assistance under the temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) program under Title IV-A of the Social Security Act.

     "Title IV-A" means Title IV-A of the Social Security Act established under Title XX of the Social Security amendments and as incorporated in Title 42 USC.

     "Title IV-A agency" means the part of the department of social and health services which carries out the state's responsibilities under the temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) program (and the aid for dependent children (AFDC) program when it existed).

     "Title IV-D" means Title IV-D of the Social Security Act established under Title XX of the Social Security amendments and as incorporated in Title 42 USC.

     "Title IV-D agency" or "IV-D agency" means the division of child support, which is the agency responsible for carrying out the Title IV-D plan in the state of Washington. Also refers to the Washington state support registry (WSSR).

     "Title IV-D case" is a case in which the division of child support provides services which qualifies for funding under the Title IV-D plan.

     "Title IV-D plan" means the plan established under the conditions of Title IV-D and approved by the secretary, Department of Health and Human Services.

     "Title IV-E" means Title IV-E of the Social Security Act established under Title XX of the Social Security amendments and as incorporated in Title 42 U.S.C.

     "Title IV-E case" means a foster care case.

     "Tribal TANF" means a temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) program run by a tribe.

     "Tribunal" means a state court, tribal court, administrative agency, or quasi-judicial entity authorized to establish, enforce or modify support orders or to determine parentage, and includes such courts, agencies or entities in other states or countries.

     "Underlying order" means an existing child support order for which DCS serves a notice of support owed under RCW 26.23.110 to determine a sum certain support obligation.

     "Undifferentiated support amount" means an amount of child support that represents a parent's support obligation for more than one child which cannot justifiably be divided into "per child" amounts for each child covered by the support order.

     "Undifferentiated support order" means a child support order which provides a monthly amount of child support for two or more children, but does not provide a specific support obligation for each child or does not contain enough information in either the order or the worksheets associated with the order to justify dividing the monthly amount into "per child" amounts for each child covered by the support order.

     "Uninsured medical expenses": For the purpose of establishing or enforcing support obligations means:

     (1) Medical expenses not paid by insurance for medical, dental, prescription and optometrical costs incurred on behalf of a child; and

     (2) Premiums, copayments, or deductibles incurred on behalf of a child.

     "Unreimbursed assistance" means the cumulative amount of assistance which was paid to the family and which has not been reimbursed by assigned support collections.

     "Unreimbursed medical expenses" means any amounts paid by one parent for uninsured medical expenses, which that parent claims the obligated parent owes under a child support order, which percentage share is stated in the child support order itself, not just in the worksheets.

     "We" means the division of child support, part of the department of social and health services of the state of Washington.

     "WSSR" is the Washington state support registry.

     "You" means the reader of the rules, a member of the public, or a recipient of support enforcement services.

[Statutory Authority: 2011 c 283, RCW 34.05.220, 43.20A.550, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.20A.055, 74.20A.056, and 74.20A.310. 12-01-002, § 388-14A-1020, filed 12/7/11, effective 1/7/12. Statutory Authority: RCW 26.09.105(17), 26.18.170(19), 26.23.050(8), 26.23.110(14), 34.05.020, 34.05.060, 34.05.220, 74.08.090, 74.20.040, 74.20A.055(9), and 74.20A.056(11). 11-12-006, § 388-14A-1020, filed 5/19/11, effective 6/19/11. Statutory Authority: RCW 26.18.170, 26.23.035, 26.23.050, [26.23.]110, 74.20.040, 74.20A.030, [74.20A.]055, [74.20A.]056, and 74.20A.310. 09-02-059, § 388-14A-1020, filed 1/5/09, effective 1/27/09. Statutory Authority: 2007 c 143, §§ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9. 08-12-029, § 388-14A-1020, filed 5/29/08, effective 7/1/08. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.20A.310, 45 C.F.R. 302.31 and 302.33. 06-03-120, § 388-14A-1020, filed 1/17/06, effective 2/17/06. Statutory Authority: RCW 34.05.220(1), 74.08.090, 74.20A.055, 74.20A.056, 74.20A.310. 05-14-101, § 388-14A-1020, filed 6/30/05, effective 7/31/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 74.20A.310, and 26.18.170, 42 U.S.C. 666 (a)(19), Child Support Performance and Incentives Act of 1998, 45 C.F.R. 303.31, and 45 C.F.R. 303.32. 04-17-119, § 388-14A-1020, filed 8/17/04, effective 9/17/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 26.23.035, 34.05.220(1), 74.20A.055, 74.20A.056. 01-03-089, § 388-14A-1020, filed 1/17/01, effective 2/17/01. Formerly WAC 388-11-011 and 388-14-020.]

     (a) The department of social and health services pays public assistance or provides foster care services;

     (b) A former recipient of public assistance is eligible for services, as provided in WAC 388-14A-2000 (2)(c);

     (c) A custodial parent (CP) or noncustodial parent (NCP) requests nonassistance support enforcement services under RCW 74.20.040 and WAC 388-14A-2000;

     (d) A support order or wage assignment order under chapter 26.18 RCW directs the NCP to make support payments through the Washington state support registry (WSSR);

     (e) A support order under which there is a current support obligation for dependent children is submitted to the WSSR;

     (f) A former custodial parent (CP) requests services to collect a support debt accrued under a court or administrative support order while the child(ren) resided with the CP;

     (g) A child support enforcement agency in another state or foreign country requests support enforcement services; or

     (h) A child support agency of an Indian tribe requests support enforcement services.

     (2) DCS takes action under chapters 26.23 and 74.20A RCW to establish, enforce and collect child support obligations.

     (a) DCS refers cases to the county prosecuting attorney or attorney general's office when judicial action is required.

     (b) If DCS has referred a case to the county prosecuting attorney or attorney general's office and the CP has been granted good cause level A, DCS does not share funding under Title IV-D for any actions taken by the prosecutor or attorney general's office once DCS advises them of the good cause finding.

     (3) DCS does not take action on cases where the community services office (CSO) has granted the CP good cause not to cooperate under WAC 388-422-0020, when the CSO grants "level A good cause." If the CSO grants "level B good cause," DCS proceeds to establish and/or enforce support obligations but does not require the CP to cooperate with DCS. WAC 388-14A-2065 and 388-14A-2070 describe the way DCS handles cases with good cause issues.

     (4) DCS establishes, maintains, retains and disposes of case records in accordance with the department's records management and retention policies and procedures adopted under chapter 40.14 RCW.

     (5) DCS establishes, maintains, and monitors support payment records.

     (6) DCS receives, accounts for and distributes child support payments required under court or administrative orders for support.

     (7) DCS charges and collects fees as required by federal and state law regarding the Title IV-D child support enforcement program.

     (8) DCS files a satisfaction of judgment when we determine that a support obligation is either paid in full or no longer legally enforceable. WAC 388-14A-2099 describes the procedures for filing a satisfaction of judgment. WAC 388-14A-2099(4) describes how DCS determines a support obligation is satisfied or no longer legally enforceable.

     (9) Based on changes in federal statutes and regulations, DCS establishes or changes the rules regarding its responsibilities when acting as either the initiating agency or responding agency in an intergovernmental child support case.

[Statutory Authority: 2007 c 143, §§ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9. 08-12-029, § 388-14A-1025, filed 5/29/08, effective 7/1/08. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 74.20A.310. 01-24-080, § 388-14A-1025, filed 12/3/01, effective 1/3/02. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 45 C.F.R. 303.106. 01-03-089, § 388-14A-1025, filed 1/17/01, effective 2/17/01. Formerly WAC 388-14-205.]

     (1) Receiving payments and distributing the payments (see WAC 388-14A-5000);

     (2) Establishing or modifying administrative child support orders (see WAC 388-14A-3100 and 388-14A-3925);

     (3) Enforcing and modifying court orders for child support or maintenance (see WAC 388-14A-3304, 388-14A-3310 and 388-14A-3900);

     (4) Referral to the prosecuting attorney for establishment of paternity;

     (5) Providing locate services as provided in WAC 388-14A-1035;

     (6) Referral for welfare to work services in conjunction with other parts of DSHS, the employment security department (ESD) and private contractors;

     (7) Cooperation with the IV-D agencies of Indian tribes and other states, and ((Indian tribes)) the central authorities of other countries (see WAC 388-14A-1060); and

     (8) Providing any other services allowed by the state plan and applicable state and federal law.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 34.05.310 (4)(d) and 45 C.F.R. 303.106. 03-20-072, § 388-14A-1030, filed 9/29/03, effective 10/30/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 45 CFR 303.106. 01-03-089, § 388-14A-1030, filed 1/17/01, effective 2/17/01. Formerly WAC 388-14-205.]

     (1) Persons receiving public assistance for the benefit of dependent children;

     (2) Any agency or attorney of another state or country seeking to collect support obligations under an agreement entered into with DCS;

     (3) A court which has the authority to issue an order against a noncustodial parent (NCP) for the support and maintenance of a child;

     (4) The custodial parent (CP), legal guardian, attorney or agent of a child who does not receive public assistance, and has not applied for full support enforcement services;

     (5) The IV-D agency of another state;

     (6) The child support agency of an Indian tribe or another country; and

     (7) Those persons authorized by 45 C.F.R. 303.15 to use the FPLS in connection with parental kidnaping or child custody cases.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090. 01-03-089, § WAC 388-14A-1036, filed 1/17/01, effective 2/17/01.]

     (1) Establishing paternity;

     (2) Locating a noncustodial parent (NCP) who resides in Washington;

     (3) Enforcing the support obligation of an NCP who resides in Washington but whose support order was entered by an Indian tribe or another state or country; and

     (4) Any other functions required under a Title IV-D plan.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090. 01-03-089, § 388-14A-1050, filed 1/17/01, effective 2/17/01. Formerly WAC 388-14-360.]

     (2) DCS uses the remedies in chapters 26.23, 74.20 and 74.20A RCW to collect support on behalf of another state, tribe, country or IV-D agency.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 26.21.016, 34.05.020, 74.08.090, 74.20.040(3), 74.20A.310. 06-06-078, § 388-14A-1055, filed 2/28/06, effective 3/31/06. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090. 01-03-089, § 388-14A-1055, filed 1/17/01, effective 2/17/01. Formerly WAC 388-14-365.]

     (a) A Washington superior court order, tribal court order, administrative order, or wage assignment order under chapter 26.18 RCW directs payments through DCS or through the Washington state support registry (WSSR);

     (b) The custodial parent (CP) of a dependent child or a noncustodial parent (NCP) requests payment services only, provided that:

     (i) An NCP's request for payment services only may not cause a reduction of service from the level of service provided under section (2) of this section; and

     (ii) The support obligation is set by a Washington state superior court order, tribal court order, administrative order or wage assignment order, directing payment to DCS or to WSSR.

     (2) DCS provides full support enforcement services under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act to custodial parents or noncustodial parents who are not receiving a public assistance grant when:

     (a) The custodial parent or former physical custodian of a child requests support enforcement services;

     (b) The noncustodial parent of a dependent child requests support enforcement services;

     (c) An NCP submits a support order for inclusion in or a support payment to the WSSR, together with an application for support enforcement services;

     (d) A public assistance recipient stops receiving a cash grant under the temporary assistance for needy families program;

     (e) The department provides medicaid-only benefits to a CP on behalf of a dependent child, unless the recipient of the medicaid-only benefits declines support enforcement services not related to paternity establishment, medical support establishment or medical support enforcement; ((or))

     (f) A man requests paternity establishment services alleging he is the father of a dependent child; or

     (g) An Indian tribe or another state or country requests services in an intergovernmental case.

     (3) DCS provides payment processing, records maintenance, paternity establishment, medical support establishment, and medical support enforcement services when a recipient of medicaid-only benefits declines support enforcement services in writing.

[Statutory Authority: 2007 c 143, §§ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9. 08-12-029, § 388-14A-2000, filed 5/29/08, effective 7/1/08. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 26.23.035, 34.05.220(1), 74.20A.310, 45 C.F.R. 303.106. 01-03-089, § 388-14A-2000, filed 1/17/01, effective 2/17/01. Formerly WAC 388-14-205, 388-14-300, and 388-14-310.]

     (2) Generally, the person applying for nonassistance support enforcement services is the custodial parent or former custodial parent of a child. However, the noncustodial parent may apply for services as well, as provided in WAC 388-14A-2000 (2)(b), (c) and (f).

     (3) A person wishing to apply for nonassistance support enforcement services must submit a written application for support enforcement services except as provided in WAC 388-14A-2000 (2)(d); and

     (a) Have or have had physical custody of the child for whom support is sought, or for whom a support debt has accrued, or be the person with whom the child resided the majority of the time for which support is sought; or

     (b) Be the noncustodial parent.

     (4) The applicant must:

     (a) Give consent for the division of child support (DCS) to take an assignment of earnings from the noncustodial parent (NCP) if the parents are still married;

     (b) Agree to send to DCS any support payments received directly from the NCP within eight days of receipt;

     (c) Agree to direct a payor or forwarding agent to make payments to the Washington state support registry (WSSR);

     (d) Agree not to hire an attorney or collection agency, or apply to any other state's IV-D agency to collect the same support obligation or support debt, without notifying DCS;

     (e) Complete, sign, date and submit to DCS the application form and any other required documents;

     (f) Supply copies of divorce and dissolution decrees, support orders and modification orders, and any related documents affecting a support obligation;

     (g) Provide a statement of the amount of support debt owed by the NCP;

     (h) Include or attach a list, by date, of the support payments received from the NCP during the time period for which the CP seeks support; and

     (i) Pay any applicable fee imposed by state or federal law.

     (5) If someone other than the CP has legal custody of the child under a court order, the CP must affirm that:

     (a) The CP has not wrongfully deprived the legal custodian of custody; and

     (b) The person with legal custody has not been excused from making support payments by a court or administrative tribunal.

     (6) See WAC 388-14A-2015 regarding requests for intergovernmental child support services received from a foreign reciprocating country (FRC) or from a custodial parent who is a resident of an FRC.

     (7) See WAC 388-14A-7660 regarding the assessment of costs in an intergovernmental case where the initiating jurisdiction is an FRC.

[Statutory Authority: 2007 c 143, §§ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9. 08-12-029, § 388-14A-2010, filed 5/29/08, effective 7/1/08. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090. 01-03-089, § 388-14A-2010, filed 1/17/01, effective 2/17/01. Formerly WAC 388-14-310.]

     (2) The division of child support (DCS) may decline the application for nonassistance support enforcement services if:

     (a) DCS already has an open case for you which was opened at the request of another state; or

     (b) Neither the custodial parent nor the noncustodial parent reside, work, or own any assets in the state of Washington.

     (3) If you are a custodial parent residing in a foreign reciprocating country (FRC), either you or the child support agency of your country may request intergovernmental child support services from DCS. As provided under 42 USC 654 (32)(C):

     (a) No formal application for services is required; and

     (b) DCS does not assess costs against either the FRC or the custodial parent.

     (4) See WAC 388-14A-7660 regarding costs assessed against the noncustodial parent in an intergovernmental case where the initiating jurisdiction is an FRC.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090. 01-03-089, § 388-14A-2015, filed 1/17/01, effective 2/17/01. Formerly WAC 388-14-310.]

     (a) DCS receives the application for nonassistance services if the CP applies directly to DCS for services; or

     (b) An Indian tribe or another state or ((Indian tribe)) country received the application for nonassistance services or the actual date the ((other)) tribe, state, or ((tribe)) country requests that child support start, whichever is later, if the ((other state or Indian tribe)) initiating jurisdiction requests DCS to establish a support order.

     (2) When the children are receiving medicaid-only benefits, DCS starts the claim for support as of the date the medicaid benefits began. See WAC 388-14A-2005(4) to determine whether DCS seeks to establish medical support only for a particular case.

     (3) This section does not limit in any way the right of the court to order payment for back support as provided in RCW 26.26.130 and 26.26.134 if the case requires paternity establishment.

     (4) When an Indian tribe or another state or ((an Indian tribe)) country is paying public assistance to the CP and children, DCS starts the claim for support as of the date specified by the ((other)) tribe, state, or ((tribe)) country.

     (5) For the notice and finding of parental responsibility, WAC 388-14A-3120(9) limits the back support obligation.

     (6) When the state of Washington is paying public assistance to the CP and/or the children, the following rules apply:

     (a) For support obligations owed for months on or after September 1, 1979, DCS must exercise reasonable efforts to locate the noncustodial parent (NCP);

     (b) DCS serves a notice and finding of financial or parental responsibility within sixty days of the date the state assumes responsibility for the support of a dependent child on whose behalf support is sought;

     (c) If DCS does not serve the notice within sixty days, DCS loses the right to reimbursement of public assistance payments made after the sixtieth day and before the notice is served;

     (d) DCS does not lose the right to reimbursement of public assistance payments for any period of time:

     (i) During which DCS exercised reasonable efforts to locate the NCP; or

     (ii) For sixty days after the date on which DCS received an acknowledgment of paternity for the child for whom the state has assumed responsibility, and paternity has not been established.

     (7) The limitation in subsection (6) does not apply to:

     (a) Cases in which the physical custodian is claiming good cause for not cooperating with the department; and

     (b) Cases where parentage is an issue and:

     (i) Has not been established by superior court order; or

     (ii) Is not the subject of a presumption under RCW 26.26.320.

     (8) DCS considers a prorated share of each monthly public assistance payment as paid on each day of the month.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.20A.310, 45 C.F.R. 302.31 and 302.33. 06-03-120, § 388-14A-3350, filed 1/17/06, effective 2/17/06. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 74.20A.055, and 74.20A.310. 05-14-099, § 388-14A-3350, filed 6/30/05, effective 7/31/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 34.05.310 (4)(d) and 74.20A.055. 03-20-072, § 388-14A-3350, filed 9/29/03, effective 10/30/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 74.20A.055. 01-03-089, § 388-14A-3350, filed 1/17/01, effective 2/17/01. Formerly WAC 388-11-045.]

     (a) Proof of payment;

     (b) The existence of a superior court order, tribal court order, or administrative order that sets the NCP's support obligation or specifically relieves the NCP of a support obligation for the child(ren) named in the notice;

     (c) The party is not a responsible parent as defined by RCW 74.20A.020(7);

     (d) The amount requested in the notice is inconsistent with the Washington state child support schedule, chapter 26.19 RCW;

     (e) Equitable estoppel, subject to WAC 388-14A-6500; or

     (f) Any other matter constituting an avoidance or affirmative defense.

     (2) A dependent child's or a custodial parent's ineligibility to receive public assistance is not a defense to the assessment of a support obligation.

     (3) An NCP may be excused from providing support for a dependent child if the NCP is the legal custodian of the child and has been wrongfully deprived of physical custody of the child. The NCP may be excused only for any period during which the NCP was wrongfully deprived of custody. The NCP must establish that:

     (a) A court of competent jurisdiction of any state, tribe or country has entered an order giving legal and physical custody of the child to the NCP;

     (b) The custody order has not been modified, superseded, or dismissed;

     (c) The child was taken or enticed from the NCP's physical custody and the NCP has not subsequently assented to deprivation. Proof of enticement requires more than a showing that the child is allowed to live without certain restrictions the NCP would impose; and

     (d) Within a reasonable time after deprivation, the NCP exerted and continues to exert reasonable efforts to regain physical custody of the child.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 34.05.220(1), 74.08.090, 74.20A.056, 74.20A.310, 26.26.315, 26.26.320, 26.26.330, 26.26.335, 74.20A.055, 2002 c 302, and 2002 c 199. 03-17-013, § 388-14A-3370, filed 8/12/03, effective 9/12/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 74.20A.055, 74.20A.056. 01-03-089, § 388-14A-3370, filed 1/17/01, effective 2/17/01. Formerly WAC 388-11-065.]

     (2) If the order specifically states how the amount of support may be adjusted, the division of child support (DCS) may bring an administrative action under RCW 26.23.110 and WAC 388-14A-3310.

     (((2))) (3) As provided in WAC 388-14A-3900, DCS may review any support order to determine whether DCS should petition to modify the support provisions of the order.

     (((3))) (4) Either DCS, the CP or the NCP may petition to modify an administrative order under WAC 388-14A-3925. Acting as a responding jurisdiction, DCS may petition to modify an administrative order at the request of the initiating jurisdiction.

     (((4))) (5) Under appropriate circumstances, an administrative support order may be vacated. See WAC 388-14A-3700.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 34.05.310 (4)(d), chapter 26.19 RCW, RCW 34.05.220(1), 74.20A.055, 74.20A.056. 03-20-072, § 388-14A-3800, filed 9/29/03, effective 10/30/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, chapter 26.19 RCW, 34.05.220(1), 74.20A.055, 74.20A.056. 01-03-089, § 388-14A-3800, filed 1/17/01, effective 2/17/01. Formerly WAC 388-11-140.]

     (a) A superior or tribal court order supersedes the order, either as provided by RCW 74.20A.055(7) or by the uniform interstate family support act (UIFSA);

     (b) The order is modified under WAC 388-14A-3925;

     (c) The child reaches eighteen years of age;

     (d) The child is emancipated;

     (e) The child marries;

     (f) The child becomes a member of the United States armed forces;

     (g) The child or the responsible parent die;

     (h) A responsible stepparent's marriage is dissolved;

     (i) The parties to the order marry or remarry, as provided in WAC 388-14A-3100(3); or

     (j) A superior court order terminates the responsible parent's liability as provided under RCW 26.16.205.

     (2) As an exception to the above rule, a noncustodial parent's obligation to pay support under an administrative order continues for a dependent child over the age of eighteen if the child is under age nineteen, and participating full-time in a secondary school program or the same level of vocational or technical training, as defined in WAC 388-404-0005 (1)(b). However, if the child has already met the requirements to finish the educational program, the child is no longer considered to be dependent.

     (3) A noncustodial parent's obligation to pay support under an administrative order may be temporarily suspended when the:

     (a) Noncustodial parent (NCP) resides with the child for whom support is sought for purposes other than visitation;

     (b) NCP reconciles with the child and the custodial parent; or

     (c) Child returns to the residence of the NCP from a foster care placement, for purposes other than visitation.

     (4) When the NCP's obligation to pay current support on a case is suspended under subsection (3) of this section, the division of child support (DCS) informs the NCP that the obligation is suspended, in writing, sent by regular mail to the NCP's last known address.

     (5) If circumstances causing an NCP's support obligation to be temporarily suspended change, the support obligation resumes. DCS sends the NCP a notice that the obligation to make current support payments has resumed.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 34.05.220(1), 74.08.090, 74.20A.055, 74.20A.056, 74.20A.310. 05-14-101, § 388-14A-3810, filed 6/30/05, effective 7/31/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 34.05.220(1), 74.08.090, 74.20A.056, 74.20A.310, 26.26.315, 26.26.320, 26.26.330, 26.26.335, 74.20A.055, 2002 c 302, and 2002 c 199. 03-17-013, § 388-14A-3810, filed 8/12/03, effective 9/12/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090. 01-03-089, § 388-14A-3810, filed 1/17/01, effective 2/17/01. Formerly WAC 388-11-155.]

     (a) Review a superior court or administrative order for child support to determine whether DCS will petition to modify the child support provisions of the order; or

     (b) Evaluate an ((interstate)) intergovernmental case to determine whether to refer the case to an Indian tribe or another state or ((an Indian tribe)) country for review of the support order for modification.

     (2) Recipients of payment services only under WAC 388-14A-2000(1) are not eligible for a review of their support order under this section until they have submitted an application for support enforcement services.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 45 C.F.R. 302.70, 45 C.F.R. 303.7, 45 C.F.R. 303.8. 01-03-089, § 388-14A-3900, filed 1/17/01, effective 2/17/01. Formerly WAC 388-11-143.]

     (a))) DCS has enough locate information to obtain personal service on both parties to the order; and:

     (((b))) (a) The department is paying public assistance or has determined that the children are eligible for medical assistance, and thirty-five months have passed since:

     (i) DCS last reviewed the order under this section;

     (ii) The order was last modified; or

     (iii) The order was entered((.)); or

     (((c))) (b) A party to the order, ((or another state's)) the IV-D agency of a tribe or another state, or the central authority of another country, submits a request for review to DCS and thirty-five months have passed since:

     (i) DCS or another ((state's)) state or tribe's IV-D agency last reviewed the order under this section;

     (ii) The order was last modified; or

     (iii) The order was entered.

     (2) DCS may refer a request for review to another ((state's)) state or tribe's IV-D agency for action.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 45 C.F.R. 302.70, 45 C.F.R. 303.7, 45 C.F.R. 303.8. 01-03-089, § 388-14A-3901, filed 1/17/01, effective 2/17/01. Formerly WAC 388-11-143.]

     (a) Any circumstances that have changed;

     (b) Any relief requested; and

     (c) The proposed new support amount.

     (2) The petitioning party must file the request for modification with DCS.

     (3) Acting as a responding jurisdiction, DCS may file a petition to prospectively modify an administrative order for child support on behalf of an initiating jurisdiction in an intergovernmental case.

     (4) DCS serves a copy of the request for modification and notice of hearing on all other parties by first class mail at their address last known to DCS.

     (((4))) (5) DCS, the administrative law judge (ALJ), or the department review judge:

     (a) Prospectively modifies orders according to the terms of chapter 26.19 RCW and RCW 74.20A.059; and

     (b) May only modify an order issued by a tribunal in another state according to the terms of RCW 26.21A.550.

     (((5))) (6) A request to add a requirement for the custodial parent (CP) to provide health insurance coverage, or to add a provision in the order to include the CP's share of medical expenses, is not by itself a sufficient basis for modification of the order.

     (((6))) (7) If the nonpetitioning party fails to appear at the hearing, the ALJ issues a default order based on the Washington state child support schedule and the worksheets submitted by the parties, considering the terms set out in the request for modification.

     (((7))) (8) If the petitioning party fails to appear at the hearing, the ALJ enters an order dismissing the petition for modification.

     (8) If the petition for modification does not comply with the requirements of subsection (1)(a) and (b) of this section, the ALJ may:

     (a) Dismiss the petition; or

     (b) Continue the hearing to give the petitioning party time to amend according to WAC 388-14A-3275 or to complete the petition.

     (((9))) (10) The ALJ may set the effective date of modification as the date the order is issued, the date the request was made, or any time in between. If an effective date is not set in the order, the effective date is the date the modification order is entered.

[Statutory Authority: 2007 c 143, §§ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9. 08-12-029, § 388-14A-3925, filed 5/29/08, effective 7/1/08. Statutory Authority: RCW 34.05.220(2), 43.20A.550, 74.04.055, 74.08.090, 74.20.040, 74.20A.310. 07-08-055, § 388-14A-3925, filed 3/29/07, effective 4/29/07. Statutory Authority: RCW 34.05.220(1), 74.08.090, 74.20A.055, 74.20A.056. 02-06-098, § 388-14A-3925, filed 3/4/02, effective 4/4/02. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 26.23.050, 74.20A.055, 74.20A.059. 01-03-089, § 388-14A-3925, filed 1/17/01, effective 2/17/01. Formerly WAC 388-11-140.]

     Reviser's note: The typographical error in the above section occurred in the copy filed by the agency and appears in the Register pursuant to the requirements of RCW 34.08.040.PART G - ((INTERSTATE)) INTERGOVERNMENTAL ISSUES
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 11-22-116, filed 11/2/11, effective 12/3/11)

WAC 388-14A-7100   The division of child support may register an order from a tribe or another state or country for enforcement or modification.   (1) A ((support enforcement agency, or a party to a)) child support order or an income-withholding order for support issued by a tribunal of another state or jurisdiction((,)) may ((register the order)) be registered in this state for enforcement pursuant to chapter 26.21A RCW at the request of a party to the order or at the request of the support enforcement agency of an Indian tribe or of another state or country.

     (a) At the option of the division of child support (DCS), the support order or income-withholding order may be registered with the superior court pursuant to RCW 26.21A.505 or it may be registered with the administrative tribunal according to subsection (2) of this section. Either method of registration is valid.

     (b) A support order or income-withholding order issued in another state or jurisdiction is registered when the order is filed with the registering tribunal of this state.

     (c) DCS may enforce a registered order issued in another state or jurisdiction in the same manner and subject to the same procedures as an order issued by a tribunal of this state.

     (d) DCS may assess and collect interest on amounts owed under support orders entered or established in a jurisdiction other than the state of Washington as provided in WAC 388-14A-7110.

     (e) DCS may notify the parties that it is enforcing a non-Washington support order using the notice of support debt and demand for payment under WAC 388-14A-3304 or using the notice of support debt and registration as provided in this section and in WAC 388-14A-7110. Either method of notice is valid.

     (2) DCS must give notice to the nonregistering party when it administratively registers a support order or income-withholding order issued in another state or jurisdiction. DCS gives this notice with the Notice of Support Debt and Registration (NOSDR).

     (a) The notice must inform the nonregistering party:

     (i) That a registered order is enforceable as of the date of registration in the same manner as an order issued by a tribunal of this state;

     (ii) That if a party wants a hearing to contest the validity or enforcement of the registered order, the party must request a hearing within twenty days after service of the notice on the nonregistering party within Washington state. If the nonregistering party was served with the notice outside of Washington state, the party has sixty days after service of the notice to request a hearing to contest the validity or enforcement of the registered order;

     (iii) That failure to contest the validity or enforcement of the registered order in a timely manner will result in confirmation of the order and enforcement of the order and the alleged arrearages and precludes further contest of that order with respect to any matter that could have been asserted;

     (iv) Of the amount of any alleged arrearages, including interest, if interest is being assessed under WAC 388-14A-7110; and

     (v) Whether DCS has made a determination of controlling order under chapter 26.21A RCW, as described in WAC 388-14A-7325.

     (b) The notice must be:

     (i) Served on the nonregistering party by certified or registered mail or by any means of personal service authorized by the laws of the state of Washington; and

     (ii) Served on the registering party by first class mail at the last known address; and

     (iii) Accompanied by a copy of the registered order and any documents and relevant information accompanying the order submitted by the registering party.

     (c) The effective date of a request for hearing to contest the validity or enforcement of the registered order is the date DCS receives the request.

     (3) A party or support enforcement agency seeking to modify, or to modify and enforce, a child support order issued in another state or jurisdiction may register the order in this state according to RCW 26.21A.540 through 26.21A.550.

     (a) The order must be registered as provided in subsection (1)(a) if the order has not yet been registered.

     (b) A petition for modification may be filed at the same time as a request for registration, or later. The petition must specify the grounds for modification.

     (c) DCS may enforce a child support order of another state or jurisdiction registered for purposes of modification, as if a tribunal of this state had issued the order, but the registered order may be modified only if the requirements of RCW 26.21A.550 are met.

     (4) Interpretation of the registered order is governed by RCW 26.21A.515.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 26.23.120, 43.20A.550, 74.04.055, 74.08.090, 74.20.040(9), 74.20A.310, and 45 C.F.R. Parts 301.1, 302.35, 302.36, 303.3, 303.7, 303.11, 303.20, 305.63, 307.13, and 308.2. 11-22-116, § 388-14A-7100, filed 11/2/11, effective 12/3/11. Statutory Authority: RCW 34.05.220(2), 43.20A.550, 74.04.055, 74.08.090, 74.20.040, 74.20A.310. 07-08-055, § 388-14A-7100, filed 3/29/07, effective 4/29/07. Statutory Authority: RCW 26.21.016. 05-07-059, § 388-14A-7100, filed 3/11/05, effective 4/11/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 26.23.035, 34.05.220, 74.20A.310. 01-03-089, § 388-14A-7100, filed 1/17/01, effective 2/17/01. Formerly WAC 388-14-260 and 388-14-495.]

     (a) The request is from:

     (i) Another state's IV-D agency;

     (ii) An Indian tribe;

     (iii) A foreign country which has entered into a reciprocal agreement with the United States of America or with the state of Washington; or

     (iv) A custodial parent (CP) or noncustodial parent (NCP) who resides outside of Washington state who has filed a petition under the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA), chapter 26.21A RCW.

     (b) The party requesting that DCS enforce interest provides a calculation of the interest claimed which has been certified by a IV-D agency or a certified public accountant (CPA); and

     (c) The support order was entered or established in a jurisdiction other than Washington state.

     (2) When a foreign support order has been submitted for enforcement under UIFSA, DCS may, at its option, either:

     (a) Use the notice of support debt and demand for payment to enforce interest on an out-of-state support order. See WAC 388-14A-3304 for the rules regarding the notice of support debt and demand for payment; or

     (b) Use a notice of support debt and registration to enforce interest on the foreign order. See WAC 388-14A-7100 for the rules regarding registration of a foreign order.

     (3) When an out of state order has been submitted for registration for enforcement and modification under UIFSA, DCS uses a notice of support debt and registration to enforce interest on the out of state order. See WAC 388-14A-7100 for the rules regarding registration of a foreign support order.

     (4) Any hearing held on a notice of support debt and registration which includes a claim for interest is conducted in accordance with WAC 388-14A-7125 and 388-14A-7115.

     (a) WAC 388-14A-7135 describes the procedures for confirmation of the registered order.

     (b) WAC 388-14A-7135 describes the effect of confirmation of the registered order.

     (5) At any time after the notice of support debt and registration becomes a final administrative order, DCS may update the amount of interest as provided in WAC 388-14A-7120.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 26.23.120, 43.20A.550, 74.04.055, 74.08.090, 74.20.040(9), 74.20A.310, and 45 C.F.R. Parts 301.1, 302.35, 302.36, 303.3, 303.7, 303.11, 303.20, 305.63, 307.13, and 308.2. 11-22-116, § 388-14A-7110, filed 11/2/11, effective 12/3/11. Statutory Authority: RCW 34.05.220(2), 43.20A.550, 74.04.055, 74.08.090, 74.20.040, 74.20A.310. 07-08-055, § 388-14A-7110, filed 3/29/07, effective 4/29/07. Statutory Authority: RCW 26.21.016. 05-07-059, § 388-14A-7110, filed 3/11/05, effective 4/11/05.]

     (2) The calculation of the amount of interest which has been certified by a IV-D agency ((or)), a certified public accountant (CPA) or a foreign country's equivalent of a CPA must be accepted as evidence at a hearing on a notice of support debt and demand for payment or on a notice of support debt and registration.

     (a) Such certified calculation is prima facie evidence of the amount of interest owed by the NCP.

     (b) Any party challenging the certified calculation has the burden of proving that the amount of interest claimed is incorrect.

     (3) A party challenging the certified calculation may challenge the calculation for one or more of the following reasons:

     (a) The amount of principal is incorrect because credit was not given for payments made;

     (b) The amount of principal is incorrect because credit was given for payments which were not actually made; or

     (c) The interest calculation was not properly done according to the law of the state, tribe or country issuing the order.

     (4) If the administrative law judge (ALJ) finds that the party challenging the interest calculation has shown that the amount of principal is incorrect, the ALJ:

     (a) Enters an order stating the correct amount of principal;

     (b) Orders the party which submitted the original interest calculation to:

     (i) Recalculate or have recalculated the interest based on the new principal amount; and

     (ii) Submit the new certified calculation to the ALJ within a reasonable amount of time; and

     (c) After receiving the new certified calculation, enters an order determining the amount of debt, including interest, for the period claimed in the notice.

     (5) If the ALJ orders a new certified calculation, DCS may enforce any amounts of principal the ALJ found to be due and owing under the support order while the administrative order under subsection (4)(c) of this section is pending.

     (6) A claim that the interest calculation was not properly done must be supported by an interest calculation which is certified by a IV-D agency, a CPA or ((a certified public accountant (CPA))) the foreign equivalent. The ALJ then determines which calculation is best supported by the evidence.

     (7) The division of child support does not perform certified interest calculations for use in a hearing under this section.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 26.23.120, 43.20A.550, 74.04.055, 74.08.090, 74.20.040(9), 74.20A.310, and 45 C.F.R. Parts 301.1, 302.35, 302.36, 303.3, 303.7, 303.11, 303.20, 305.63, 307.13, and 308.2. 11-22-116, § 388-14A-7115, filed 11/2/11, effective 12/3/11. Statutory Authority: RCW 26.21.016. 05-07-059, § 388-14A-7115, filed 3/11/05, effective 4/11/05.]

     (2) To notify the parties to the order that DCS has updated the amount of interest, DCS uses a form called the interest enforcement letter.

     (a) The interest enforcement letter is based upon the annual notification of accrued interest from the IV-D agency or an updated interest calculation from a certified public accountant (CPA) or a foreign country's equivalent of a CPA.

     (b) DCS sends the interest enforcement letter to the noncustodial parent (NCP), by first class mail to the NCP's last known address.

     (3) The interest enforcement letter may advise the NCP of:

     (a) The new, updated amount of interest owed for the arrears period; and

     (b) The updated total amount of support owed, including interest.

     (4) An NCP who objects to an interest enforcement letter must contact the IV-D agency or the CPA or equivalent who did the calculation to dispute the amount of interest claimed.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 26.23.120, 43.20A.550, 74.04.055, 74.08.090, 74.20.040(9), 74.20A.310, and 45 C.F.R. Parts 301.1, 302.35, 302.36, 303.3, 303.7, 303.11, 303.20, 305.63, 307.13, and 308.2. 11-22-116, § 388-14A-7120, filed 11/2/11, effective 12/3/11. Statutory Authority: RCW 26.21.016. 05-07-059, § 388-14A-7120, filed 3/11/05, effective 4/11/05.]

     (2) Acting as an administrative tribunal under chapter 26.21A RCW, the division of child support (DCS) does not have the authority to quash income-withholding orders.

     (3) An NCP who seeks to contest an income-withholding order as described in subsection (1) must seek relief in the superior court under RCW 26.18.140.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 34.05.220(2), 43.20A.550, 74.04.055, 74.08.090, 74.20.040, 74.20A.310. 07-08-055, § 388-14A-7400, filed 3/29/07, effective 4/29/07.]

     (2) If you believe that it would be dangerous for DCS to release your personal information to the ((other state)) responding jurisdiction (RJ), you may make a request for nondisclosure of your personal information under RCW 26.21A.255.

     (3) The way DCS handles your request for nondisclosure depends on what version of the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA) has been adopted by the ((state)) RJ where DCS is referring your case.

     (a) The ((state)) RJ may have enacted a version of UIFSA which is similar to the version enacted by the state of Washington as chapter 26.21A RCW (known as "UIFSA 2001"); ((or))

     (b) The ((state)) RJ may have enacted a version of UIFSA which is similar to the version which was formerly enacted by the state of Washington as chapter 26.21 RCW (known as "UIFSA 1996"); or

     (c) The RJ may not have enacted UIFSA or any similar law.

     (4) If DCS is making an intergovernmental referral to ((another state)) an RJ which has enacted UIFSA 2001:

     (a) DCS must disclose your personal information to the ((other state)) RJ.

     (b) DCS sends to the ((other state)) RJ a declaration for nondisclosure of information which you have signed under penalty of perjury.

     (c) The ((other state)) RJ must seal your personal information and may not disclose that information to the other party or to the public unless a tribunal orders disclosure of the information in the interest of justice, after a hearing in which the tribunal considers your (or your child's) health, safety and liberty.

     (5) If DCS is making an intergovernmental referral to ((another state)) an RJ which has enacted UIFSA 1996:

     (a) DCS holds a conference board under WAC 388-14A-6400.

     (b) If the conference board finds that your (or your child's) health, safety or liberty would be unreasonably put at risk by the disclosure of the information, the conference board issues a nondisclosure finding.

     (c) DCS does not disclose your personal information to the ((other state)) RJ, and instead provides the ((other state)) RJ with the nondisclosure finding.

     (6) If DCS is making an intergovernmental referral to an RJ which has not adopted UIFSA or a similar law, DCS follows the procedure set out in subsection (5) of this section.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 34.05.220(2), 43.20A.550, 74.04.055, 74.08.090, 74.20.040, 74.20A.310. 07-08-055, § 388-14A-7500, filed 3/29/07, effective 4/29/07.]

     (a) Another state;

     (b) A Tribal IV-D program or child support agency; and

     (c) A country as defined in 45 CFR 301.1.

     (2) The DCS central registry provides the same services for all IV-D cases, including intergovernmental cases.

     (3) See WAC 388-14A-1030 for a list of the services provided by DCS.

[]

     (1) Intake;

     (2) Establishment of paternity;

     (3) Location of noncustodial parents;

     (4) Establishment of child support orders;

     (5) Collection and/or enforcement;

     (6) Monitoring; and

     (7) Review and adjustment of orders.

[]

     (2) DCS uses electronic means to transmit these forms unless a paper version is required under the laws of Washington State or the other jurisdiction.

     (3) For intergovernmental cases, DCS transmits requests for information and provides requested information electronically to the greatest extent possible.

     (4) When using a paper version of a form, DCS provides one complete set of required documents unless the laws of the responding jurisdiction require multiple copies.

     (5) When the child support agency of a tribe or another state or country requests any order or payment record information in order to perform a controlling order determination and reconciliation of arrearages, DCS provides that information within thirty working days of a request, or notifies the state IV-D agency when the information will be provided.

     (6) DCS notifies the other agency within ten working days of receipt of new information on the case.

[]

     (a) Quick locate;

     (b) Service of process;

     (c) Assistance with discovery;

     (d) Assistance with genetic testing;

     (e) Teleconferenced hearings;

     (f) Administrative reviews;

     (g) High-volume automated administrative enforcement in interstate cases under section 466 (a)(14) of the Act; and

     (h) Copies of court orders and payment records.

     (2) DCS may also honor requests for other limited services as appropriate.

[]

     (2) See WAC 388-14A-8300 for the rules regarding payment of genetic testing costs in any IV-D case.

     (3) DCS may recover its costs of providing services in intergovernmental nonassistance (both never-assistance and former-assistance) cases as provided under 45 CFR 302.33(d), but when the initiating jurisdiction is a foreign reciprocating country (FRC):

     (a) DCS may not assess costs against either the FRC or the custodial parent residing in an FRC; and

     (b) DCS may assess costs against the noncustodial parent in such a case.

[]

     (2) For all intergovernmental cases requiring services during the review period, DCS must determine the last required action on each case and determine whether the action was taken during the appropriate time frame.

     (3) DCS must use the audit criteria set forth in 45 CFR 308.2(g) when reviewing intergovernmental cases.

[]

     (1) Determine whether or not there is already an existing child support order or orders in effect in the case. DCS uses the state and federal case registries, state records, information provided by the recipient of services, and other relevant information;

     (2) Determine which jurisdiction may make a determination of the controlling order and reconciliation of arrearages if there are multiple orders; and

     (3) Determine whether the noncustodial parent (NCP) is in another jurisdiction and whether it is appropriate to use its one-state remedies to establish paternity and establish, modify, and enforce a support order, including medical support and income withholding.

[]

     (1) Asks the appropriate intrastate tribunal, or refers the case to the appropriate responding state IV-D agency, for a determination of the controlling order and a reconciliation of arrearages if such a determination is necessary; and

     (2) Refers any intergovernmental IV-D case to the appropriate state central registry, Tribal IV-D program, or central authority of a country for action, if one-state remedies are not appropriate.

[]

     (1) Provide the responding jurisdiction (RJ) sufficient, accurate information to act on the case by submitting with each case any necessary documentation and intergovernmental forms required by the RJ;

     (2) Provide the RJ with an updated intergovernmental form and any necessary additional documentation within thirty calendar days of receipt of the request for information, or notify the RJ when the information will be provided;

     (3) Notify the RJ at least annually, and upon request in an individual case, of interest charges, if any, owed on overdue support under an initiating state order being enforced in the RJ;

     (4) Submit all past-due support owed in IV-D cases that meet the certification requirements under §303.72 of this part for federal tax refund offset;

     (5) Send a request for review of a child support order to another state within twenty calendar days of determining that a request for review of the order should be sent to the other state and of receipt of information from the requestor necessary to conduct the review in accordance with section 466 (a)(10) of the Act and §303.8 of this part;

     (6) Distribute and disburse any support collections received in accordance with this section and §§302.32, 302.51, and 302.52 of this chapter, sections 454(5), 454B, 457, and 1912 of the Act, and instructions issued by the office;

     (7) Notify the RJ within ten working days of case closure that DCS has closed its case, and the basis for case closure as provided in WAC 388-14A-2083;

     (8) Instruct the RJ to close its intergovernmental case and to stop any withholding order or notice the RJ has sent to an employer before DCS transmits a withholding order or notice, with respect to the same case, to the same or another employer unless the two states reach an alternative agreement on how to proceed; and

     (9) If DCS has closed its case pursuant to WAC 388-14A-2083 and has not notified the RJ to close its corresponding case, DCS must make a diligent effort to locate the obligee, including use of the federal parent locator service and the state parent locator service, and accept, distribute and disburse any payment received from the RJ.

[]

     (1) Accept and process an intergovernmental request for services, regardless of whether the initiating jurisdiction (IJ) elected not to use remedies that may be available under the law of that jurisdiction;

     (2) Within seventy-five calendar days of receipt of an intergovernmental form and documentation:

     (a) Provide locate services under WAC 388-14A-1035, if the request is for locate services or if the form or documentation does not include adequate locate information on the noncustodial parent (NCP);

     (b) If unable to proceed with the case because of inadequate documentation, notify the IJ of the necessary additions or corrections to the form or documentation; and

     (c) If the documentation received with a case is incomplete and cannot be remedied without the assistance of the IJ, process the case to the extent possible pending necessary action by the IJ.

     (3) If DCS locates the NCP in another state, DCS returns the intergovernmental referral to the IJ within ten days.

     (a) DCS provides the NCP's locate information to the IJ.

     (b) Upon request of the IJ, DCS may forward or transmit the intergovernmental referral to the central registry in the state where the NCP has been located.

[]

     (1) File the controlling order determination request with the appropriate tribunal in its state within thirty calendar days of receipt of the request or location of the noncustodial parent, whichever occurs later; and

     (2) Notify the initiating state agency, the controlling order state and any state where a support order in the case was issued or registered, of the controlling order determination and any reconciled arrearages within thirty calendar days of receipt of the determination from the tribunal.

[]

     (a) Establishing paternity and, if appropriate, attempting to obtain a judgment for costs of paternity establishment;

     (b) Establishing a child support order;

     (c) Reporting overdue support to consumer reporting agencies, in accordance with WAC 388-14A-2160;

     (d) Processing and enforcing orders referred by the initiating jurisdiction (IJ), whether pursuant to the uniform interstate family support act (UIFSA) or other legal processes, using all appropriate remedies available;

     (e) Submitting the case for such federal enforcement techniques as DCS determines to be appropriate;

     (f) Collecting and monitoring any support payments from the noncustodial parent and forwarding payments to the location specified by the IJ. In doing so, DCS:

     (i) Includes sufficient information to identify the case;

     (ii) Indicates the date of collection as defined in WAC 388-14A-5001(3); and

     (iii) Includes the RJ's case identifier and locator code, in accordance with federal regulations.

     (g) Reviewing and adjusting child support orders upon request, as provided in WAC 388-14A-3900 through 388-14A-3907.

     (2) DCS provides timely notice to the IJ in advance of any hearing that may result in the establishment, modification or adjustment of an order.

     (3) DCS identifies any fees or costs deducted from support payments when forwarding payments to the IJ in accordance with RCW 74.20.040 and WAC 388-14A-2200.

     (4) DCS stops its income withholding order or notice and closes the intergovernmental IV-D case within ten working days of receipt of instructions for case closure from the IJ, unless DCS and the IJ reach an alternative agreement on how to proceed; and

     (5) DCS notifies the IJ when a case is closed pursuant to WAC 388-14A-2083 and 388-14A-2090.

[]

     (2) After receiving a request for paternity tests, the division of child support (DCS) must:

     (a) Arrange and pay for the genetic testing, except as provided in subsection (6) of this section, with a laboratory under contract with the department; and

     (b) Notify the NCP and the mother of the time and place to appear to give blood samples.

     (3) After DCS receives the test results, DCS must((:

     (a))) mail a notice of the test results to the:

     (((i))) (a) NCP's last known address by certified mail, return receipt requested; and

     (((ii))) (b) Mother's and/or custodial parent's last known address by first class mail.

     (((b) Notify the NCP:

     (i) Of the costs of the tests;

     (ii) That an administrative order entered as a result of the notice and finding of parental responsibility will include the cost of the tests; and

     (iii) That DCS may take collection action to collect the genetic testing costs twenty days after the date the NCP receives notice in Washington, or within the time specified in WAC 388-14A-7200, of the test results if the NCP fails to:

     (A) Request either a hearing on the issue of reimbursement to DCS for genetic testing costs under WAC 388-14A-3120 or the initiation of a parentage action in superior court; or

     (B) Negotiate an agreed settlement.

     (iv) If the notice was served in another state, DCS may take collection action according to WAC 388-14A-7200.))

     (4) When the genetic tests do not exclude the NCP from being the father, DCS may require the NCP ((must)) to reimburse the department for the costs of the tests. If DCS seeks reimbursement from the NCP, DCS must notify the NCP:

     (a) Of the costs of the tests;

     (b) That an administrative order entered as a result of the notice and finding of parental responsibility will include the cost of the tests; and

     (c) That DCS may take collection action to collect the genetic testing costs twenty days after the date the NCP receives notice in Washington, or within the time specified in WAC 388-14A-7200, of the test results if the NCP fails to:

     (i) Request either a hearing on the issue of reimbursement to DCS for genetic testing costs under WAC 388-14A-3120 or the initiation of a parentage action in superior court; or

     (ii) Negotiate an agreed settlement; and

     (d) That if the notice and finding of parental responsibility was served in another state, DCS may take collection action according to WAC 388-14A-7200.

     (5) When the paternity tests exclude the NCP from being the father, DCS must:

     (a) File a copy of the results with the state center for health statistics;

     (b) Withdraw the notice and finding of parental responsibility; and

     (c) Request the dismissal of any pending action based on the notice and finding of parental responsibility.

     (6) RCW 74.20A.056 does not require DCS to arrange or pay for genetic testing when:

     (a) Such tests were previously conducted; or

     (b) A court order establishing paternity has been entered.

     (7) In an intergovernmental case where DCS is the responding jurisdiction, DCS pays the costs of genetic testing for the initiating jurisdiction and may seek reimbursement from the NCP as provided in this section.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 74.20A.055, 74.20A.056. 01-03-089, § 388-14A-8300, filed 1/17/01, effective 2/17/01. Formerly WAC 388-11-048 and 388-11-220.]