(1) If the division of child support is providing
support enforcement services under RCW 26.23.045, or if a party
is applying for support enforcement services by signing the
application form on the bottom of the support order, the superior
court shall include in all court orders that establish or modify
a support obligation:
(a) A provision that orders and directs the responsible
parent to make all support payments to the Washington state
support registry;
(b) A statement that withholding action may be taken against
wages, earnings, assets, or benefits, and liens enforced against
real and personal property under the child support statutes of
this or any other state, without further notice to the
responsible parent at any time after entry of the court order,
unless:
(i) One of the parties demonstrates, and the court finds,
that there is good cause not to require immediate income
withholding and that withholding should be delayed until a
payment is past due; or
(ii) The parties reach a written agreement that is approved
by the court that provides for an alternate arrangement;
(c) A statement that the receiving parent might be required
to submit an accounting of how the support is being spent to
benefit the child; and
(d) A statement that the responsible parent's privileges to
obtain and maintain a license, as defined in RCW 74.20A.320, may
not be renewed, or may be suspended if the parent is not in
compliance with a support order as provided in RCW 74.20A.320.
As used in this subsection and subsection (3) of this
section, "good cause not to require immediate income withholding"
means a written determination of why implementing immediate wage
withholding would not be in the child's best interests and, in
modification cases, proof of timely payment of previously ordered
support.
(2) In all other cases not under subsection (1) of this
section, the court may order the responsible parent to make
payments directly to the person entitled to receive the payments,
to the Washington state support registry, or may order that
payments be made in accordance with an alternate arrangement
agreed upon by the parties.
(a) The superior court shall include in all orders under
this subsection that establish or modify a support obligation:
(i) A statement that withholding action may be taken against
wages, earnings, assets, or benefits, and liens enforced against
real and personal property under the child support statutes of
this or any other state, without further notice to the
responsible parent at any time after entry of the court order,
unless:
(A) One of the parties demonstrates, and the court finds,
that there is good cause not to require immediate income
withholding and that withholding should be delayed until a
payment is past due; or
(B) The parties reach a written agreement that is approved
by the court that provides for an alternate arrangement; and
(ii) A statement that the receiving parent may be required
to submit an accounting of how the support is being spent to
benefit the child.
As used in this subsection, "good cause not to require
immediate income withholding" is any reason that the court finds
appropriate.
(b) The superior court may order immediate or delayed income
withholding as follows:
(i) Immediate income withholding may be ordered if the
responsible parent has earnings. If immediate income withholding
is ordered under this subsection, all support payments shall be
paid to the Washington state support registry. The superior
court shall issue a mandatory wage assignment order as set forth
in chapter 26.18 RCW when the support order is signed by the
court. The parent entitled to receive the transfer payment is
responsible for serving the employer with the order and for its
enforcement as set forth in chapter 26.18 RCW.
(ii) If immediate income withholding is not ordered, the
court shall require that income withholding be delayed until a
payment is past due. The support order shall contain a statement
that withholding action may be taken against wages, earnings,
assets, or benefits, and liens enforced against real and personal
property under the child support statutes of this or any other
state, without further notice to the responsible parent, after a
payment is past due.
(c) If a mandatory wage withholding order under chapter 26.18 RCW is issued under this subsection and the division of
child support provides support enforcement services under RCW 26.23.045, the existing wage withholding assignment is
prospectively superseded upon the division of child support's
subsequent service of an income withholding notice.
(3) The office of administrative hearings and the department
of social and health services shall require that all support
obligations established as administrative orders include a
provision which orders and directs that the responsible parent
shall make all support payments to the Washington state support
registry. All administrative orders shall also state that the
responsible parent's privileges to obtain and maintain a license,
as defined in RCW 74.20A.320, may not be renewed, or may be
suspended if the parent is not in compliance with a support order
as provided in RCW 74.20A.320. All administrative orders shall
also state that withholding action may be taken against wages,
earnings, assets, or benefits, and liens enforced against real
and personal property under the child support statutes of this or
any other state without further notice to the responsible parent
at any time after entry of the order, unless:
(a) One of the parties demonstrates, and the presiding
officer finds, that there is good cause not to require immediate
income withholding; or
(b) The parties reach a written agreement that is approved
by the presiding officer that provides for an alternate
agreement.
(4) If the support order does not include the provision
ordering and directing that all payments be made to the
Washington state support registry and a statement that
withholding action may be taken against wages, earnings, assets,
or benefits if a support payment is past due or at any time after
the entry of the order, or that a parent's licensing privileges
may not be renewed, or may be suspended, the division of child
support may serve a notice on the responsible parent stating such
requirements and authorizations. Service may be by personal
service or any form of mail requiring a return receipt.
(5) Every support order shall state:
(a) The address where the support payment is to be sent;
(b) That withholding action may be taken against wages,
earnings, assets, or benefits, and liens enforced against real
and personal property under the child support statutes of this or
any other state, without further notice to the responsible parent
at any time after entry of a support order, unless:
(i) One of the parties demonstrates, and the court finds,
that there is good cause not to require immediate income
withholding; or
(ii) The parties reach a written agreement that is approved
by the court that provides for an alternate arrangement;
(c) The income of the parties, if known, or that their
income is unknown and the income upon which the support award is
based;
(d) The support award as a sum certain amount;
(e) The specific day or date on which the support payment is
due;
(f) The names and ages of the dependent children;
(g) A provision requiring both the responsible parent and
the custodial parent to keep the Washington state support
registry informed of whether he or she has access to health
insurance coverage at reasonable cost and, if so, the health
insurance policy information;
(h) That either or both the responsible parent and the
custodial parent shall be obligated to provide health insurance
coverage for his or her child if coverage that can be extended to
cover the child is or becomes available to the parent through
employment or is union-related as provided under RCW 26.09.105;
(i) That if proof of health insurance coverage or proof that
the coverage is unavailable is not provided within twenty days,
the parent seeking enforcement or the department may seek direct
enforcement of the coverage through the employer or union of the
parent required to provide medical support without further notice
to the parent as provided under chapter 26.18 RCW;
(j) The reasons for not ordering health insurance coverage
if the order fails to require such coverage;
(k) That the responsible parent's privileges to obtain and
maintain a license, as defined in RCW 74.20A.320, may not be
renewed, or may be suspended if the parent is not in compliance
with a support order as provided in RCW 74.20A.320;
(l) That each parent must:
(i) Promptly file with the court and update as necessary the
confidential information form required by subsection (7) of this
section; and
(ii) Provide the state case registry and update as necessary
the information required by subsection (7) of this section; and
(m) That parties to administrative support orders shall
provide to the state case registry and update as necessary their
residential addresses and the address of the responsible parent's
employer. The division of child support may adopt rules that
govern the collection of parties' current residence and mailing
addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, social security
numbers, the names of the children, social security numbers of
the children, dates of birth of the children, driver's license
numbers, and the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of the
parties' employers to enforce an administrative support order.
The division of child support shall not release this information
if the division of child support determines that there is reason
to believe that release of the information may result in physical
or emotional harm to the party or to the child, or a restraining
order or protective order is in effect to protect one party from
the other party.
(6) After the responsible parent has been ordered or
notified to make payments to the Washington state support
registry under this section, the responsible parent shall be
fully responsible for making all payments to the Washington state
support registry and shall be subject to payroll deduction or
other income-withholding action. The responsible parent shall
not be entitled to credit against a support obligation for any
payments made to a person or agency other than to the Washington
state support registry except as provided under RCW 74.20.101. A
civil action may be brought by the payor to recover payments made
to persons or agencies who have received and retained support
moneys paid contrary to the provisions of this section.
(7) All petitioners and parties to all court actions under
chapters 26.09, 26.10, 26.12, 26.18, 26.21A, 26.23, 26.26, and 26.27 RCW shall complete to the best of their knowledge a
verified and signed confidential information form or equivalent
that provides the parties' current residence and mailing
addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, social security
numbers, driver's license numbers, and the names, addresses, and
telephone numbers of the parties' employers. The clerk of the
court shall not accept petitions, except in parentage actions
initiated by the state, orders of child support, decrees of
dissolution, or paternity orders for filing in such actions
unless accompanied by the confidential information form or
equivalent, or unless the confidential information form or
equivalent is already on file with the court clerk. In lieu of
or in addition to requiring the parties to complete a separate
confidential information form, the clerk may collect the
information in electronic form. The clerk of the court shall
transmit the confidential information form or its data to the
division of child support with a copy of the order of child
support or paternity order, and may provide copies of the
confidential information form or its data and any related
findings, decrees, parenting plans, orders, or other documents to
the state administrative agency that administers Title IV-A,
IV-D, IV-E, or XIX of the federal social security act. In state
initiated paternity actions, the parties adjudicated the parents
of the child or children shall complete the confidential
information form or equivalent or the state's attorney of record
may complete that form to the best of the attorney's knowledge.
(8) The department has rule-making authority to enact rules
consistent with 42 U.S.C. Sec. 652(f) and 42 U.S.C. Sec.
666(a)(19) as amended by section 7307 of the deficit reduction
act of 2005. Additionally, the department has rule-making
authority to implement regulations required under parts 45 C.F.R. 302, 303, 304, 305, and 308.
[2007 c 143 § 3; 2001 c 42 § 3; 1998 c 160 § 2; 1997 c 58 § 888; 1994 c 230 § 9; 1993 c 207 § 1; 1991 c 367 § 39; 1989 c 360 § 15; 1987 c 435 § 5.]
NOTES:
Severability -- 2007 c 143: See note following RCW 26.18.170.
Effective date -- Severability -- 2001 c 42: See notes following RCW 26.09.020.
Short title -- Part headings, captions, table of contents not law -- Exemptions and waivers from federal law -- Conflict with federal requirements -- Severability -- 1997 c 58: See RCW 74.08A.900 through 74.08A.904.
Intent -- 1997 c 58: See note following RCW 74.20A.320.
Severability -- Effective date -- Captions not law -- 1991 c 367:See notes following RCW 26.09.015.