(1) The department may serve upon a responsible parent a notice
informing the responsible parent of the department's intent to
submit the parent's name to the department of licensing and any
appropriate licensing entity as a licensee who is not in
compliance with a child support order. The department shall
attach a copy of the responsible parent's child support order to
the notice. Service of the notice must be by certified mail,
return receipt requested. If service by certified mail is not
successful, service shall be by personal service.
(2) The notice of noncompliance must include the following
information:
(a) The address and telephone number of the department's
division of child support office that issued the notice;
(b) That in order to prevent the department from certifying
the parent's name to the department of licensing or any other
licensing entity, the parent has twenty days from receipt of the
notice to contact the department and:
(i) Pay the overdue support amount in full;
(ii) Request an adjudicative proceeding as provided in RCW 74.20A.322;
(iii) Agree to a payment schedule with the department as
provided in RCW 74.20A.326; or
(iv) File an action to modify the child support order with
the appropriate court or administrative forum, in which case the
department will stay the certification process up to six months;
(c) That failure to contact the department within twenty
days of receipt of the notice will result in certification of the
responsible parent's name to the department of licensing and any
other appropriate licensing entity for noncompliance with a child
support order. Upon receipt of the notice:
(i) The licensing entity will suspend or not renew the
parent's license and the department of licensing will suspend or
not renew any driver's license that the parent holds until the
parent provides the department of licensing and the licensing
entity with a release from the department stating that the
responsible parent is in compliance with the child support order;
(ii) The department of fish and wildlife will suspend a
fishing license, hunting license, occupational licenses, such as
a commercial fishing license, or any other license issued under
chapter 77.32 RCW that the responsible parent may possess, and
suspension of a license by the department of fish and wildlife
may also affect the parent's ability to obtain permits, such as
special hunting permits, issued by the department. Notice from
the department of licensing that a responsible parent's driver's
license has been suspended shall serve as notice of the
suspension of a license issued under chapter 77.32 RCW;
(d) That suspension of a license will affect insurability if
the responsible parent's insurance policy excludes coverage for
acts occurring after the suspension of a license;
(e) If the responsible parent subsequently comes into
compliance with the child support order, the department will
promptly provide the parent and the appropriate licensing
entities with a release stating that the parent is in compliance
with the order.
(3) When a responsible parent who is served notice under
subsection (1) of this section subsequently complies with the
child support order, a copy of a release stating that the
responsible parent is in compliance with the order shall be
transmitted by the department to the appropriate licensing
entities.
(4) The department of licensing and a licensing entity may
renew, reinstate, or otherwise extend a license in accordance
with the licensing entity's or the department of licensing's
rules after the licensing entity or the department of licensing
receives a copy of the release specified in subsection (3) of
this section. The department of licensing and a licensing entity
may waive any applicable requirement for reissuance, renewal, or
other extension if it determines that the imposition of that
requirement places an undue burden on the person and that waiver
of the requirement is consistent with the public interest.
[2009 c 408 § 1; 1997 c 58 § 802.]
NOTES:
Effective dates -- 1997 c 58: "*(2) Sections 801 through
887, 889, and 890 of this act are necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support
of the state government and its existing public institutions, and
take effect July 1, 1997.
(3) Sections 701 through 704 of this act take effect January
1, 1998.
(4) Section 944 of this act takes effect October 1, 1998."
[1997 c 58 § 1013.]
*Reviser's note: Subsection (1) of this section was vetoed
by the governor. The vetoed language is as follows:
"(1) Sections 1, 2, 101 through 110, 201 through 207, 301
through 329, 401 through 404, 501 through 506, 601, 705, 706,
888, 891 through 943, 945 through 948, and 1002 of this act are
necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace,
health, or safety, or support of the state government and its
existing public institutions, and take effect immediately."
Intent -- 1997 c 58: "It is the intent of the legislature to
provide a strong incentive for persons owing child support to
make timely payments, and to cooperate with the department of
social and health services to establish an appropriate schedule
for the payment of any arrears. To further ensure that child
support obligations are met, sections 801 through 890 of this act
establish a program by which certain licenses may be suspended or
not renewed if a person is one hundred eighty days or more in
arrears on child support payments.
In the implementation and management of this program, it is
the legislature's intent that the objective of the department of
social and health services be to obtain payment in full of
arrears, or where that is not possible, to enter into agreements
with delinquent obligors to make timely support payments and make
reasonable payments towards the arrears. The legislature intends
that if the obligor refuses to cooperate in establishing a fair
and reasonable payment schedule for arrears or refuses to make
timely support payments, the department shall proceed with
certification to a licensing entity or the department of
licensing that the person is not in compliance with a child
support order." [1997 c 58 § 801.]
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.