(1) The division of child support
may issue a notice of noncompliance to any person, firm, entity,
or agency of state or federal government that the division
believes is not complying with:
(a) A notice of payroll deduction issued under chapter 26.23 RCW;
(b) A lien, order to withhold and deliver, or assignment of
earnings issued under this chapter;
(c) Any other wage assignment, garnishment, attachment, or
withholding instrument properly served by the agency or firm
providing child support enforcement services for another state,
under Title IV-D of the federal social security act;
(d) A subpoena issued by the division of child support, or
the agency or firm providing child support enforcement for
another state, under Title IV-D of the federal social security
act;
(e) An information request issued by the division of child
support, or the agency or firm providing child support
enforcement for another state under Title IV-D of the federal
social security act, to an employer or entity required to respond
to such requests under RCW 74.20A.360; or
(f) The duty to report newly hired employees imposed by RCW 26.23.040.
(2) Liability for noncompliance with a wage withholding,
garnishment, order to withhold and deliver, or any other lien or
attachment issued to secure payment of child support is governed
by RCW 26.23.090 and 74.20A.100, except that liability for
noncompliance with remittance time frames is governed by
subsection (3) of this section.
(3) The division of child support may impose fines of up to
one hundred dollars per occurrence for:
(a) Noncompliance with a subpoena or an information request
issued by the division of child support, or the agency or firm
providing child support enforcement services for another state
under Title IV-D of the federal social security act;
(b) Noncompliance with the required time frames for
remitting withheld support moneys to the Washington state support
registry, or the agency or firm providing child support
enforcement services for another state, except that no liability
shall be established for failure to make timely remittance unless
the division of child support has provided the person, firm,
entity, or agency of state or federal government with written
warning:
(i) Explaining the duty to remit withheld payments promptly;
(ii) Explaining the potential for fines for delayed
submission; and
(iii) Providing a contact person within the division of
child support with whom the person, firm, entity, or agency of
state or federal government may seek assistance with child
support withholding issues.
(4) The division of child support may assess fines according
to RCW 26.23.040 for failure to comply with employer reporting
requirements.
(5) The division of child support may suspend licenses for
failure to comply with a subpoena issued under RCW 74.20.225.
(6) The division of child support may serve a notice of
noncompliance by personal service or by any method of mailing
requiring a return receipt.
(7) The liability asserted by the division of child support
in the notice of noncompliance becomes final and collectible on
the twenty-first day after the date of service, unless within
that time the person, firm, entity, or agency of state or federal
government:
(a) Initiates an action in superior court to contest the
notice of noncompliance;
(b) Requests a hearing by delivering a hearing request to
the division of child support in accordance with rules adopted by
the secretary under this section; or
(c) Contacts the division of child support and negotiates an
alternate resolution to the asserted noncompliance or
demonstrates that the person, firm, entity, or agency of state or
federal government has complied with the child support processes.
(8) The notice of noncompliance shall contain:
(a) A full and fair disclosure of the rights and obligations
created by this section; and
(b) Identification of the:
(i) Child support process with respect to which the division
of child support is alleging noncompliance; and
(ii) State child support enforcement agency issuing the
original child support process.
(9) In an administrative hearing convened under subsection
(7)(b) of this section, the presiding officer shall determine
whether or not, and to what extent, liability for noncompliance
exists under this section, and shall enter an order containing
these findings. If liability does exist, the presiding officer
shall include language in the order advising the parties to the
proceeding that the liability may be collected by any means
available to the division of child support under subsection (12)
of this section without further notice to the liable party.
(10) Hearings under this section are governed by the
administrative procedure act, chapter 34.05 RCW.
(11) After the twenty days following service of the notice,
the person, firm, entity, or agency of state or federal
government may petition for a late hearing. A petition for a
late hearing does not stay any collection action to recover the
debt. A late hearing is available upon a showing of any of the
grounds stated in civil rule 60 for the vacation of orders.
(12) The division of child support may collect any
obligation established under this section using any of the
remedies available under chapter 26.09, 26.18, *26.21, 26.23,
74.20, or 74.20A RCW for the collection of child support.
(13) The division of child support may enter agreements for
the repayment of obligations under this section. Agreements may:
(a) Suspend the obligation imposed by this section
conditioned on future compliance with child support processes. Such suspension shall end automatically upon any failure to
comply with a child support process. Amounts suspended become
fully collectible without further notice automatically upon
failure to comply with a child support process;
(b) Resolve amounts due under this section and provide for
repayment.
(14) The secretary may adopt rules to implement this
section.
[1997 c 58 § 893.]
NOTES:
*Reviser's note: Chapter 26.21 RCW was repealed by 2002 c 198 § 901, effective January 1, 2007. Later enactment, see chapter 26.21A RCW.
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.