(1) The division of child
support may issue a notice of payroll deduction:
(a) As authorized by a support order that contains a notice
clearly stating that child support may be collected by
withholding from earnings, wages, or benefits without further
notice to the obligated parent; or
(b) After service of a notice containing an
income-withholding provision under this chapter or chapter 74.20A RCW.
(2) The division of child support shall serve a notice of
payroll deduction upon a responsible parent's employer or upon
the employment security department for the state in possession of
or owing any benefits from the unemployment compensation fund to
the responsible parent pursuant to Title 50 RCW:
(a) In the manner prescribed for the service of a summons in
a civil action;
(b) By certified mail, return receipt requested;
(c) By electronic means if there is an agreement between the
secretary and the person, firm, corporation, association,
political subdivision, department of the state, or agency,
subdivision, or instrumentality of the United States to accept
service by electronic means; or
(d) By regular mail to a responsible parent's employer
unless the division of child support reasonably believes that
service of process in the manner prescribed in (a) or (b) of this
subsection is required for initiating an action to ensure
employer compliance with the withholding requirement.
(3) Service of a notice of payroll deduction upon an
employer or employment security department requires the employer
or employment security department to immediately make a mandatory
payroll deduction from the responsible parent's unpaid disposable
earnings or unemployment compensation benefits. The employer or
employment security department shall thereafter deduct each pay
period the amount stated in the notice divided by the number of
pay periods per month. The payroll deduction each pay period
shall not exceed fifty percent of the responsible parent's
disposable earnings.
(4) A notice of payroll deduction for support shall have
priority over any wage assignment, garnishment, attachment, or
other legal process.
(5) The notice of payroll deduction shall be in writing and
include:
(a) The name and social security number of the responsible
parent;
(b) The amount to be deducted from the responsible parent's
disposable earnings each month, or alternate amounts and
frequencies as may be necessary to facilitate processing of the
payroll deduction;
(c) A statement that the total amount withheld shall not
exceed fifty percent of the responsible parent's disposable
earnings;
(d) The address to which the payments are to be mailed or
delivered; and
(e) A notice to the responsible parent warning the
responsible parent that, despite the payroll deduction, 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 defined in RCW 74.20A.320.
(6) An informational copy of the notice of payroll deduction
shall be mailed to the last known address of the responsible
parent by regular mail.
(7) An employer or employment security department that
receives a notice of payroll deduction shall make immediate
deductions from the responsible parent's unpaid disposable
earnings and remit proper amounts to the Washington state support
registry within seven working days of the date the earnings are
payable to the responsible parent.
(8) An employer, or the employment security department, upon
whom a notice of payroll deduction is served, shall make an
answer to the division of child support within twenty days after
the date of service. The answer shall confirm compliance and
institution of the payroll deduction or explain the circumstances
if no payroll deduction is in effect. The answer shall also
state whether the responsible parent is employed by or receives
earnings from the employer or receives unemployment compensation
benefits from the employment security department, whether the
employer or employment security department anticipates paying
earnings or unemployment compensation benefits and the amount of
earnings. If the responsible parent is no longer employed, or
receiving earnings from the employer, the answer shall state the
present employer's name and address, if known. If the
responsible parent is no longer receiving unemployment
compensation benefits from the employment security department,
the answer shall state the present employer's name and address,
if known.
The returned answer or a payment remitted to the division of
child support by the employer constitutes proof of service of the
notice of payroll deduction in the case where the notice was
served by regular mail.
(9) The employer may deduct a processing fee from the
remainder of the responsible parent's earnings after withholding
under the notice of payroll deduction, even if the remainder is
exempt under RCW 26.18.090. The processing fee may not exceed:
(a) Ten dollars for the first disbursement made to the Washington
state support registry; and (b) one dollar for each subsequent
disbursement to the registry.
(10) The notice of payroll deduction shall remain in effect
until released by the division of child support, the court enters
an order terminating the notice and approving an alternate
arrangement under RCW 26.23.050, or until the employer no longer
employs the responsible parent and is no longer in possession of
or owing any earnings to the responsible parent. The employer
shall promptly notify the office of support enforcement when the
employer no longer employs the parent subject to the notice. For
the employment security department, the notice of payroll
deduction shall remain in effect until released by the division
of child support or until the court enters an order terminating
the notice.
(11) The division of child support may use uniform
interstate withholding forms adopted by the United States
department of health and human services to take withholding
actions under this section whether the responsible parent is
receiving earnings or unemployment compensation in this state or
in another state.
[2000 c 86 § 4; 2000 c 29 § 1; 1998 c 160 § 8; 1997 c 58 § 890; 1994 c 230 § 10; 1991 c 367 § 40; 1989 c 360 § 32; 1987 c 435 § 6.]
NOTES:
Reviser's note: This section was amended by 2000 c 29 § 1 and by 2000 c 86 § 4, each without reference to the other. Both amendments are incorporated in the publication of this section under RCW 1.12.025(2). For rule of construction, see RCW 1.12.025(1).
Severability -- 2000 c 29: "If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected." [2000 c 29 § 2.]
Conflict with federal requirements -- 2000 c 29: "If any part of this act is found to be in conflict with federal requirements that are a prescribed condition to the allocation of federal funds to the state or the eligibility of employers in this state for federal unemployment tax credits, the conflicting part of this act is inoperative solely to the extent of the conflict, and the finding or determination does not affect the operation of the remainder of this act. Rules adopted under this act must meet federal requirements that are a necessary condition to the receipt of federal funds by the state or the granting of federal unemployment tax credits to employers in this state." [2000 c 29 § 3.]
Effective date -- 2000 c 29: "This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately [March 17, 2000]." [2000 c 29 § 4.]
Effective date -- 1998 c 160 §§ 1, 5, and 8: See note following RCW 74.20A.080.
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.
Effective dates -- Intent -- 1997 c 58: See notes following RCW 74.20A.320.
Severability -- Effective date -- Captions not law -- 1991 c 367: See notes following RCW 26.09.015.