The state Title IV-D agency shall have the authority to take the following actions relating to establishment of paternity or to establishment, modification or enforcement of support orders, without the necessity of obtaining an order from any other judicial or administrative tribunal, and to recognize and enforce the authority of state Title IV-D agencies of other states to take the following actions:

A. to order genetic testing for the purpose of paternity establishments;

B. to subpoena any financial or other information needed to establish, modify or enforce a support order and to impose penalties for failure to respond to such a subpoena. A subpoena issued by the state Title IV-D agency under this section shall be served upon the person to be subpoenaed or, at the option of the secretary of human services or the secretary's authorized representative, by certified mail addressed to the person at his last known address. The service of the subpoena shall be at least ten days prior to the required production of the information. If the subpoena is served by certified mail, proof of service is the affidavit of mailing. After service of a subpoena upon a person, if the person neglects or refuses to comply with the subpoena, the state Title IV-D agency may apply to the district court of the county where the subpoena was served or the county where the subpoena was responded to for an order compelling compliance. Failure of the person to comply with the district court's order shall be punishable as contempt;

C. to require all entities in the state, including for-profit, nonprofit and governmental employers to provide promptly, in response to a request by the state Title IV-D agency of that or any other state administering a program under this part, information on the employment compensation, and benefits of any person employed by such entity as an employee or contractor and to sanction failure to respond to any such request;

D. to obtain access, subject to safeguards on privacy and information security, and subject to the nonliability of entities that afford such access, to information contained in the following records, including automated access in the case of records maintained in automated databases:

(1) records of other states and local government agencies, including:

(a) vital statistics, including records of marriage, birth and divorce;

(b) state and local tax and revenue records, including information on residence address, employer, income and assets;

(c) records concerning real and titled personal property;

(d) records of occupational and professional licenses and records concerning the ownership and control of corporations, partnerships and other business entities;

(e) employment security records;

(f) records of agencies administering public assistance programs;

(g) records of the motor vehicle division of the taxation and revenue department; and

(h) corrections records; and

(2) certain records held by private entities with respect to persons who owe or are owed support, or against or with respect to whom a support obligation is sought, consisting of:

(a) the names and addresses of such persons and the names and addresses of the employers of such persons, as appearing in customer records of public utilities and cable television companies, pursuant to an administrative subpoena; and

(b) information including information on assets and liabilities on such individuals held by financial institutions;

E. in cases in which support is subject to an assignment in order to comply with a requirement imposed pursuant to temporary assistance for needy families or medicaid, or to a requirement to pay through the state disbursement unit established pursuant to Section 454B of the Social Security Act, upon providing notice to obligor and obligee to direct the obligor or other payor to change the payee to the appropriate government entity;

F. to order income withholding;

G. in cases in which there is a support arrearage, to secure assets to satisfy the arrearage by:

(1) intercepting or seizing periodic or lump-sum payments from:

(a) a state or local agency, including unemployment compensation, workers' compensation and other benefits; and

(b) judgments, settlements and lotteries;

(2) attaching and seizing assets of the obligor held in financial institutions;

(3) attaching public and private retirement funds; and

(4) imposing liens and, in appropriate cases, to force sale of property and distribution of proceeds;

H. for the purpose of securing overdue support, to increase the amounts for arrearages, subject to such conditions or limitations as the state Title IV-D agency may provide;

I. the expedited procedures required shall include the following rules and authority, applicable with respect to all proceedings to establish paternity or to establish, modify or enforce support orders:

(1) each party to any paternity or child support proceeding is required, subject to privacy safeguards, to file with the tribunal and the state case registry upon entry of an order, and to update, as appropriate, information on location and identity of the party, including social security number, residential and mailing addresses, telephone number and driver's license number, and name, address and telephone number of employer; and

(2) in any subsequent child support enforcement action between the parties, upon sufficient showing that diligent effort has been made to ascertain the location of such a party, the tribunal may deem state due process requirements for notice and service of process to be met with respect to the party, upon delivery of written notice to the most recent residential or employer address filed with the tribunal;

J. procedures under which:

(1) the state agency and administrative or judicial tribunal with authority to hear child support and paternity cases exerts statewide jurisdiction over the parties; and

(2) in a state in which orders are issued by courts or administrative tribunals, a case may be transferred between local jurisdictions in the state without need for any additional filing by the petitioner, or service of process upon the respondent, to retain jurisdiction over the parties; and

K. the authority of the Title IV-D agency with regard to Subsections A through J of this section shall be subject to due process safeguards, including, as appropriate, requirements for notice, opportunity to contest the action and opportunity for an appeal on the record to an independent administrative or judicial tribunal. Such due process safeguards shall be developed and implemented by the Title IV-D agency in accordance with the administrative office of the courts and other affected agencies and individuals consistent with current policies and procedures for implementation of the human services department's regulations.

History: Laws 1997, ch. 237, § 16.

Cross references. — For Section 454B of the federal Social Security Act, see 42 U.S.C. § 654b.