(A) The federal government mandates that every state must have a centralized statewide disbursement unit which collects and disburses child support payments. The federal requirement will result in substantial changes in how spousal and child support payments are collected and disbursed in this State. The required technical solution cannot practically be deployed in every county at the same time and, as a result, the amendments to Sections 63-17-1430, 63-17-1460, 63-17-1580, 63-17-1890, and 63-17-1910 will take effect on a county-by-county basis. The General Assembly finds that the amendments are necessary to comply with the federal requirements.

(B) To implement procedures that will accompany deployment of the statewide disbursement unit, the Department of Social Services and the clerks of court shall provide notice to payors as required in subsection (C) below. The Department of Social Services and the clerks of court shall provide general notice to the public showing the date each county will implement the State Disbursement Unit by posting the notice required in subsection (C) on their web sites. This posting constitutes notice of the effective date of the amendments to Sections 63-17-1430, 63-17-1460, 63-17-1580- 63-17-1890, and 63-17-1910.

(C) Upon full deployment of the federally mandated single statewide system for child support, the Department of Social Services is authorized to transition to a State Disbursement Unit that will include all child and spousal support, as provided in this act. The department and the clerks of court shall cooperate fully in developing and implementing a transition plan that meets federal requirements and avoids federal financial penalties. The department shall provide notice to each affected support payor directing the payor to make all future payments, beginning thirty days after the department's notices to the payor, to the State Disbursement Unit.

(D) The amendments to Sections 63-17-1430, 63-17-1460, 63-17-1580, 63-17-1890, and 63-17-1910 concerning direct payments to the State Disbursement Unit are effective as to all payors receiving the notice specified in this section thirty days after the date of the notice, and effective as to all new cases filed in the county after that date.

HISTORY: 2008 Act No. 332, Section 3.

Code Commissioner's Note

At the direction of the Code Commissioner, this section was redesignated from Section 63-17-530 and placed under Article 4, State Disbursement Unit.