BILL NUMBER: AB 196 CHAPTERED 09/27/99 CHAPTER 478 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 27, 1999 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR SEPTEMBER 24, 1999 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 19, 1999 PASSED THE SENATE JULY 15, 1999 AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 14, 1999 AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 8, 1999 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 18, 1999 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 6, 1999 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 18, 1999 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY FEBRUARY 25, 1999 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Kuehl (Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Aroner and Villaraigosa) (Principal coauthors: Senators Burton and Schiff) (Coauthors: Assembly Members Alquist, Calderon, Jackson, Longville, Mazzoni, Romero, Shelley, and Washington) (Coauthors: Senators Hayden and Ortiz) JANUARY 21, 1999 An act to add Division 17 (commencing with Section 17000) to the Family Code, to amend Section 12803 of the Government Code, to amend Sections 19271, 19533, and 19548 of, and to repeal Section 19271.5 of, the Revenue and Taxation Code, to add Section 1088.8 to the Unemployment Insurance Code, to amend Sections 11476.6, 11477, 11477.02, 11477.04, 11479, 11485, and 18205 of, to amend and renumber Section 11479.7 of, to amend and repeal Section 11475.3 of, and to repeal Sections 11350, 11350.1, 11350.2, 11350.3, 11350.4, 11350.5, 11350.6, 11350.7, 11350.8, 11350.9, 11351, 11352, 11354, 11355, 11356, 11357, 11475, 11475.1, 11475.15, 11475.4, 11475.5, 11475.8, 11476, 11476.1, 11478, 11478.2, 11478.5, 11478.51, 11478.6, 11478.7, 11478.8, 11478.9, 11479.5, 11479.6, 11479.7, 11488, 11489, 11490, 11491, 11492, 11492.1, 15200.6, 15200.75, 15200.81, 15200.92, 15200.95, 15200.96, 15200.97, 15200.98, of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to social services. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 196, Kuehl. Child support enforcement. Existing law designates the State Department of Social Services as the single organizational unit to administer the state plan for securing child and spousal support and determining paternity and sets forth the department's duties and functions for this purpose. This bill would recast those provisions. The bill would establish a Department of Child Support Services to administer all services and perform all functions necessary to establish, collect, and distribute child support. The bill would designate the Department of Child Support Services as the single organizational unit to administer the state plan for securing child and spousal support, medical support, and determining paternity. The bill would require the Director of Child Support Services to develop a plan for consolidating state and local child support enforcement collection activities within the department and submit the plan to the Governor, the Legislature, and the public by January 1, 2001. The bill would require the director to convene a task force by September 1, 2000, to evaluate the benefits of implementing an administrative process in the state for handling child support matters being enforced by a local child support agency pursuant to the bill. The bill would require the task force to report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature by July 1, 2001. Existing law requires each county to maintain a single organizational unit within the office of the district attorney to be responsible for establishing, modifying, and enforcing child support obligations and specifies various duties and the authority of the district attorney for these purposes. This bill, instead, would require each county to establish a county department of child support services referred to as the local child support agency, to which the Department of Child Support Services has delegated or with which the department has contracted, to secure child and spousal support, medical support, and determine paternity in a county pursuant to these provisions. Because this bill would impose new duties upon counties, it would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law provides for the collection of child support obligations by the Franchise Tax Board. This bill would require the Franchise Tax Board to implement augmented child support collection activities, and would revise child support collection procedures. Existing law requires each employer to file with the Director of Employment Development a report of contributions and report of wages paid to his or her workers as prescribed. This bill would require, effective July 1, 2000, any service-recipient, as defined, who makes or is required to file designated tax returns with the federal Internal Revenue Service to provide to the Employment Development Department certain information. Existing law provides for the funding of various means of providing incentives for county child support collection efforts and limiting the use of excess incentive funds paid to counties. This bill would repeal those provisions. This bill would also make conforming changes and delete obsolete provisions of law. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement, including the creation of a State Mandates Claims Fund to pay the costs of mandates that do not exceed $1,000,000 statewide and other procedures for claims whose statewide costs exceed $1,000,000. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Division 17 (commencing with Section 17000) is added to the Family Code, to read: DIVISION 17. SUPPORT SERVICES CHAPTER 1. DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES Article 1. General 17000. The definitions contained in this section, and definitions applicable to Division 9 (commencing with Section 3500), shall govern the construction of this division, unless the context requires otherwise. (a) "Child support debt" means the amount of money owed as child support pursuant to a court order. (b) "Child support order" means any court order for the payment of a set or determinable amount of support by a parent or a court order requiring a parent to provide for health insurance coverage. "Child support order" includes any court order for spousal support or for medical support to the extent these obligations are to be enforced by a single state agency for child support under Title IV-D. (c) "Court" means any superior court of this state and any court or tribunal of another state that has jurisdiction to determine the liability of persons for the support of another person. (d) "Court order" means any judgment, decree, or order of any court of this state that orders the payment of a set or determinable amount of support by a parent. It does not include any order or decree of any proceeding in which a court did not order support. (e) "Department" means the Department of Child Support Services. (f) "Dependent child" means any of the following: (1) Any person under 18 years of age who is not emancipated, self-supporting, married, or a member of the armed forces of the United States. (2) Any unmarried person who is at least 18 years of age but who has not reached his or her 19th birthday, is not emancipated, and is a student regularly attending high school or a program of vocational or technical training designed to train that person for gainful employment. (g) "Director" means the Director of Child Support Services or his or her authorized representative. (h) "Local child support agency" means the county department of child support services created pursuant to this chapter and with which the department has entered into a cooperative agreement, to secure child and spousal support, medical support, and determine paternity in a county. (i) "Parent" means the natural or adoptive father or mother of a dependent child, and includes any person who has an enforceable obligation to support a dependent child. (j) "Public assistance" includes any money payments made to or for the benefit of any dependent child, including all payments paid for food, shelter, medical care, clothing, transportation, or any other goods or services. (k) "Public assistance debt" means any amount paid under the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids Act, contained in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, for the benefit of any dependent child or the caretaker of a child for whom the department is authorized to seek recoupment under this division, subject to applicable federal law. (l) "Title IV-D" or "IV-D" means Part D of Title IV of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 651 et seq.). Article 2. Organization 17200. The Department of Child Support Services is hereby created within the California Health and Human Services Agency. The department shall administer all services and perform all functions necessary to establish, collect, and distribute child support. 17202. The department is hereby designated the single organizational unit whose duty it shall be to administer the Title IV-D state plan for securing child and spousal support, medical support, and determining paternity. State plan functions shall be performed by other agencies as required by law, by delegation of the department, or by cooperative agreements. 17204. The department consists of the director and such division or other administrative units as the director may find necessary. 17206. The department shall ensure that there is an adequate organizational structure and sufficient staff to perform functions delegated to any governmental unit relating to Part D (commencing with Section 651) of Subchapter 4 of Chapter 7 of Title 42 of the United States Code, including a sufficient number of attorneys to ensure that all requirements of due process are satisfied in the establishment and enforcement of child support orders. 17208. (a) The department shall reduce the cost of, and increase the speed and efficiency of, child support enforcement operations. It is the intent of the Legislature to operate the child support enforcement program through local child support agencies without a net increase in state General Fund or county general fund costs, considering all increases to the General Fund as a result of increased collections and welfare recoupment. (b) The department shall maximize the use of federal funds available for the costs of administering a child support services department, and to the maximum extent feasible, obtain funds from federal financial incentives for the efficient collection of child support, to defray the remaining costs of administration of the department consistent with effective and efficient support enforcement. 17210. The department shall ensure that the local child support agency offices and services are reasonably accessible throughout the counties, and shall establish systems for informing the public, including custodial and noncustodial parents of dependent children, of its services and operations. 17211. The department shall administer the Child Support Assurance Demonstration Project established by Article 5 (commencing with Section 18241) of Chapter 3.3 of Part 6, and the county demonstration projects to provide employment and training services to nonsupporting noncustodial parents authorized by Section 18203.5. 17212. (a) It is the intent of the Legislature to protect individual rights of privacy, and to facilitate and enhance the effectiveness of the child and spousal support enforcement program, by ensuring the confidentiality of support enforcement and child abduction records, and to thereby encourage the full and frank disclosure of information relevant to all of the following: (1) The establishment or maintenance of parent and child relationships and support obligations. (2) The enforcement of the child support liability of absent parents. (3) The enforcement of spousal support liability of the spouse or former spouse to the extent required by the state plan under Section 17604 and Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 4900) of Part 5 of Division 9. (4) The location of absent parents. (5) The location of parents and children abducted, concealed, or detained by them. (b) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (c), all files, applications, papers, documents, and records established or maintained by any public entity pursuant to the administration and implementation of the child and spousal support enforcement program established pursuant to Part D (commencing with Section 651) of Subchapter IV of Chapter 7 of Title 42 of the United States Code and this division, shall be confidential, and shall not be open to examination or released for disclosure for any purpose not directly connected with the administration of the child and spousal support enforcement program. No public entity shall disclose any file, application, paper, document, or record, or the information contained therein, except as expressly authorized by this section. (2) In no case shall information be released or the whereabouts of one party or the child disclosed to another party, or to the attorney of any other party, if a protective order has been issued by a court or administrative agency with respect to the former party, a good cause claim under Section 11477.04 of the Welfare and Institutions Code has been approved or is pending, or the public agency responsible for establishing paternity or enforcing support has reason to believe that the release of the information may result in physical or emotional harm to the former party or the child. (3) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a proof of service filed by the district attorney shall not disclose the address where service of process was accomplished. Instead, the district attorney shall keep the address in his or her own records. The proof of service shall specify that the address is on record at the district attorney's office and that the address may be released only upon an order from the court pursuant to paragraph (6) of subdivision (c). (c) Disclosure of the information described in subdivision (b) is authorized as follows: (1) All files, applications, papers, documents, and records as described in subdivision (b) shall be available and may be used by a public entity for all administrative, civil, or criminal investigations, actions, proceedings, or prosecutions conducted in connection with the administration of the child and spousal support enforcement program approved under Part D (commencing with Section 651) of Subchapter IV of Chapter 7 of Title 42 of the United States Code, and any other plan or program described in Section 303.21 of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations and to the county welfare department responsible for administering a program operated under a state plan pursuant to Subpart 1 or 2 or Part B or Part E of Subchapter IV of Chapter 7 of Title 42 of the United States Code. (2) A document requested by a person who wrote, prepared, or furnished the document may be examined by or disclosed to that person or his or her designee. (3) The payment history of an obligor pursuant to a support order may be examined by or released to the court, the obligor, or the person on whose behalf enforcement actions are being taken or that person's designee. (4) Income and expense information of either parent may be released to the other parent for the purpose of establishing or modifying a support order. (5) Public records subject to disclosure under the Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of the Government Code) may be released. (6) After a noticed motion and a finding by the court, in a case in which establishment or enforcement actions are being taken, that release or disclosure to the obligor or obligee is required by due process of law, the court may order a public entity that possesses an application, paper, document, or record as described in subdivision (b) to make that item available to the obligor or obligee for examination or copying, or to disclose to the obligor or obligee the contents of that item. Article 9 (commencing with Section 1040) of Chapter 4 of Division 3 of the Evidence Code shall not be applicable to proceedings under this part. At any hearing of a motion filed pursuant to this section, the court shall inquire of the local child support agency and the parties appearing at the hearing if there is reason to believe that release of the requested information may result in physical or emotional harm to a party. If the court determines that harm may occur, the court shall issue any protective orders or injunctive orders restricting the use and disclosure of the information as are necessary to protect the individuals. (7) To the extent not prohibited by federal law or regulation, information indicating the existence or imminent threat of a crime against a child, or location of a concealed, detained, or abducted child or the location of the concealing, detaining, or abducting person, may be disclosed to any district attorney, any appropriate law enforcement agency, or to any state or county child protective agency, or may be used in any judicial proceedings to prosecute that crime or to protect the child. (8) The social security number, most recent address, and the place of employment of the absent parent may be released to an authorized person as defined in Section 653(c) of Title 42 of the United States Code, only if the authorized person has filed a request for the information, and only if the information has been provided to the California Parent Locator Service by the federal Parent Locator Service pursuant to Section 653 of Title 42 of the United States Code. (d) (1) "Administration and implementation of the child and spousal support enforcement program," as used in this section, means the carrying out of the state and local plans for establishing, modifying, and enforcing child support obligations, enforcing spousal support orders, and determining paternity pursuant to Part D (commencing with Section 651) of Subchapter IV of Chapter 7 of Title 42 of the United States Code and this article. (2) For purposes of this section, "obligor" means any person owing a duty of support. (3) As used in this chapter, "putative parent" shall refer to any person reasonably believed to be the parent of a child for whom the local child support agency is attempting to establish paternity or establish, modify, or enforce support pursuant to Section 17400. (e) Any person who willfully, knowingly, and intentionally violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor. (f) Nothing in this section shall be construed to compel the disclosure of information relating to a deserting parent who is a recipient of aid under a public assistance program for which federal aid is paid to this state, if that information is required to be kept confidential by the federal law or regulations relating to the program. Article 3. Director of Child Support Services 17300. With the consent of the Senate, the Governor shall appoint, to serve at his or her pleasure, an executive officer who shall be director of the department. The director shall be appointed wholly on the basis of training, demonstrated ability, experience, and leadership in organized child support enforcement administration. The director shall receive the salary provided for by Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 11550), Part 1, Division 3, Title 2 of the Government Code. The Governor also may appoint, to serve at his or her pleasure, not to exceed two chief deputy directors of the department, and one deputy director of the department. The salaries of the chief deputy directors and the deputy director shall be fixed in accordance with law. 17302. The director shall do all of the following: (a) Be responsible for the management of the department. (b) Administer all federal and state laws and regulations pertaining to the administration of child support enforcement obligations. (c) Perform all duties as may be prescribed by law, and any other administrative and executive duties imposed by law. (d) Observe, and report to the Governor, the Legislature, and the public on, the conditions of child support enforcement activities throughout the state pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 17602. 17303. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) Title IV-D of the federal Social Security Act, contained in Part D (commencing with Section 651) of Subchapter 4 of Chapter 7 of Title 42 of the United States Code, requires that there be a single state agency for child support enforcement. California's child support enforcement system is extremely complex, involving numerous state and local agencies. The state's system was divided between the State Department of Social Services, the Attorney General's office, the Franchise Tax Board, the Employment Development Department, the Department of Motor Vehicles, and the 58 county district attorneys' offices. (b) The lack of coordination and integration between state and local child support agencies has been a major impediment to getting support to the children of this state. An effective child support enforcement program must have strong leadership and effective state oversight and management to best serve the needs of the children of the state. (c) The state would benefit by centralizing its obligation to hold counties responsible for collecting support. Oversight would be best accomplished by direct management by the state. (d) A single state agency for child support enforcement with strong leadership and direct accountability for local child support agencies will benefit the taxpayers of the state by reducing the inefficiencies introduced by involving multiple layers of government in child support enforcement operations. 17304. To address the concerns stated by the Legislature in Section 17303, each county shall establish a new county department of child support services. Each department is also referred to in this division as the local child support agency. The local child support agency shall be separate and independent from any other county department and shall be responsible for promptly and effectively establishing, modifying, and enforcing child support obligations, including medical support, enforcing spousal support orders established by a court of competent jurisdiction, and determining paternity in the case of a child born out of wedlock. The local child support agency shall refer all cases requiring criminal enforcement services to the district attorney and the district attorney shall prosecute those cases, as appropriate. If a district attorney fails to comply with this section, the director shall notify the Attorney General and the Attorney General shall take appropriate action to secure compliance. The director shall be responsible for implementing and administering all aspects of the state plan that direct the functions to be performed by the local child support agencies relating to their Title IV-D operations. In developing the new system, all of the following shall apply: (a) The director shall negotiate and enter into cooperative agreements with county and state agencies to carry out the requirements of the state plan and provide services relating to the establishment of paternity or the establishment, modification, or enforcement of child support obligations as required pursuant to Section 654 of Title 42 of the United States Code. The cooperative agreements shall require that the local child support agencies are reasonably accessible to the citizens of each county and are visible and accountable to the public for their activities. The director, in consultation with the impacted counties, may consolidate the local child support agencies, or any function of the agencies, in more than one county into a single local child support agency, if the director determines that the consolidation will increase the efficiency of the state Title IV-D program and each county has at least one local child support office accessible to the public. (b) The director shall have direct oversight, management and control of the local child support agency, and no other local or state agency shall have any authority over the local child support agency as to any function relating to its Title IV-D operations. The local child support agency shall be responsible for the performance of child support enforcement activities required by law and regulation in a manner prescribed by the department. The administrator of the local child support agency shall be responsible for reporting to and responding to the director on all aspects of the child support program. Nothing in this section prohibits the local child support agency, with the prior approval of the director, from entering into cooperative arrangements with other county departments, as necessary to carry out the responsibilities imposed by this section pursuant to plans of cooperation submitted to the department, approved by the director. Within 60 days of receipt of a plan of cooperation from the local child support agency, the department shall either approve the plan of cooperation or notify the agency that the plan is denied. If an agency is notified that the plan is denied, the agency shall have the opportunity to resubmit a revised plan of cooperation. If the director fails to respond in writing within 60 days of receipt, the plan shall otherwise be deemed approved. Nothing in this section shall be deemed an approval of program costs relative to the cooperative arrangements entered into by the counties with other county departments. (c) In order to minimize the disruption of services provided and to capitalize on the expertise of employees, the director shall create a program that builds on existing staff and facilities to the fullest extent possible. All assets of the family support division in the district attorney's office shall become assets of the local child support agency. (d) (1) All employees and other personnel who serve the office of the district attorney and perform child support collection and enforcement activities shall become the employees and other personnel of the county child support agency at their existing or equivalent classifications, and at their existing salaries and benefits that include, but are not limited to, accrued and unused vacation, sick leave, personal leave, and health and pension plans. (2) Permanent employees of the office of the district attorney on the effective date of this chapter shall be deemed qualified, and no other qualifications shall be required for employment or retention in the county child support agency. Probationary employees on the effective date of this chapter shall retain their probationary status and rights, and shall not be deemed to have transferred, so as to require serving a new probationary period. (3) Employment seniority of an employee of the office of the district attorney on the effective date of this chapter shall be counted toward seniority in the county child support agency and all time spent in the same, equivalent, or higher classification shall be counted toward classification seniority. (4) An employee organization that has been recognized as the representative or exclusive representative of an established appropriate bargaining unit of employees who perform child support collection and enforcement activities shall continue to be recognized as the representative or exclusive representative of the same employees of the county. (5) An existing memorandum of understanding or agreement between the county or the office of the district attorney and the employee organization shall remain in effect and be fully binding on the parties involved for the term of the agreement. (6) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the rights of employees or employee organizations to bargain in good faith on matters of wages, hours, or other terms and conditions of employment, including the negotiation of workplace standards within the scope of bargaining as authorized by state and federal law. (7) (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), a public agency shall, in implementing programs affected by the act of addition or amendment of this chapter to this code, perform program functions exclusively through the use of civil service employees of the public agency. (B) Prior to transition from the district attorney to the local child support agency under Section 17305, the district attorney may continue existing contracts and their renewals, as appropriate. After the transition under Section 17305, any contracting out of program functions shall be approved by the director. The director shall approve or disapprove a proposal to contract out within 60 days. Failure of the director to respond to a request to contract out within 60 days after receipt of the request shall be deemed approval, unless the director submits an extension to respond, which in no event shall be longer than 30 days. (e) The administrator of the local child support agency shall be an employee of the county selected by the board of supervisors pursuant to the qualifications established by the department. The administrator may hire staff, including attorneys, to fulfill the functions required by the agency and in conformity with any staffing requirements adopted by the department, including all those set forth in Section 17306. All staff shall be employees of the county and shall be directly responsible to the department for the administration of the child support enforcement program. 17305. (a) In order to achieve an orderly and timely transition to the new system with minimal disruption of services, the director shall begin the transition from the office of the district attorney to the local child support agencies pursuant to Section 17304, commencing January 1, 2001. The director shall transfer at least 50 percent of the state cases into the new system each year. The transition shall be completed by January 1, 2003. In determining the order in which counties will be transferred from the office of the district attorney to the local child support agencies, the director shall do all of the following: (1) Consider the performance of the counties in establishing and collecting child support. (2) Minimize the disruption of the services provided by the counties. (3) Optimize the chances of a successful transition. (b) The director shall consult with the district attorney to achieve an orderly transition and to minimize the disruption of services. Each district attorney shall cooperate in the transition as requested by the director. (c) To minimize any disruption of services provided under the child support enforcement program during the transition, each district attorney shall: (1) Continue to be designated the single organizational unit whose duty it shall be to administer the Title IV-D state plan for securing child and spousal support, medical support, and determining paternity for that county until such time as the county is notified by the director that the county has been transferred pursuant to subdivision (a) or sooner under Section 17602. (2) At a minimum, maintain all levels of funding, staffing, and services as of January 1, 1999, to administer the Title IV-D state plan for securing child and spousal support, medical support, and determining paternity. If the director determines that a district attorney has lowered the funding, staffing, or services of the child support enforcement program, the director may withhold part or all state and federal funds, including incentive funds, from the district attorney or may assess a portion of any penalty against the county that the federal government imposes on California's child support program for its failure to implement by October 1, 1997, an automated child support system. 17306. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (1) While the State Department of Social Services has had statutory authority over the child support system, the locally elected district attorneys have operated their county programs with a great deal of autonomy. (2) District attorneys have operated the child support programs with different forms, procedures and priorities, making it difficult to adequately evaluate and modify performance statewide. (3) Problems collecting child support reflect a fundamental lack of leadership and accountability in the collection program. These management problems have cost California taxpayers and families billions of dollars. (b) The director shall develop uniform forms, policies and procedures to be employed statewide by all local child support agencies. Pursuant to this subdivision, the director shall: (1) Adopt uniform procedures and forms. (2) Establish standard caseworker to case staffing ratios. (3) Establish standard attorney to caseworker ratios. (4) Institute a consistent statewide policy on the appropriateness of closing cases to ensure that, without relying solely on federal minimum requirements, all cases are fully and pragmatically pursued for collections prior to closing. (5) Evaluate the best practices for the establishment, enforcement, and collection of child support, for the purpose of determining which practices should be implemented statewide in an effort to improve performance by local child support agencies. In evaluating the best practices, the director shall review existing practices in better performing counties within California, as well as practices implemented by other state Title IV-D programs nationwide. (6) Evaluate the best practices for the management of effective child support enforcement operations for the purpose of determining what management structure should be implemented statewide in an effort to improve the establishment, enforcement, and collection of child support by local child support agencies, including an examination of the need for attorneys in management level positions. In evaluating the best practices, the director shall review existing practices in better performing counties within California, as well as practices implemented by other state Title IV-D programs nationwide. (7) Set priorities for the use of specific enforcement mechanisms for use by both the local child support agency and the Franchise Tax Board. As part of establishing these priorities, the director shall set forth caseload processing priorities in an effort to better understand the makeup of the child support caseload and to target enforcement efforts and services in a way that will maximize collections and avoid welfare dependency. (8) Develop uniform training protocols, require periodic training of all child support staff, and conduct training as appropriate. (9) Review and approve annual budgets submitted by the local child support agencies to ensure each local child support agency operates an effective and efficient program that complies with all federal and state laws, regulations, and directives, including the directive to hire sufficient staff. (c) The director shall submit any forms intended for use in court proceedings to the Judicial Council for approval at least six months prior to the implementation of the use of the forms. (d) In adopting the forms, policies, and procedures, the director shall consult with the California Family Support Council, the California State Association of Counties, labor organizations, custodial and noncustodial parent advocates, and the appropriate committees of the Legislature. (e) The director shall adopt regulations implementing the forms, policies, and procedures established pursuant to this section not later than January 1, 2001. 17308. The director shall assume responsibility for implementing and managing all aspects of a single statewide automated child support system that will comply with state and federal requirements. The director may delegate responsibility to, or enter into an agreement with, any agency or entity that it deems necessary to satisfy this requirement. 17309. Effective October 1, 1998, the state shall operate a Child Support Centralized Collection and Distribution Unit as required by federal law (42 U.S.C. Secs. 654 (27), 654a(g), and 654b). 17310. (a) The director shall formulate, adopt, amend, or repeal regulations and general policies affecting the purposes, responsibilities, and jurisdiction of the department that are consistent with law and necessary for the administration of the state plan for securing child support and enforcing spousal support orders and determining paternity. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all regulations, including, but not limited to, regulations of the State Department of Social Services and the State Department of Health Services, relating to child support enforcement shall remain in effect and shall be fully enforceable unless and until readopted, amended, or repealed by the agency that originally enacted the regulation. The director shall request the repeal or amendment of regulations relating to child support or the child support program that will be superseded or in conflict with regulations that the department has or will adopt as the single state agency responsible for the Title IV-D child support program. All regulations relating to child support may be enforced by the department or by the agency that originally enacted the regulations as shall be agreed upon between the director and the agency that originally enacted the regulation. These agreements shall be in writing and notice of each agreement shall be published in the California Administrative Register. 17312. (a) The director is the only person authorized to adopt regulations, orders, or standards of general application to implement, interpret, or make specific the law enforced by the department. Regulations, orders, and standards shall be adopted, amended, or repealed by the director only in accordance with Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. (b) In adopting regulations, the director shall strive for clarity of language that may be readily understood by those administering public social services or subject to those regulations. (c) The rules of the department need not specify or include the detail of forms, reports, or records, but shall include the essential authority by which any person, agency, organization, association, or institution subject to the supervision or investigation of the department is required to use, submit, or maintain the forms, reports, or records. (d) The department's regulations and other materials shall be made available pursuant to the California Code of Regulations and in the same manner as are materials of the State Department of Social Services under the provisions of Section 205.70 of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations. 17314. (a) Subject to the State Civil Service Act (Part 2 (commencing with Section 18500) of Division 5 of Title 2 of the Government Code), the director shall appoint any assistants and other employees that are necessary for the administration of the affairs of the department and shall prescribe their duties and, subject to the approval of the Department of Finance, fix their salaries. (b) As the director adopts a plan for a local child support agency to assume responsibility for child support enforcement activities in any county served by a district attorney pursuant to Section 17304, the director shall hire a sufficient number of regional state administrators to oversee the local child support agencies to ensure compliance with all state and federal laws and regulations. The regions shall be divided based on the total caseload of each local child support agency. The responsibilities of the regional state administrators shall include all of the following: (1) Conducting regular and comprehensive site visits to the local child support agencies assigned to their region and preparing quarterly reports to be submitted to the department. The local child support agencies shall fully cooperate with all reasonable requests made by the regional state administrators, including providing all requested data on the local child support agency's program. (2) Notifying a local child support agency of any potential or actual noncompliance with any state or federal law or regulation by the agency and working with the local child support agency to develop an immediate plan to ensure compliance. (3) Participating in program monitoring teams as set forth in subdivision (c) of Section 17602. (4) Participating in meetings with all regional state administrators and the director on at least a monthly basis to promote statewide uniformity as to the functions and structure of the local child support agencies. The regional state administrators may recommend proposals for approval and adoption by the director to achieve this goal. (5) Responding to requests for management or technical assistance regarding program operations by local child support agencies. 17316. No person, while holding the office of director, shall be a trustee, manager, director, or other officer or employee of any agency performing any function supervised by the department or any institution that is subject to examination, inspection, or supervision by the department. 17318. Except as otherwise expressly provided, Part 1 (commencing with Section 11000) of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, as it may be added to or amended from time to time, shall apply to the conduct of the department. 17320. The department shall coordinate with the State Department of Social Services to avoid the imposition of any federal penalties that cause a reduction in the state's Temporary Assistance to Needy Families grant, payable pursuant to Section 603(a)(1) of Title 42 of the United States Code. CHAPTER 2. CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT Article 1. Support Obligations 17400. (a) (1) Each county shall maintain a local child support agency, as specified in Section 17304, that shall have the responsibility for promptly and effectively establishing, modifying, and enforcing child support obligations, including medical support, enforcing spousal support orders established by a court of competent jurisdiction, and determining paternity in the case of a child born out of wedlock. The local child support agency shall take appropriate action, including criminal action in cooperation with the district attorneys, to establish, modify, and enforce child support and, when appropriate, enforce spousal support orders when the child is receiving public assistance, including Medi-Cal, and, when requested, shall take the same actions on behalf of a child who is not receiving public assistance, including Medi-Cal. (2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, on and after January 1, 2000, the Franchise Tax Board shall have responsibility and authority for the enforcement and collection of child support delinquencies in support of the child support activities of the Department of Child Support Services, local child support agencies, and subject to all federal and state laws, regulations, and directives relating to Title IV-D child support programs. (3) (A) For purposes of paragraph (2), "child support delinquency" means any of the following: (i) (I) An arrearage or otherwise past due amount that exists when an obligor fails to make any court-ordered support payment when due. (II) The unpaid amount is more than 60 days past due. (III) The aggregate of all amounts described in subclauses (I) and (II) exceeds one hundred dollars ($100). (ii) As otherwise defined by guidelines prescribed by the Department of Child Support Services in consultation with the Franchise Tax Board and may include or be limited to interest, fees, penalties, spousal support, or medical support. (B) The local child support agency shall transfer child support delinquencies to the Franchise Tax Board in the form and manner and at the time prescribed by the Franchise Tax Board pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 19271 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. (C) After a local child support agency transfers a delinquent child support obligation to the Franchise Tax Board pursuant to this section, the local child support agency shall continue to facilitate resolution of the child support obligation in coordination with the Franchise Tax Board. (b) If a child support delinquency exists at the time a case is opened by the local child support agency, the responsibility for the enforcement and collection of the delinquency shall be transferred to the Franchise Tax Board no later than 30 days after receipt of the case by the local child support agency. Any reference to the local child support agency in connection with the enforcement and collection of child support delinquencies shall be deemed a reference to the Franchise Tax Board. This transfer of responsibility and authority is in support of the local child support agency solely for the administration of the enforcement and collection of child support delinquencies and shall not in any manner transfer any responsibilities the local child support agency may have and any responsibilities the Department of Child Support Services may have as the Title IV-D agency. A child support delinquency, as specified in this section, shall be enforced and collected by the Franchise Tax Board pursuant to Section 19271 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. (c) Actions brought by the local child support agency to establish paternity or child support or to enforce child support obligations shall be completed within the time limits set forth by federal law. The local child support agency's responsibility applies to spousal support only where the spousal support obligation has been reduced to an order of a court of competent jurisdiction. In any action brought for modification or revocation of an order that is being enforced under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 651 et seq.), the effective date of the modification or revocation shall be as prescribed by federal law (42 U.S.C. Sec. 666(a)(9)), or any subsequent date. (d) (1) The Judicial Council, in consultation with the department and representatives of the California Family Support Council, the Senate Committee on Judiciary, the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, and a legal services organization providing representation on child support matters, shall develop simplified summons, complaint, and answer forms for any action for support brought pursuant to this section or Section 17404. The Judicial Council may combine the summons and complaint in a single form. (2) The simplified complaint form shall provide the defendant with notice of the amount of child support that is sought pursuant to the guidelines set forth in Article 2 (commencing with Section 4050) of Chapter 2 of Part 2 of Division 9 based upon the income or income history of the defendant as known to the local child support agency. If the defendant's income or income history is unknown to the local child support agency, the complaint shall inform the defendant that income shall be presumed in an amount that results in a court order equal to the minimum basic standard of adequate care provided in Section 11452 of the Welfare and Institutions Code unless information concerning the defendant's income is provided to the court. The complaint form shall be accompanied by a proposed judgment. The complaint form shall include a notice to the defendant that the proposed judgment will become effective if he or she fails to file an answer with the court within 30 days of service. (3) (A) The simplified answer form shall be written in simple English and shall permit a defendant to answer and raise defenses by checking applicable boxes. The answer form shall include instructions for completion of the form and instructions for proper filing of the answer. (B) The answer form shall be accompanied by a blank income and expense declaration or simplified financial statement and instructions on how to complete the financial forms. The answer form shall direct the defendant to file the completed income and expense declaration or simplified financial statement with the answer, but shall state that the answer will be accepted by a court without the income and expense declaration or simplified financial statement. (C) The clerk of the court shall accept and file answers, income and expense declarations, and simplified financial statements that are completed by hand provided they are legible. (4) (A) The simplified complaint form prepared pursuant to this subdivision shall be used by the local child support agency or the Attorney General in all cases brought under this section or Section 17404. (B) The simplified answer form prepared pursuant to this subdivision shall be served on all defendants with the simplified complaint. Failure to serve the simplified answer form on all defendants shall not invalidate any judgment obtained. However, failure to serve the answer form may be used as evidence in any proceeding under Section 17432 of this code or Section 473 of the Code of Civil Procedure. (C) The Judicial Council shall add language to the governmental summons, for use by the local child support agency with the governmental complaint to establish parental relationship and child support, informing defendants that a blank answer form should have been received with the summons and additional copies may be obtained from either the local child support agency or the superior court clerk. (e) In any action brought or enforcement proceedings instituted by the local child support agency pursuant to this section for payment of child or spousal support, an action to recover an arrearage in support payments may be maintained by the local child support agency at any time within the period otherwise specified for the enforcement of a support judgment, notwithstanding the fact that the child has attained the age of majority. (f) The county shall undertake an outreach program to inform the public that the services described in subdivisions (a) to (c), inclusive, are available to persons not receiving public assistance. There shall be prominently displayed in every public area of every office of the agencies established by this section a notice, in clear and simple language prescribed by the Director of Child Support Services, that the services provided in subdivisions (a) to (c), inclusive, are provided to all individuals, whether or not they are recipients of public assistance. (g) (1) In any action to establish a child support order brought by the local child support agency in the performance of duties under this section, the local child support agency may make a motion for an order effective during the pendency of that action, for the support, maintenance, and education of the child or children that are the subject of the action. This order shall be referred to as an order for temporary support. This order shall have the same force and effect as a like or similar order under this code. (2) The local child support agency shall file a motion for an order for temporary support within the following time limits: (A) If the defendant is the mother, a presumed father under Section 7611, or any father where the child is at least six months old when the defendant files his answer, the time limit is 90 days after the defendant files an answer. (B) In any other case where the defendant has filed an answer prior to the birth of the child or not more than six months after the birth of the child, then the time limit is nine months after the birth of the child. (3) If more than one child is the subject of the action, the limitation on reimbursement shall apply only as to those children whose parental relationship and age would bar recovery were a separate action brought for support of that child or those children. (4) If the local child support agency fails to file a motion for an order for temporary support within time limits specified in this section, the local child support agency shall be barred from obtaining a judgment of reimbursement for any support provided for that child during the period between the date the time limit expired and the motion was filed, or, if no such motion is filed, when a final judgment is entered. (5) Nothing in this section prohibits the local child support agency from entering into cooperative arrangements with other county departments as necessary to carry out the responsibilities imposed by this section pursuant to plans of cooperation with the departments approved by the Department of Child Support Services. (6) Nothing in this section shall otherwise limit the ability of the local child support agency from securing and enforcing orders for support of a spouse or former spouse as authorized under any other provision of law. (h) As used in this article, "enforcing obligations" includes, but is not limited to, (1) the use of all interception and notification systems operated by the department for the purposes of aiding in the enforcement of support obligations, (2) the obtaining by the local child support agency of an initial order for child support that may include medical support or that is for medical support only, by civil or criminal process, (3) the initiation of a motion or order to show cause to increase an existing child support order, and the response to a motion or order to show cause brought by an obligor parent to decrease an existing child support order, or the initiation of a motion or order to show cause to obtain an order for medical support, and the response to a motion or order to show cause brought by an obligor parent to decrease or terminate an existing medical support order, without regard to whether the child is receiving public assistance, (4) the response to a notice of motion or order to show cause brought by an obligor parent to decrease an existing spousal support order when the child or children are residing with the obligee parent and the local child support agency is also enforcing a related child support obligation owed to the obligee parent by the same obligor, and (5) the transfer of the enforcement and collection of child support delinquencies to the Franchise Tax Board under Section 19271 of the Revenue and Taxation Code in support of the local child support agency. (i) As used in this section, "out of wedlock" means that the biological parents of the child were not married to each other at the time of the child's conception. (j) (1) The local child support agency is the public agency responsible for administering wage withholding for current support the purposes of Title IV-D of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 651 et seq.). (2) Nothing in this section shall limit the authority of the local child support agency granted by other sections of this code or otherwise granted by law, except to the extent that the law is inconsistent with the transfer of the responsibility and authority for enforcement and collection of delinquent child support to the Franchise Tax Board. (k) In the exercise of the authority granted under this article, the local child support agency may intervene, pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 387 of the Code of Civil Procedure, by ex parte application, in any action under this code, or other proceeding in which child support is an issue or a reduction in spousal support is sought. By notice of motion, order to show cause, or responsive pleading served upon all parties to the action, the local child support agency may request any relief that is appropriate that the local child support agency is authorized to seek. (l) The local child support agency shall comply with any guidelines established by the department that set time standards for responding to requests for assistance in locating noncustodial parents, establishing paternity, establishing child support awards, and collecting child support payments. (m) As used in this article, medical support activities that the local child support agency is authorized to perform are limited to the following: (1) The obtaining and enforcing of court orders for health insurance coverage. (2) Any other medical support activity mandated by federal law or regulation. (n) (1) Notwithstanding any other law, venue for an action or proceeding under this division shall be determined as follows: (A) Venue shall be in the superior court in the county that is currently expending public assistance. (B) If public assistance is not currently being expended, venue shall be in the superior court in the county where the child who is entitled to current support resides or is domiciled. (C) If current support is no longer payable through, or enforceable by, the local child support agency, venue shall be in the superior court in the county that last provided public assistance for actions to enforce arrearages assigned pursuant to Section 11477 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. (D) If subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) do not apply, venue shall be in the superior court in the county of residence of the support obligee. (E) If the support obligee does not reside in California, and subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), and (D) do not apply, venue shall be in the superior court of the county of residence of the obligor. (2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), if the child becomes a resident of another county after an action under this part has been filed, venue may remain in the county where the action was filed until the action is completed. (o) The local child support agency of one county may appear on behalf of the local child support agency of any other county in an action or proceeding under this part. 17402. (a) In any case of separation or desertion of a parent or parents from a child or children which results in aid under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code being granted to that family, the noncustodial parent or parents shall be obligated to the county for an amount equal to the following: (1) The amount specified in an order for the support and maintenance of the family issued by a court of competent jurisdiction; or in the absence of the court order, the amount specified in paragraph (2). (2) The amount of support that would have been specified in an order for the support and maintenance of the family during the period of separation or desertion. However, the amount in excess of the aid paid to the family shall not be retained by the county, but disbursed to the family. (3) The obligation shall be reduced by any amount actually paid by the parent directly to the custodian of the child or to the local child support agency of the county in which the child is receiving aid during the period of separation or desertion for the support and maintenance of the family. (b) The local child support agency shall take appropriate action pursuant to this section as provided in subdivision (l) of Section 17400. The local child support agency may establish liability for child support as provided in subdivision (a) when public assistance was provided by another county or by other counties. (c) The amount of the obligation established under paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) shall be determined by using the appropriate child support guidelines currently in effect. If one parent remains as a custodial parent, the guideline support shall be computed in the normal manner. If neither parent remains as a custodial parent, the support shall be computed by combining the noncustodial parents' incomes and placing the figure obtained in the column for noncustodial parent. A zero shall be placed in the column for the custodial parent and the amount of guideline support resulting shall be proportionately shared between the parents as directed by the court. The parents shall pay the amount of support specified in the support order to the local child support agency. 17404. (a) Notwithstanding any other statute, in any action brought by the local child support agency for the support of a minor child or children, the action may be prosecuted in the name of the county on behalf of the child, children, or a parent of the child or children. The parent who has requested or is receiving support enforcement services of the local child support agency shall not be a necessary party to the action but may be subpoenaed as a witness. Except as provided in subdivision (e), in an action under this section there shall be no joinder of actions, or coordination of actions, or cross-complaints, and the issues shall be limited strictly to the question of parentage, if applicable, and child support, including an order for medical support. A final determination of parentage may be made in any action under this section as an incident to obtaining an order for support. An action for support or parentage pursuant to this section shall not be delayed or stayed because of the pendency of any other action between the parties. (b) Judgment in an action brought pursuant to this section, and in an action brought pursuant to Section 17402, if at issue, may be rendered pursuant to a noticed motion, that shall inform the defendant that in order to exercise his or her right to trial, he or she must appear at the hearing on the motion. If the defendant appears at the hearing on the motion, the court shall inquire of the defendant if he or she desires to subpoena evidence and witnesses, if parentage is at issue and genetic tests have not already been conducted whether he or she desires genetic tests, and if he or she desires a trial. If the defendant's answer is in the affirmative, a continuance shall be granted to allow the defendant to exercise those rights. A continuance shall not postpone the hearing to more than 90 days from the date of service of the motion. If a continuance is granted, the court may make an order for temporary support without prejudice to the right of the court to make an order for temporary support as otherwise allowed by law. (c) In any action to enforce a spousal support order the action may be pled in the name of the county in the same manner as an action to establish a child support obligation. The same restrictions on joinder of actions, coordination of actions, cross-complaints, and delay because of the pendency of any other action as relates to actions to establish a child support obligation shall also apply to actions to enforce a spousal support order. (d) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prevent the parties from bringing an independent action under other provisions of this code and litigating the issues of support, custody, visitation, or protective orders. In that event, any support, custody, visitation, or protective order issued by the court in an action pursuant to this section shall be filed in the action commenced under the other provisions of this code and shall continue in effect until modified by a subsequent order of the court. To the extent that the orders conflict, the court order last issued shall supersede all other orders and be binding upon all parties in that action. (e) (1) After a support order, including a temporary support order and an order for medical support only, has been entered in an action brought pursuant to this section, the parent who has requested or is receiving support enforcement services of the local child support agency shall become a party to the action brought pursuant to this section, only in the manner and to the extent provided by this section, and only for the purposes allowed by this section. (2) Notice of the parent's status as a party shall be given to the parent by the local child support agency in conjunction with the notice required by subdivision (e) of Section 17406. The complaint shall contain this notice. Service of the complaint on the parent in compliance with Section 1013 of the Code of Civil Procedure, or as otherwise provided by law, shall constitute compliance with this section. In all actions commenced under the procedures and forms in effect on or before December 31, 1996, the parent who has requested or is receiving support enforcement services of the local child support agency shall not become a party to the action until he or she is joined as a party pursuant to an ex parte application or noticed motion for joinder filed by the local child support agency or a noticed motion filed by either parent. The local child support agency shall serve a copy of any order for joinder of a parent obtained by the local child support agency's application on both parents in compliance with Section 1013 of the Code of Civil Procedure. (3) The parent who has requested or is receiving support enforcement services of the local child support agency is a party to an action brought under this section for issues relating to the support, custody, and visitation of a child, and for restraining orders, and for no other purpose. The local child support agency shall not be required to serve or receive service of papers, pleadings, or documents, or participate in, or attend any hearing or proceeding relating to issues of custody or visitation, except as otherwise required by law. Orders concerning custody and visitation may be made in an action pursuant to this subdivision only if orders concerning custody and visitation have not been previously made by a court of competent jurisdiction in this state or another state and the court has jurisdiction and is the proper venue for custody and visitation determinations. All issues regarding custody and visitation shall be heard and resolved in the manner provided by this code. Except as otherwise provided by law, the local child support agency shall control support and parentage litigation brought pursuant to this section, and the manner, method, and procedures used in establishing parentage and in establishing and enforcing support obligations unless and until the parent who requested or is receiving support enforcement services has requested in writing that the local child support agency close his or her case and the case has been closed in accordance with federal regulation or policy. (f) (1) A parent who has requested or is receiving support enforcement services of the local child support agency may take independent action to modify a support order made pursuant to this section while support enforcement services are being provided by the local child support agency. The parent shall serve the local child support agency with notice of any action filed to modify the support order and provide the local child support agency with a copy of the modified order within 15 calendar days after the date the order is issued. (2) A parent who has requested or is receiving support enforcement services of the local child support agency may take independent action to enforce a support order made pursuant to this section while support enforcement services are being provided by the local child support agency with the written consent of the local child support agency. At least 30 days prior to filing an independent enforcement action, the parent shall provide the local child support agency with written notice of the parent's intent to file an enforcement action that includes a description of the type of enforcement action the parent intends to file. Within 30 days of receiving the notice, the local child support agency shall either provide written consent for the parent to proceed with the independent enforcement action or notify the parent that the local child support agency objects to the parent filing the proposed independent enforcement action. The local child support agency may object only if the local child support agency is currently using an administrative or judicial method to enforce the support obligation or if the proposed independent enforcement action would interfere with an investigation being conducted by the local child support agency. If the local child support agency does not respond to the parent's written notice within 30 days, the local child support agency shall be deemed to have given consent. (3) The court shall order that all payments of support shall be made to the local child support agency in any action filed under this section by the parent who has requested, or is receiving, support enforcement services of the local child support agency unless support enforcement services have been terminated by the local child support agency by case closure as provided by federal law. Any order obtained by a parent prior to support enforcement services being terminated in which the local child support agency did not receive proper notice pursuant to this section shall be voidable upon the motion of the local child support agency. (g) Any notice from the local child support agency requesting a meeting with the support obligor for any purpose authorized under this section shall contain a statement advising the support obligor of his or her right to have an attorney present at the meeting. (h) For the purpose of this section, "a parent who is receiving support enforcement services" includes a parent who has assigned his or her rights to support pursuant to Section 11477 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. (i) The Judicial Council shall develop forms to implement this section. 17406. (a) In all actions involving paternity or support, including, but not limited to, other proceedings under this code, and under Division 9 (commencing with Section 10000) of the Welfare and Institutions Code, the local child support agency and the Attorney General represent the public interest in establishing, modifying, and enforcing support obligations. No attorney-client relationship shall be deemed to have been created between the local child support agency or Attorney General and any person by virtue of the action of the local child support agency or the Attorney General in carrying out these statutory duties. (b) Subdivision (a) is declaratory of existing law. (c) In all requests for services of the local child support agency or Attorney General pursuant to Section 17400 relating to actions involving paternity or support, not later than the same day an individual makes a request for these services in person, and not later than five working days after either (1) a case is referred for services from the county welfare department, (2) receipt of a request by mail for an application for services, or (3) an individual makes a request for services by telephone, the local child support agency or Attorney General shall give notice to the individual requesting services or on whose behalf services have been requested that the local child support agency or Attorney General does not represent the individual or the children who are the subject of the case, that no attorney-client relationship exists between the local child support agency or Attorney General and those persons, and that no such representation or relationship shall arise if the local child support agency or Attorney General provides the services requested. Notice shall be in bold print and in plain English and shall be translated into the language understandable by the recipient when reasonable. The notice shall include the advice that the absence of an attorney-client relationship means that communications from the recipient are not privileged and that the local child support agency or Attorney General may provide support enforcement services to the other parent in the future. (d) The local child support agency or Attorney General shall give the notice required pursuant to subdivision (c) to all recipients of services under Section 17400 who have not otherwise been provided that notice, not later than the date of the next annual notice required under Section 11476.2 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. This notice shall include notification to the recipient of services under Section 17400 that the recipient may inspect the clerk's file at the county clerk's office, and that, upon request, the local child support agency, or, if appropriate, the Attorney General, will furnish a copy of the most recent order entered in the case. (e) The local child support agency or, if appropriate, the Attorney General shall serve a copy of the complaint for paternity or support, or both, on recipients of support services under Section 17400, as specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (e) of Section 17404. A notice shall accompany the complaint that informs the recipient that the local child support agency or Attorney General may enter into a stipulated order resolving the complaint, and that if the recipient wishes to assist the prosecuting attorney, he or she should send all information on the noncustodial parent's earnings and assets to the prosecuting attorney. (f) (1) The local child support agency or Attorney General shall provide written notice to recipients of services under Section 17400 of the initial date and time, and purpose of every hearing in a civil action for paternity or support. The notice shall include the following language: IMPORTANT NOTICE It may be important that you attend the hearing. The local child support agency does not represent you or your children. You may have information about the noncustodial parent, such as information about his or her income or assets, or your need for support that will not be presented to the court unless you attend the hearing. You have the right to be heard in court and tell the court what you think the court should do with the child support order. If you have a court order for support that arose as part of your divorce, this hearing could change your rights or your children's rights to support. You have the right to attend the hearing and, the right, to be heard. If you would like to attend the hearing and be told about any changes to the hearing date or time, notify this office by ____. The local child support agency or Attorney General will then have to tell you about any changes to the hearing date or time. (2) The notice shall state the purpose of the hearing or be attached to the motion or other pleading which caused the hearing to be scheduled. (3) The notice shall be provided separate from all other material and shall be in at least 14-point type. The failure of the local child support agency or Attorney General to comply with this subdivision shall not affect the validity of any order. (4) The notice shall be provided not later than seven calendar days prior to the hearing, or, if the local child support agency or Attorney General receives notice of the hearing less than seven days prior to the hearing, within two days of the receipt by the local child support agency or Attorney General of the notice of the hearing. (5) The local child support agency or Attorney General shall, in order to implement this subdivision, make reasonable efforts to ensure that the local child support agency or Attorney General has current addresses for recipients of support enforcement services. (g) The local child support agency or Attorney General shall give notice to recipients of services under Section 17400 of every order obtained by the local child support agency or Attorney General that establishes or modifies the support obligation for the recipient or the children who are the subject of the order, by sending a copy of the order to the recipient. The notice shall be made within the time specified by federal law after the order has been filed. The local child support agency or Attorney General shall also give notice to these recipients of every order obtained in any other jurisdiction, that establishes or modifies the support obligation for the recipient or the children who are the subject of the order, and which is received by the local child support agency or Attorney General, by sending a copy of the order to the recipient within the timeframe specified by federal law after the local child support agency or Attorney General has received a copy of the order. In any action enforced under Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 4900) of Part 5 of Division 9, the notice shall be made in compliance with the requirements of that chapter. The failure of the local child support agency or Attorney General to comply with this subdivision shall not affect the validity of any order. (h) The local child support agency or Attorney General shall give notice to the noncustodial parent against whom a civil action is filed that the local child support agency or Attorney General is not the attorney representing any individual, including, but not limited to, the custodial parent, the child, or the noncustodial parent. (i) Nothing in this section shall be construed to preclude any person who is receiving services under Section 17400 from filing and prosecuting an independent action to establish, modify, and enforce an order for current support on behalf of himself or herself or a child if that person is not receiving public assistance. (j) A person who is receiving services under Section 17400 but who is not currently receiving public assistance on his or her own behalf or on behalf of a child shall be asked to execute, or consent to, any stipulation establishing or modifying a support order in any action in which that person is named as a party, before the stipulation is filed. The local child support agency or Attorney General shall not submit to the court for approval a stipulation to establish or modify a support order in the action without first obtaining the signatures of all parties to the action, their attorneys of record, or persons authorized to act on their behalf. (k) The local child support agency or Attorney General shall not enter into a stipulation that reduces the amount of past due support, including interest and penalties accrued pursuant to an order of current support, on behalf of a person who is receiving support enforcement services under Section 17400 and who is owed support arrearages that exceed unreimbursed public assistance paid to the recipient of the support enforcement services, without first obtaining the consent of the person who is receiving services under Section 17400 on his or her own behalf or on behalf of the child. (l) The notices required in this section shall be provided in the following manner: (1) In all cases in which the person receiving services under Section 17400 resides in California, notice shall be provided by mailing the item by first-class mail to the last known address of, or personally delivering the item to, that person. (2) In all actions enforced under Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 4900) of Part 5 of Division 9, unless otherwise specified, notice shall be provided by mailing the item by first-class mail to the initiating court. (m) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the notices provided for pursuant to subdivisions (c) to (g), inclusive, shall not be required in foster care cases. 17408. (a) Notwithstanding Section 17404, upon noticed motion of the local child support agency, the superior court may consolidate or combine support or reimbursement arrearages owed by one obligor to one obligee in two or more court files into a single court file, or combine or consolidate two or more orders for current child support into a single court file. A motion to consolidate may be made by a local child support agency only if it is seeking to enforce the orders being consolidated. The motion shall be filed only in the court file the local child support agency is seeking to have designated as the primary file. (b) Orders may be consolidated regardless of the nature of the underlying action, whether initiated under the Welfare and Institutions Code, this code, or another law. Orders for support shall not be consolidated unless the children involved have the same mother and father and venue is proper pursuant to Section 17400. (c) Upon consolidation of orders, the court shall designate which court file the support orders are being consolidated into the primary file, and which court files are subordinate. Upon consolidation, the court shall order the local child support agency to file a notice in the subordinate court actions indicating the support orders in those actions were consolidated into the primary file. The notice shall state the date of the consolidation, the name of the court, and the primary file number. (d) Upon consolidation of orders, the superior court shall not issue further orders pertaining to support in a subordinate court file; and all enforcement and modification of support orders shall occur in the primary court action. (e) After consolidation of court orders, a single wage assignment for current support and arrearages may be issued when possible. 17410. In any action filed by the local child support agency pursuant to Section 17402 or 17404, the local child support agency shall provide the mother and the alleged father the opportunity to voluntarily acknowledge paternity by signing a paternity declaration as described in Section 7574 prior to a hearing or trial where the paternity of a minor child is at issue. The opportunity to voluntarily acknowledge paternity may be provided either before or after an action pursuant to Section 17402 or 17404 is filed and served upon the alleged father. For the purpose of meeting the requirements of this section, the local child support agency may afford the defendant an opportunity to enter into a stipulation for judgment of paternity after an action for paternity has been filed in lieu of the voluntary declaration of paternity. 17412. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, an action for child support may be brought by the local child support agency on behalf of a minor child or caretaker parent based upon a voluntary declaration of paternity as provided in Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 7570) of Part 2 of Division 12. (b) Except as provided in Sections 7576 and 7577, the voluntary declaration of paternity shall be given the same force and effect as a judgment for paternity entered by a court of competent jurisdiction. The court shall make appropriate orders for support of the minor child based upon the voluntary declaration of paternity unless evidence is presented that the voluntary declaration of paternity has been rescinded by the parties or set aside by a court as provided in Section 7575. (c) The Judicial Council shall develop the forms and procedures necessary to implement this section. 17414. In any action or proceeding brought by the local child support agency to establish parentage pursuant to Section 17400, the court shall enter a judgment establishing parentage upon the filing of a written stipulation between the parties provided that the stipulation is accompanied by a written advisement and waiver of rights which is signed by the defendant. The written advisement and waiver of rights shall be developed by the Judicial Council. 17415. (a) It shall be the duty of the county welfare department to refer all cases where a parent is absent from the home, or where the parents are unmarried and parentage has not been established by the completion and filing of a voluntary declaration of paternity pursuant to Section 7573 or a court of competent jurisdiction, to the local child support agency immediately at the time the application for public assistance, except as provided in Section 11477.04 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, including Medi-Cal benefits, or certificate of eligibility, is signed by the applicant or recipient. If an applicant is found to be ineligible, the applicant shall be notified in writing that the referral of the case to the local child support agency may be terminated at the applicant's request. The county department shall cooperate with the local child support agency and shall make available to him or her all pertinent information as provided in Section 17505. (b) Upon referral from the county welfare department, the local child support agency shall investigate the question of nonsupport or paternity and shall take all steps necessary to obtain child support for the needy child, enforce spousal support as part of the state plan under Section 17604, and determine paternity in the case of a child born out of wedlock. Upon the advice of the county welfare department that a child is being considered for adoption, the local child support agency shall delay the investigation and other actions with respect to the case until advised that the adoption is no longer under consideration. The granting of public assistance or Medi-Cal benefits to an applicant shall not be delayed or contingent upon investigation by the local child support agency. (c) In cases where Medi-Cal benefits are the only assistance provided, the local child support agency shall provide child and spousal support services unless the recipient of the services notifies the local child support agency that only services related to securing Medi-Cal benefits are requested. (d) Where a court order has been obtained, any contractual agreement for support between the local child support agency or the county welfare department and the noncustodial parent shall be deemed null and void to the extent that it is not consistent with the court order. (e) Whenever a family which has been receiving public assistance, including Medi-Cal, ceases to receive assistance, including Medi-Cal, the local child support agency shall, to the extent required by federal regulations, continue to enforce support payments from the noncustodial parent until such time as the individual on whose behalf the enforcement efforts are made sends written notice to the local child support agency requesting that enforcement services be discontinued. (f) The local child support agency shall, where appropriate, utilize reciprocal arrangements adopted with other states in securing support from an absent parent. In individual cases where utilization of reciprocal arrangements has proven ineffective, the local child support agency may forward to the Attorney General a request to utilize federal courts in order to obtain or enforce orders for child or spousal support. If reasonable efforts to collect amounts assigned pursuant to Section 11477 of the Welfare and Institutions Code have failed, the local child support agency may request that the case be forwarded to the Treasury Department for collection in accordance with federal regulations. The Attorney General, where appropriate, shall forward these requests to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, or a designated representative. 17416. (a) In any case where the local child support agency has undertaken enforcement of support, the local child support agency may enter into an agreement with the noncustodial parent, on behalf of a minor child or children, a spouse, or former spouse for the entry of a judgment without action determining paternity, if applicable, and for periodic child and spousal support payments based on the noncustodial parent's reasonable ability to pay or, if for spousal support, an amount previously ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction. An agreement for entry of a judgment under this section may be executed prior to the birth of the child and may include a provision that the judgment is not to be entered until after the birth of the child. (b) A judgment based on the agreement shall be entered only if one of the following requirements is satisfied: (1) The noncustodial parent is represented by legal counsel and the attorney signs a certificate stating: "I have examined the proposed judgment and have advised my client concerning his or her rights in connection with this matter and the consequences of signing or not signing the agreement for the entry of the judgment and my client, after being so advised, has agreed to the entry of the judgment." (2) A judge of the court in which the judgment is to be entered, after advising the noncustodial parent concerning his or her rights in connection with the matter and the consequences of agreeing or not agreeing to the entry of the judgment, makes a finding that the noncustodial parent has appeared before the judge and the judge has determined that under the circumstances of the particular case the noncustodial parent has willingly, knowingly, and intelligently waived his or her due process rights in agreeing to the entry of the judgment. (c) The clerk shall file the agreement, together with any certificate of the attorney or finding of the court, without the payment of any fees or charges. If the requirements of this section are satisfied, the court shall enter judgment thereon without action. The provisions of Article 4 (commencing with Section 4200) of Chapter 2 of Part 2 of Division 9 or Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 4350) of Part 3 of Division 9 shall apply to the judgment. A judgment for support so entered may be enforced by any means by which any other judgment for support may be enforced. (d) Upon request of the local child support agency in any case under this section, the clerk shall set the matter for hearing by the court. The hearing shall be held within 10 days after the clerk receives the request. The local child support agency may require the person who signed the agreement for the entry of judgment to attend the hearing by process of subpoena in the same manner as the attendance of a witness in a civil action may be required. The presence of the person who signed the agreement for entry of judgment at the hearing shall constitute the presence of the person in court at the time the order is pronounced for the purposes of Section 1209.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure if the court makes the findings required by paragraph (2) of subdivision (b). (e) The local child support agency shall cause the following to be served, in the manner specified in Section 415.10, 415.20, 415.30, or 415.40 of the Code of Civil Procedure, upon the person who signed the agreement for entry of the judgment and shall file proof of service thereof with the court: (1) A copy of the judgment as entered. (2) If the judgment includes an order for child or spousal support payments, a notice stating the substance of the following: "The court has continuing authority to make an order increasing or decreasing the amount of the child or spousal support payments. You have the right to request that the court order the child and spousal support payments be decreased or eliminated entirely." (f) An order for child and spousal support included in a judgment entered under this section may be modified or revoked as provided in Article 1 (commencing with Section 3650) of Chapter 6 of Part 1 of Division 9 and in (1) Article 1 (commencing with Section 4000) of Chapter 2 of Part 2 of Division 9 or (2) Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 4320) and Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 4330) of Part 3 of Division 9. The court may modify the order to make the support payments payable to a different person. (g) For the purposes of this section, in making a determination of the noncustodial parent's reasonable ability to pay, any relevant circumstances set out in Section 4005 shall be considered. (h) After arrest and before plea or trial, or after conviction or plea of guilty, under Section 270 of the Penal Code, if the defendant appears before the court in which the criminal action is pending and the requirements of paragraph (1) or (2) of subdivision (b) have been satisfied, the court may suspend proceedings or sentence in the criminal action, but this does not limit the later institution of a civil or criminal action or limit the use of any other procedures available to enforce the judgment entered pursuant to this section. (i) Nothing in this section applies to a case where a civil action has been commenced. 17418. In enforcing the provisions of this division, the local child support agency shall inquire of both the custodial and noncustodial parent as to the number of minor children each is legally obligated to support. The local child support agency shall consider the needs of all of these children in computing the level of support requested to be ordered by the court. 17420. After judgment in any court action brought to enforce the support obligation of a noncustodial parent pursuant to the provisions of this division, the court shall issue an earnings assignment order for support pursuant to Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 5200) of Part 5 of Division 9. 17422. (a) The state medical insurance form required in Article 1 (commencing with Section 3750) of Chapter 7 of Part 1 of Division 9 shall include, but shall not be limited to, all of the following: (1) The parent or parents' names, addresses, and social security numbers. (2) The name and address of each parent's place of employment. (3) The name or names, addresses, policy number or numbers, and coverage type of the medical insurance policy or policies of the parents, if any. (4) The name, CalWORKs case number, social security number, and Title IV-E foster care case number or Medi-Cal case numbers of the parents and children covered by the medical insurance policy or policies. (b) (1) In any action brought or enforcement proceeding instituted by the local child support agency under this division for payment of child or spousal support, a completed state medical insurance form shall be obtained and sent by the local child support agency to the Department of Child Support Services in the manner prescribed by the Department of Child Support Services. (2) Where it has been determined under Section 3751 that health insurance coverage is not available at no or reasonable cost, the local child support agency shall seek a provision in the support order that provides for health insurance coverage should it become available at no or reasonable cost. (3) Health insurance coverage shall be considered reasonable in cost if it is employment-related group health insurance or other group health insurance, regardless of the service delivery mechanism. As used in this section, "health insurance coverage" also includes providing for the delivery of health care services by a fee for service, health maintenance organization, preferred provider organization, or any other type of health care delivery system under which medical services could be provided to the dependent child or children of an absent parent. (c) (1) The local child support agency shall request employers and other groups offering health insurance coverage that is being enforced under this division to notify the local child support agency if there has been a lapse in insurance coverage. The local child support agency shall be responsible for forwarding information pertaining to the health insurance policy secured for the dependent children for whom the local child support agency is enforcing the court ordered medical support to the custodial parent. (2) The local child support agency shall periodically communicate with the department to determine if there have been lapses in health insurance coverage for public assistance applicants and recipients. The department shall notify the local child support agency when there has been a lapse in court-ordered insurance coverage. (3) The local child support agency shall take appropriate action, civil or criminal, to enforce the obligation to obtain health insurance when there has been a lapse in insurance coverage or failure by the responsible parent to obtain insurance as ordered by the court. (4) (A) The local child support agency shall inform all individuals upon their application for child support enforcement services that medical support enforcement services are available. (B) If the spouse or child does not receive public assistance or aid and is not a Medi-Cal applicant or recipient, the local child support agency shall obtain the applicant's consent prior to providing medical support enforcement services. 17424. (a) A parent who has been served with a medical insurance form shall complete and return the form to the local child support agency's office within 20 calendar days of the date the form was served. (b) The local child support agency shall send the completed medical insurance form to the department in the manner prescribed by the department. 17428. In any action or judgment brought or obtained pursuant to Section 17400, 17402, 17404, or 17416, a supplemental complaint may be filed, pursuant to Section 464 of the Code of Civil Procedure and Section 2330.1, either before or after a final judgment, seeking a judgment or order of paternity or support for a child of the mother and father of the child whose paternity and support are already in issue before the court. A supplemental judgment entered in the proceedings shall include, when appropriate and requested in the supplemental complaint, an order establishing or modifying support for all children named in the original or supplemental actions in conformity with the statewide uniform guideline for child support. A supplemental complaint for paternity or support of children may be filed without leave of court either before or after final judgment in the underlying action. Service of the supplemental summons and complaint shall be made in the manner provided for the initial service of a summons by the Code of Civil Procedure. 17430. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in any action filed by the local child support agency pursuant to Section 17400, 17402, or 17404, a judgment shall be entered if the defendant fails to file an answer or otherwise appear in the action within 30 days of service of process upon the defendant. (b) If the defendant fails to file an answer with the court within 30 days of having been served as specified in subdivision (c) of Section 17400, the proposed judgment shall become effective unless the local child support agency has filed a declaration and amended proposed judgment pursuant to subdivision (c). (c) If the local child support agency receives additional financial information within 30 days of service of the complaint and proposed judgment on the defendant and the additional information would result in a support order that is different from the amount in the proposed judgment, the local child support agency shall file a declaration setting forth the additional information and an amended proposed judgment. The declaration and amended proposed judgment shall be served on the defendant in compliance with Section 1013 of the Code of Civil Procedure or otherwise as provided by law. The defendant's time to answer or otherwise appear shall be extended to 30 days from the date of service of the declaration and amended proposed judgment. (d) Upon entry of the judgment, the clerk of the court shall mail by first-class mail, postage prepaid, a notice to the defendant that his or her default has been taken and that the proposed judgment has been entered. 17432. (a) In any action filed by the local child support agency pursuant to Section 17400, 17402, or 17404, the court may, on any terms that may be just, relieve the defendant from that part of the judgment or order concerning the amount of child support to be paid. This relief may be granted after the six-month time limit of Section 473 of the Code of Civil Procedure has elapsed, based on the grounds, and within the time limits, specified in this section. (b) This section shall apply only to judgments or orders for support that were based upon presumed income as specified in subdivision (c) of Section 17400 and that were entered after the entry of the default of the defendant under Section 17430. This section shall apply only to the amount of support ordered and not that portion of the judgment or order concerning the determination of parentage. (c) The court may set aside the child support order contained in a judgment described in subdivision (b) if the defendant's income was substantially different for the period of time during which the judgment was effective compared with the income defendant was presumed to have. A "substantial difference" means that amount of income that would result in an order for support that deviates from the order entered by default by 20 percent or more. If the difference between the defendant's actual income and the presumed income would result in an order for support that deviates from the order entered by default by less than 20 percent, the court may set aside the child support order only if the court states in writing or on the record that the defendant is experiencing an extreme financial hardship due to the circumstances enumerated in Section 4071 and that a set aside of the default judgment is necessary to accommodate those circumstances. (d) Application for relief under this section shall be accompanied by a copy of the answer or other pleading proposed to be filed together with an income and expense declaration or simplified financial statement and tax returns for any relevant years. The Judicial Council may combine the application for relief under this section and the proposed answer into a single form. (e) The burden of proving that the actual income of the defendant deviated substantially from the presumed income shall be on the defendant. (f) A motion for relief under this section shall be filed within 90 days of the first collection of money by the local child support agency or the obligee. The 90-day time period shall run from the date that the local child support agency receives the first collection or from the date that the defendant is served with notice of the collection, whichever date occurs first. If service of the notice is by mail, the date of service shall be as specified in Section 1013 of the Code of Civil Procedure. (g) In all proceedings under this section, before granting relief, the court shall consider the amount of time that has passed since the entry of the order, the circumstances surrounding the defendant's default, the relative hardship on the child or children to whom the duty of support is owed, the caretaker parent, and the defendant, and other equitable factors that the court deems appropriate. (h) If the court grants the relief requested, the court shall issue a new child support order using the appropriate child support guidelines currently in effect. The new order shall have the same commencement date as the order set aside. 17434. (a) The department shall publish a booklet describing the proper procedures and processes for the collection and payment of child and spousal support. The booklet shall be written in language understandable to the lay person and shall direct the reader to obtain the assistance of the local child support agency, the family law facilitator, or legal counsel where appropriate. The department may contract on a competitive basis with an organization or individual to write the booklet. (b) The department shall have primary responsibility for the design and development of the contents of the booklet. The department shall solicit comment regarding the content of the booklet from the Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts. The department shall verify the appropriateness and accuracy of the contents of the booklet with at least one representative of each of the following organizations: (1) A local child support agency. (2) The State Attorney General's office. (3) The California Family Support Council. (4) A community organization that advocates for the rights of custodial parents. (5) A community organization that advocates for the rights of supporting parents. (c) Upon receipt of booklets on support collection, each county welfare department shall provide a copy to each head of household whose application for public assistance under this division has been approved and for whom support rights have been assigned pursuant to Section 11477 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. The department shall provide copies of the booklet to local child support agencies for distribution, and to any person upon request. The department shall also distribute the booklets to all superior courts. Upon receipt of those booklets, each clerk of the court shall provide two copies of the booklet to the petitioner or plaintiff in any action involving the support of a minor child. The moving party shall serve a copy of the booklet on the responding party. (d) The department shall expand the information provided under its toll-free information hotline in response to inquiries regarding the process and procedures for collection and payment of child and spousal support. This toll-free number shall be advertised as providing information on child and spousal support. The hotline personnel shall not provide legal consultation or advice, but shall provide only referral services. (e) The department shall maintain a file of referral sources to provide callers to the telephone hotline with the following information specific to the county in which the caller resides: (1) The location and telephone number of the local child support agency, the county welfare office, the family law facilitator, and any other government agency that handles child and spousal support matters. (2) The telephone number of the local bar association for referral to attorneys in family law practice. (3) The name and telephone number of at least one organization that advocates the payment of child and spousal support or the name and telephone number of at least one organization that advocates the rights of supporting parents, if these organizations exist in the county. Article 2. Collections and Enforcement 17500. (a) The local child support agency may refer child support obligations that are not delinquent, or past due amounts, to the Franchise Tax Board pursuant to Section 19271.5 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. (b) The local child support agency is the public agency responsible for administering wage withholding for the purposes of Title IV-D of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 651 et seq.). To enhance child support enforcement, the local child support agency may delegate this responsibility to the Franchise Tax Board for purposes of collecting child support payments that are not delinquent, or past due amounts, as authorized under subdivision (a) of Section 19271.5 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. Nothing in this section shall limit the authority of the local child support agency granted by other sections of this code or otherwise granted by law, except to the extent that the law is inconsistent with the authority to refer child support accounts to the Franchise Tax Board for collection pursuant to Section 19271.5 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. 17502. A local child support agency who is collecting child support payments on behalf of a child and who is unable to deliver the payments to the obligee because the local child support agency is unable to locate the obligee shall make all reasonable efforts to locate the obligee for a period of six months. If the local child support agency is unable to locate the obligee within the six-month period, he or she shall return the undeliverable payments to the obligor, with written notice advising the obligor that (a) the return of the funds does not relieve the obligor of the support order, and (b) the obligor should consider placing the funds aside for purposes of child support in case the obligee appears and seeks collection of the undistributed amounts. No interest shall accrue on any past due child support amount for which the obligor made payment to the local child support agency for six consecutive months, or on any amounts due thereafter until the obligee is located, provided that the local child support agency returned the funds to the obligor because the local child support agency was unable to locate the obligee and, when the obligee was located, the obligor made full payment for all past due child support amounts. 17504. The first fifty dollars ($50) of any amount of child support collected in a month in payment of the required support obligation for that month shall be paid to a recipient of aid under this chapter, except recipients of foster care payments under Article 5 (commencing with Section 11400) of Chapter 2 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code shall not be considered income or resources of the recipient family, and shall not be deducted from the amount of aid to which the family would otherwise be eligible. The local child support agency in each county shall ensure that payments are made to recipients as required by this section. 17505. (a) All state, county, and local agencies shall cooperate with the local child support agency (1) in carrying out Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 3130) of Part 2 of Division 8 concerning the location, seizure, and recovery of abducted, concealed, or detained minor children, (2) in the enforcement of any child support obligation or to the extent required under the state plan under Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 4800) of Part 5 of Division 9, Section 270 of the Penal Code, and Section 17604, and (3) the enforcement of spousal support orders and in the location of parents or putative parents. This subdivision applies irrespective of whether the children are or are not receiving aid to families with dependent children. (b) On request, all state, county, and local agencies shall supply the local child support agency of any county in this state or the California Parent Locator Service with all information on hand relative to the location, income, or property of any parents, putative parents, spouses, or former spouses, notwithstanding any other provision of law making the information confidential, and with all information on hand relative to the location and prosecution of any person who has, by means of false statement or representation or by impersonation or other fraudulent device, obtained aid for a child under this chapter. (c) The State Department of Social Services' Statewide Automated Child Support System, or its replacement, shall be entitled to the same cooperation and information provided to the California Parent Locator Service, to the extent allowed by law. The Statewide Automated Child Support System, or its replacement, shall be allowed access to criminal offender record information only to the extent that access is allowed by law. (d) Information exchanged between the California Parent Locator Service or the Statewide Automated Child Support System, or its replacement, and state, county, or local agencies as specified in Section 666(c)(1)(D) of Title 42 of the United State Code shall be through automated processes to the maximum extent feasible. 17506. (a) There is in the Department of Justice the California Parent Locator Service and Central Registry that shall collect and disseminate all of the following, with respect to any parent, putative parent, spouse, or former spouse: (1) The full and true name of the parent together with any known aliases. (2) Date and place of birth. (3) Physical description. (4) Social security number. (5) Employment history and earnings. (6) Military status and Veterans Administration or military service serial number. (7) Last known address, telephone number, and date thereof. (8) Driver's license number, driving record, and vehicle registration information. (9) Criminal, licensing, and applicant records and information. (10) (A) Any additional location, asset, and income information, including income tax return information obtained pursuant to Section 19285.1 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, and the address, telephone number, and social security information obtained from a public utility or cable television corporation that may be of assistance in locating the parent, putative parent, abducting, concealing, or detaining parent, spouse, or former spouse, in establishing a parent and child relationship, in enforcing the child support liability of the absent parent, or enforcing the spousal support liability of the spouse or former spouse to the extent required by the state plan pursuant to Section 17604. (B) For purposes of this subdivision, "income tax return information" means all of the following regarding the taxpayer: (i) Assets. (ii) Credits. (iii) Deductions. (iv) Exemptions. (v) Identity. (vi) Liabilities. (vii) Nature, source, and amount of income. (viii) Net worth. (ix) Payments. (x) Receipts. (xi) Address. (xii) Social security number. (b) To effectuate the purposes of this section, the Statewide Automated Child Support System, or its replacement, the California Parent Locator Service and Central Registry, and the Franchise Tax Board shall utilize the federal Parent Locator Service to the extent necessary, and may request and shall receive from all departments, boards, bureaus, or other agencies of the state, or any of its political subdivisions, and those entities shall provide, that assistance and data that will enable the Department of Child Support Services, the Department of Justice, and other public agencies to carry out their powers and duties to locate parents, spouses, and former spouses, and to identify their assets, to establish parent-child relationships, and to enforce liability for child or spousal support, and for any other obligations incurred on behalf of children, and shall also provide that information to any district attorney in fulfilling the duties prescribed in Section 270 of the Penal Code, and in Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 3130) of Part 2 of Division 8 of this code, relating to abducted, concealed, or detained children. The Statewide Automated Child Support System, or its replacement, shall be entitled to the same cooperation and information as the California Parent Locator Service, to the extent allowed by law. The Statewide Automated Child Support System, or its replacement, shall be allowed access to criminal record information only to the extent that access is allowed by state and federal law. (c) (1) To effectuate the purposes of this section, and notwithstanding any other provision of California law, regulation, or tariff, and to the extent permitted by federal law, the California Parent Locator Service and Central Registry and the Statewide Automated Child Support System, or its replacement, may request and shall receive from public utilities, as defined in Section 216 of the Public Utilities Code, and cable television corporations, as defined in Section 215.5 of the Public Utilities Code, customer service information, including the full name, address, telephone number, date of birth, employer name and address, and social security number of customers of the public utility or the cable television corporation, to the extent that this information is stored within the computer data base of the public utility or the cable television corporation. (2) In order to protect the privacy of utility and cable television customers, a request to a public utility or cable television corporation for customer service information pursuant to this section shall meet the following requirements: (A) Be submitted to the public utility or cable television corporation in writing, on a transmittal document prepared by the California Parent Locator Service and Central Registry or the Statewide Automated Child Support System, or its replacement, and approved by all of the public utilities and cable television corporations. The transmittal shall be deemed to be an administrative subpoena for customer service information. (B) Have the signature of a representative authorized by the California Parent Locator Service and Central Registry or the Statewide Automated Child Support System, or its replacement. (C) Contain at least three of the following data elements regarding the person sought: (i) First and last name, and middle initial, if known. (ii) Social security number. (iii) Driver's license number. (iv) Birth date. (v) Last known address. (vi) Spouse's name. (D) The California Parent Locator Service and Central Registry and the Statewide Automated Child Support System, or its replacement, shall ensure that each public utility and cable television corporation has at all times a current list of the names of persons authorized to request customer service information. (E) The California Statewide Automated Child Support System, or its replacement, and the California Parent Locator Service and Central Registry shall ensure that customer service information supplied by a public utility or cable television corporation is applicable to the person who is being sought before releasing the information pursuant to subdivision (d). (3) The public utility or cable television corporation may charge a fee to the California Parent Locator Service and Central Registry or the Statewide Automated Child Support System, or its replacement, for each search performed pursuant to this subdivision to cover the actual costs to the public utility or cable television corporation for providing this information. (4) No public utility or cable television corporation, or official or employee thereof, shall be subject to criminal or civil liability for the release of customer service information as authorized by this subdivision. (d) Notwithstanding Section 14202 of the Penal Code, any records established pursuant to this section shall be disseminated only to the Department of Justice, the Statewide Automated Child Support System or its replacement, the California Parent Locator Service and Central Registry, the parent locator services and central registries of other states as defined by federal statutes and regulations, a district attorney of any county in this state, the federal Parent Locator Service, the Department of Child Support Services, and local child support agencies. The Statewide Automated Child Support Enforcement System, or its replacement, shall be allowed access to criminal offender record information only to the extent that access is allowed by law. (e) (1) At no time shall any information received by the California Parent Locator Service and Central Registry or by the Statewide Automated Child Support System, or its replacement, be disclosed to any person, agency, or other entity, other than those persons, agencies, and entities specified pursuant to Section 17505, this section, or any other provision of law. (2) This subdivision shall not otherwise affect discovery between parties in any action to establish, modify, or enforce child, family, or spousal support, that relates to custody or visitation. (f) (1) The Department of Justice, in consultation with the Department of Child Support Services, shall promulgate rules and regulations to facilitate maximum and efficient use of the California Parent Locator Service and Central Registry. (2) The Department of Child Support Services, the Public Utilities Commission, and the cable television corporations shall develop procedures for obtaining the information described in subdivision (c) from public utilities, and for compensating the public utilities and cable television corporations for providing that information. (g) The California Parent Locator Service and Central Registry may charge a fee not to exceed eighteen dollars ($18) for any service it provides pursuant to this section that is not performed or funded pursuant to Part D (commencing with Section 651) of Subchapter IV of Chapter 7 of Title 42 of the United States Code. (h) This section shall be construed in a manner consistent with the other provisions of this article. 17508. The Employment Development Department shall, when requested by the Department of Child Support Services, the Franchise Tax Board for purposes of administering Article 5 (commencing with Section 19271) of Chapter 5 of Part 10.2 of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, the federal Parent Locator Service, or the California Parent Locator Service, provide access to information collected pursuant to Section 1088.5 of the Unemployment Insurance Code to the requesting department or agency for purposes of administering the child support enforcement program, and for purposes of verifying employment of applicants and recipients of aid under this chapter or food stamps under Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 18900) of Part 6 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. 17510. To assist local agencies in child support enforcement activities, the department shall operate a workers' compensation notification project based on information received pursuant to Section 138.5 of the Labor Code or any other source of information. 17512. (a) Upon receipt of a written request from a local child support agency enforcing the obligation of parents to support their children pursuant to Section 17400, or from an agency of another state enforcing support obligations pursuant to Section 654 of Title 42 of the United States Code, every employer, as specified in Section 5210, and every labor organization shall cooperate with and provide relevant employment and income information that they have in their possession to the local child support agency or other requesting agency for the purpose of establishing, modifying, or enforcing the support obligation. No employer or labor organization shall incur any liability for providing this information to the local child support agency or other requesting agency. (b) Relevant employment and income information shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following: (1) Whether a named person has or has not been employed by an employer or whether a named person has or has not been employed to the knowledge of the labor organization. (2) The full name of the employee or member or the first and middle initial and last name of the employee or member. (3) The employee's or member's last known residence address. (4) The employee's or member's date of birth. (5) The employee's or member's social security number. (6) The dates of employment. (7) All earnings paid to the employee or member and reported as W-2 compensation in the prior tax year and the employee's or member's current basic rate of pay. (8) Other earnings, as specified in Section 5206, paid to the employee or member. (9) Whether dependent health insurance coverage is available to the employee through employment or membership in the labor organization. (c) The local child support agency or other agency shall notify the employer and labor organization of the local child support agency case file number in making a request pursuant to this section. The written request shall include at least three of the following elements regarding the person who is the subject of the inquiry: (A) first and last name and middle initial, if known; (B) social security number; (C) driver's license number; (D) birth date; (E) last known address; or (F) spouse's name. (d) The local child support agency or other requesting agency shall send a notice that a request for this information has been made to the last known address of the person who is the subject of the inquiry. (e) An employer or labor organization that fails to provide relevant employment information to the local child support agency or other requesting agency within 30 days of receiving a request pursuant to subdivision (a) may be assessed a civil penalty of a maximum of one thousand dollars ($1,000), plus attorneys' fees and costs. Proceedings to impose the civil penalty shall be commenced by the filing and service of an order to show cause. (f) "Labor organization," for the purposes of this section means a labor organization as defined in Section 1117 of the Labor Code or any related benefit trust fund covered under the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (Chapter 18 (commencing with Section 1001) of Title 29 of the United States Code). (g) Any reference to the local child support agency in this section shall apply only when the local child support agency is otherwise ordered or required to act pursuant to existing law. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to mandate additional enforcement or collection duties upon the local child support agency beyond those imposed under existing law on the effective date of this section. 17514. (a) It is the intent of the Legislature to protect individual rights of privacy, and to facilitate and enhance the effectiveness of the child abduction and recovery programs, by ensuring the confidentiality of child abduction records, and to thereby encourage the full and frank disclosure of information relevant to all of the following: (1) The establishment or maintenance of parent and child relationships and support obligations. (2) The enforcement of the child support liability of absent parents. (3) The enforcement of spousal support liability of the spouse or former spouse to the extent required by the state plan under Section 17400, and Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 4800) of Part 5 of Division 9. (4) The location of absent parents. (5) The location of parents and children abducted, concealed, or detained by them. (b) (1) Except as provided in this subdivision, all files, applications, papers, documents, and records, established or maintained by any public entity for the purpose of locating an abducted child, locating a person who has abducted a child, or prosecution of a person who has abducted a child shall be confidential, and shall not be open to examination or released for disclosure for any purpose not directly connected with locating or recovering the abducted child or abducting person or prosecution of the abducting person. (2) Except as provided in subdivision (c), no public entity shall disclose any file, application, paper document, or record described in this section, or the information contained therein. (c) (1) All files, applications, papers, documents, and records as described in subdivision (b) shall be available and may be used by a public entity for all administrative, civil, or criminal investigations, actions, proceedings, or prosecution conducted in connection with the child abduction or prosecution of the abducting person. (2) A document requested by a person who wrote, prepared, or furnished the document may be examined by or disclosed to that person or his or her designee. (3) Public records subject to disclosure under Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code may be released. (4) After a noticed motion and a finding by the court, in a case in which child recovery or abduction prosecution actions are being taken, that release or disclosure is required by due process of law, the court may order a public entity that possesses an application, paper, document, or record described in this subdivision to make that item available to the defendant or other party for examination or copying, or to disclose to an appropriate person the contents of that item. Article 9 (commencing with Section 1040) of Chapter 4 of Division 8 of the Evidence Code shall not be applicable to proceedings under this part. (5) To the extent not prohibited by federal law or regulation, information indicating the existence or imminent threat of a crime against a minor child, or location of a concealed or abducted child or the location of the concealing or abducting person, may be disclosed to any appropriate law enforcement agency, or to any state or county child protective agency, or may be used in any judicial proceedings to prosecute that crime or to protect the child. (6) Information may be released to any state or local agency for the purposes connected with establishing, modifying, and enforcing child support obligations, enforcing spousal support orders, and determining paternity as required by Part D (commencing with Section 651) of Subchapter IV of Chapter 7 of Title 42 of the United States Code and this article. 17516. In no event shall public social service benefits, as defined in Section 10051 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or benefits paid pursuant to Title XVI of the Social Security Act be employed to satisfy a support obligation. 17518. (a) As authorized by subdivision (d) of Section 704.120 of the Code of Civil Procedure, the following actions shall be taken in order to enforce support obligations that are not being met. Whenever a support judgment or order has been rendered by a court of this state against an individual who is entitled to any unemployment compensation benefits or unemployment compensation disability benefits, the local child support agency may file a certification of support judgment or support order with the Department of Child Support Services, verifying under penalty of perjury that there is or has been a judgment or an order for support with sums overdue thereunder. The department shall periodically present and keep current, by deletions and additions, a list of the certified support judgments and orders and shall periodically notify the Employment Development Department of individuals certified as owing support obligations. (b) If the Employment Development Department determines that an individual who owes support may have a claim for unemployment compensation disability insurance benefits under a voluntary plan approved by the Employment Development Department in accordance with Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 3251) of Part 2 of Division 1 of the Unemployment Insurance Code, the Employment Development Department shall immediately notify the voluntary plan payer. When the department notifies the Employment Development Department of changes in an individual's support obligations, the Employment Development Department shall promptly notify the voluntary plan payer of these changes. The Employment Development Department shall maintain and keep current a record of individuals who owe support obligations who may have claims for unemployment compensation or unemployment compensation disability benefits. (c) Notwithstanding any other law, the Employment Development Department shall withhold the amounts specified below from the unemployment compensation benefits or unemployment compensation disability benefits of individuals with unmet support obligations. The Employment Development Department shall periodically forward the amounts to the Department of Child Support Services for distribution to the appropriate certifying county. (d) Notwithstanding any other law, during the payment of unemployment compensation disability benefits to an individual, with respect to whom the Employment Development Department has notified a voluntary plan payer that the individual has a support obligation, the voluntary plan payer shall withhold the amounts specified below from the individual's unemployment compensation disability benefits and shall periodically forward the amounts to the appropriate certifying county. (e) The amounts withheld in subdivisions (c) and (d) shall be equal to 25 percent of each weekly unemployment compensation benefit payment or periodic unemployment compensation disability benefit payment, rounded down to the nearest whole dollar, which is due the individual identified on the certified list. However, the amount withheld may be reduced to a lower whole dollar amount through a written agreement between the individual and the local child support agency or through an order of the court. (f) The department shall ensure that the appropriate certifying county shall resolve any claims for refunds in the amounts overwithheld by the Employment Development Department or voluntary plan payer. (g) No later than the time of the first withholding, the individuals who are subject to the withholding shall be notified by the payer of benefits of all of the following: (1) That his or her unemployment compensation benefits or unemployment compensation disability benefits have been reduced by a court-ordered support judgment or order pursuant to this section. (2) The address and telephone number of the local child support agency that submitted the certificate of support judgment or order. (3) That the support order remains in effect even though he or she is unemployed or disabled unless it is modified by court order, and that if the amount withheld is less than the monthly support obligation, an arrearage will accrue. (h) The individual may ask the appropriate court for an equitable division of the individual's unemployment compensation or unemployment compensation disability amounts withheld to take into account the needs of all the persons the individual is required to support. (i) The Department of Child Support Services and the Employment Development Department shall enter into any agreements necessary to carry out this section. (j) For purposes of this section, "support obligations" means the child and related spousal support obligations that are being enforced pursuant to a plan described in Section 454 of the Social Security Act and as that section may hereafter be amended. However, to the extent "related spousal support obligation" may not be collected from unemployment compensation under federal law, those obligations shall not be included in the definition of support obligations under this section. 17520. (a) As used in this section: (1) "Applicant" means any person applying for issuance or renewal of a license. (2) "Board" means any entity specified in Section 101 of the Business and Professions Code, the entities referred to in Sections 1000 and 3600 of the Business and Professions Code, the State Bar, the Department of Real Estate, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Secretary of State, the Department of Fish and Game, and any other state commission, department, committee, examiner, or agency that issues a license, certificate, credential, permit, registration, or any other authorization to engage in a business, occupation, or profession, or to the extent required by federal law or regulations, for recreational purposes. This term includes all boards, commissions, departments, committees, examiners, entities, and agencies that issue a license, certificate, credential, permit, registration, or any other authorization to engage in a business, occupation, or profession. The failure to specifically name a particular board, commission, department, committee, examiner, entity, or agency that issues a license, certificate, credential, permit, registration, or any other authorization to engage in a business, occupation, or profession does not exclude that board, commission, department, committee, examiner, entity, or agency from this term. (3) "Certified list" means a list provided by the local child support agency to the Department of Child Support Services in which the local child support agency verifies, under penalty of perjury, that the names contained therein are support obligors found to be out of compliance with a judgment or order for support in a case being enforced under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act. (4) "Compliance with a judgment or order for support" means that, as set forth in a judgment or order for child or family support, the obligor is no more than 30 calendar days in arrears in making payments in full for current support, in making periodic payments in full, whether court ordered or by agreement with the local child support agency, on a support arrearage, or in making periodic payments in full, whether court ordered or by agreement with the local child support agency, on a judgment for reimbursement for public assistance, or has obtained a judicial finding that equitable estoppel as provided in statute or case law precludes enforcement of the order. The local child support agency is authorized to use this section to enforce orders for spousal support only when the local child support agency is also enforcing a related child support obligation owed to the obligee parent by the same obligor, pursuant to Sections 17400 and 17604. (5) "License" includes membership in the State Bar, and a certificate, credential, permit, registration, or any other authorization issued by a board that allows a person to engage in a business, occupation, or profession, or to operate a commercial motor vehicle, including appointment and commission by the Secretary of State as a notary public. "License" also includes any driver's license issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles, any commercial fishing license issued by the Department of Fish and Game, and to the extent required by federal law or regulations, any license used for recreational purposes. This term includes all licenses, certificates, credentials, permits, registrations, or any other authorization issued by a board that allows a person to engage in a business, occupation, or profession. The failure to specifically name a particular type of license, certificate, credential, permit, registration, or other authorization issued by a board that allows a person to engage in a business, occupation, or profession, does not exclude that license, certificate, credential, permit, registration, or other authorization from this term. (6) "Licensee" means any person holding a license, certificate, credential, permit, registration, or other authorization issued by a board, to engage in a business, occupation, or profession, or a commercial driver's license as defined in Section 15210 of the Vehicle Code, including an appointment and commission by the Secretary of State as a notary public. "Licensee" also means any person holding a driver's license issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles, any person holding a commercial fishing license issued by the Department of Fish and Game, and to the extent required by federal law or regulations, any person holding a license used for recreational purposes. This term includes all persons holding a license, certificate, credential, permit, registration, or any other authorization to engage in a business, occupation, or profession, and the failure to specifically name a particular type of license, certificate, credential, permit, registration, or other authorization issued by a board does not exclude that person from this term. (b) The local child support agency shall maintain a list of those persons included in a case being enforced under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act against whom a support order or judgment has been rendered by, or registered in, a court of this state, and who are not in compliance with that order or judgment. The local child support agency shall submit a certified list with the names, social security numbers, and last known addresses of these persons and the name, address, and telephone number of the local child support agency who certified the list to the department. The local child support agency shall verify, under penalty of perjury, that the persons listed are subject to an order or judgment for the payment of support and that these persons are not in compliance with the order or judgment. The local child support agency shall submit to the department an updated certified list on a monthly basis. (c) The department shall consolidate the certified lists received from the local child support agencies and, within 30 calendar days of receipt, shall provide a copy of the consolidated list to each board that is responsible for the regulation of licenses, as specified in this section. (d) On or before November 1, 1992, or as soon thereafter as economically feasible, as determined by the department, all boards subject to this section shall implement procedures to accept and process the list provided by the department, in accordance with this section. Notwithstanding any other law, all boards shall collect social security numbers from all applicants for the purposes of matching the names of the certified list provided by the department to applicants and licensees and of responding to requests for this information made by child support agencies. (e) (1) Promptly after receiving the certified consolidated list from the department, and prior to the issuance or renewal of a license, each board shall determine whether the applicant is on the most recent certified consolidated list provided by the department. The board shall have the authority to withhold issuance or renewal of the license of any applicant on the list. (2) If an applicant is on the list, the board shall immediately serve notice as specified in subdivision (f) on the applicant of the board's intent to withhold issuance or renewal of the license. The notice shall be made personally or by mail to the applicant's last known mailing address on file with the board. Service by mail shall be complete in accordance with Section 1013 of the Code of Civil Procedure. (A) The board shall issue a temporary license valid for a period of 150 days to any applicant whose name is on the certified list if the applicant is otherwise eligible for a license. (B) Except as provided in subparagraph (D), the 150-day time period for a temporary license shall not be extended. Except as provided in subparagraph (D), only one temporary license shall be issued during a regular license term and it shall coincide with the first 150 days of that license term. As this paragraph applies to commercial driver's licenses, "license term" shall be deemed to be 12 months from the date the application fee is received by the Department of Motor Vehicles. A license for the full or remainder of the license term shall be issued or renewed only upon compliance with this section. (C) In the event that a license or application for a license or the renewal of a license is denied pursuant to this section, any funds paid by the applicant or licensee shall not be refunded by the board. (D) This paragraph shall apply only in the case of a driver's license, other than a commercial driver's license. Upon the request of the local child support agency or by order of the court upon a showing of good cause, the board shall extend a 150-day temporary license for a period not to exceed 150 extra days. (3) (A) The department may, when it is economically feasible for the department and the boards to do so as determined by the department, in cases where the department is aware that certain child support obligors listed on the certified lists have been out of compliance with a judgment or order for support for more than four months, provide a supplemental list of these obligors to each board with which the department has an interagency agreement to implement this paragraph. Upon request by the department, the licenses of these obligors shall be subject to suspension, provided that the licenses would not otherwise be eligible for renewal within six months from the date of the request by the department. The board shall have the authority to suspend the license of any licensee on this supplemental list. (B) If a licensee is on a supplemental list, the board shall immediately serve notice as specified in subdivision (f) on the licensee that his or her license will be automatically suspended 150 days after notice is served, unless compliance with this section is achieved. The notice shall be made personally or by mail to the licensee's last known mailing address on file with the board. Service by mail shall be complete in accordance with Section 1013 of the Code of Civil Procedure. (C) The 150-day notice period shall not be extended. (D) In the event that any license is suspended pursuant to this section, any funds paid by the licensee shall not be refunded by the board. (E) This paragraph shall not apply to licenses subject to annual renewal or annual fee. (f) Notices shall be developed by each board in accordance with guidelines provided by the department and subject to approval by the department. The notice shall include the address and telephone number of the local child support agency that submitted the name on the certified list, and shall emphasize the necessity of obtaining a release from that local child support agency as a condition for the issuance, renewal, or continued valid status of a license or licenses. (1) In the case of applicants not subject to paragraph (3) of subdivision (e), the notice shall inform the applicant that the board shall issue a temporary license, as provided in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (e), for 150 calendar days if the applicant is otherwise eligible and that upon expiration of that time period the license will be denied unless the board has received a release from the local child support agency that submitted the name on the certified list. (2) In the case of licensees named on a supplemental list, the notice shall inform the licensee that his or her license will continue in its existing status for no more than 150 calendar days from the date of mailing or service of the notice and thereafter will be suspended indefinitely unless, during the 150-day notice period, the board has received a release from the local child support agency that submitted the name on the certified list. Additionally, the notice shall inform the licensee that any license suspended under this section will remain so until the expiration of the remaining license term, unless the board receives a release along with applications and fees, if applicable, to reinstate the license during the license term. (3) The notice shall also inform the applicant or licensee that if an application is denied or a license is suspended pursuant to this section, any funds paid by the applicant or licensee shall not be refunded by the board. The Department of Child Support Services shall also develop a form that the applicant shall use to request a review by the local child support agency. A copy of this form shall be included with every notice sent pursuant to this subdivision. (g) (1) Each local child support agency shall maintain review procedures consistent with this section to allow an applicant to have the underlying arrearage and any relevant defenses investigated, to provide an applicant information on the process of obtaining a modification of a support order, or to provide an applicant assistance in the establishment of a payment schedule on arrearages if the circumstances so warrant. (2) It is the intent of the Legislature that a court or local child support agency, when determining an appropriate payment schedule for arrearages, base its decision on the facts of the particular case and the priority of payment of child support over other debts. The payment schedule shall also recognize that certain expenses may be essential to enable an obligor to be employed. Therefore, in reaching its decision, the court or the local child support agency shall consider both of these goals in setting a payment schedule for arrearages. (h) If the applicant wishes to challenge the submission of his or her name on the certified list, the applicant shall make a timely written request for review on the form specified in subdivision (f) to the local child support agency who certified the applicant's name. The local child support agency shall, within 75 days of receipt of the written request, inform the applicant in writing of his or her findings upon completion of the review. The local child support agency shall immediately send a release to the appropriate board and the applicant, if any of the following conditions are met: (1) The applicant is found to be in compliance or negotiates an agreement with the local child support agency for a payment schedule on arrearages or reimbursement. (2) The applicant has submitted a request for review, but the local child support agency will be unable to complete the review and send notice of its findings to the applicant within 75 days. This paragraph applies only if the delay in completing the review process is not the result of the applicant's failure to act in a reasonable, timely, and diligent manner upon receiving notice from the board that his or her name is on the list. (3) The applicant has filed and served a request for judicial review pursuant to this section, but a resolution of that review will not be made within 150 days of the date of service of notice pursuant to subdivision (f). This paragraph applies only if the delay in completing the judicial review process is not the result of the applicant's failure to act in a reasonable, timely, and diligent manner upon receiving the local child support agency's notice of findings. (4) The applicant has obtained a judicial finding of compliance as defined in this section. (i) An applicant is required to act with diligence in responding to notices from the board and the local child support agency with the recognition that the temporary license will lapse or the license suspension will go into effect after 150 days and that the local child support agency and, where appropriate, the court must have time to act within that period. An applicant's delay in acting, without good cause, which directly results in the inability of the local child support agency to complete a review of the applicant's request or the court to hear the request for judicial review within the 150-day period shall not constitute the diligence required under this section which would justify the issuance of a release. (j) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the local child support agency shall not issue a release if the applicant is not in compliance with the judgment or order for support. The local child support agency shall notify the applicant in writing that the applicant may, by filing an order to show cause or notice of motion, request any or all of the following: (1) Judicial review of the local child support agency's decision not to issue a release. (2) A judicial determination of compliance. (3) A modification of the support judgment or order. The notice shall also contain the name and address of the court in which the applicant shall file the order to show cause or notice of motion and inform the applicant that his or her name shall remain on the certified list if the applicant does not timely request judicial review. The applicant shall comply with all statutes and rules of court regarding orders to show cause and notices of motion. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to limit an applicant from filing an order to show cause or notice of motion to modify a support judgment or order or to fix a payment schedule on arrearages accruing under a support judgment or order or to obtain a court finding of compliance with a judgment or order for support. (k) The request for judicial review of the local child support agency's decision shall state the grounds for which review is requested and judicial review shall be limited to those stated grounds. The court shall hold an evidentiary hearing within 20 calendar days of the filing of the request for review. Judicial review of the local child support agency's decision shall be limited to a determination of each of the following issues: (1) Whether there is a support judgment, order, or payment schedule on arrearages or reimbursement. (2) Whether the petitioner is the obligor covered by the support judgment or order. (3) Whether the support obligor is or is not in compliance with the judgment or order of support. (4) (A) The extent to which the needs of the obligor, taking into account the obligor's payment history and the current circumstances of both the obligor and the obligee, warrant a conditional release as described in this subdivision. (B) The request for judicial review shall be served by the applicant upon the local child support agency that submitted the applicant's name on the certified list within seven calendar days of the filing of the petition. The court has the authority to uphold the action, unconditionally release the license, or conditionally release the license. (C) If the judicial review results in a finding by the court that the obligor is in compliance with the judgment or order for support, the local child support agency shall immediately send a release in accordance with subdivision (h) to the appropriate board and the applicant. If the judicial review results in a finding by the court that the needs of the obligor warrant a conditional release, the court shall make findings of fact stating the basis for the release and the payment necessary to satisfy the unrestricted issuance or renewal of the license without prejudice to a later judicial determination of the amount of support arrearages, including interest, and shall specify payment terms, compliance with which are necessary to allow the release to remain in effect. (l) The department shall prescribe release forms for use by local child support agencies. When the obligor is in compliance, the local child support agency shall mail to the applicant and the appropriate board a release stating that the applicant is in compliance. The receipt of a release shall serve to notify the applicant and the board that, for the purposes of this section, the applicant is in compliance with the judgment or order for support. If the local child support agency determines subsequent to the issuance of a release that the applicant is once again not in compliance with a judgment or order for support, or with the terms of repayment as described in this subdivision, the local child support agency may notify the board, the obligor, and the department in a format prescribed by the department that the obligor is not in compliance. The department may, when it is economically feasible for the department and the boards to develop an automated process for complying with this subdivision, notify the boards in a manner prescribed by the department, that the obligor is once again not in compliance. Upon receipt of this notice, the board shall immediately notify the obligor on a form prescribed by the department that the obligor's license will be suspended on a specific date, and this date shall be no longer than 30 days from the date the form is mailed. The obligor shall be further notified that the license will remain suspended until a new release is issued in accordance with subdivision (h). Nothing in this section shall be deemed to limit the obligor from seeking judicial review of suspension pursuant to the procedures described in subdivision (k). (m) The department may enter into interagency agreements with the state agencies that have responsibility for the administration of boards necessary to implement this section, to the extent that it is cost-effective to implement this section. These agreements shall provide for the receipt by the other state agencies and boards of federal funds to cover that portion of costs allowable in federal law and regulation and incurred by the state agencies and boards in implementing this section. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, revenue generated by a board or state agency shall be used to fund the nonfederal share of costs incurred pursuant to this section. These agreements shall provide that boards shall reimburse the department for the nonfederal share of costs incurred by the department in implementing this section. The boards shall reimburse the department for the nonfederal share of costs incurred pursuant to this section from moneys collected from applicants and licensees. (n) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in order for the boards subject to this section to be reimbursed for the costs incurred in administering its provisions, the boards may, with the approval of the appropriate department director, levy on all licensees and applicants a surcharge on any fee or fees collected pursuant to law, or, alternatively, with the approval of the appropriate department director, levy on the applicants or licensees named on a certified list or supplemental list, a special fee. (o) The process described in subdivision (h) shall constitute the sole administrative remedy for contesting the issuance of a temporary license or the denial or suspension of a license under this section. The procedures specified in the administrative adjudication provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 11400) and Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code) shall not apply to the denial, suspension, or failure to issue or renew a license or the issuance of a temporary license pursuant to this section. (p) In furtherance of the public policy of increasing child support enforcement and collections, on or before November 1, 1995, the State Department of Social Services shall make a report to the Legislature and the Governor based on data collected by the boards and the district attorneys in a format prescribed by the State Department of Social Services. The report shall contain all of the following: (1) The number of delinquent obligors certified by district attorneys under this section. (2) The number of support obligors who also were applicants or licensees subject to this section. (3) The number of new licenses and renewals that were delayed, temporary licenses issued, and licenses suspended subject to this section and the number of new licenses and renewals granted and licenses reinstated following board receipt of releases as provided by subdivision (h) by May 1, 1995. (4) The costs incurred in the implementation and enforcement of this section. (q) Any board receiving an inquiry as to the licensed status of an applicant or licensee who has had a license denied or suspended under this section or has been granted a temporary license under this section shall respond only that the license was denied or suspended or the temporary license was issued pursuant to this section. Information collected pursuant to this section by any state agency, board, or department shall be subject to the Information Practices Act of 1977 (Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1798) of Title 1.8 of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code). (r) Any rules and regulations issued pursuant to this section by any state agency, board, or department may be adopted as emergency regulations in accordance with the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code). The adoption of these regulations shall be deemed an emergency and necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, or general welfare. The regulations shall become effective immediately upon filing with the Secretary of State. (s) The department and boards, as appropriate, shall adopt regulations necessary to implement this section. (t) The Judicial Council shall develop the forms necessary to implement this section, except as provided in subdivisions (f) and (l). (u) The release or other use of information received by a board pursuant to this section, except as authorized by this section, is punishable as a misdemeanor. (v) The State Board of Equalization shall enter into interagency agreements with the department and the Franchise Tax Board that will require the department and the Franchise Tax Board to maximize the use of information collected by the State Board of Equalization, for child support enforcement purposes, to the extent it is cost-effective and permitted by the Revenue and Taxation Code. (w) The suspension or revocation of any driver's license, including a commercial driver's license, under this section shall not subject the licensee to vehicle impoundment pursuant to Section 14602.6 of the Vehicle Code. (x) If any provision of this section or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, that invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of this section which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this section are severable. (y) All rights to administrative and judicial review afforded by this section to an applicant shall also be afforded to a licensee. 17522. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, if any support obligor is delinquent in the payment of support for at least 30 days and the local child support agency is enforcing the support obligation pursuant to Section 17400, the local child support agency may collect the delinquency or enforce any lien by levy served on all persons having in their possession, or who will have in their possession or under their control, any credits or personal property belonging to the delinquent support obligor, or who owe any debt to the obligor at the time they receive the notice of levy. (b) A levy may be issued by a local child support agency for a support obligation that accrued under a court order or judgment if the obligor had notice of the accrued support arrearage as provided in this section, and did not make a timely request for review. (c) The notice requirement shall be satisfied by the local child support agency sending a statement of support arrearages to the obligor at the obligor's last known address by first-class mail, postage prepaid. The notice shall advise the obligor of the amount of the support arrearage. The notice shall advise the obligor that the obligor may have the arrearage determination reviewed by administrative procedures and state how the review may be obtained. The notice shall also advise the obligor of his or her right to seek a judicial determination of arrearages pursuant to Section 17526 and shall include a form to be filed with the court to request a judicial determination of arrearages. If the obligor requests an administrative review of the arrearage determination within 20 days from the date the notice was mailed to the obligor, the local child support agency shall review the assessment or determination and shall not issue the levy for a disputed amount of support until the administrative review procedure is completed. (d) If the obligor requests a judicial determination of the arrearages within 20 days from the date the notice was mailed to the obligor, the local child support agency shall not issue the levy for a disputed amount of support until the judicial determination is complete. (e) Any person upon whom a levy has been served having in his or her possession or under his or her control any credits or personal property belonging to the delinquent support obligor or owing any debts to the delinquent support obligor at the time of receipt of the levy or coming into his or her possession or under his or her control within one year of receipt of the notice of levy, shall surrender the credits or personal property to the local child support agency or pay to the local child support agency the amount of any debt owing the delinquent support obligor within 10 days of service of the levy, and shall surrender the credits or personal property, or the amount of any debt owing to the delinquent support obligor coming into his or her own possession or control within one year of receipt of the notice of levy within 10 days of the date of coming into possession or control of the credits or personal property or the amount of any debt owing to the delinquent support obligor. (f) Any person who surrenders any credits or personal property or pays the debts owing the delinquent support obligor to the local child support agency pursuant to this section shall be discharged from any obligation or liability to the delinquent support obligor to the extent of the amount paid to the local child support agency as a result of the levy. (g) If the levy is made on a deposit or credits or personal property in the possession or under the control of a bank, savings and loan association, or other financial institution as defined by Section 669A(d)(1) of Title 42 of the United States Code, the notice of levy may be delivered or mailed to a centralized location designated by the bank, savings and loan association, or other financial institution pursuant to Section 689.040 of the Code of Civil Procedure. (h) Any person who is served with a levy pursuant to this section and who fails or refuses to surrender any credits or other personal property or pay any debts owing to the delinquent support obligor shall be liable in his or her own person or estate to the local child support agency in an amount equal to the value of the credits or other personal property or in the amount of the levy, up to the amount specified in the levy. (i) If any amount required to be paid pursuant to a levy under this section is not paid when due, the local child support agency may issue a warrant for enforcement of any lien and for the collection of any amount required to be paid to the local child support agency under this section. The warrant shall be directed to any sheriff, marshal, or the Department of the California Highway Patrol and shall have the same force and effect as a writ of execution. The warrant shall be levied and sale made pursuant to it in the manner and with the same force and effect as a levy and sale pursuant to a writ of execution. The local child support agency may pay or advance to the levying officer the same fees, commissions, and expenses for his or her services under this section as are provided by law for similar services pursuant to a writ of execution, except for those fees and expenses for which a district attorney is exempt by law from paying. The local child support agency, and not the court, shall approve the fees for publication in a newspaper. (j) The fees, commissions, expenses, and the reasonable costs associated with the sale of property levied upon by warrant or levy pursuant to this section, including, but not limited to, appraisers' fees, auctioneers' fees, and advertising fees are an obligation of the support obligor and may be collected from the obligor by virtue of the warrant or levy or in any other manner as though these items were support payments delinquent for at least 30 days. 17524. (a) Upon making application to the local child support agency for child support enforcement services pursuant to Section 17400, every applicant shall be requested to give the local child support agency a statement of arrearages stating whether any support arrearages are owed. If the applicant alleges arrearages are owed, the statement shall be signed under penalty of perjury. (b) For all cases opened by the district attorney or local child support agency after December 31, 1995, the local child support agency shall enforce only arrearages declared under penalty of perjury pursuant to subdivision (a), arrearages accrued after the case was opened, or arrearages determined by the court in the child support action. Arrearages may be determined by judgment, noticed motion, renewal of judgment, or registration of the support order. (c) For all cases opened by the district attorney on or before December 31, 1995, the local child support agency shall enforce only arrearages that have been based upon a statement of arrearages signed under penalty of perjury or where the local child support agency has some other reasonable basis for believing the amount of claimed arrearages to be correct. 17526. (a) Upon request of an obligor or obligee, the local child support agency shall, within 30 days, review the amount of arrearages alleged in a statement of arrearages that may be submitted to the local child support agency by an applicant for child support enforcement services. In the review, the local child support agency shall consider all evidence and defenses submitted by either parent on the issues of the amount of support paid or owed. The local child support agency may continue the administrative review as necessary to obtain additional information. (b) The local child support agency may, in its discretion, suspend enforcement or distribution of arrearages if it believes there is a substantial probability that the result of the administrative review will result in a finding that there are no arrearages. (c) Any party to an action involving child support enforcement services of the local child support agency may request a judicial determination of arrearages. The party may request an administrative review of the alleged arrearages prior to requesting a judicial determination of arrearages. Any motion to determine arrearages filed with the court shall include a monthly breakdown showing amounts ordered and amounts paid, in addition to any other relevant information. (d) A county that submits a claim for reimbursement as a state-mandated local program of costs incurred with respect to the administrative review of alleged child support arrearages under this section shall be ineligible for state subventions or, to the extent permitted by federal law, state-administered federal subventions, for child support in the amount of any local costs under this section. 17528. (a) As authorized by subdivision (c) of Section 704.110 of the Code of Civil Procedure, the following actions shall be taken in order to enforce support obligations that are not being met: (1) Within 18 months of implementation of the Statewide Automated Child Support System (SACSS), or its replacement as prescribed by former Section 10815 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, and certification of SACSS or its replacement by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the department shall compile a file of all support judgments and orders that are being enforced by local child support agencies pursuant to Section 17400 that have sums overdue by at least 60 days or by an amount equal to 60 days of support. (2) The file shall contain the name and social security number of the person who owes overdue support, the amount of overdue support as of the date the file is created, the name of the county in which the support obligation is being enforced by the local child support agency, and any other information that is deemed necessary by the department and the Public Employees' Retirement System. (3) The department shall provide the certified file to the Public Employees' Retirement System for the purpose of matching the names in the file with members and beneficiaries of the Public Employees' Retirement System that are entitled to receive Public Employees' Retirement System benefits. The department and the Public Employees' Retirement System shall work cooperatively to develop an interface in order to match the names in their respective electronic data processing systems. The interface required to intercept benefits that are payable periodically shall be done as soon as it is technically feasible. (4) The department shall update the certified file no less than on a monthly basis to add new cases within the local child support agencies or existing cases that become delinquent and to delete persons who are no longer delinquent. The department shall provide the updated file no less than on a monthly basis to the Public Employees' Retirement System. (5) Information contained in the certified file provided to the Public Employees' Retirement System by the department and the local child support agencies and information provided by the Public Employees' Retirement System to the department shall be used exclusively for child support enforcement purposes and may not be used for any other purpose. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Public Employees' Retirement System shall withhold the amount certified from the benefits and refunds to be distributed to members with overdue support obligations or from benefits to be distributed to beneficiaries with overdue support obligations. If the benefits are payable periodically, the amount withheld pursuant to this section shall not exceed the amount permitted to be withheld for an earnings withholding order for support under Section 706.052 of the Code of Civil Procedure. (c) The Public Employees' Retirement System shall forward the amounts withheld pursuant to subdivision (b) within 10 days of withholding to the department for distribution to the appropriate county. (d) On an annual basis, the department shall notify individuals with overdue support obligations that PERS benefits or PERS contribution refunds may be intercepted for the purpose of enforcing family support obligations. (e) No later than the time of the first withholding, the Public Employees' Retirement System shall send those persons subject to withholding the following: (1) Notice that his or her benefits or retirement contribution refund have been reduced by payment on a support judgment pursuant to this section. (2) A form developed by the department that the applicant shall use to request either a review by the local child support agency or a court hearing, as appropriate. (f) The notice shall include the address and telephone number of the local child support agency that is enforcing the support obligation pursuant to Section 17400, and shall specify that the form requesting either a review by the local child support agency or a court hearing must be received by the local child support agency within 20 days of the date of the notice. (g) The form shall include instructions that are designed to enable the member or beneficiary to obtain a review or a court hearing as appropriate on his or her own behalf. The form shall specify that if the member or beneficiary disputes the amount of support arrearages certified by the local child support agency pursuant to this section, he or she may request a review by the local child support agency. (h) The department shall develop procedures that are consistent with this section to be used by each local child support agency in conducting the requested review. The local child support agency shall complete the review in accordance with the procedures developed by the department and shall notify the member or beneficiary of the result of the review within 20 days of receiving the request for review. The notification of review results shall include a request for hearing form and shall inform the member or beneficiary that if he or she returns the completed request for hearing form within 20 days of the date of the notice of review results, the local child support agency shall calendar the matter for court review. If the local child support agency cannot complete the review within 20 days, the local child support agency shall calendar the matter for hearing as specified in subdivision (k). (i) The form specified in subdivision (g) shall also notify the member or beneficiary that he or she may request a court hearing to claim an exemption of any benefit not payable periodically by returning the completed form to the local child support agency within 20 days. If the local child support agency receives a timely request for a hearing for a claim of exemption, the local child support agency shall calendar a court hearing. The amount of the exemption, if any, shall be determined by the court in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 703.070 of the Code of Civil Procedure. (j) If the local child support agency receives the form requesting either a review by the local child support agency or a court hearing within the 20 days specified in subdivision (f), the local child support agency shall not distribute the amount intercepted until the review by the local child support agency or the court hearing is completed. If the local child support agency determines that all or a portion of the member's or beneficiary's benefits were intercepted in error, or if the court determines that any amount of the benefits are exempt, the local child support agency shall refund any amount determined to be exempt or intercepted in excess of the correct amount to the member or beneficiary within 10 days of determination that a refund is due. (k) Any hearing properly requested pursuant to this section shall be calendared by the local child support agency. The hearing shall be held within 20 days from the date that the local child support agency receives the request for hearing. The local child support agency shall provide notice of the time and place for hearing by first-class mail no later than five days prior to the hearing. (l) Nothing in this section shall limit any existing rights of the member or beneficiary, including, but not limited to, the right to seek a determination of arrearages or other appropriate relief directly from the court. However, if the procedures of this section are not utilized by the member or beneficiary, the court may not require the local child support agency to refund any money that was distributed to the child support obligee prior to the local child support agency receiving notice of a court determination that a refund is due to the member or beneficiary. (m) The Department of Child Support Services and the Public Employees' Retirement System shall enter into any agreement necessary to implement this section which shall include provisions for the department to provide funding to the Public Employees' Retirement System to develop, implement, and maintain the intercept process described in this section. (n) The Public Employees' Retirement System may not assess service charges on members or beneficiaries in order to recover any administrative costs resulting from complying with this section. Article 3. Program Compliance 17600. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (1) The Legislative Analyst has found that county child support enforcement programs provide a net increase in revenues to the state. (2) The state has a fiscal interest in ensuring that county child support enforcement programs perform efficiently. (3) The state does not provide information to counties on child support enforcement programs, based on common denominators that would facilitate comparison of program performance. (4) Providing this information would allow county officials to monitor program performance and to make appropriate modifications to improve program efficiency. (5) This information is required for effective management of the child support program. (b) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), commencing with the 1998-99 fiscal year, and for each fiscal year thereafter, each county that is participating in the state incentive program described in Section 17704 shall provide to the department, and the department shall compile from this county child support information, quarterly and annually, all of the following performance-based data, as established by the federal incentive funding system, provided that the department may revise the data required by this paragraph in order to conform to the final federal incentive system data definitions: (A) One of the following data relating to paternity establishment, as required by the department, provided that the department shall require all counties to report on the same measurement: (i) The total number of children in the caseload governed by Subtitle D (commencing with Section 450) of Title IV of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 650 et seq.), as of the end of the federal fiscal year, who were born to unmarried parents for whom paternity was established or acknowledged, and the total number of children in that caseload, as of the end of the preceding federal fiscal year, who were born to unmarried parents. (ii) The total number of minor children who were born in the state to unmarried parents for whom paternity was established or acknowledged during a federal fiscal year, and the total number of children in the state born to unmarried parents during the preceding federal fiscal year. (B) The number of cases governed by Subtitle D (commencing with Section 450) of Title IV of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 650 et seq.) during the federal fiscal year and the total number of those cases with support orders. (C) The total dollars collected during the federal fiscal year for current support in cases governed by Subtitle D (commencing with Section 450) of Title IV of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 650 et seq.) and the total number of dollars owing for current support during that federal fiscal year in cases governed by those provisions. (D) The total number of cases for the federal fiscal year governed by Subtitle D (commencing with Section 450) of Title IV of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 650 et seq.) in which payment was being made toward child support arrearages and the total number of cases for that fiscal year governed by these federal provisions that had child support arrearages. (E) The total number of dollars collected and expended during a federal fiscal year in cases governed by Subtitle D (commencing with Section 450) of Title IV of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 650 et seq.). (F) The total amount of child support dollars collected during a federal fiscal year, and, if and when required by federal law, the amount of these collections broken down by collections distributed on behalf of current recipients of federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant funds or federal foster care funds, on behalf of former recipients of federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant funds or federal foster care funds, or on behalf of persons who have never been recipients of these federal funds. (2) A county may apply for an exemption from any or all of the reporting requirements of paragraph (1) for the 1998-99 state fiscal year or any quarter of that fiscal year, as well as for the first quarter of the 1999-2000 fiscal year, by submitting an application for the exemption to the department at least three months prior to the commencement of the fiscal year or quarter for which the exemption is sought. A county shall provide a separate justification for each data element under paragraph (1) for which the county is seeking an exemption and the cost to the county of providing the data. The department may not grant an exemption for more than one year. The department may grant a single exemption only if both of the following conditions are met: (A) The county cannot compile the data being sought through its existing automated system or systems. (B) The county cannot compile the data being sought through manual means or through an enhanced automated system or systems without significantly harming the child support collection efforts of the county. (c) Except as provided in paragraph (6), before implementation of the statewide automated system, in addition to the information required by subdivision (b), the department shall collect, on a monthly basis, from each county that is participating in the state incentive program described in Section 17704, information on the local child support agency beginning with the 1998-99 fiscal year, and for each subsequent fiscal year, and shall report quarterly and annually on all of the following measurements: (1) For each of the following support collection categories, the number of cases with support collected shall include only the number of cases actually receiving a collection, not the number of payments received. For purposes of determining the number of cases with an order of current support and the number of cases in which current support is being collected, cases with a medical support order that do not have an order for current support shall not be counted. (A) The number of cases with an order for current support. (B) The number of cases with collections of current support. (C) The number of cases with an order for arrears. (D) The number of cases with arrears collections. (2) The number of alleged fathers or obligors who were served with a summons and complaint to establish paternity or a support order. In order to be counted under this paragraph, the alleged father or obligor shall be successfully served with process. An alleged father shall be counted under this paragraph only once if he is served with process simultaneously for both a paternity and a support order proceeding for the same child or children. For purposes of this paragraph, a support order shall include a medical support order. (3) The number of children requiring paternity establishment and the number of children for whom paternity has been established during the period. Paternity may only be established once for each child. Any child for whom paternity is not at issue shall not be counted in the number of children for whom paternity has been established. For this purpose, paternity is not at issue if the parents were married and neither parent challenges paternity or a voluntary paternity declaration has been executed by the parents prior to the county child support enforcement program obtaining the case and neither parent challenges paternity. (4) The number of cases requiring that a support order be established and the number of cases that had a support order established during the period. A support order shall be counted as established only when the appropriate court has issued an order for child support, including an order for temporary child support, or an order for medical support. (5) The total cost of administering the county child support enforcement program, including the federal, state, and county share of the costs, and the federal and state incentives received by each county. The total cost of administering the program shall be broken down by the following: (A) The direct costs of the program, broken down further by total employee salaries and benefits, a list of the number of employees broken down into at least the following categories: attorneys, administrators, caseworkers, investigators, and clerical support; contractor costs; space charges; and payments to other county agencies. Employee salaries and numbers need only be reported in the annual report. (B) The indirect costs, showing all overhead charges. (6) A county may apply for an exemption from any or all of the reporting requirements of this subdivision for a fiscal year by submitting an application for the exemption to the department at least three months prior to the commencement of the fiscal year or quarter for which the exemption is sought. A county shall provide a separate justification for each data element under this subdivision for which the county is seeking an exemption and the cost to the county of providing the data. The department may not grant an exemption for more than one year. The department may grant a single exemption only if both of the following conditions are met: (A) The county cannot compile the data being sought through its existing automated system or systems. (B) The county cannot compile the data being sought through manual means or through an enhanced automated system or systems without significantly harming the child support collection efforts of the county. (d) After implementation of the statewide automated system, in addition to the information required by subdivision (b), the Department of Child Support Services shall collect, on a monthly basis, from each county that is participating in the state incentive program described in Section 17704, information on the county child support enforcement program beginning with the 1998-99 fiscal year or a later fiscal year, as appropriate, and for each subsequent fiscal year, and shall report quarterly and annually on all of the following measurements: (1) For each of the following support collection categories, the number of cases with support collected shall include only the number of cases actually receiving a collection, not the number of payments received. (A) (i) The number of cases with collections for current support. (ii) The number of cases with arrears collections only. (iii) The number of cases with both current support and arrears collections. (B) For cases with current support only due. (i) The number of cases in which the full amount of current support owed was collected. (ii) The number of cases in which some amount of current support, but less than the full amount of support owed, was collected. (iii) The number of cases in which no amount of support owed was collected. (C) For cases in which arrears only were owed: (i) The number of cases in which all arrears owed were collected. (ii) The number of cases in which some amount of arrears, but less than the full amount of arrears owed, were collected. (iii) The number of cases in which no amount of arrears owed were collected. (D) For cases in which both current support and arrears are owed: (i) The number of cases in which the full amount of current support and arrears owed were collected. (ii) The number of cases in which some amount of current support and arrears, but less than the full amount of support owed, were collected. (iii) The number of cases in which no amount of support owed was collected. (E) The total number of cases in which an amount was due for current support only. (F) The total number of cases in which an amount was due for both current support and arrears. (G) The total number of cases in which an amount was due for arrears only. (H) For cases with current support due, the number of cases without orders for medical support and the number of cases with an order for medical support. (2) The number of alleged fathers or obligors who were served with a summons and complaint to establish paternity or a support order, and the number of alleged fathers or obligors for whom it is required that paternity or a support order be established. In order to be counted under this paragraph, the alleged father or obligor shall be successfully served with process. An alleged father shall be counted under this paragraph only once if he is served with process simultaneously for both a paternity and a support order proceeding for the same child or children. For purposes of this paragraph, a support order shall include a medical support order. (3) The number of new asset seizures or successful initial collections on a wage assignment for purposes of child support collection. For purposes of this paragraph, a collection made on a wage assignment shall be counted only once for each wage assignment issued. (4) The number of children requiring paternity establishment and the number of children for whom paternity has been established during the period. Paternity may only be established once for each child. Any child for whom paternity is not at issue shall not be counted in the number of children for whom paternity has been established. For this purpose, paternity is not at issue if the parents were married and neither parent challenges paternity or a voluntary paternity declaration has been executed by the parents prior to the local child support agency obtaining the case and neither parent challenges paternity. (5) The number of cases requiring that a support order be established and the number of cases that had a support order established during the period. A support order shall be counted as established only when the appropriate court has issued an order for child support, including an order for temporary child support, or an order for medical support. (6) The total cost of administering the county child support enforcement program, including the federal, state, and county share of the costs and the federal and state incentives received by each county. The total cost of administering the program shall be broken down by the following: (A) The direct costs of the program, broken down further by total employee salaries and benefits, a list of the number of employees broken down into at least the following categories: attorneys, administrators, caseworkers, investigators, and clerical support; contractor costs; space charges; and payments to other county agencies. Employee salaries and numbers need only be reported in the annual report. (B) The indirect costs, showing all overhead charges. (7) The total child support collections due, broken down by current support, interest on arrears, and principal, and the total child support collections that have been collected, broken down by current support, interest on arrears, and principal. (8) The actual case status for all cases in the county child support enforcement program. Each case shall be reported in one case status only. If a case falls within more than one status category, it shall be counted in the first status category of the list set forth below in which it qualifies. The following shall be the case status choices: (A) No support order, location of obligor parent required. (B) No support order, alleged obligor parent located and paternity required. (C) No support order, location and paternity not at issue but support order must be established. (D) Support order established with current support obligation and obligor is in compliance with support obligation. (E) Support order established with current support obligation, obligor is in arrears and location of obligor is necessary. (F) Support order established with current support obligation, obligor is in arrears, and location of obligor's assets is necessary. (G) Support order established with current support obligation, obligor is in arrears and no location of obligor or obligor's assets is necessary. (H) Support order established with current support obligation, obligor is in arrears, the obligor is located, but the local child support agency has established satisfactorily that the obligor has no income or assets and no ability to earn. (I) Support order established with current support obligation and arrears, obligor is paying the current support and is paying some or all of the interest on the arrears, but is paying no principal. (J) Support order established for arrears only and obligor is current in repayment obligation. (K) Support order established for arrears only, obligor is not current in arrears repayment schedule and location of obligor is required. (L) Support order established for arrears only, obligor is not current in arrears repayment schedule and location of obligor's assets is required. (M) Support order established for arrears only, obligor is not current in arrears repayment schedule, and no location of obligor or obligor's assets is required. (N) Support order established for arrears only, obligor is not current in arrears repayment, and the obligor is located, but the local child support agency has established satisfactorily that the obligor has no income or assets and no ability to earn. (O) Support order established for arrears only and obligor is repaying some or all of the interest, but no principal. (P) Other, if necessary, to be defined in the regulations promulgated under subdivision (e). (e) Upon implementation of the statewide automated system, or at the time that the department determines that compliance with this subdivision is possible, each county that is participating in the state incentive program described in Section 17704 shall collect and report, and the department shall compile for each participating county, information on the county child support program in each fiscal year, all of the following data, in a manner that facilitates comparison of counties and the entire state, except that the department may eliminate or modify the requirement to report any data mandated to be reported pursuant to this subdivision if the department determines that the local child support agencies are unable to accurately collect and report the information or that collecting and reporting of the data by the local child support agencies will be onerous: (1) The number of alleged obligors or fathers who receive CalWORKs benefits, food stamp benefits, and Medi-Cal benefits. (2) The number of obligors or alleged fathers who are in state prison or county jail. (3) The number of obligors or alleged fathers who do not have a social security number. (4) The number of obligors or alleged fathers whose address is unknown. (5) The number of obligors or alleged fathers whose complete name, consisting of at least a first and last name, is not known by the local child support agency. (6) The number of obligors or alleged fathers who filed a tax return with the Franchise Tax Board in the last year for which a data match is available. (7) The number of obligors or alleged fathers who have no income reported to the Employment Development Department during the third quarter of the fiscal year. (8) The number of obligors or alleged fathers who have income between one dollar ($1) and five hundred dollars ($500) reported to the Employment Development Department during the third quarter of the fiscal year. (9) The number of obligors or alleged fathers who have income between five hundred one dollars ($501) and one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) reported to the Employment Development Department during the third quarter of the fiscal year. (10) The number of obligors or alleged fathers who have income between one thousand five hundred one dollars ($1,501) and two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) reported to the Employment Development Department during the third quarter of the fiscal year. (11) The number of obligors or alleged fathers who have income between two thousand five hundred one dollars ($2,501) and three thousand five hundred dollars ($3,500) reported to the Employment Development Department during the third quarter of the fiscal year. (12) The number of obligors or alleged fathers who have income between three thousand five hundred one dollars ($3,501) and four thousand five hundred dollars ($4,500) reported to the Employment Development Department during the third quarter of the fiscal year. (13) The number of obligors or alleged fathers who have income between four thousand five hundred one dollars ($4,501) and five thousand five hundred dollars ($5,500) reported to the Employment Development Department during the third quarter of the fiscal year. (14) The number of obligors or alleged fathers who have income between five thousand five hundred one dollars ($5,501) and six thousand five hundred dollars ($6,500) reported to the Employment Development Department during the third quarter of the fiscal year. (15) The number of obligors or alleged fathers who have income between six thousand five hundred one dollars ($6,501) and seven thousand five hundred dollars ($7,500) reported to the Employment Development Department during the third quarter of the fiscal year. (16) The number of obligors or alleged fathers who have income between seven thousand five hundred one dollars ($7,501) and nine thousand dollars ($9,000) reported to the Employment Development Department during the third quarter of the fiscal year. (17) The number of obligors or alleged fathers who have income exceeding nine thousand dollars ($9,000) reported to the Employment Development Department during the third quarter of the fiscal year. (18) The number of obligors or alleged fathers who have two or more employers reporting earned income to the Employment Development Department during the third quarter of the fiscal year. (19) The number of obligors or alleged fathers who receive unemployment benefits during the third quarter of the fiscal year. (20) The number of obligors or alleged fathers who receive state disability benefits during the third quarter of the fiscal year. (21) The number of obligors or alleged fathers who receive workers' compensation benefits during the third quarter of the fiscal year. (22) The number of obligors or alleged fathers who receive Social Security Disability Insurance benefits during the third quarter of the fiscal year. (23) The number of obligors or alleged fathers who receive Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Program for the Aged, Blind and Disabled benefits during the third quarter of the fiscal year. (f) The department, in consultation with the Legislative Analyst's office, the Judicial Council, the California Family Support Council, and child support advocates, shall develop regulations to ensure that all local child support agencies report the data required by this section uniformly and consistently throughout California. (g) The department shall provide the information for all participating counties for the 2000-01 fiscal year to each member of a county board of supervisors, county executive officer, local child support agency, and the appropriate policy committees and fiscal committees of the Legislature by December 31, 2001. The department shall provide the information for each subsequent fiscal quarter and fiscal year no later than three months following the end of the fiscal quarter and no later than nine months following the end of the fiscal year. The department shall present the information in a manner that facilitates comparison of county performance. (h) For purposes of this section, "case" means a noncustodial parent, whether mother, father, or putative father, who is, or eventually may be, obligated under law for support of a child or children. For purposes of this definition, a noncustodial parent shall be counted once for each family that has a dependent child he or she may be obligated to support. (i) This section shall be operative only for as long as Section 17704 requires participating counties to report data to the department. 17602. (a) Not later than January 1, 2001, the department shall adopt performance standards that each local child support agency is required to comply with on a quarterly basis. The performance standards shall include, at a minimum, measurements for each of the following: (1) Percent of cases with a court order for current support. (2) Percent of cases with collections of current support. (3) Average amount collected per case for all cases with collections. (4) Percent of cases with an order for arrears. (5) Percent of cases with arrears collections. (6) Percent of alleged fathers or obligors who were served with a summons and complaint to establish paternity or a support order during the period. (7) Percent of children for whom paternity has been established during the period. (8) Percent of cases that had a support order established during the period. (9) Total child support dollars collected per $1.00 of total expenditure. (10) Any other measurements that the director determines to be an appropriate determination of a local child support agency's performance. (b) The department shall use the performance-based data, and the criteria for that data, as set forth in Section 17600 to determine a local child support agency's performance measures for the quarter. (c) The director shall adopt a three phase process to be used statewide when a local child support agency is out of compliance with the performance standards adopted pursuant to subdivision (a), or the director determines that the local child support agency is failing in a substantial manner to comply with any provision of the state plan, the provisions of this code, the requirements of federal law, the regulations of the department, or the cooperative agreement. The director shall adopt policies as to the implementation and duration of each phase, however, the total combined duration of Phases I and II shall not exceed 12 months. The phases shall include the following: (1) Phase I: Development of a performance improvement plan that is prepared jointly by the local child support agency and the department, subject to the department's final approval. The plan shall provide performance expectations and goals for achieving compliance with the state plan and other state and federal laws and regulations that must be obtained within specific timeframes in order to avoid execution of Phase II. (2) Phase II: Onsite investigation, evaluation and oversight of the local child support agency by the department. The director shall appoint program monitoring teams to make site visits, conduct educational and training sessions, and help the local child support agency identify and attack problem areas. The program monitoring teams shall evaluate all aspects of the functions and performance of the local child support agency, including compliance with state and federal laws and regulations. Based on these investigations and evaluations, the program monitoring team shall develop a final performance improvement plan and shall oversee implementation of all recommendations made in the plan. The local child support agency shall adhere to all recommendations made by the program monitoring team. The plan shall provide performance expectations and compliance goals that must be obtained within specific timeframes in order to avoid execution of Phase III. (3) Phase III: The director shall assume, either directly or through agreement with another entity, responsibility for the management of the child and spousal support enforcement program in the county until such time as the local child support agency provides reasonable assurances to the director of its intention and ability to comply. During the period of state management responsibility, the director or his or her authorized representative shall have all of the powers and responsibilities of the local child support agency concerning the administration of the program. The local child support agency shall be responsible for providing any funds as may be necessary for the continued operation of the program. If the local child support agency fails or refuses to provide these funds, including a sufficient amount to reimburse any and all costs incurred by the department in managing the program, the Controller may deduct an amount certified by the director as necessary for the continued operation of the program by the department from any state or federal funds payable to the county for any purpose. (c) The director shall report in writing to the Legislature semiannually, beginning July 1, 2001, on the status of the state child support enforcement program. The director shall submit quarterly reports to the Legislature, Governor and public on progress of all local child support agencies in each performance measure, including identification of the local child support agencies that are out of compliance, the performances measures that they have failed to satisfy, and the corrective action plan that is being taken for each. 17604. (a) (1) If at any time the director considers any public agency, that is required by law, by delegation of the department, or by cooperative agreement to perform functions relating to the state plan for securing child and spousal support and determining paternity, to be failing in a substantial manner to comply with any provision of the state plan, the director shall put that agency on written notice to that effect. (2) The state plan concerning spousal support shall apply only to spousal support included in a child support order. (3) In this chapter the term spousal support shall include support for a former spouse. (b) After receiving notice, the public agency shall have 45 days to make a showing to the director of full compliance or set forth a compliance plan that the director finds to be satisfactory. (c) If the director determines that there is a failure on the part of that public agency to comply with the provisions of the state plan, or to set forth a compliance plan that the director finds to be satisfactory, or if the State Personnel Board certifies to the director that that public agency is not in conformity with applicable merit system standards under Part 2.5 (commencing with Section 19800) of Division 5 of Title 2 of the Government Code, and that sanctions are necessary to secure compliance, the director shall withhold part or all of state and federal funds, including incentive funds, from that public agency until the public agency shall make a showing to the director of full compliance. (d) After sanctions have been invoked pursuant to subdivision (c), if the director determines that there remains a failure on the part of the public agency to comply with the provisions of the state plan, the director may remove that public agency from performing any part or all of the functions relating to the state plan. (e) Notwithstanding Sections 15200 and 15204.2 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, in the event of a federal statewide child support program audit, review, or other measure of program compliance or performance which results in the reduction of federal funding for the Title IV-A program, the state shall fund 100 percent of the federal reduction to ensure the continuation of funding for allowable aid payments and related administrative costs associated with the CalWORKs program. (f) In the event of a federal determination to reduce or modify federal funding for the Title IV-A program as a result of improper or inadequate county administration of the child and spousal support enforcement program, the department shall pass on to the counties any federal sanction levied on or after January 1, 1991, regardless of the date of the underlying federal audit, except for any sanctions resulting from the 1986 audit or federal followup. For the purposes of this section, the date of levy is the date the federal government actually reduces, withholds, or otherwise modifies the state's funding. (g) The sanction shall be assessed as follows: (1) The state shall assume responsibility for 50 percent of the total federal sanction. (2) Each county shall be assessed an amount equal to the amount of increased county costs which would occur based on application of Sections 15200 and 15204.2 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. (3) For each county found to be out of compliance based on the reviews conducted pursuant to Section 17702, the county shall be assessed an amount equal to one-half the rate of the federal sanction multiplied by the county's total federal Title IV-A program funding. (4) For each county found to be marginally in compliance based on the reviews conducted pursuant to Section 17702, the county shall be assessed an amount equal to one-quarter the rate of the federal sanction multiplied by the county's total federal Title IV-A program funding. (5) In the event the amount of the federal sanction is less than the amount required to apply paragraphs (1), (2), (3), and (4), county liability under paragraph (4) shall be reduced accordingly. In the event county liability under paragraph (4) is eliminated and the amount of the federal sanction is less than the amount required to apply paragraphs (1), (2), and (3), county liability under paragraph (3) shall be reduced accordingly. (6) The review pursuant to Section 17702 which was conducted closest to the date the federal sanction was levied shall be used to determine which counties are out of compliance and marginally in compliance. (h) There shall be established a sanction credit which shall consist of any net increase in state revenue resulting from any increase of more than 9 3/4 percent in distributed collections on behalf of families receiving CalWORKs for each of the previous three state fiscal years. (1) The balance of the sanction after application of subdivision (g) shall be reduced by the amount of the sanction credit. (2) In the event the sanction credit exceeds the balance of the sanction after application of paragraph (1), the amount exceeding the balance shall be used to reduce the liability of marginally compliant counties under paragraph (4) of subdivision (g). Any further balance shall be used to reduce the liability of out-of-compliance counties under paragraph (3) of subdivision (g). (3) In the event the sanction credit does not fully offset the balance of the sanction after application of paragraph (1), the state shall be responsible for 50 percent of the unmet balance, and the remaining 50 percent shall be distributed to all counties in proportion to their total Title IV-A program funding. (i) The sanction assessed a county pursuant to this section shall be levied as a general assessment against the county. Notwithstanding Section 17714, a county may use any funds paid to that county pursuant to Sections 17700 and 17710, over and above the county's cost of administering the child support program to supplant any county funds reduced under this section. (j) In the event of any other audit or review that results in the reduction or modification of federal funding for the program under Part D (commencing with Section 652) of Subchapter IV of Title 42 of the United States Code, the sanction shall be assessed against those counties specifically cited in the federal findings in the amount cited in those findings. (k) The department shall establish a process whereby any county assessed a portion of any sanction may appeal the department's decision. (l) Nothing in this section shall be construed as relieving the board of supervisors of the responsibility to provide funds necessary for the continued operation of the state plan as required by law. Article 4. Program Costs 17702. (a) The department shall assess on at least an annual basis each county's compliance with federal and state child support laws and regulations in effect for the time period being reviewed, using a statistically valid sample of cases. The information for the assessment shall be based on reviews conducted by either state or county staff, as determined by the department. (1) A county shall be eligible for the state incentives under Section 17704 only if the department determines that the county is in compliance with all federal and state laws and regulations or if the county has a corrective action plan in place that has been certified by the department pursuant to this subdivision. If a county is determined not to be in compliance in any compliance issue reviewed, or, after December 31, 1998, if a county fails to have a statistically valid sample of cases for any compliance issue reviewed, and fails to achieve substantial compliance with the cases actually reviewed in that compliance issue, the county may develop and submit a corrective action plan to the department. The department shall certify a corrective action plan if the department determines that the plan will put the county into compliance with federal and state laws and regulations and the county remains in compliance with the corrective action plan. A county shall be eligible for state incentives under Section 17704 only for any quarter the county remains in compliance with a corrective action plan that has been certified by the department. (2) Counties under a corrective action plan shall be assessed on a quarterly basis until the department determines that they are in compliance with federal and state child support program requirements. (b) The department shall collect information regarding whether cases on behalf of families receiving CalWORKs are disproportionately represented in the portion of each county's case sample that is not in compliance. In the event disproportionate representation is found in a county's pool of noncompliant cases, the department shall require corrective action from that county. However, this corrective action may not affect the county's right to incentives. (c) This section shall become operative on July 1, 1998. 17704. (a) For the 1998-99 fiscal year the department shall pay to each county a child support incentive payment. Every county shall receive the federal child support incentive. A county shall receive the state child support incentive if it elects to do both of the following: (1) Comply with the reporting requirements of Section 17600 while federal financial participation is available for collecting and reporting data. (2) Comply with federal and state child support laws and regulations, or has a corrective action plan certified by the department pursuant to Section 17702. The combined federal and state incentive payment shall be 13.6 percent of distributed collections. If the amount appropriated by the Legislature for the state incentives is less than the amount necessary to satisfy each county's actual incentives pursuant to this section, each county shall receive its proportional share of incentives. (b) (1) Beginning July 1, 1999, the department shall pay to each county a child support incentive for child support collections. Every county shall receive the federal child support incentive. The combined federal and state incentive payments shall be 13.6 percent of distributed collections. In addition to the federal child support incentive, each county may also receive a state child support incentive. Subject to subdivision (c), a county shall receive the state child support incentive if it elects to do both of the following: (A) Comply with the reporting requirements of Section 17600 while federal financial participation is available for collecting and reporting data. (B) Be in compliance with federal and state child support laws and regulations, or have a performance improvement plan certified by the department pursuant to Section 17702. (2) (A) For purposes of paragraph (1), the federal incentive component shall be each county's share of the child support incentive payments that the state receives from the federal government, based on the county's collections. (B) (i) Effective July 1, 1999, and annually thereafter, state funds appropriated for child support incentives shall first be used to fund the administrative costs incurred by local child support agencies in administering the child support program, after subtracting all federal financial participation for administrative costs and all federal child support incentives received by the state and passed on to the local child support agencies. The department shall allocate sufficient resources to each local child support agency to fully fund the remaining administrative costs of its budget as approved by the director pursuant to paragraph (9) of subdivision (b) of Section 17306, subject to the appropriation of funding in the annual Budget Act. No later than January 1, 2000, the department shall identify allowable administrative costs that may be claimed for reimbursement from the state, which shall be limited to reasonable amounts in relation to the scope of services and the total funds available. If the total amount of administrative costs claimed in any year exceeds the amount appropriated in the Budget Act, the amount provided to local child support agencies shall be reduced by the percentage necessary to ensure that projected General Fund expenditures do not exceed the amount authorized in the Budget Act. (ii) Effective July 1, 2000, and annually thereafter, after allowable administrative costs are funded under clause (i), the department shall use any remaining incentive funds appropriated from the prior fiscal year which are hereby reappropriated to implement an incentive program that rewards up to 10 local child support agencies in each year, based on either their welfare and postwelfare collections or their increase in performance over the prior year. The welfare and postwelfare collections standard shall be based on the following for each local child support agency: (I) collections on behalf of previously aided families that received CalWORKs benefits after December 31, 1997, and are no longer receiving benefits divided by the total number of those families; and (II) collections that are used to reduce or repay aid that is paid pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 11450) of Chapter 2 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, divided by the total aid paid out by the county under that article. The performance improvement standard shall measure the percent improvement for each local child support agency in the two categories of collections over the prior year. The department shall determine the number of local agencies that receive state incentive funds under this program, subject to a maximum of five agencies under the welfare and postwelfare standard and five agencies under the increase in performance over the prior year standard, and shall determine the amount received by each local agency based on the availability of funds and each local child support agency's proportional share of distributed collections. (iii) Any funds received pursuant to this subdivision shall be used only for child support enforcement activities. (c) (1) Beginning October 1, 1999, any county whose welfare performance score is in the bottom quartile of all counties and whose rate of improvement over the prior year is less than the rate of improvement of the top quartile counties shall receive its state incentive only upon accepting technical assistance from the department, as set forth in paragraph (3). (2) The welfare performance score for each county is calculated by dividing the county's collections on behalf of children receiving CalWORKs benefits pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 11450) of Chapter 2 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code by the county's average CalWORKs caseload. (3) The department, in consultation with experts from other counties, as appropriate, shall conduct a program review of the county's child support program, which shall include a review of the county's management practices, and provide technical assistance. If the county chooses to receive its state incentives under this section, the county shall comply with the recommendations of this review. (d) Each county shall continue to receive its federal child support incentive funding whether or not it elects to participate in the state child support incentive funding program. (e) The department shall provide incentive funds pursuant to this section only during any fiscal year in which funding is provided for that purpose in the Budget Act. 17706. It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage counties to elevate the visibility and significance of the child support enforcement program in the county. To advance this goal the counties with the 10 highest welfare and postwelfare collections standards pursuant to clause (ii) of subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 17704 shall receive an additional 5 percent of the state's share of collections that are used to reduce or repay aid that is paid pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 11450) or Chapter 2 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. The counties are encouraged to use the increased recoupment to continue to increase child support collections in the county. 17708. (a) This section shall apply to any county that elects to participate in the state incentive program described in Section 17704. (b) Each participating county child support enforcement program shall provide the data required by Section 17600 to the department on a quarterly basis. The data shall be provided no later than 30 days after the end of each quarter. (c) On and after July 1, 1998, a county shall be required to comply with the provisions of this section only during fiscal years in which funding is provided for that purpose in the Budget Act. 17710. (a) Each county shall be responsible for any administrative expenditures for administering the child support program not covered by federal and state funds. (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), effective July 1, 1991, to June 30, 1992, inclusive, counties shall pay the nonfederal share of the administrative costs of conducting the reviews required under Section 15200.8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code from the savings counties will obtain as a result of the reduction in the maximum aid payments specified in Section 11450. Effective July 1, 1992, to June 30, 1993, inclusive, the state shall pay the nonfederal share of administrative costs of conducting the reviews required under Section 15200.8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. Funding for county costs after June 30, 1993, shall be subject to the availability of funds in the annual Budget Act. (c) If the federal government imposes a penalty on California's child support program for the failure to meet the October 1, 1997, deadline for the implementation of an automated child support enforcement system required by the federal Family Support Act of 1988 (P.L. 100-485), no portion of any penalty imposed by the federal government from October 1, 1997, to the date of enactment of the act adding this subdivision shall be assessed against Los Angeles County. Pursuant to this subdivision, any portion of the penalties not allocated to Los Angeles County shall be paid from the General Fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, and shall not be allocated to any other county. 17712. Notwithstanding subdivision (a) of Section 17708, and to the extent funds are appropriated by the annual Budget Act, funds shall be provided to the Judicial Council for the nonfederal share of costs for the costs of child support commissioners pursuant to Section 4251 and family law facilitators pursuant to Division 14 (commencing with Section 10000). The Judicial Council shall distribute the funds to the counties for the purpose of matching federal funds for the costs of child support commissioners and family law facilitators and related costs. Funds distributed pursuant to this section may also be used to offset the nonfederal share of costs incurred by the Judicial Council for performing the duties specified in Sections 4252 and 10010. 17714. (a) Any funds paid to a county pursuant to this chapter which exceed the county's cost of administering the child support program of the local child support agency pursuant to Section 17400 (hereafter called excess funds) shall be expended by the county only upon that program. All these excess funds shall be deposited by the county into a special fund established by the county for this purpose. Funds to be deposited shall include, but not be limited to, excess incentive funds paid pursuant to Section 17704, but shall not include funds paid pursuant to Section 17706 and all interest earned on deposits in the special fund. (b) (1) By March 1, 1993, the department shall provide the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature with information on the amount of excess funds, if any, accumulated by each county. (2) Commencing July 1, 1993, all excess funds shall be expended by the county on the support enforcement program of the local child support agency within two fiscal years following the fiscal year of receipt of the funds by the county. Except as provided in subdivision (c), any excess funds paid pursuant to this chapter since July 1, 1992, that the department determines have not been spent within the required two-year period shall revert to the General Fund, and shall be distributed by the department only to counties that have complied with this section. The formula for distribution shall be based on the number of CalWORKs cases within each county. (3) Not later than June 30, 1994, each county shall expend on the support enforcement program any excess funds accrued from July 1, 1989, to June 30, 1992, inclusive, that have not been expended on the support enforcement program. The funds expended shall be in an amount that is greater than the county's 1991-92 expenditures for the program. (c) A county that submits to the department a written plan approved by that county's local child support agency for the expenditure of excess funds shall be exempted from the requirements of subdivision (b), if the department determines that the expenditure will be cost-effective and the expenditure plan will require more than the time provided for in subdivision (b) to expend or encumber the funds, or both. Once the department approves a plan pursuant to this subdivision, funds received by a county and designated for an expenditure in the plan shall not be expended by the county for any other purpose without the prior approval of the department. SEC. 2. Section 12803 of the Government Code is amended to read: 12803. (a) The California Health and Human Services Agency consists of the following departments: Health Services; Mental Health; Developmental Services; Social Services; Alcohol and Drug Abuse; Aging; Employment Development; Rehabilitation; and Community Services and Development. (b) The agency also includes the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development and the State Council on Developmental Disabilities. (c) The Department of Child Support Services is hereby created within the agency commencing January 1, 2000, and shall be the single organizational unit designated as the state's Title IV-D agency with the responsibility for administering the state plan and providing services relating to the establishment of paternity or the establishment, modification, or enforcement of child support obligations as required by Section 654 of Title 42 of the United States Code. State plan functions shall be performed by other agencies as required by law, by delegation of the department, or by cooperative agreements. SEC. 3. Section 19271 of the Revenue and Taxation Code is amended to read: 19271. (a) (1) For purposes of this article: (A) "Child support delinquency" means a delinquency defined in paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 17400 of the Family Code. (B) "Earnings" may include the items described in Section 5206 of the Family Code. (2) In order to manage the growth in the number of delinquencies transferred, the Franchise Tax Board may phase in the transfers over a period of 36 months ending on December 31, 2002. The Legislature anticipates that the Franchise Tax Board's systems necessary to accommodate the augmented collection activities will be operational by July 1, 2001. (3) At least 20 days prior to the date that the Franchise Tax Board commences collection action under this article, the Franchise Tax Board shall mail notice of the amount due to the obligated parent at the last known address and advise the obligated parent that failure to pay will result in collection action. If the obligated parent disagrees with the amount due, the obligated parent shall be instructed to contact the local child support agency to resolve the disagreement. (b) (1) (A) Except as otherwise provided in subparagraph (B), when a delinquency is transferred to the Franchise Tax Board pursuant to Section 17400 of the Family Code, the amount of the child support delinquency shall be collected by the Franchise Tax Board in any manner authorized under the law for collection of a delinquent personal income tax liability, including, but not limited to, issuance of an order and levy under Article 4 (commencing with Section 706.070) of Chapter 5 of Division 2 of Title 9 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure in the manner provided for earnings withholding orders for taxes. Any law providing for the collection of a delinquent personal income tax liability shall apply to any delinquency transferred under Section 17400 of the Family Code in the same manner and with the same force and effect and to the full extent as if the language of those laws had been incorporated in full into this article, except to the extent that any provision is either inconsistent with a provision of this article or is not relevant to this article. (B) When a delinquency is transferred to the Franchise Tax Board pursuant to Section 17400 of the Family Code, or at any time thereafter, if the obligated parent owes a delinquent personal income tax liability, the Franchise Tax Board shall not engage in, or shall cease, any involuntary collection action to collect the delinquent personal income tax liability, until the child support delinquency is paid in full. At any time , however, the Franchise Tax Board may mail any other notice to the taxpayer for voluntary payment of the delinquent personal income tax liability if the Franchise Tax Board determines that collection of the delinquent personal income tax liability will not jeopardize collection of the child support delinquency. However, the Franchise Tax Board may engage in the collection of a delinquent personal income tax liability if the obligor has entered into a payment agreement for the child support delinquency and is in compliance with that agreement, and the Franchise Tax Board determines that collection of the delinquent personal income tax liability would not jeopardize payments under the child support payment agreement. (C) For purposes of subparagraph (B): (i) "Involuntary collection action" includes those actions authorized by Section 18670, 18670.5, 18671, or 19264, by Article 3 (commencing with Section 19231), or by Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 706.010) of Division 2 of Title 9 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure. (ii) "Delinquent personal income tax liability" means any taxes, additions to tax, penalties, interest, fees, or other related amounts due and payable under Part 10 (commencing with Section 17001) or this part. (iii) "Voluntary payment" means any payment made by obligated parents in response to any notice for voluntary payment mailed by the Franchise Tax Board. (2) Any compensation, fee, commission, expense, or any other fee for service incurred by the Franchise Tax Board in the collection of a child support delinquency authorized under this article shall not be an obligation of, or collected from, the obligated parent. A transferred child support delinquency shall be final and due and payable to the State of California upon written notice to the obligated parent by the Franchise Tax Board. (3) For purposes of administering this article: (A) This chapter and Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 19501) shall apply, except as otherwise provided by this article. (B) Any services, information, or enforcement remedies available to a local child support agency or the Title IV-D agency in collecting child support delinquencies or locating absent or noncustodial parents shall be available to the Franchise Tax Board for purposes of collecting child support delinquencies under this article, including, but not limited to, any information that may be disclosed by the Franchise Tax Board to the California Parent Locator Service under Section 19548. However, in no event shall the Franchise Tax Board take any additional enforcement remedies if a court has ordered an obligor to make scheduled payments on a child support arrearages obligation and the parent is in compliance with that order. (C) A request by the Franchise Tax Board for information from a financial institution shall be treated in the same manner and to the same extent as a request for information from a local child support agency referring to a support order pursuant to Section 17400 of the Family Code for purposes of Chapter 20 (commencing with Section 7460) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code (relating to governmental access to financial records), notwithstanding any other provision of law which is inconsistent or contrary to this paragraph. (D) The amount to be withheld in an order and levy to collect child support delinquencies under Article 4 (commencing with Section 706.070) of Chapter 5 of Division 2 of Title 9 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure is the amount required to be withheld pursuant to an earnings withholding order for support under Section 706.052 of the Code of Civil Procedure. (E) Nothing in this article shall be construed to modify the tax intercept provisions of Article 8 (commencing with Section 708.710) of Chapter 6 of Division 2 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure. (c) Interest on the delinquency shall be computed pursuant to Section 685.010 of the Code of Civil Procedure. (d) All questions regarding collection actions shall be referred to the Franchise Tax Board, including, but not limited to, situations in which collection action would cause undue financial hardship to the obligated parent, would threaten the health or welfare of the obligated parent or his or her family, or would cause undue irreparable loss to the obligated parent. (e) (1) In no event shall a collection under this article be construed to be a payment of income taxes imposed under this part. (2) In the event an obligated parent overpays a liability imposed under this part, the overpayment shall not be credited against any delinquency collected pursuant to this article. In the event an overpayment of a liability imposed under this part is offset and distributed to a local child support agency pursuant to Sections 12419.3 and 12419.5 of the Government Code or Section 708.740 of the Code of Civil Procedure, and thereby reduces the amount of the referred delinquency, the local child support agency shall immediately notify the Franchise Tax Board of that reduction, unless the Franchise Tax Board directs otherwise. (f) (1) The Franchise Tax Board shall administer this article, in conjunction with guidelines prescribed by the Department of Child Support Services in consultation with the Franchise Tax Board, including those set forth in Section 17306 of the Family Code. (2) The Franchise Tax Board may transfer to or allow a local child support agency to retain a child support delinquency for enforcement and collection where the Franchise Tax Board determines that the transfer or retention of the delinquency will enhance the collectibility of the delinquency. (3) The Franchise Tax Board, in coordination with the local child support agency, shall seek full compliance by the obligor with the child support order. The Franchise Tax Board, in coordination with the local child support agency and the Department of Child Support Services, shall pursue resolution of any issues regarding wage assignments and shall modify or replace as necessary any administratively county-issued wage assignments to achieve total resolution of the child support obligation. (g) Except as otherwise provided in this article, any child support delinquency transferred to the Franchise Tax Board pursuant to this article shall be treated as a child support delinquency for all other purposes, and any collection action by the local child support agency or the Franchise Tax Board with respect to any delinquency referred pursuant to this article shall have the same priority against attachment, execution, assignment, or other collection action as is provided by any other provision of state law. (h) Except as otherwise specifically provided in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (b), the child support collection activities authorized by this article shall not interfere with the primary mission of the Franchise Tax Board to fairly and efficiently administer the Revenue and Taxation Code for which it is responsible. (i) Information disclosed to the Franchise Tax Board shall be considered information that may be disclosed by the Franchise Tax Board under the authority of Section 19548 and may be disseminated by the Franchise Tax Board accordingly for the purposes specified in Sections 17505 and 17506 of the Family Code (in accordance with, and to the extent permitted by, Section 17514 of the Family Code and any other state or federal law). (j) A local child support agency may not apply to the Department of Child Support Services for an exemption from the transfer of responsibilities and authorities to the Franchise Tax Board under the Family Code or participation under Section 19271.6. (k) In no event shall a local child support agency withdraw or rescind the transfer of a child support delinquency transferred to the Franchise Tax Board. SEC. 4. Section 19271.5 of the Revenue and Taxation Code is repealed. SEC. 5. Section 19533 of the Revenue and Taxation Code is amended to read: 19533. In the event the debtor has more than one debt being collected by the Franchise Tax Board and the amount collected by the Franchise Tax Board is insufficient to satisfy the total amount owing, the amount collected shall be applied in the following priority: (a) Payment of any delinquencies transferred for collection under Article 5 (commencing with Section 19270) of Chapter 5. (b) Payment of any taxes, additions to tax, penalties, interest, fees, or other amounts due and payable under Part 7.5 (commencing with Section 13201), Part 10 (commencing with Section 17001), Part 11 (commencing with Section 23001), or this part. (c) Payment of delinquent wages collected pursuant to the Labor Code. (d) Payment of delinquencies collected under Section 10878. (e) Payment of any amounts due that are referred for collection under Article 5.5 (commencing with Section 19280) of Chapter 5. (f) Payment of any amounts that are referred for collection pursuant to Section 62.9 of the Labor Code. (g) Payment of delinquent penalties collected for the Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to the Labor Code. (h) Payment of delinquent fees collected for the Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to the Labor Code. (i) Payment of delinquencies referred by the Student Aid Commission pursuant to Section 16583.5 of the Government Code. (j) Notwithstanding the payment priority established by this section, voluntary payments made by a taxpayer designated by the taxpayer as payment for a personal income tax liability, shall not be applied pursuant to this priority, but shall instead be applied solely to the personal income tax liability for which the voluntary payment was made. SEC. 6. Section 19548 of the Revenue and Taxation Code is amended to read: 19548. (a) The Franchise Tax Board, upon request by the California Parent Locator Service, may disclose to the California Parent Locator Service, pursuant to Section 17505 or 17506 of the Family Code, any taxpayer return information that may be of assistance in locating alleged abducting or absent parents, spouses, or former spouses, in enforcing their liability for child support or the liability for spousal support, in establishing a parent and child relationship, and in locating and returning abducted children to their parents. (b) Information disclosed to the California Parent Locator Service pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be disseminated by the California Parent Locator Service only as provided for by, and only for the purposes specified in, Section 17505 or 17506 of the Family Code. SEC. 7. Section 1088.8 is added to the Unemployment Insurance Code, to read: 1088.8. (a) Effective July 1, 2000, any service-recipient, as defined in subdivision (b), who makes or is required to make a return to the Internal Revenue Service, in accordance with paragraph (A) of subdivision (a) of Section 6041 of the Internal Revenue Code (relating to payments made to a service-provider as compensation for services) shall file with the department information as required under subdivision (c). (b) For purposes of this section: (1) "Service-recipient" means any individual, person, corporation, association, or partnership, or agent thereof, doing business in this state, deriving trade or business income from sources within this state, or in any manner in the course of a trade or business subject to the laws of this state. "Service-recipient" also includes the State of California or any political subdivision thereof, including the Regents of the University of California, any charter city, or any political body not a subdivision or agency of the state, and any person, employee, department, or agent thereof. (2) "Service-provider" means an individual who is not an employee of the service-recipient for California purposes and who received compensation or executes a contract for services performed for that service-recipient within or without the state. (c) Each service-recipient shall report all of the following information to the department, within 20 days of the earlier of first making payments that in the aggregate equal or exceed six hundred dollars ($600) in any year to a service-provider, or entering into a contract or contracts with a service-provider providing for payments that in the aggregate equal or exceed six hundred dollars ($600) in any year: (1) The full name and social security number of the service-provider. (2) The service-recipient's name, business name, address, and telephone number. (3) The service-recipient's federal employer identification number, California state employer account number, social security number, or other identifying number as required by the Employment Development Department in consultation with the Franchise Tax Board. (4) The date the contract is executed, or if no contract, the date payments in the aggregate first equal or exceed six hundred dollars ($600). (5) The total dollar amount of the contract, if any, and the contract expiration date. (d) The department shall retain information collected pursuant to this section until November 1 following the tax year in which the contract is executed, or if no contract, the tax year in which the aggregate payments first equal or exceed six hundred dollars ($600). (e) Information obtained by the department pursuant to this section may be released only for purposes of establishing, modifying, or enforcing child support obligations under Section 17400 of the Family Code and for child support collection purposes authorized under Article 5 (commencing with Section 19271) of Chapter 5 of Part 10.2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, or to the Franchise Tax Board for tax enforcement purposes or for administering the provisions of the Family Code. (f) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2000. SEC. 8. Section 11350 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 9. Section 11350.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 10. Section 11350.2 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 11. Section 11350.3 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 12. Section 11350.4 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 13. Section 11350.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 14. Section 11350.6 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 15. Section 11350.7 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 16. Section 11350.8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 17. Section 11350.9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 18. Section 11351 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 19. Section 11352 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 20. Section 11354 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 21. Section 11355 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 22. Section 11356 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 23. Section 11357 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 24. Section 11475 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 25. Section 11475.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 26. Section 11475.15 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 27. Section 11475.3 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, as added by Chapter 270 of the Statutes of 1997, is amended to read: 11475.3. The first fifty dollars ($50) of any amount of child support collected in a month in payment of the required support obligation for that month shall be paid to a recipient of aid under this chapter, except recipients of foster care payments under Article 5 (commencing with Section 11400) shall not be considered income or resources of the recipient family, and shall not be deducted from the amount of aid to which the family would otherwise be eligible. The local child support agency in each county shall ensure that payments are made to recipients as required by this section. SEC. 28. Section 11475.3 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, as added by Chapter 906 of the Statutes of 1994, is repealed. SEC. 29. Section 11475.4 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 30. Section 11475.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 31. Section 11475.8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 32. Section 11476 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 33. Section 11476.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 34. Section 11476.6 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read: 11476.6. Each local child support agency shall submit to the department data revealing the range and median time periods by which notification of the receipt of child support payments collected on behalf of a family receiving aid under this chapter is made to the local welfare department. The data shall contain the number and percentage of cases in which the payments described herein are conveyed within the time period prescribed by federal law. By April 1, 1987, the department shall submit to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of each house of the Legislature a report detailing and analyzing the data received from the local child support agencies and explaining whatever failure to satisfy the time limits imposed by the federal law is revealed by the data. The report shall also include an estimate of the time by which an accounting of the amounts of child support received and paid to families pursuant to this section can be provided on a monthly basis to those families. SEC. 35. Section 11477 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read: 11477. As a condition of eligibility for aid paid under this chapter, each applicant or recipient shall do all of the following: (a) (1) Assign to the county any rights to support from any other person the applicant or recipient may have in his or her own behalf or in behalf of any other family member for whom the applicant or recipient is applying for or receiving aid, not exceeding the total amount of cash assistance provided to the family under this chapter. Receipt of public assistance under this chapter shall operate as an assignment by operation of law. An assignment of support rights to the county shall also constitute an assignment to the state. If support rights are assigned pursuant to this subdivision, the assignee may become an assignee of record by the local child support agency or other public official filing with the court clerk an affidavit showing that an assignment has been made or that there has been an assignment by operation of law. This procedure does not limit any other means by which the assignee may become an assignee of record. (2) Support that has been assigned pursuant to paragraph (1) and that accrues while the family is receiving aid under this chapter shall be permanently assigned until the entire amount of aid paid has been reimbursed. (3) If the federal government does not permit states to adopt the same order of distribution for preassistance and postassistance child support arrears that are assigned on or after October 1, 1998, support arrears that accrue before the family receives aid under this chapter that are assigned pursuant to this subdivision shall be assigned as follows: (A) Child support assigned prior to January 1, 1998, shall be permanently assigned until aid is no longer received and the entire amount of aid has been reimbursed. (B) Child support assigned on or after January 1, 1998, but prior to October 1, 2000, shall be temporarily assigned until aid under this chapter is no longer received and the entire amount of aid paid has been reimbursed or until October 1, 2000, whichever comes first. (C) On or after October 1, 2000, support assigned pursuant to this subdivision that was not otherwise permanently assigned shall be temporarily assigned to the county until aid is no longer received. (D) On or after October 1, 2000, support that was temporarily assigned pursuant to this subdivision shall, when a payment is received from the federal tax intercept program, be temporarily assigned until the entire amount of aid paid has been reimbursed. (4) If the federal government permits states to adopt the same order of distribution for preassistance and postassistance child support arrears, child support arrears shall be assigned, as follows: (A) Child support assigned pursuant to this subdivision prior to October 1, 1998, shall be assigned until aid under this chapter is no longer received and the entire amount has been reimbursed. (B) On or after October 1, 1998, child support assigned pursuant to this subdivision that accrued before the family receives aid under this chapter and that was not otherwise permanently assigned, shall be temporarily assigned until aid under this chapter is no longer received. (C) On or after October 1, 1998, support that was temporarily assigned pursuant to this subdivision shall, when a payment is received from the federal tax intercept program, be temporarily assigned until the entire amount of aid paid has been reimbursed. (b) (1) Cooperate with the county welfare department and local child support agency in establishing the paternity of a child of the applicant or recipient born out of wedlock with respect to whom aid is claimed, and in establishing, modifying, or enforcing a support order with respect to a child of the individual for whom aid is requested or obtained, unless the applicant or recipient qualifies for a good cause exception as provided in Section 11477.04. The granting of aid shall not be delayed or denied if the applicant is otherwise eligible, if the applicant completes the necessary forms and agrees to cooperate with the district attorney in securing support and determining paternity, where applicable. The district attorney shall have staff available, in person or by telephone, at all county welfare offices and shall conduct an interview with each applicant to obtain information necessary to establish paternity and establish, modify, or enforce a support order at the time of the initial interview with the welfare office. The district attorney shall make the determination of cooperation. If the applicant or recipient attests under penalty of perjury that he or she cannot provide the information required by this subdivision, the district attorney shall make a finding regarding whether the individual could reasonably be expected to provide the information, before the district attorney determines whether the individual is cooperating. In making the finding, the district attorney shall consider all of the following: (A) The age of the child for whom support is sought. (B) The circumstances surrounding the conception of the child. (C) The age or mental capacity of the parent or caretaker of the child for whom aid is being sought. (D) The time that has elapsed since the parent or caretaker last had contact with the alleged father or obligor. (2) Cooperation includes the following: (A) Providing the name of the alleged parent or obligor and other information about that person if known to the applicant or recipient, such as address, social security number, telephone number, place of employment or school, and the names and addresses of relatives or associates. (B) Appearing at interviews, hearings, and legal proceedings provided the applicant or recipient is provided with reasonable advance notice of the interview, hearing, or legal proceeding and does not have good cause not to appear. (C) If paternity is at issue, submitting to genetic tests, including genetic testing of the child, if necessary. (D) Providing any additional information known to or reasonably obtainable by the applicant or recipient necessary to establish paternity or to establish, modify, or enforce a child support order. (3) A recipient or applicant shall not be required to sign a voluntary declaration of paternity, as set forth in Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 7570) of Part 2 of Division 12 of the Family Code, as a condition of cooperation. SEC. 36. Section 11477.02 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read: 11477.02. Prior to referral of any individual or recipient, or that person's case, to the local child support agency for child support services under Section 11350.1 or 11475.1, the county welfare department shall determine if an applicant or recipient has good cause for noncooperation, as set forth in Section 11477.04. If the applicant or recipient claims a good cause exception at any subsequent time to the county welfare department or the district attorney, the district attorney shall suspend child support services until the county welfare department determines the good cause claim, as set forth in Section 11477.04. If good cause is determined to exist, the district attorney shall suspend child support services until the applicant or recipient requests their resumption, and shall take such other measures as are necessary to protect the applicant or recipient and the children. If the applicant or recipient is the parent of the child for whom aid is sought and the parent is found to have not cooperated without good cause as provided in Section 11477.04, the applicant's or recipient's family grant shall be reduced by 25 percent for such time as the failure to cooperate lasts. SEC. 37. Section 11477.04 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read: 11477.04. (a) An applicant or a recipient shall be considered to be cooperating in good faith with the county welfare department or the local child support agency for purposes of Section 11477 and shall be eligible for aid, if otherwise eligible, if he or she cooperates or has good cause for noncooperation. The county welfare department shall make the good cause determination. (b) Good cause shall be found if any of the following conditions exist: (1) Efforts to establish paternity or establish, modify, or enforce a support obligation would increase the risk of physical, sexual, or emotional harm to the child for whom support is being sought. (2) Efforts to establish paternity or establish, modify, or enforce a support obligation would increase the risk of abuse, as defined in Section 11495.1, to the parent or caretaker with whom the child is living. (3) The child for whom support is sought was conceived as a result of incest or rape. A conviction for incest or rape is not necessary for this paragraph to apply. (4) Legal proceedings for the adoption of the child are pending before a court of competent jurisdiction. (5) The applicant or recipient is currently being assisted by a public or licensed private adoption agency to resolve the issue of whether to keep the child or relinquish the child for adoption. (6) The applicant or recipient is cooperating in good faith but is unable to identify or assist in locating the alleged father or obligor. (7) Any other reason that would make efforts to establish paternity or establish, modify, or enforce a support obligation contrary to the best interests of the child. (c) Evidence supporting a claim for good cause includes, but is not limited to, the following: (1) Police, governmental agency, or court records, documentation from a domestic violence program or a legal, clerical, medical, mental health, or other professional from whom the applicant or recipient has sought assistance in dealing with abuse, physical evidence of abuse, or any other evidence that supports the claim of good cause. (2) Statements under penalty of perjury from individuals, including the applicant or recipient, with knowledge of the circumstances that provide the basis for the good cause claim. (3) Birth certificates or medical, mental health, rape crisis, domestic violence program, or law enforcement records that indicate that the child was conceived as the result of incest or rape. (4) Court documents or other records that indicate that legal proceedings for adoption are pending before a court of competent jurisdiction. (5) A written statement from a public or licensed private adoption agency that the applicant or recipient is being assisted by the agency to resolve the issue of whether to keep the child or relinquish the child for adoption. (d) A sworn statement by a victim shall be sufficient to establish abuse unless the agency documents in writing an independent, reasonable basis to find the recipient not credible. (e) Applicants or recipients who inquire about or claim good cause, or otherwise indicate that they or their children are at risk of abuse, shall be given referrals by the county welfare department to appropriate community, legal, medical, and support services. Followup by the applicant or recipient on those referrals shall not affect eligibility for assistance under this chapter or the determination of cooperation. SEC. 38. Section 11478 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 39. Section 11478.2 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 40. Section 11478.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 41. Section 11478.51 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 42. Section 11478.6 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 43. Section 11478.7 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 44. Section 11478.8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 45. Section 11478.9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 46. Section 11479 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read: 11479. In all cases in which the paternity of the child has not been established to the satisfaction of the county department, the county department shall refer the applicant to local child support agency at the time the application is signed. Upon the advice of a county department that a child is being considered for adoption, and regardless of whether or not the whereabouts of the parent is known, the local child support agency shall delay the investigation and other action with respect to the case until advised that the adoption is no longer under consideration. The local child support agency shall conduct such investigation as the agency considers necessary, and where he or she deems it appropriate, the agency may bring an action under Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 7630) of Part 3 of Division 12 of the Family Code. When the cause is at issue, it shall be set for trial at the earliest possible date and shall take precedence over all other cases except older matters of the same character and matters to which precedence may be given by law. SEC. 47. Section 11479.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 48. Section 11479.6 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 49. Section 11485 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read: 11485. If, to the knowledge of the court, aid has been applied for or granted to a child of parents who are engaged in a divorce or separate maintenance action which is pending, or if the court at any stage of the litigation believes that within the near future there is a likelihood that aid will be applied for on behalf of the child, the court shall direct the clerk to notify the local child support agency and the county department of the pending action. In any case in which aid has been applied for on behalf of the child, and the county department has knowledge that an action for divorce or separate maintenance has been filed, it shall be the duty of the county director to notify the court that aid is being paid or has been applied for, and to furnish to it such information as is available to the county department as to the financial resources of the parents which might be applied to child support. The enforcement remedies provided the local child support agency under this article shall not preclude the use of any other remedy which he has under the law to enforce this article. SEC. 50. Section 11488 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 51. Section 11489 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 52. Section 11490 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 53. Section 11491 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 54. Section 11492 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 55. Section 11492.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 56. Section 15200.6 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 57. Section 15200.75 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 58. Section 15200.81 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 59. Section 15200.92 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 60. Section 15200.95 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 61. Section 15200.96 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 62. Section 15200.97 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 63. Section 15200.98 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 64. Notwithstanding Section 17610 of the Government Code, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code. If the statewide cost of the claim for reimbursement does not exceed one million dollars ($1,000,000), reimbursement shall be made from the State Mandates Claims Fund.