§ 42-12-28 - Child support enforcement functions.
SECTION 42-12-28
§ 42-12-28 Child support enforcementfunctions. – (a) The department of human services is authorized and directed to operate astatewide child support enforcement program. The department shall beresponsible for activities assigned to it by law, including, but not limitedto, establishing paternity, establishing, enforcing, modifying child supportand medical orders, and the collection and distribution of payments of childand medical support, pursuant to IV-D of the Social Security Act, 42 USC §651 et seq., titles 15 and 40 of the Rhode Island general laws and otherapplicable state and federal child support laws and regulations.
(b) The department is authorized to provide by rule for thepayment of child support and/or medical support received from any in-state, orinterstate employers, making income withholdings, and from collections receivedfrom other state collection and disbursement units and foreign jurisdictions,by electronic funds transfer (EFT) when the child support and/or medicalsupport is required to be paid in connection with a court or administrativeorder for support to the state's central collection and disbursement unit. Thedepartment may promulgate any regulations necessary to implement this sectionincluding regulations that specify the form, frequency, and content ofelectronic funds transfer messages and electronic data information in order toinsure the proper receipt and crediting of the child support and/or medicalsupport payments. The department and the tax administrator, division oftaxation, department of administration, are authorized to enter intocooperative agreements to facilitate and coordinate the electronic fundstransfer, receipt and crediting of child support and/or medical supportpayments, in furtherance of their respective duties and functions under thissection and § 44-1-31.