| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to child support enforcement; amending s. |
| 3 | 409.2557, F.S.; revising certain child enforcement |
| 4 | demonstration projects as local solutions to providing |
| 5 | such enforcement; requiring local providers of child |
| 6 | support enforcement services to comply with state and |
| 7 | federal policies; providing duties and responsibilities of |
| 8 | the Department of Revenue regarding funding and compliance |
| 9 | monitoring of certain child support enforcement services; |
| 10 | providing an effective date. |
| 11 |
|
| 12 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 13 |
|
| 14 | Section 1. Subsection (2) of section 409.2557, Florida |
| 15 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 16 | 409.2557 State agency for administering child support |
| 17 | enforcement program.-- |
| 18 | (2)(a) The department in its capacity as the state Title |
| 19 | IV-D agency shall have the authority to take actions necessary |
| 20 | to carry out the public policy of ensuring that children are |
| 21 | maintained from the resources of their parents to the extent |
| 22 | possible. The department's authority shall include, but not be |
| 23 | limited to, the establishment of paternity or support |
| 24 | obligations, as well as the modification, enforcement, and |
| 25 | collection of support obligations. |
| 26 | (b) Notwithstanding chapter 85-178, Laws of Florida, any |
| 27 | child support enforcement demonstration project created under |
| 28 | that law and still in operation on January 15, 2003, is not |
| 29 | considered a demonstration project but is a local solution to |
| 30 | providing child support enforcement services in a county. |
| 31 | Therefore, the department shall continue to fund such operation |
| 32 | under a cost-reimbursement contract with the local provider |
| 33 | responsible for delivering, administering, and managing |
| 34 | comprehensive child support enforcement activities in such |
| 35 | counties. |
| 36 | (c) The local provider must meet all state and federal |
| 37 | reporting requirements in a timely manner, provide all services |
| 38 | required by the state's Title IV-D state plan, and provide the |
| 39 | services in accordance with state and federal policies. The |
| 40 | operations of the local provider which pertain to the provision |
| 41 | of Title IV-D services are subject to review and audit by state |
| 42 | and federal officials responsible for the Title IV-D program |
| 43 | functions. The department may withhold funds or terminate the |
| 44 | local provider's contract if the provider fails to comply with |
| 45 | the functions and responsibilities of the federal Title IV-D |
| 46 | program. |
| 47 | (d) Regardless of whether services are provided directly |
| 48 | by the department or by contractual agreement with a local |
| 49 | agency, the department shall retain responsibility for ensuring |
| 50 | that all services required by the state Title IV-D program are |
| 51 | provided in accordance with applicable federal and state laws. |
| 52 | Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. |