DCL-03-32, Fiscal Year 2004 Fees for the Federal Parent Locator Service (FPLS) and the Child Support Enforcement Network (CSENet) 2000

DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER

DCL-03-32

DATE: September 2, 2003

TO: ALL STATE IV-D DIRECTORS

RE: Fiscal Year 2004 Fees for the Federal Parent Locator Service (FPLS) and the Child Support Enforcement Network (CSENet) 2000

Dear Colleague:

This letter is to inform you of the annual user fees that each state will be assessed for usage of the Federal Parent Locator Service (FPLS) and the Child Support Enforcement Network (CSENet) 2000 for fiscal year (FY) 2004. Enclosed, please find summaries of your state’s fees.

Under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) is authorized to recover costs incurred in furnishing FPLS information, at rates determined by the Secretary to be reasonable. These fees recover only a portion of OCSE’s costs for operating and maintaining the FPLS. The continued increase in collections demonstrates that states are achieving substantial results through their enforcement efforts, and the data sent to states from the FPLS are an integral component of this success.

The FPLS and CSENet fees are allocated based on each state’s IV-D caseload average for the most recent six-year period for which final data are available as reported on the OCSE-157 report (FYs 1996-2001). Unlike previous years, there is no flat fee component. Since all states have the opportunity to successfully use FPLS data and CSENet, they should be realizing benefits in direct proportion to their caseload, and the fees are allocated accordingly.

The FPLS and CSENet user fees will be assessed beginning FY 2004, which starts October 1, 2003. CSENet User fees are to be paid on a quarterly basis in equal installments. FPLS user fees are to paid on a quarterly basis in three equal installments for the first three quarters of FY 2004, with a new fee being assessed for the fourth quarter of FY 2004. This payment structure is designed to allow states to defer some costs to the next state budgeting cycle. Each state is to report its FPLS fee charge-back on line 11 of Form OCSE-396A. Each state is to report its CSENet fee charge-back on line 12 of Form OCSE-396A. You will continue to receive all fees in a consolidated bill. Fees that are not paid in a timely manner will automatically be deducted from your state’s quarterly grant.

If you have any questions regarding fees, please contact Dennis Putze at (202) 401-4030 or dputze@acf.hhs.gov.

Thank you for your continued efforts on behalf of our nation’s children.

Sincerely,

Sherri Z. Heller, Ed.D.

Commissioner

Office of Child Support Enforcement

Enclosures

cc: Regional Program Managers (w/o Attachment)

ACF Regional Administrators (w/o Attachment)