Open Comment Period - Standard Intergovernmental Forms

DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER

DCL-19-04

DATE: June 20, 2019

TO: State IV-D Directors

SUBJECT: Open Comment Period — Standard Intergovernmental Forms

Dear Colleague:

See the attached proposed intergovernmental forms and summary of proposed changes.

Since enactment of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-193), section 466(f) of the Social Security Act (Act) has required a state to enact the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA). Section 311(b) of UIFSA requires that a petition and accompanying documents conform substantially with the standard intergovernmental forms mandated by federal law, and 45 CFR 303.7(a)(4) requires state child support agencies to use federally approved forms in intergovernmental cases, unless a country has provided alternative forms included in an OCSE country-specific caseworker’s guide.

In compliance with the requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Administration for Children and Families is soliciting public comment on the intergovernmental forms. As of June 18, 2019, a notice for public comment on the forms has been posted to the Federal Register, on page 28304, Volume 84, Number 117.

After implementing major revisions in 2016, OCSE is proposing comparatively minimal changes to the intergovernmental forms. The purpose of the changes is to further improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the forms for intergovernmental case processing. Most of the changes are for clarification and consistency to the instructions, especially related to safeguarding data. In addition, we propose these important changes:

• Child Support Enforcement Transmittal #3 — Request for Assistance/Discovery
  • Addition of a new action 11(a) to facilitate payment processing for a direct Income Withholding Order and
  • Revision of the payment forwarding action (previously 11(a) but renumbered as 11(b)) for clarity and to include a request for the remittance ID in the case.
• Declaration in Support of Establishing Parentage — the revision of the declaration signature section to allow a representative of a state child support or foster care agency to sign the form and for consistency with the General Testimony.

Please send your comments to OCSE at ocse.dpt@acf.hhs.gov within the 60-day comment period that began June 18. When commenting, please be sure to reference OMB control number 0970-0085. Consideration will be given to comments received by August 19, 2019.

Sincerely,

Scott M. Lekan
Commissioner
Office of Child Support Enforcement

ATTACHMENTS: (not available)

Summary of Proposed Changes

Proposed forms:

Child Support Agency Confidential Information Form
Child Support Enforcement Transmittal #1 — Initial Request
Child Support Enforcement Transmittal #1 — Initial Request Acknowledgment
Child Support Enforcement Transmittal #2 — Subsequent Actions
Child Support Enforcement Transmittal #3 — Request for Assistance/Discovery
Child Support Locate Request
Declaration in Support of Establishing Parentage
General Testimony (no changes to this form)
General Testimony Instructions
Letter of Transmittal Requesting Registration
Notice of Determination of Controlling Order
Personal Information Form for UIFSA § 311
Request for Change of Support Payment Location Pursuant to UIFSA § 319
Uniform Support Petition