Online Interstate Roster and Referral Guide, Record Layout, and State FIPS Codes and Addresses

DCL-99-129

Publication Date: December 1, 1999
Current as of:

DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER

DCL-99-129

DATE: December 01, 1999

TO: All IV-D Directors, Regional Administrators, Regional Program Managers, IRG Contacts, Technical Directors, CSENet Points of Contact, and Central Registry Units

RE: The Online Interstate Roster and Referral Guide (IRG), the Record Layout, and Methods for  Receiving State FIPS Codes and Addresses Available through the IRG

Dear Colleagues:

The purpose of this letter is to: (1) Announce the implementation for data validation purposes of the online Interstate Roster and Referral Guide (IRG) located on the Office of Child Support Enforcement’s (OCSE’s) website; (2) Provide the timeframes for implementation of each component of the IRG; (3) Provide the record layout to be used by the new IRG and Child Support Enforcement Network (CSENet) 2000 to download State FIPS codes and addresses for use on your Child Support Enforcement Systems; and (4) Provide procedures for requesting the address and FIPS code changes through CSENet 2000.

The IRG will be implemented for State Child Support Enforcement agencies for data verification in three phases:

  • States will be able to view the State Profile System by mid-December.
  • States will be able to view the FIPS Code and Address System by the end of December.
  • States will be able to edit their data in both systems in early January, 2000. Only State and OCSE users with authorized User ID and Password combinations will be allowed to edit IRG data. OCSE anticipates providing the general public access to the IRG in the Spring of 2000. In order to safeguard data, the public access will only allow a user to view IRG data.

In early January, States will be able to download information from the IRG System, including State FIPS codes and their corresponding addresses. The format for downloading IRG data is the same as the one currently being used to provide this data through the SimPC software, with the exception of the date format having been revised to make it Year 2000 compliant and the addition of a new code, OTH, to the Address Type 2 field. As the new IRG will provide more addresses than the previous versions, this code was added to identify address types that do not fit within the definition of the existing codes.

When the IRG system has been validated and becomes fully functional in January of next year, you will have two options for obtaining this information that is so vital for the automated processing of interstate cases, (1) through the online IRG and (2) through CSENet 2000.

The IRG process for downloading data will allow States the flexibility to specify a date range for the changes to be received, rather than requiring monthly intervals between downloads, in addition to allowing States to download the entire master file. In the meantime, you may opt to continue to obtain the monthly download of FIPS codes and address changes from the SSA mainframe or through CSENet 2000. The entire master file on the SSA mainframe and a file of the monthly changes are received by the CSENet and can be readily shared with you. The attached CSENet 2000 IRG Interface Specifications document provides you with the format, for both CSENet and the IRG, and the CSENet procedures for requesting this information. It is anticipated this process will be available by the end of November 1999. Once the download function of the IRG is fully operational, the CSENet 2000 procedures will be revised to provide you with similar date range options. The procedures for downloading the FIPS codes and addresses from the online IRG will be part of the IRG User Guide. Once the online IRG is fully functional, the SSA process will be discontinued.

In December of this year, OCSE will be issuing each State a User ID and Password for viewing and verifying their IRG data. When the IRG system becomes fully operational in January, 2000, up to five (5) sets of User ID and Password combinations will be issued to each State to disseminate to staff who will be responsible for updating information on, and downloading information from, the IRG system. In order to assist States in using the IRG system, a User’s Guide outlining the functionality of the IRG system will be forthcoming. The User’s Guide will also be located online for immediate reference.

If you have questions about the IRG, you may contact [contact information is obsolete] for assistance. Please contact your CSENet Technical Representative or the helpdesk at 1-800-258-2736 for more information concerning the CSENet 2000 procedures.

The Office of Child Support Enforcement would like to thank all the State IRG Contacts and the IRG Workgroup members who provided valuable information and time and effort to this important project. Many of your ideas and suggestions were included in developing this web-based application.

Sincerely,

David Gray Ross
Commissioner
Office of Child Support Enforcement