Florida Statutes
Part I - Social and Economic Assistance (Ss. 409.016-409.5093)
409.2557 - State agency for administering child support enforcement program.

(1) The department is designated as the state agency responsible for the administration of the child support enforcement program, Title IV-D of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. ss. 651 et seq.
(2) The department in its capacity as the state Title IV-D agency has the authority to take actions necessary to carry out the public policy of ensuring that children are maintained from the resources of their parents to the extent possible. The department’s authority includes, but is not limited to, the establishment of paternity or support obligations, the establishment of a Title IV-D Standard Parenting Time Plan or any other parenting time plan agreed to and signed by the parents, and the modification, enforcement, and collection of support obligations.
(3) SPECIFIC RULEMAKING AUTHORITY.—The department has the authority to adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement all laws administered by the department in its capacity as the Title IV-D agency for this state including, but not limited to, the following:
(a) Background screening of department employees and applicants, including criminal records checks;
(b) Confidentiality and retention of department records; access to records; record requests;
(c) Department trust funds;
(d) Federal funding procedures;
(e) Agreements with law enforcement and other state agencies; National Crime Information Center (NCIC) access; Parent Locator Service access;
(f) Written agreements entered into between the department and support obligors in establishment, enforcement, and modification proceedings;
(g) Procurement of services by the department, pilot programs, and demonstration projects;
(h) Management of cases by the department involving any documentation or procedures required by federal or state law, including, but not limited to, cooperation; review and adjustment; audits; interstate actions; diligent efforts for service of process;
(i) Department procedures for orders for genetic testing; subpoenas to establish, enforce, or modify orders; increasing the amount of monthly obligations to secure delinquent support; suspending or denying driver and professional licenses and certificates; fishing and hunting license suspensions; suspending vehicle and vessel registrations; screening applicants for new or renewal licenses, registrations, or certificates; income deduction; credit reporting and accessing; tax refund intercepts; passport denials; liens; financial institution data matches; expedited procedures; medical support; and all other responsibilities of the department as required by state or federal law;
(j) Collection and disbursement of support and alimony payments by the department as required by federal law; collection of genetic testing costs and other costs awarded by the court;
(k) Report information to and receive information from other agencies and entities;
(l) Provide location services, including accessing from and reporting to federal and state agencies;
(m) Privatizing location, establishment, enforcement, modification, and other functions;
(n) State case registry;
(o) State disbursement unit;
(p) Administrative proceedings to establish paternity or establish paternity and child support, orders to appear for genetic testing, and administrative proceedings to establish child support obligations; and
(q) All other responsibilities of the department as required by state or federal law.

(4) The department shall establish on its website a dedicated web page that provides information to obligors who have difficulty paying child support due to economic hardship. There must be a link to such web page on the main child support web page. The web page must be in plain language and include, at a minimum, information on how an obligor can modify a child support order, information on how to access services from CareerSource Florida, 1Inc., and the organizations awarded grants under s. 409.25996, and a link to the website for CareerSource Florida, 1Inc.
History.—s. 3, ch. 76-220; s. 19, ch. 92-138; s. 4, ch. 94-318; s. 20, ch. 98-397; s. 26, ch. 2001-158; s. 9, ch. 2002-173; s. 2, ch. 2002-239; s. 22, ch. 2005-39; s. 3, ch. 2017-117; s. 12, ch. 2022-67.
1Note.—The word “Inc.” was inserted by the editors to conform to the full name of the corporation.

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