GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2015

SESSION LAW 2015-51

SENATE BILL 114

AN ACT to require the department of health and human services, Division of Child Development and Early Education and the division of social services, to develop a plan requiring a custodial parent or other relative or person with primary custody of a child receiving child care subsidy payments to cooperate with county child support services programs as a condition of receiving child care subsidy payments, as recommended by the child support subcommittee of the joint legislative program evaluation oversight committee.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.(a)  It is the intent of the General Assembly that the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) and the Division of Social Services (DSS), implement a process requiring child care subsidy recipients to participate in child support services programs. To that end, DCDEE and DSS shall develop a plan requiring a custodial parent or other relative or person with primary custody of the child who is receiving child care subsidy payments to cooperate with county child support services programs as a condition of receiving child care subsidy payments. In developing the plan, the DCDEE and DSS shall, at a minimum, consider each of the following:

(1)        The number of child care subsidy cases that would be referred to county child support services programs.

(2)        Whether there are any disparities between child support services programs administered directly by the county department of social services versus those programs administered by a vendor through a contract with the county department of social services, specifically as related to maintaining consistent communication.

(3)        The access and exchange of information between county child support services programs/systems and child care subsidy services/systems and any differences that may create a conflict in coordinating child care subsidy payments with child support services.

(4)        Any implementation issues related to IV‑D child support cases versus non‑IV‑D child support cases.

(5)        Any impact on the families involved and the need to incorporate good cause exceptions for cooperation with county child support services programs similar to those for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Medicaid.

(6)        Any costs to implement the plan, including any automation costs associated with connecting the child care subsidy payments system to the child support payments system.

(7)        The development of any forms needed to implement the plan.

(8)        Transition time needed to implement the plan and to coordinate any interface with current systems, such as the North Carolina Automated Collection and Tracking System (NC ACTS) and North Carolina Families Accessing Services through Technology (NC FAST).

(9)        Any training needs and costs associated with training.

(10)      Other states that have implemented a similar plan as proposed in this section.

(11)      Other programs of public assistance in this State requiring coordination with child support services programs.

(12)      The need to update any current policies or procedures related to child care subsidy payments and child support payments.

(13)      Any other issues DCDEE or DSS deem relevant.

SECTION 1.(b)  The Division of Child Development and Early Education and the Division of Social Services shall submit a report on the plan, along with any recommendations, to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services and the Fiscal Research Division no later than February 1, 2016.

SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2015.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 28^th day of May, 2015.

                                                                    s/  Daniel J. Forest

                                                                         President of the Senate

                                                                    s/  Tim Moore

                                                                         Speaker of the House of Representatives

                                                                    s/  Pat McCrory

                                                                         Governor

Approved 8:30 a.m. this 4^th day of June, 2015