A. For child support cases being enforced by the human services department acting as the state's Title IV-D child support enforcement agency as provided in Section 27-2-27 NMSA 1978, the department shall implement a process for the periodic review of child support orders that shall include:
(1) a review of support orders every three years upon the request of either the obligor or obligee or, if there is an assignment of support rights pursuant to the Public Assistance Act [27-2-1 to 27-2-34 NMSA 1978], upon the request of the department or of either the obligor or obligee;
(2) notification by the department of its review to the obligor and obligee; and
(3) authorization to require financial information from the obligor and the obligee to determine whether the support obligation should be presented to the court for modification.
B. In carrying out its duties under this section, the secretary of human services, or the secretary's authorized representative, has the power to issue subpoenas:
(1) to compel the attendance of the obligor or the obligee at a hearing on the child support order;
(2) to compel production by the obligor or the obligee of financial or wage information, including federal or state tax returns;
(3) to compel the obligor or the obligee to disclose the location of employment of the payor party; and
(4) to compel the employer of the obligor or the obligee to disclose information relating to the employee's wages.
C. A subpoena issued by the human services department under this section shall state with reasonable certainty the nature of the information required, the time and place where the information shall be produced, whether the subpoena requires the attendance of the person subpoenaed or only the production of information and records and the consequences of failure to obey the subpoena.
D. A subpoena issued by the human services department under this section shall be served upon the person to be subpoenaed or, at the option of the secretary or the secretary's authorized representative, by certified mail addressed to the person at his last known address. The service of the subpoena shall be at least ten days prior to the required production of the information or the required appearance. If the subpoena is served by certified mail, proof of service is the affidavit of mailing. After service of a subpoena upon a person, if the person neglects or refuses to comply with the subpoena, the department may apply to the district court of the county where the subpoena was served or the county where the subpoena was responded to for an order compelling compliance. Failure of the person to comply with the district court's order shall be punishable as contempt.
E. If a review by the human services department results in a finding that a child support order should be modified in accordance with the guidelines, it should be presented to the court for modification and the obligor and the obligee shall be notified of their respective rights and shall have thirty days to respond to the department's finding. The right to seek modification shall rest with the department in the case of obligations being enforced as a result of a public assistance recipient's assignment of support rights to the state as provided in the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. 602(a)(26).
F. At the request of the obligor or the obligee or upon the filing of a motion to modify child support, the human services department shall furnish any information it has obtained in its review process regarding wages or other information pertaining to the obligor or the obligee.
G. Nothing in this section shall be construed to restrict the right of either party to petition the court to modify a child support obligation. The human services department shall not be required to conduct a review of any party's obligation more than once every three years.
History: Laws 1990, ch. 58, § 2; 1997, ch. 237, § 21.
ANNOTATIONSCross references. — For designation of human services department as the single state agency for the enforcement of child and spousal support obligations pursuant to Title IV D of the federal Social Security Act, see 27-2-27 NMSA 1978.
The 1997 amendment, effective April 11, 1997, rewrote Paragraph A(1), inserted "human services" near the beginning of Subsection C, and inserted "should be modified in accordance with the guidelines, it" near the beginning of Subsection E.
Modification affecting non-residential parent. — The Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (Chapter 40, Article 6A NMSA 1978) supplements human services department's authority under the Public Assistance Act (27-2-1 NMSA 1978 et seq.) and human services department therefore has the authority to bring an action to modify the child support obligation of a non-custodial parent residing in another state under UIFSA. State ex rel. Washington Human Servs. Dep't v. Jackson, 2007-NMCA-061, 141 N.M. 647, 159 P.3d 1132.