Federally Required State Collection and Disbursement Unit for Child and Spousal Support
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This section is intended to outline a flexible waiver application procedure for the federally required centralized collection and disbursement of child and spousal support established pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 654b. Wherever the terminology “collection and disbursement” is used in this section, or in other sections of law using that terminology, it is the legislative intent that the use of such term in the conjunctive shall not be construed to prevent the department of human services from seeking waivers and the state from implementing any procedures, permitted by federal law, regulations, or interpretations of such law or regulations or such waivers, that may allow for alternate methods or processes for either collection or disbursement of child and spousal support by the clerks of the courts of this state.
If the federal law, or regulations or the interpretation of such law or regulations, are repealed or modified so that centralized collection and disbursement are no longer mandated by federal law, and such repeal or modification occurs before the implementation of the centralized collection system, either directly by department itself or before the execution of a contract by the department with a contractor for the operation of such system, the provisions of state law addressing such a centralized system for the collection and disbursement of child and spousal support shall be null and void.
Should the federal requirement of a centralized system be repealed or modified after implementation by the department of the federally required centralized collection and disbursement system, either directly by the department or by the department through a contractor, the provisions of law relative to the federally required centralized collection and disbursement system shall remain in effect, but the commissioner of human services shall, at the request of and in conjunction with the clerks of the court, develop a plan for transition of the collection and disbursement functions to the clerks of the court, which shall include proposed legislation that may be necessary to return the collection and disbursement process to the clerks of court. The plan shall be submitted to chairs of the judiciary committee of the house of representatives and the judiciary committee of the senate prior to the beginning of the next session of the general assembly after the repeal or modification of the federal requirements, but in no event later than ninety (90) days after the repeal or modification of the federal requirements.
Nothing herein shall impair the validity of a contract that has been executed by the state of Tennessee or the department with any person or entity for the operation of the federally required centralized collection and disbursement system before the repeal or modification of the federal centralized collection and disbursement requirement.
If a waiver is available under federal law or regulations that would enable the clerks of the court to continue to collect or disburse child and spousal support, the commissioner shall, at the request of the state court clerks conference, consult with the clerks of the court to determine the feasibility of implementing the provisions of such a waiver, and shall make application to the United States department of health and human services for such a waiver; provided, that if the department has contracted for the operation of the central collection and disbursement system at the time federal law and regulations, or the interpretation of such, have changed, then this subdivision (b)(1) shall be subject to the contract terms.
In the event the waiver is granted that permits the clerks of court to perform services in the central collection and disbursement system, the clerks of court may enter into a contract, as permitted by state and federal law, with a third party to perform any of the functions required by federal law or required under such a waiver. If such a contract is appropriate, the president of the state court clerks conference, upon authorization of the board of directors of the state court clerks conference, shall have authority to bind the members of the conference to the terms of the contract. The contract may provide for any contractor to retain or distribute all or part of the clerks' fees authorized by § 8-21-403, if permitted by federal regulations. Under any plan, the collection and disbursement of child and spousal support shall be conducted in such a manner as will not adversely affect either compliance with federal regulations or federal funding for the Title IV-A block grant program and the Title IV-D child support program.