National Electronic Child Support Resource System

(http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pol/DCL/1994/dcl9474.htm)
We are happy to announce that the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) has recently made access to the ACF Bulletin Board System available to States, local agencies, vendors, and interested individuals using standard personal computers

(http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pol/DCL/1994/dcl9473.htm)
Attached is a copy of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) published in the Federal Register on December 8, 1994 (59 FR 63265). The rule allows obligors who are Food Stamp recipients to have the amount of child support they pay be treated as a deduction from their income for Food Stamp eligibility purposes, effective September 1, 1994. State Food and Consumer Service agencies (State agencies) may implement the provision on that date. They are required to implement the deduction no later than October 1, 1995.

(http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pol/DCL/1994/dcl9471.htm)
This letter serves as a follow-up to our Dear Colleague letter of June 15, 1993. Our intent is to bring you up to date on the Electronic Funds Transfer/Electronic Data Interchange (EFT/EDI) Project, and to seek your input on issues related to the interstate transfer of funds.

(http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pol/DCL/1994/dcl9472.htm)
In our continued effort to improve the IRS Full Collections process, please complete the enclosed form identifying a contact person for your State. The contact you provide will be forwarded to the Health and Human Services Division of Accounting and the IRS. The Division of Accounting and IRS request that the individual identified be the appropriate person to contact if any questions arise regarding disbursement of IRS collections to the State or if any additional information on the case is needed.

(http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pol/DCL/1994/dcl9470.htm)
This DCL was sent to clarify the previous Dear Colleague Letter 94-64. In DCL 94-64, we informed you of recently-enacted Federal legislation which will impact State IV-D programs.

(http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pol/DCL/1994/dcl9469.htm)
Attached is Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) and Administration for Children and Families / Office of Family Assistance (ACF/OFA) final rule published November 17, 1994, in the Federal Register (59 FR 59372).

(http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pol/DCL/1994/dcl9468.htm)
In October, the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) contracted with CSR Inc. of Washington, D.C. to undertake an evaluation of child support guidelines. This study is being done in view of the increasing interest in State administration of guidelines, and possible need to change the components or design of the guidelines themselves.

(http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pol/DCL/1994/dcl9467.htm)
This will inform you of the recent joint publication by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), of a proposed rule, with comment period, implementing the provisions of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA), Public Law No. 103-31, which will make it easier for individuals to vote in elections for Federal office.

(http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pol/DCL/1994/dcl9464.htm)
This is to inform you of recently-enacted Federal legislation which will impact State IV-D programs, including: Full Faith and Credit for Child Support Orders Act (P.L. 103-383); Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1994 (P.L. 103-394); Small Business Administration Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 1994 (P.L. 103-403); and Social Security Act Amendments of 1994 (P.L. 103-432).

(http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pol/DCL/1994/dcl9463.htm)
The attached DCL accompanied the unaccountables cases submitted to the Federal Tax Refund Offset Program for the 1995 processing year October deadline.

(http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pol/DCL/1994/dcl9460.htm)
This is the index page with links to Sections 1-4 of this document.

(http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pol/DCL/1994/dcl9458.htm)
The DOJ will hold a Criminal Enforcement of Support Seminars.Two identical seminars will be presented by the DOJ`s Office of Legal Education: one for the eastern States on November 29-30, and one for the western States on December 1-2. The seminars will address the practical application of child support enforcement prosecution including: establishing venue, working effectively with U.S. Attorneys` offices and Federal investigators, unique charging decisions, and post-trial collection strategies. In addition to the IV-D representatives and participants from U.S. Attorneys` offices, it is anticipated that Federal Bureau of Investigation agents also will attend.

(http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pol/DCL/1994/dcl9457.htm)
This document describes new research and demonstration cooperative agreements recently awarded under Program Announcement No. OCSE 94-1 advertising the availability of funds for Model Office proposals. These awards are made under Section 1115 of the Social Security Act.

(http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pol/DCL/1994/dcl9456.htm)
After reviewing 157 cases OCSE referred, DOJ has forwarded 154 cases to U.S. Attorney`s Offices for prosecution for nonpayment of child support covered under the Child Support Recovery Act of 1992.

(http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pol/DCL/1994/dcl9454.htm)
Under Federal regulations at 45 CFR 303.7(b), an initial IV-D case referral cannot be sent directly to the responding tribunal. If the interstate referral is the first contact between the initiating and responding States in the case, the referral must be sent to the interstate central registry in the responding State.

(http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pol/DCL/1994/dcl9453.htm)
On August 15, 1994, OCSE disseminated Dear Colleague Letter DC-94-48 which requested each State to submit five cases which would be good candidates for prosecution under the Child Support Recovery Act of 1992 (P.L. 102-521). We received over 260 cases from 43 States. After a review of the cases, we delivered 157 cases to the Department of Justice (DOJ). The total arrears for these delivered cases was $4,586,205, with $1,533,020 accrued since October 25, 1992, the effective date of the law.

(http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pol/DCL/1994/dcl9446.htm)
The net collection total for July 1994 for 33,696 offsets is $18,023,893 as compared to $16,048,809 for 31,816 offsets for processing year 1993. The net year-to-date total for processing year 1994 for 956,340 offsets is $668,367,762 as compared to $594,623,400 for 895,182 offsets for processing year 1993.

(http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pol/DCL/1994/dcl9445.htm)
There is no State residency requirement as a prerequisite to receipt of IV-D services. Section 454(6) of the Social Security Act and 45 CFR 302.33 require that States must provide child support collection

(http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pol/DCL/1994/dcl9444.htm)
This document references the unaccountable cases for those test tape cases submitted to the Federal Tax Refund Offset Program for the 1994 processing year. These cases after being sent to IRS for processing are being returned as either SSN Not on File, Name Does Not Agree, or Invalid Combination of Name and SSN.

(http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pol/DCL/1994/dcl9443.htm)
Since it is anticipated that the Office of Child Support Enforcement will be asked to provide information on State progress regarding in-hospital paternity establishment and we would like to convey such information in the Annual Report to the Congress, we are requesting that States voluntarily provide OCSE with some basic reporting information on the in-hospital paternity establishment program.

(http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pol/DCL/1994/dcl9442.htm)
The purpose of this letter is to inform you of the services of the National Independent Study Center (NISC), located in Denver, Colorado. NISC, an arm of the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offers self-study training courses to employees of State, local, or Indian tribal Governments at reasonable prices. The current catalog lists 36 courses in personnel, management, supervision, communication, statistics, report writing, computer skills, and other subjects.

(http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pol/DCL/1994/dcl9460d.htm)
This Notice of Proposed Rulemaking implements statutory authority for a broad consultation and coordination process leading to the development of a five-year child and family services plan.

(http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pol/DCL/1994/dcl9460c.htm)
Three interrelated information systems, currently being established, will assist States in obtaining information to measure the annual progress toward meeting the goals and objectives in the CFSP, to quantify and document the improvements achieved, as well as identify future problems areas. These systems are the Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS); the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), a part of the SACWIS; and the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS).

(http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pol/DCL/1994/dcl9460b.htm)
Overall, we have emphasized the importance of a serious planning process and the development of a five-year plan that is dynamic, operational document. The NPRM proposes considerable flexibility but also contains specific minimum requirements in several areas which we believe will assist States and Indian tribes to strengthen and expand services and improve service delivery.

(http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pol/DCL/1994/dcl9460a.htm)
This is to inform you of the recent publication of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, regarding implementation of the Family Preservation and Support Services provisions of P.L. 103-66, the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (OBRA`93).