dcl-99-69

DCL- 99-69 July 1, 1999

TO: ALL STATE IV-D DIRECTORS

RE: Multistate Financial Institution Data Match (MSFIDM)

Dear Colleague:

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996 provides State child support programs with the MSFIDM as an additional means for locating the assets of child support obligors. The Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) is dedicated to assisting States in conducting the quarterly data matches with Multistate Financial Institutions (MSFIs) involved in this program.

The Multistate Implementation process has been divided into three phases. Phase One involved the transfer of responsibility for reaching agreement with MSFIs from States to OCSE. All 54 states and territories completed this phase by late May. Phase Two involves completion of the operational agreements between OCSE and the MSFIs. This phase began in March 1999 and is continuing. To date, more than 650 MSFIs have elected to participate in the OCSE data match. (Please read further for more information on these institutions.) Phase Three will initiate the quarterly data match between OCSE and MSFIs and the transfer of matched data to appropriate States. This phase will begin July 6, 1999, when OCSE initiates the distribution of files to MSFIs, and States will begin to receive data from these initial matches August 20, 1999.

During the month of June, OCSE conducted MSFIDM technical assistance conference calls with staff in each state and region that addressed the exclusion indicator on the Federal Tax Offset File, the MSFIDM response record, Federal Case Registry (FCR) data transmission (and CONNECT:Direct processing for non-FCR States), transmission tests and the development of generic software for audit trails.

Attached is a list of all the MSFIs that have elected to participate in the OCSE data match process as of June 30, 1999. The list is subdivided into three institutional groups: Security Companies, Credit Unions and Banks. Many MSFIs have elected to use third party transmitters and in such cases the transmitters’ name is printed in bold and all affiliated institutions are listed alphabetically below the transmitter. Each MSFI has listed the states in which they operate, with "All" indicating that the MSFI maintains accounts in all States. This information may be useful in the State’s decision to take action on the matched accounts. Finally, the list contains the month and week the MSFI has elected to receive the first OCSE file. This election will be repeated each quarter thereafter. For instance, if a MSFI elected to receive the file the first week in July, the institution will receive the OCSE file the first week of the first month in every quarter thereafter. Given this information, States can estimate that matched data from their predominate MSFIs will be transmitted within 50 days from the date listed.

The attached Multistate Participant List will be updated on the first of every month and is available in hard copy and by email. If you have any further questions about the list or the MSFIDM process, please contact Ann Barkley at (202) 260-4697.

Your support and cooperation are greatly appreciated as we work together to improve the lives of our nation’s children.

Sincerely,

David Gray Ross
Commissioner
Office of Child Support Enforcement

Enclosure

cc: State MSFIDM Liaisons
Regional Program Managers