Okla. Admin. Code § 340:25-5-200

Current through Vol. 42, No. 4, November 1, 2024

Section 340:25-5-200 - Enforcement

(a)Scope and applicability. Oklahoma Human Services Child Support Services (CSS) follows Part D of Subchapter IV of Chapter 7 of Title 42 and Section 1738B of Title 28 of the United States Code (28 U.S.C. § 1738B) Section 303.6 of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations (45 C.F.R. § 303.6), and Section 240.1 of Title 56 of the Oklahoma Statutes (56 O.S. § 240.1) in initiating enforcement proceedings.

(1) Orders for current and past child and spousal support, health care coverage, fixed amounts of medical support, judgments, and delinquencies may be enforced through expedited and judicial processes, or through other collection efforts.

(2) Past-due child support is a judgment by operation of law and may be enforced in the same manner as any other money judgment, per 43 O.S. § 137.

(3) Post-judgment remedies do not require an adjudicated judgment by a district or administrative court.

(4) Each missed support payment is a judgment; thus, a judgment increases with each missed payment. This total judgment becomes a lien on the noncustodial parent's (NCP) real and personal property.

(b)Non-Oklahoma support order. CSS registers a support order from another state, Native American tribe, territory, or foreign country, per subsection (b) of the Full Faith and Credit for Child Support Orders Act codified in 28 U.S.C. § 1738B(b) and 43 O.S. § 601-101(21) when enforcement of the order is sought.

(c)Multiple support orders. When multiple child support orders are entered in the same or different tribunals involving the same NCP and child, CSS seeks a determination of controlling order, per 43 O.S. §§ 601-207, 601-307, and 601-601 through 601-603 and Oklahoma Administrative Code (OAC) 340:25-5-270.

(d)Legal remedies. CSS determines appropriate enforcement actions and may use any legal remedy to enforce support obligations. CSS chooses remedies designed to obtain compliance with an obligor's support obligations and does not use any remedy for the purpose of punishment. When an NCP is participating in the CSS problem-solving court program or complying with a seek work order, CSS considers the NCP's participation and compliance, per OAC 340:25-5-200.3, when choosing enforcement remedies. Remedies CSS may use include, but are not limited to:

(1) annual notice to NCP, per 56 O.S. § 237A and OAC 340:25-5-213;

(2) income assignment, garnishment, and levy, per Chapter 21 of Title 12 Oklahoma Statues, 43 O.S. §§115 and 601-501 through 601-507, 56 O.S. §§ 237, 240.2, and 240.23, and 42 U.S.C. § 666;

(3) hearing on assets, per 12 O.S. § 842;

(4) intercept of federal tax refunds, per 42 U.S.C. § 664, 31 C.F.R. § 285.3, and 45 C.F.R. § 303.72, OAC 340:25-5, Part 25;

(5) Intercept of state tax refunds, per 45 C.F.R. § 303.102, 68 O.S. § 205.2, and OAC 340:25-5, Part 27;

(6) administrative offsets per 31 U.S.C. § 3716, 31 C.F.R. § 285.1, and Executive Order 13019;

(7) denial, revocation, or suspension of United States passports, per 56 O.S. § 240.1 and 42 U.S.C. §§ 652 and 654;

(8) revocation, suspension, non-renewal, and non-issuance of various licenses,, per, 47 O.S. §§ 1-153, 6-201, and 6-211, and 56 O.S. §§ 237.1 and 240.15 through 240.21A;

(9) imposing liens and executing and levying on personal and real property, including, but not limited to, workers' compensation benefits, personal injury, wrongful death, and probate actions, per 43 O.S. § 135, 56 O.S. §§ 237B and 240.23, and Titles 12 and 58 of the Oklahoma Statutes;

(10) registration of foreign support orders and judgments, per the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act per 43 O.S. §§ 601-100 through 601-903 and the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act, 12 O.S. §§ 719 through 726;

(11) credit bureau referrals, per 42 U.S.C. § 666 and 15 U.S.C. § 1681b, 56 O.S. § 240.7, and OAC 340:25-5, Part 31;

(12) financial institution data match, per 42 U.S.C. §§ 666 and 669A, 56 O.S. §§ 240.22 through 240.22G, and OAC 340:25-5-212;

(13) seek work orders, per 56 O.S. § 240.10;

(14) indirect civil contempt of court, per 21 O.S. §§ 566 and 567, 43 O.S. § 137, and 56 O.S. § 234. CSS does not use contempt as a penal sanction and does not recommend incarceration to the district court at sentencing in an indirect civil contempt proceeding unless there is evidence or information available that the can purge the contempt. CSS asks the court to set a reasonable purge fee, per Rule 8.3 of the Rules of the District Court;

(15) when a debtor transfers income or property to avoid child support payments, action to void the transfer or obtain favorable settlement per the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act, 24 O.S. §§ 112 through 123 and 42 U.S.C. § 666;

(16) criminal actions brought per 21 O.S. § 852;

(17) civil actions brought per 42 U.S.C. § 660;

(18) transfer of child support obligation to another custodian, per 56 O.S. § 237;

(19) referral to the United States Attorney for federal prosecution, per 18 U.S.C. § 228;

(20) full collection services by the Secretary of the Treasury, per 6305 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954; and

(21) attachment of lottery prize winnings from the Oklahoma Lottery Commission, per 3A O.S. § 724.1.

(e)Servicemember. When CSS initiates proceedings to enforce a child support order for a child of an NCP or a custodial person who is a servicemember, CSS applies the provisions of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, per 50 U.S.C. §§ 3901 through 4043.

(f)Incarcerated NCP. When an NCP is incarcerated for 180-consecutive days, CSS follows 43 O.S. §118I and OAC 340:25-5-140 regarding abatement of child support orders.

(g)Spousal Support. CSS enforces a spousal support obligation for a spouse or former spouse per 42 U.S.C. § 654 and 45 C.F.R. § 302.31 when CSS is enforcing that spouse's or former spouse's current child support obligation.

Okla. Admin. Code § 340:25-5-200

Added at 9 Ok Reg 3275, eff 6-26-92 (emergency); Added at 10 Ok Reg 1813, eff 5-13-93; Amended at 17 Ok Reg 2426, eff 7-1-00; Amended at 18 Ok Reg 1226, eff 7-1-01; Amended at 19 Ok Reg 1746, eff 7-1-02; Amended at 23 Ok Reg 627, eff 1-11-06 (emergency); Amended at 23 Ok Reg 1842, eff 7-1-06; Amended at 24 Ok Reg 1301, eff 7-1-07; Amended at 25 Ok Reg 1307, eff 7-1-08; Amended at 29 Ok Reg 765, eff 7-1-12

Amended by Oklahoma Register, Volume 33, Issue 24, September 1, 2016, eff. 9/15/2016

Amended by Oklahoma Register, Volume 34, Issue 24, September 1, 2017, eff. 9/15/2017

Amended by Oklahoma Register, Volume 35, Issue 24, September 4, 2018, eff. 9/17/2018

Amended by Oklahoma Register, Volume 36, Issue 24, September 3, 2019, eff. 9/16/2019

Amended by Oklahoma Register, Volume 38, Issue 24, September 1, 2021, eff. 9/15/2021

Amended by Oklahoma Register, Volume 39, Issue 06, December 1, 2021, eff. 11/1/2021

Amended by Oklahoma Register, Volume 39, Issue 24, September 1, 2022, eff. 9/15/2022

Amended by Oklahoma Register, Volume 40, Issue 22, August 1, 2023, eff. 9/15/2023