Child support payments.

Existing law obligates a parent to support their child. Existing law authorizes a local child support agency, when an order of child support is assigned to the county or the local child support agency is providing child support enforcement services, to issue a notice directing the child support payments to be made to the local child support agency, another county office, or the State Disbursement Unit. Existing law requires the local child support agency to serve this notice on the support obligor and obligee and to file the notice in the action in which the child support order was issued. This bill would require a local child support agency to issue the notice. Existing law also authorizes the Department of Child Support Services or the local child support agency, upon request from the support enforcement agency of another state where a custodial party has either assigned the right to receive support or has requested support enforcement services, to issue a notice to change a payee on an issued support order. Existing law requires the notice of the administrative change of payee to be filed with the court in which the order was issued or last registered. This bill would require the department or the local child support agency to issue a notice to change a payee on an issued support order. By increasing the duties of local child support agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.