The APA Government Relations Task Force Child Support Subcommittee contacted the California Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) in May with recommendations to enhance DCSS’s current practices on lump-sum reporting and processing for child support.
California’s child support law includes some basic language on bonuses and commissions but does not specifically identify lump-sum payments in the definition of income. DCSS’s website describes voluntary lump-sum reporting by employers for child support arrears as a special circumstance. However, mandatory requirements have not been issued.
APA’s Recommendations
The APA said that if DCSS finds that California law does not create the jurisdiction to develop a lump-sum payment program, then the practices listed on the DCSS’s website should be removed. The APA offered to assist in the development of legislation or regulations to ensure that DCSS has a viable lump-sum payment program.
Because California has not established a timeframe for employers to receive a response following notification of a lump-sum payment, the APA also recommended that DCSS establish a set standard response time from the date that it is notified by employers of a lump-sum payment.
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Mike Linehan is the Assistant Manager of Government Relations for the APA.
