APA’s Government Relations Task Force (GRTF) Subcommittee on Child Support and Other Garnishments participated in Georgia’s first employer symposium in June providing information on recent initiatives. These included the management of lump-sum payments for child support, working closely with the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) on its employer portal, and sharing information with state enforcement agencies to resolve conflicts of law.
APA shared two current issues in which members, OCSE, and state child support enforcement agencies are discussing possible solutions:
Verification of employment (VOE)
Employers are required to respond to VOEs in a timely manner, and many have outsourced these reports to third parties. At least one third party is charging states in addition to employers to electronically transfer information, although the vendor is not charging states for paper copies. Some states find this process unfair.
The gig economy
Recent trends show that by 2020, as many as 40% of U.S. workers will be independent contractors. The national, now international, child support program focuses only on employees. Because of the variety of gig worker arrangements, a standardized and streamlined process for managing child support withholding is complicated.
Next steps for Georgia
Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) Commissioner Robyn Crittenden spoke on the importance of the state’s child support program and the critical relationship with employers for program success. She announced the DHS plans to host another symposium in Atlanta in October.
For the full article, including information about Georgia’s new Gwinnett Employer Hub and how it supports employers, see August 2018 Inside Washington.
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