GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1989

S	1 

SENATE BILL 159

Short Title:  Child Support Service Pilot.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Senators Marvin; Allran, Guy, Harris, Hunt of Moore, Johnson of Cabarrus, Martin of Guilford, Richardson, Sands, Staton, Swain, Tally, and Ward.
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Referred to:  Children and Youth.
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February 14, 1989

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO ESTABLISH AND EVALUATE PILOT PROJECTS TO IMPROVE TITLE IV-D CHILD SUPPORT SERVICE OF PROCESS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  (a) There is appropriated from the General  Fund to the Division of Social Services, Department of Human Resources  the sum of three hundred ninety-eight thousand four hundred thirty-seven dollars ($398,437) for the 1989-90 fiscal year to establish and evaluate a minimum of eight pilot projects in a minimum of eight counties designed to improve service of process in Title IV-D child support cases by enabling the local child support offices and the county sheriff departments better to effect adequate child support service of process.  These pilot projects shall terminate June 30, 1991, unless continued or extended by the General Assembly.  Of these funds, three hundred sixty-four thousand four hundred thirty-seven dollars ($364,437)   shall be used to establish and implement the projects and thirty-four thousand dollars ($34,000) shall be used to provide the evaluation of the projects.  A maximum of five percent (5%) of the establishment and implementation funds may be used by the Division of Social Services as administrative costs.
(b) It is the intent of the General Assembly that the pilot projects selected be geographically representative, that they be in areas of need for improvement of service of process, and that they be in areas in which the local child support offices and the county sheriff's departments are willing and able to cooperate as the project requires.
(c) The Division of Social Services, Department of Human Resources, shall notify all 85 local child support offices that the minimum of eight projects are to be established and shall send to all counties an application form that those counties requesting a project shall submit.  The Division shall design the form in consultation with the Administrative Office of the Courts and the North Carolina Sheriff's Association, to ensure that the applying counties will be able to provide the data necessary to permit proper evaluation of the projects and to provide the necessary cooperation with the particular county sheriff's departments.  The application forms shall include a general description of the data that the counties will need to keep, which data shall include the Title IV-D child support case load at the beginning of the project, throughout the project, and at the end of the project, the percentages of successful service of process, and the resources the particular child support offices and sheriff's departments have available.  The form shall also require that applying counties submit the signature of the county sheriff and the county clerk of court, to indicate that the sheriff's office is willing to participate in cooperation with the local child support office.
(d) By November 1, 1989, the Division of Social Services, in consultation with the Administrative Office of the Courts and the North Carolina Sheriff's Association, shall have selected the counties to participate in the projects and shall have so notified these counties.
(e) By January 1, 1990, the Division of Social Services shall have committed all the funds appropriated to establish and administer the projects to the participating counties.  The participating counties shall contract with the county sheriff's offices to enable the sheriff to provide Title IV-D child support service of process.  The allocation contract shall have attached the evaluation form that participating counties will be required to submit pursuant to subsection (g) of this act.  This form shall be developed by the division, in consultation with the Administrative Office of the Courts and the North Carolina Sheriff's Association.
(f) By October 1, 1990, the Division of Social Services, in consultation with the Administrative Office of the Courts and the North Carolina Sheriff's Association, shall make a tracking report to the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations and to the Fiscal Research Division of the Legislative Services Office.
(g) By December 31, 1990, the participating counties shall have submitted the evaluation forms that were attached to their allocation contracts to the Division of Social Services.
(h) By April 15, 1991, the Department of Human Resources, in consultation with the Administrative Office of the Courts and the North Carolina Sheriff's Association, shall make a final report in writing to the appropriate Appropriations subcommittees of the House and Senate.  This report shall include an evaluation of the projects and any legislative recommendations, including whether the pilot projects should be continued into the next fiscal biennium, should be expanded to non-Title IV-D cases, or should be implemented statewide.
Sec. 2.  This act shall become effective July 1, 1989.