Alabama § 30-3-197 - Authorized Actions; Safeguards.

§ 30-3-197. Authorized Actions; Safeguards.

(a) Provided that no actions are pending before any circuit and district court of this state, the state Title IV-D agency may take the following actions related to establishment of paternity or to the establishment, modification, or enforcement of support orders, without the necessity of obtaining an order from any other judicial or administrative tribunal, or in furtherance of any existing order, and to recognize and enforce the authority of the state Title IV-D agencies of other states of the following actions:

(1) To order genetic testing for the purpose of paternity establishment.

(2) To subpoena any financial or other information needed to establish, modify, or enforce a support order, and to impose penalties for failure to respond to a subpoena.

(3) To require all entities in the state, including for profit, nonprofit, and governmental employers, to provide promptly, in response to a request by the state Title IV-D agency of this or any other state administering the Title IV-D child support program, information on the employment, compensation, and benefits of any individual employed by the entity as an employee or contractor, and to sanction failure to respond to any such request.

(4) Upon providing notice to the obligor, obligee, and the appropriate court, to direct the obligor or other payor to change the payee to the appropriate governmental agency in cases in which support is subject to an assignment in order to comply with eligibility requirements for state assistance, or to a requirement to pay through the state Title IV-D agency.

(5) To order that income withholding be implemented.

(6) In cases in which there is a support arrearage, to secure assets to satisfy the arrearage by intercepting or seizing periodic or lump-sum payments from a state or local agency, including unemployment compensation, worker’s compensation, and other benefits; by attaching judgments, settlements, and lottery winnings and other lump-sum payments; attaching and seizing assets of the obligor held in financial institutions; attaching public and private retirement funds; and imposing liens in accordance with Section 30-3-198 and, in appropriate cases, to force sale of property and distribution of proceeds.

(7) For the purpose of securing overdue support, unless otherwise ordered by a court in individual cases, to increase the amount of monthly support payments to include amounts for arrearages.

(b) The expedited procedures required under this section shall be subject to due process safeguards, including requirements for notice, opportunity to contest the action, and opportunity for an appeal on the record to a judicial tribunal and shall include the following rules and authority, applicable with respect to all proceedings to establish paternity or to establish, modify, or enforce support orders:

(1) Each party to any paternity or child support proceeding shall, subject to privacy safeguards, file with the state Title IV-D agency upon entry of an order, and update as appropriate, information on location and identity of the party, including Social Security number, residential and mailing addresses, telephone number, driver’s license number, name, address, and telephone number of employer.

(2) In any subsequent child support enforcement action between the parties, upon sufficient showing that diligent effort has been made to ascertain the location of a party, state due process requirements for notice and service of process shall be deemed to be met with respect to the party, upon delivery of written notice to the most recent residential or employer address filed with the state Title IV-D agency pursuant to subdivision (1).