American Samoa § 42.0404 - Definitions.

§ 42.0404. Definitions.

In this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires: (a) “Certification” means to be in accordance with the laws of the certifying state. (b) “Court” means the district court of American Samoa, and when the context requires, means the court of any state as defined in a substantially similar reciprocal law. (c) “Duty of support” includes any duty or support imposed or imposable by law or by any court order, decree or judgment, whether interlocutory or final whether incidental to a proceeding for divorce, judicial or legal separation, separate maintenance or otherwise. (d) “Governor” includes any person performing the functions of Governor or the executive authority of any state covered by the provisions of a reciprocal law substantially similar to this chapter. (e) “Initiating state” means any state in which a proceeding pursuant to this or a substantially similar reciprocal law is commenced. (f) “Law” includes both common and statute law. (g) “Obligee” means any person to whom a duty of support is owed, and may also mean a state, or political subdivision thereof, which has furnished support to an obligee and thus has a remedy under 42.0407. (h) “Obligor” means any person owing a duty of support. (i) “Register” means to record or file in the registry of foreign support orders. (j) “Registering court” means the High Court of American Samoa, in which the support order of the rendering state is registered. (k) “Rendering state” means any state in which a support order is originally entered. (1) “Responding state” means any state in which any proceeding pursuant to the proceeding in the initiating state is or may be commenced. (m) “State’ includes any state, territory or possession of the United States, and the District of Columbia, in which this or a substantially similar reciprocal law has been enacted. (n) “Support order” means any judgment, decree or order of support, whether temporary or final, whether subject to modification, revocation or remission, regardless of the kind of action in which it is entered. Amendments: 1979 Subsection (1,); substituted reference to district court or High Court.