MCA Chapter 19

in effect

Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-1 Repealed.

Repealed by Laws, 1981, ch. 350, § 1, eff from and after July 1, 1981. [Laws, 1960, ch. 560, §§ 1-5]

Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-31 Child support unit authorized; purposes.

The Department of Human Services is hereby authorized and empowered to establish a single and separate Child Support Unit for the following purposes: To develop and implement a nonsupport and paternity program and institute proceedings in the name of the Department of Human Services or in the name of the recipient in any court of competent jurisdiction in any county where the mother of the child resides or is found, in the county where the father resides or is found, or in the county where the child resides or is found; To secure and collect support by any method authorized under state law and establish paternity for any child or children receiving aid from the department any form of public assistance, including, but not limited to, medical assistance, foster care, food stamps, TANF, or any other program under the federal Social Security Act, from a parent or any other person legally liable for such support who has either failed or refused to provide support, deserted, neglected or abandoned the child or children, including cooperating with other states in establishing paternity, locating absent parents and securing compliance with court orders for support of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) children; the department may petition the court for the inclusion of health insurance as part of any child support order on behalf of any child receiving aid from the department unless good cause for noncooperation, as defined by the Social Security Act or the Mississippi Department of Human Services, is established. Unless notified to the contrary, whenever a child or children for whom child support services have been provided ceases to receive public assistance, the department will continue to provide services and establish paternity, secure and collect such support payments from a parent or any other person legally liable for such support in accordance with the standards prescribed pursuant to the federal Social Security Act; To accept applications for child support enforcement services to establish paternity, secure and collect support from any proper party or person as defined by Title IV-D of the federal Social Security Act notwithstanding the fact that the child or children do not currently receive or have never received public assistance. The department shall have the authority to secure and collect support by any method authorized under state law and establish paternity for any child or children on behalf of a recipient of child support services, including individuals who do not currently receive or have never received public assistance from a parent or any other person legally liable for such support who has either failed or refused to provide support, deserted, neglected or abandoned the child or children, including cooperating with other states in establishing paternity, locating absent parents and securing compliance with court orders for support; the department may petition the court for the inclusion of health insurance as part of any child support order on behalf of such recipients of child support services. The proceeds of any collections resulting from such application shall be distributed in accordance with the standards prescribed in the federal Social Security Act; The department shall seek to recover from the individual who owes a support obligation to any individual who is a recipient of Title IV-D services as set forth in paragraph (b) or (c) on whose behalf the department is providing services, upon judicial proceedings conducted thereon after advance notice to such obligor, reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs, in excess of any administrative fees collected and in excess of amounts of current support owed by the obligor, which the department incurs in recovering and collecting the support obligation, such costs and fees as the department recovers to be deposited in the Special Fund of the Mississippi Department of Human Services which is hereby established for the pursuit and collection of child support; To initiate contempt of court proceedings or any other remedial proceedings necessary to enforce (i) any order or decree of court relating to child support, and (ii) any order or decree of court relating to the maintenance and/or alimony of a parent where support collection services on his or her child’s behalf are being provided by the department; To secure and collect by any method authorized under state law any maintenance and/or alimony on behalf of a parent whose child or children’s support is being collected by the department. The department shall collect only such maintenance and/or alimony as is ordered or decreed by the court, and only in the event that the minor child and parent to whom such maintenance and/or alimony has been ordered are living in the same household; To obtain restitution of monies expended for public assistance from a parent or any other person legally liable for the support of any child or children receiving aid from the department; said action for restitution shall arise from the payment of public assistance for the dependent child or children and shall be for the amount of the public assistance paid. Said action for restitution shall not arise against the parent or other person legally responsible who receives public assistance for the benefit of any dependent child or children. When a court order of support has been issued, the amount recoverable shall be limited to the amount of the court order; Setting off against a debtor’s income tax refund or rebate any debt which is in the form of a liquidated sum due and owing for the care, support or maintenance of a child; To have full responsibility in the aforementioned cases for initiating actions under the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act and for responding to the actions of other jurisdictions under said law when Mississippi is the responding state; however, this shall not impair private litigants’ rights to proceed under any applicable interstate enforcement mechanisms; To enter into contracts for the purpose of performing any test which the department may, from time to time, require; To maintain a Central Receipting and Disbursement Unit to which all payments required by withholding orders and orders for support in all actions to which the Department of Human Services is a party shall be forwarded, and from which child support payments ordered by the court in actions to which the Department of Human Services is a party shall be disbursed to the custodial parent or other such party as may be designated by the court order. The Central Receipting and Disbursement Unit shall be operated by the Department of Human Services or any financial institution having operations and qualified to do business in Mississippi, whose deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The department shall conduct cost-benefit analyses to determine and utilize the more cost efficient manner of operating the unit; To maintain a Mississippi Department of Human Services Case Registry containing records with respect to: Each case in which services are being provided by the department under this section; and Each support order established or modified in Mississippi on or after October 1, 1998; and The Administrative Office of Courts, as established by Section 9-21-1, Mississippi Code of 1972, in consultation with the Mississippi Department of Human Services, shall devise, promulgate and require the use of a Uniform Child Support Order Tracking System. 1. Information collected from case filing forms shall be furnished to the Mississippi Department of Human Services, Division of Child Support Enforcement, in order that compliance with court-ordered obligations of support may be tracked with specificity throughout the duration of said obligations and any subsequent proceedings. 2. Such tracking system shall include: 1. the names, residential and mailing addresses, telephone numbers, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers and dates of birth of each child and parent named in or subject to the court order; 2. the court cause number of the action; 3. name, address and telephone number of employer; 4. any restraining or protective order indicating domestic violence; and 5. any other information which may be used for the purpose of identifying any person named in or subject to the order or for the purposes of establishing, enforcing or modifying a child support order; To take administrative actions relating to genetic testing, determine paternity, establish child support orders, modification of child support orders, income withholding, liens and subpoenas without the necessity of obtaining an order from any judicial or other administrative tribunal with respect to cases initiated or enforced by the department pursuant to Title IV-D of the Social Security Act; To have the authority to use high-volume automated administrative enforcement in interstate cases to the same extent as used for intrastate cases, in response to a request made by another state to enforce support orders; and To provide any child support enforcement or other service as may be required by the United States of America, Department of Health and Human Services, Family Support Administration, Office of Child Support Enforcement or their successor pursuant to federal law or regulation.

Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-33 Force and effect of written stipulated agreement to support and written admission of paternity containing agreement of support.

In lieu of legal proceedings instituted to obtain support for a dependent child from the responsible parent, a written stipulated agreement to support said child by periodic payments executed by the responsible parent when acknowledged before a clerk of the court having jurisdiction over such matters or a notary public and filed with and approved by the judge of said court shall have the same force and effect, retroactively and prospectively, in accordance with the terms of said agreement as an order of support entered by the court, and shall be enforceable and subject to modification in the same manner as is provided by law for orders of the court in such cases. In lieu of legal proceedings instituted to establish paternity, a written admission of paternity containing a stipulated agreement of support executed by the putative father of the dependent child, when accompanied by a written affirmation of paternity executed and sworn to by the mother of the dependent child, when acknowledged by the putative father before a clerk of the court having jurisdiction over such matters or a notary public and filed with and approved by the judge of said court, shall have the same force and effect, retroactively and prospectively, in accordance with the terms of said agreement, as an order of filiation and support entered by the court, and shall be enforceable and subject to modification in the same manner as is provided by law for orders of the court in such cases. At any time after filing with the court having continuing jurisdiction of such matters of an acknowledgment of paternity in which a provision of support has not been entered, upon notice the defendant shall be required to appear in court at any time and place named therein, to show cause, if any he can, why the court should not enter an order for the support of the child by periodic payments. The order may include provisions for reimbursement for medical expenses incident to the pregnancy and the birth of the child, accrued maintenance and reasonable expenses of the action under this subsection on the acknowledgment of paternity previously filed with said court. Notice by the department to the defendant shall be given by certified mail, restricted delivery, return receipt requested at his last known mailing address and without the requirement of a summons being issued, and shall be deemed complete as of the date of delivery as evidenced by the return receipt. The required notice may also be delivered by personal service in accordance with Rule 4 of the Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure insofar as service of an administrative order or notice is concerned. Provided, that in the case of a child who, upon reaching the age of twenty-one (21) years, is mentally or physically incapable of self-support, the putative father shall not be relieved of the duty of support unless said child is a long-term patient in a facility owned or operated by the State of Mississippi. The prior judgment as to paternity shall be res judicata as to that issue and shall not be reconsidered by the court. Such agreements of support, acknowledgments and affirmations of paternity and support shall be sworn to and shall be binding on the person executing the same whether he be an adult or a minor and may include provisions for the reimbursement of medical expenses incident to the pregnancy and birth of the child, accrued maintenance and reasonable expenses of any action previously filed before the court. In lieu of legal proceedings instituted to enforce an order for support, a written stipulated agreement for the provision of periodic payments towards an arrearage executed by the defendant when acknowledged before a clerk of the court having jurisdiction over such matters or a notary public and filed with and approved by the judge of said court shall have the same force and effect, retroactively and prospectively, in accordance with the terms of said agreement as a judgment for overdue support entered by the court, and shall be enforceable and subject to modification in the same manner as is provided by law for orders of the court in such cases. All agreements entered into under the provisions as set forth hereinabove shall be filed by the clerk of the court having jurisdiction over such matters in the county in which they are entered and filing fees shall be taxed to the responsible parent.

Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-34 Stipulated agreement for modification of support order; Child Support Unit authorized to send motion and notice of intent to modify; reviews for possible modification to be conducted on 3-year cycle; only upward adjustments to be ordered retroactively; noncustodial parent’s arrearage not to bar review or downward modification.

In lieu of legal proceedings instituted to obtain a modification for an order for support, a written stipulated agreement for modification executed by the responsible parent when acknowledged before a clerk of the court having jurisdiction over those matters or a notary public and filed with and approved by the judge of that court shall have the same force and effect, retroactively and prospectively, in accordance with the terms of the agreement as an order for modification of support entered by the court, and shall be enforceable and subject to later modification in the same manner as is provided by law for orders of the court in those cases. With respect to a child support order in cases initiated or enforced by the Department of Human Services under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act, in which the department has determined that a modification is appropriate, the department shall send a motion and notice of intent to modify the order, together with the proposed modification of the order under this section to the last known mailing address of the defendant. The notice shall specify the date and time certain of the hearing and shall be sent by certified mail, restricted delivery, return receipt requested; notice shall be deemed complete as of the date of delivery as evidenced by the return receipt. The required notice may also be delivered by personal service in accordance with Rule 4 of the Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure insofar as it may be applied to service of an administrative order or notice. The defendant may accept the proposed modification by signing and returning it to the department before the date of hearing for presentation to the court for approval. If the defendant does not sign and return the proposed modification, the court shall on the date and time previously set for hearing review the proposal and make a determination as to whether it should be approved, in whole or in part. Every three (3) years, the Department of Human Services shall notify both parents of their right to request a review, and upon the request of either parent, or if there is an assignment under Section 43-19-35, the department, after a review and determination of appropriateness, or either parent may seek an adjustment to a support order being enforced under Section 43-19-31 in accordance with the guidelines established under Section 43-19-101, if the amount of the child support award under the order differs from the amount that would be awarded in accordance with the guidelines, taking into account the best interests of the child involved. If a recipient of Title IV-D services receives TANF, the Department of Human Services shall conduct a review every three (3) years and, after a determination of appropriateness, shall seek an adjustment to a support order according to the guidelines under Section 43-19-101. No proof of a material change in circumstances is necessary in the three-year review for adjustment under this subsection (3). A preexisting arrearage in support payments shall not serve as a bar to the department’s review and adjustment procedure. Proof of a material change in circumstances is necessary for modification outside the three-year cycle. Any order for the support of minor children, whether entered through the judicial system or through an expedited process, shall not be subject to a downward retroactive modification. An upward retroactive modification may be ordered back to the date of the event justifying the upward modification. If a downward modification is determined to be warranted under the guidelines contained in subsection (3), the noncustodial parent’s arrearage, if any, shall not be a basis for contesting the downward modification in any later legal proceedings.

Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-35 Acceptance of public assistance for child as assignment to department of recipient’s rights against nonsupporting parent; status of attorney initiating proceedings.

By currently or previously accepting public assistance or making application for child support services for and on behalf of a child or children, the recipient shall be deemed to have made an assignment to the State Department of Human Services of any and all rights and interests in any cause of action, past, present or future, that said recipient or the children may have against any parent failing to provide for the support and maintenance of said minor child or children; said department shall be subrogated to any and all rights, title and interest the recipient or the children may have against any and all property belonging to the absent or nonsupporting parent in the enforcement of any claim for child or spousal support, whether liquidated through court order or not. The recipient of Title IV-D services shall also be deemed, without the necessity of signing any document, to have appointed the State Department of Human Services to act in his or her, as well as the children’s, name, place, and stead to perform the specific act of instituting suit to establish paternity or secure support, collecting any and all amounts due and owing for child or spousal support or any other service as required or permitted under Title IV-D of the federal Social Security Act, and endorsing any and all drafts, checks, money orders or other negotiable instruments representing child or spousal support payments which are received on behalf of the recipient or the children, and retaining any portion thereof permitted under federal and state statutes as reimbursement for public assistance monies previously paid to the recipient or children. Court orders of support for any child or children receiving services through Title IV-D of the federal Social Security Act shall be amended, by operation of law, and without the necessity of a motion by the Child Support Unit and a hearing thereon to provide that the payment of support shall be directed by the absent parent to the Mississippi Department of Human Services Central Receipting and Disbursement Unit as provided in Section 43-19-37 and not to the recipient. The absent parent shall be notified of such amendment prior to it taking effect. Any attorney authorized by the state to initiate any action pursuant to Title IV-D of the federal Social Security Act, including, but not limited to, any action initiated pursuant to Sections 43-19-31 et seq. and 93-25-1 et seq. shall be deemed to represent the interest of the State Department of Human Services exclusively; no attorney-client relationship shall exist between said attorney and any recipient of services pursuant to Title IV-D of the federal Social Security Act for and on behalf of a child or children, regardless of the name in which the legal proceedings are initiated. Said attorney representing the state in a Title IV-D case is only authorized to appear and prosecute and/or defend issues of support and cannot in a Title IV-D case address or provide representation to the Title IV-D recipient on any other ancillary issues raised or presented in that action. Said assignment to the State Department of Human Services shall be free of any legal or equitable defense to the payment of child support that may accrue to any person legally liable for the support of any child or children receiving aid from the State Department of Human Services, as a result of the conduct of the person who is accepting public assistance for and on behalf of said child or children.

Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-37 Court orders of support to direct payment of support, attorney’s fees and court costs to child support unit and not recipient.

Court orders of support in all cases brought under the provisions of Sections 43-19-31 through 43-19-53 shall specify that the payment of court costs shall be directed by the absent parent to the Mississippi Department of Human Services Central Receipting and Disbursement Unit for further disbursement in the manner as prescribed by Title IV-D of the federal Social Security Act. The court shall assess attorney’s fees to recover the costs associated with preparing and prosecuting the case, which shall be paid directly to the Mississippi Department of Human Services solely for the support of the legal division of the Child Support Unit, in a manner separate and distinct from the payment of child support. The court may allow the defendant to pay the attorney’s fee over a period not to exceed four (4) months. The state portion of attorney’s fees paid into the department shall be used to match federal funds for the support of the legal division of the Child Support Unit, in conjunction with the Office of Attorney General. Any payments made by the absent parent directly to the recipient or applicant in violation of the court order shall not be deemed to be a support payment or an attorney’s fee and shall not be credited to the court-ordered obligation of said absent parent or to the court-ordered obligation for the payment of the attorney’s fee. Failure of the absent parent to comply with an order of support or for payment of an attorney’s fee for a period of thirty (30) days shall be directed to the court having jurisdiction of the matter for contempt proceedings or execution issued in the manner and form prescribed by statute. Should civil proceedings become ineffective in producing support or attorney’s fees in any case involving a legitimate child or a child wherein paternity has been established by law or acknowledged in writing, the case shall promptly be referred to the district attorney for prosecution as a violation of Section 97-5-3. Each application, petition, order or filing made under this section shall include the social security number(s) of the applicant or father, mother and child(ren), as applicable, in accordance with Section 93-11-64, Mississippi Code of 1972.

Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-39 Distribution of child support payments; suits by child support unit; citation of noncooperating recipient parent; withholding payments for reimbursement of erroneous past payments.

All child support payments collected by the child support unit pursuant to Section 43-19-35 shall be distributed in the manner as prescribed by the federal Social Security Act and any amendments adopted thereto. Nothing contained herein shall preclude the child support unit in processing a paternity or support action for and on behalf of a child or children receiving aid to dependent children grants wherein the applicant or recipient has refused cooperation. If a parent of any child receiving public assistance fails or refuses to cooperate with the local county department or child support unit in locating and securing support from the nonsupporting responsible parent, this parent may be cited to appear before the judge of any court having jurisdiction over such matter and compelled to disclose such information under oath. Any parent who, having been cited to appear before a judge of the court having jurisdiction over such matter, fails or refuses to appear or fails or refuses to provide the information requested may be found to be in contempt of said court and may be fined not more than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) or imprisoned not more than six (6) months or both. In a manner which is consistent with the federal Social Security Act, any amendments thereto and its implementing regulations, the child support unit is hereby authorized to withhold from distribution any payment or portion thereof which it may receive on behalf of a child or children for whom it is providing services if reimbursement is needed for any payments which may have been mistakenly or erroneously advanced on behalf of that child or children. The child support unit shall adopt policies that minimize any hardship that is caused by withholding from distribution any current support payments to reimburse past mistaken or erroneous advancements.

Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-41 Effect of applicant’s or recipient’s refusal to assist in finding absent parent or in securing support or establishing paternity.

Any applicant or recipient who refuses to provide reasonable assistance to the local county department or to the child support unit established by the state department of public welfare in identifying and locating the absent parent of a dependent child or otherwise refuses to cooperate with the department in securing support or in establishing paternity shall be ineligible for aid to dependent children, shall not be considered a needy relative and shall not be entitled to receive or use any part of the aid in grant nor shall be eligible for medical assistance under the Mississippi Medical Assistance Act; provided, however, that aid for the support of the child of such applicant or recipient shall not be denied or terminated as a result of such refusal to provide assistance or cooperation, but that the department may provide aid to said child in the form of protective vendor payments.

Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-43 Husband-wife privilege; self-incriminating testimony.

The mother or father are competent to testify at the trial against the other as provided in Section 13-1-5 subject to the provisions of the Mississippi Rules of Evidence governing the husband-wife privilege. If a parent called for examination declines to answer upon the grounds that his testimony may incriminate him, the court may require him to answer, in which event he shall not thereafter be prosecuted for any criminal acts involved in the conception of the child whose paternity is in issue and/or for whom support is sought, except for perjury committed in his testimony.

Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-44 Safeguarding of personal data where evidence of risk of harm; definitions; petition for release of information.

For purposes of this section, an “authorized person” shall mean: Any agent or attorney of any state having in effect a plan approved under federal law, who has the duty or authority under such plan to seek to recover any amounts owed as child and spousal support (including, when authorized under the state plan, any official of a political subdivision); The court which has authority to issue an order or to serve as the initiating court in an action to seek an order against a noncustodial parent of the support and maintenance of a child, or any agent of such court; The resident parent, legal guardian, attorney or agent of a child (other than a child receiving federal assistance as determined by federal regulation) without regard to the existence of a court order against a noncustodial parent who has a duty to support and maintain any such child; A state agency that is administering a program operated under a state plan approved under federal law; Any agent or attorney of any state having an agreement under this section, who has the duty or authority under the law of such state to enforce a child custody or visitation determination; Any court having jurisdiction to make or enforce such a child custody or visitation determination, or any agent of such court; and Any agent or attorney of the United States, or of a state having an agreement under this section, who has the duty or authority to investigate, enforce or bring a prosecution with respect to the unlawful taking or restraint of a child. The department shall safeguard personal data if the department is provided with reasonable evidence of a risk of harm. A state agency, court, department of another state, obligor, obligee and such other persons or entities as the department may specify may provide the department with reasonable evidence of a risk of harm in such manner as the department may require. The department shall not be required to safeguard personal data in intrastate cases for longer than one (1) year unless the department is provided with reasonable evidence of a continued risk of harm in such manner as the department may require. The department shall notify individuals whose personal data is safeguarded under this section that in order for the safeguards to remain in effect, such individuals must provide the department annually with reasonable evidence of a continued risk of harm. For the purposes of this section “reasonable evidence of a risk of harm” shall mean reasonable evidence that the release of information may result in physical harm to the parent or child, that the release of information may result in emotional harm to the parent or child which would significantly reduce the parent’s capacity to care for the child, or would significantly reduce the parent or child’s ability to function adequately, or that a protective order or restraining order has been issued on behalf of the parent or child. If the department is provided with reasonable evidence of a risk of harm, the department, its employees and its contractors shall not disclose any personal data that could otherwise be disclosed about the location of a parent or child, including residential address, telephone number and name, address and telephone number of employer, and shall not disclose the Social Security number of a parent or child; provided, however, that such personal data may be shared by and between employees of the department and its contractors; provided further, that the department may disclose such personal data to the Federal Parent Locator Service, to the court, or agent of a court that is authorized to receive information from the Federal Parent Locator Service established pursuant to Title IV-D of the Social Security Act. Provided further, that the department may disclose the Social Security number of a child receiving IV-D services for the purposes directly connected to obtaining health care coverage for such child to an employer or provider of health care coverage. If the department is provided with reasonable evidence of a risk of harm pursuant to this section, the department shall notify the Federal Parent Locator Service established pursuant to Title IV-D of the Social Security Act that a risk of harm exists. Upon order of the court in an intrastate matter the department shall release personal data, which may include location information and Social Security numbers, to such court or agent, as required by said Title IV-D of the Social Security Act; provided, however, that if the department has been provided with reasonable evidence of a risk of harm, the department shall notify the court or agent that the department has received such information; before making any disclosure of such personal data, the court is required to determine whether such disclosure to any other person could be harmful to the parent or child. A person or agency seeking disclosure of personal data which the department is prohibited from disclosing because of a risk of harm, but which could otherwise be disclosed, may file a petition with the chancery court to request disclosure of such personal data. Upon an order by the court in interstate cases to override nondisclosure procedures in cases dealing with domestic violence, the court shall order the department to release this information within thirty (30) days of the order. Whereupon, the department shall transmit said court order to the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE), Federal Parent Locator Service (FPLS), whereby OCSE will notify the department of its decision to remove the nondisclosure code. Upon notification from OCSE, the department shall release said information unto the court. Any unauthorized disclosure or unauthorized willful inspection made in a good faith effort to comply with this section shall not be considered a violation of this section. A person or agency, including the department, seeking personal data which the department is prohibited from disclosing because of a risk of harm, but which could otherwise be disclosed or which the Federal Parent Locator Service established pursuant to Title IV-D of the Social Security Act is prohibited from disclosing because the Secretary of the Federal Department of Health and Human Services has been notified that there is a reasonable evidence of domestic violence or child abuse, may file a petition with the court where the person resides to request disclosure of such personal data. The petition shall specify the purpose for which such personal data is required. When a petition is filed, or when the court receives notice from the department that the department has been notified of a risk of harm, the court shall determine whether disclosure of personal data could be harmful to the parent or child before releasing such data to any other person or agency. In making such determination, the court shall notify the parent that the court has received a request to release personal data and shall provide a specific date by which the parent must object to release of the information and provide the basis for objection. The parent may provide such information in writing and shall not be required to appear in person to contest the release of information. The court shall also notify the department of any petition filed pursuant to this section and the department shall release to the court any information which it has been provided regarding the risk of harm; however, the department shall not be made a party to the action. Further, the attorney for the Department of Human Services, in any proceeding herein, shall not be deemed to be appearing in a representative capacity for any party. The court may also request information directly from the Federal Parent Locator Service from the department of another state, and from any other source. In determining whether disclosure of personal data could be harmful to the parent or child, the court shall consider any relevant information provided by the parent or child, any information provided by the department or by the department of another state, and any evidence provided by the person seeking the personal data. Documentary evidence transmitted to the court by facsimile, telecopier or other means that do not provide an original writing may not be excluded from evidence on an objection based on the means of transmission. The court may permit a party or witness to be deposed or to testify by telephone, audiovisual means, or other electronic means. The court may enter an order (1) impounding the personal data and prohibiting any disclosure by the court or its agents, (2) permitting disclosure by the court or its agents to a specific person or persons, or (3) removing any restrictions on disclosure by the court and its agents. An order permitting disclosure of personal data may specify the purposes for which the data may be used and may prohibit a person to whom the data is disclosed from making further disclosures to any other person. The court shall notify the department of any order entered pursuant to this section. Any person or agency who violates an order issued pursuant to this section may be held in contempt of court and subject to the penalties provided herein. The court may disclose location information about a parent for the limited purpose of notifying the parent of a proceeding under this section or of any other proceeding in court, provided that such information shall not be disclosed to another party unless the court issues an order pursuant to this section permitting such disclosure.

Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-45 State parent locator service; cooperation of state agencies and the like with Child Support Unit; confidentiality of records; authority to request employment verification, address and social security number of absent or nonsupporting parent or alleged parent; confidentiality of records; penalties [Repealed effective July 1, 2023].

The Child Support Unit shall establish a state parent locator service for the purpose of locating absent and nonsupporting parents and alleged parents, which will utilize all appropriate public and private locator sources. In order to carry out the responsibilities imposed under Sections 43-19-31 through 43-19-53, the Child Support Unit may secure, by administrative subpoena from the customer records of public utilities and cable television companies, the names and addresses of individuals and the names and addresses of employers of such individuals that would enable the location of parents or alleged parents who have a duty to provide support and maintenance for their children. The Child Support Unit may also administratively subpoena any and all financial information, including account numbers, names and social security numbers of record for assets, accounts, and account balances from any individual, financial institution, business or other entity, public or private, needed to establish, modify or enforce a support order. No entity complying with an administrative subpoena to supply the requested information of whatever nature shall be liable in any civil action or proceeding on account of such compliance. Full faith and credit shall be given to all uniform administrative subpoenas issued by other state child support units. The recipient of an administrative subpoena shall supply the Child Support Unit, other state and federal IV-D agencies, its attorneys, investigators, probation officers, county or district attorneys in this state, all information relative to the location, employment, employment-related benefits including, but not limited to, availability of medical insurance, income and property of such parents and alleged parents and with all information on hand relative to the location and prosecution of any person who has, by means of a false statement or misrepresentation or by impersonation or other fraudulent device, obtained Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to which he or she was not entitled, notwithstanding any provision of law making such information confidential. The Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services and any other agency in this state using the facilities of the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services are directed to permit the Child Support Unit access to their files, inclusive of those maintained for other state agencies, for the purpose of locating absent and nonsupporting parents and alleged parents, except to the extent that any such access would violate any valid federal statute or regulation issued pursuant thereto. The Child Support Unit, other state and federal IV-D agencies, its attorneys, investigators, probation officers, or county or district attorneys, shall use such information only for the purpose of investigating or enforcing the support liability of such absent parents or alleged parents or for the prosecution of other persons mentioned herein. Neither the Child Support Unit nor those authorities shall use the information, or disclose it, for any other purpose. All records maintained pursuant to the provisions of Sections 43-19-31 through 43-19-53 shall be confidential and shall be available only to the Child Support Unit, other state and federal IV-D agencies, the attorneys, investigators and other staff employed or under contract under Sections 43-19-31 through 43-19-53, district or county attorneys, probation departments, child support units in other states, and courts having jurisdiction in paternity, support or abandonment proceedings. The Child Support Unit may release to the public the name, photo, last-known address, arrearage amount and other necessary information of a parent who has a judgment against him for child support and is currently in arrears in the payment of this support. Such release may be included in a “Most Wanted List” or other media in order to solicit assistance. The Child Support Unit shall have the authority to secure information from the records of the Mississippi Department of Employment Security that may be necessary to locate absent and nonsupporting parents and alleged parents under the provisions of Sections 43-19-31 through 43-19-53. Upon request of the Child Support Unit, all departments, boards, bureaus and agencies of the state shall provide to the Child Support Unit verification of employment or payment and the address and social security number of any person designated as an absent or nonsupporting parent or alleged parent. In addition, upon request of the Child Support Unit, the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, or any private employer or payor of any income to a person designated as an absent or nonsupporting parent or alleged parent, shall provide to the Child Support Unit verification of employment or payment and the address and social security number of the person so designated. Full faith and credit shall be given to such notices issued by child support units in other states. All such records and information shall be confidential and shall not be used for any purposes other than those specified by Sections 43-19-31 through 43-19-53. The violation of the provisions of this subsection shall be unlawful and any person convicted of violating the provisions of this subsection shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall pay a fine of not more than Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00). Federal and state IV-D agencies shall have access to the state parent locator service and any system used by the Child Support Unit to locate an individual for purposes relating to motor vehicles or law enforcement. No employer or other source of income who complies with this section shall be liable in any civil action or proceeding brought by the obligor or obligee on account of such compliance.

Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-46 Report by employer to Directory of New Hires [Repealed effective July 1, 2023].

Each employer paying wages, salary or commission and doing business in Mississippi shall report to the Directory of New Hires within the Mississippi Department of Human Services: The hiring of any person who resides or works in this state to whom the employer anticipates paying wages, salary or commission; and The hiring or return to work of any employee who was laid off, furloughed, separated, granted leave without pay or was terminated from employment. Employers shall report, by mailing or by other means authorized by the Department of Human Services, a copy of the employee’s W-4 form or its equivalent that will result in timely reporting. Each employer shall submit reports within fifteen (15) days of the hiring, rehiring or return to work of the employee. The report shall contain: The employee’s name, address, social security number and the date of birth; The employer’s name, address, and federal and state withholding tax identification numbers; and The date upon which the employee began or resumed employment, or is scheduled to begin or otherwise resume employment. The department shall retain the information, which shall be forwarded to the federal registry of new hires. The Department of Human Services may operate the program, may enter into a mutual agreement with the Mississippi Department of Employment Security or the Department of Revenue, or both, for the operation of the Directory of New Hires Program, or the Department of Human Services may contract for that service, in which case the department shall maintain administrative control of the program. In cases in which an employer fails to report information, as required by this section, an administratively levied civil penalty in an amount not to exceed Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) shall apply if the failure is the result of a conspiracy between the employer and employee to not supply the required report or to supply a false or incomplete report. The penalty shall otherwise not exceed Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00). Appeal shall be as provided in Section 43-19-58.

Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-47 Employment by child support unit of staff attorneys.

The Child Support Unit of the State Department of Human Services, in cooperation with the Attorney General, may appoint at least one (1) full-time staff attorney in or for each chancery court district for the purpose of initiating proceedings under the provisions of Sections 43-19-31 through 43-19-53 in securing child support and establishing paternity. The annual salary of each of the attorneys appointed by the Child Support Unit, in cooperation with the Attorney General’s office under the provisions of Sections 43-19-31 through 43-19-53, shall be fixed at such sums as may be deemed proper in accordance with the salaries of other full-time employed state attorneys with the Attorney General’s Office. Such salaries, inclusive of all reimbursable travel and other expenses, inclusive of financial arrangements perfected with the appropriate courts, the law enforcement officials and the district attorneys, shall be paid monthly from the funds appropriated to the Child Support Unit of the State Department of Human Services and from the special fund for the Division of Child Support in which the interest from its accounts and all attorney’s fees and other fees is placed. The Mississippi Personnel Board shall survey the salaries of other Mississippi attorneys with the Attorney General’s Office each year and shall raise the start step of the staff and senior attorneys accordingly and the minimum shall never go below Forty Thousand Dollars ($40,000.00) for staff attorneys or Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) for senior attorneys. To assist in the implementation of the provisions of Sections 43-19-31 through 43-19-53, the Executive Director of the Department of Human Services is empowered to enter into cooperative agreements with district attorneys, county attorneys and attorneys employed by the county boards of supervisors, in conjunction with the Office of Attorney General. Said cooperative agreements shall be made in compliance with the regulations established by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, and may be funded either by funds appropriated to the Child Support Unit of the State Department of Human Services or funds appropriated by any county board of supervisors in this state for their respective county. Attorneys may be hired contractually to be paid in amounts commensurate with the department’s staff attorneys.

Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-48 Use of data match systems by Department of Human Services for noncustodial parents delinquent in child support payments.

The Department of Human Services and financial institutions doing business in the state are required to enter into agreements: To develop and operate a data match system, using automated data exchanges, in which each such financial institution is required to provide for each calendar quarter the name, record address, Social Security number or other taxpayer identification number, and other identifying information for each noncustodial parent who maintains an account at such institution and who owes past-due support, as identified by the Department of Human Services by name and Social Security number or other taxpayer identification number; To encumber or surrender, as the case may be, assets held by such institution on behalf of any noncustodial parent who is subject to a child support lien; and To provide for payment of reasonable fees to financial institutions for conducting data matches, and for responding to other requests made pursuant to this section, with such fees not to exceed the actual costs incurred by such financial institutions. When the operation of such data match system results in the location of an account of a noncustodial parent who owes past-due support, or when such account is located through any means, the department may request and shall receive additional financial or other information including account numbers, names and Social Security numbers on record for accounts, and account balances, from any financial institution needed to establish, modify or enforce a support order. The department shall have the authority to encumber and seize assets held by an obligor in a financial institution doing business in Mississippi. Such assets shall be encumbered for either: A forty-five-day period; or Until such time as the issue of overdue support is resolved, provided the obligor has filed a petition for hearing with a court of appropriate jurisdiction and the financial institution receives written notice thereof from the department before the end of the said forty-five-day period. Notice of such encumbrance initiated by the department shall be provided to the financial institution and to the obligor: The department shall send, by certified mail, notice to the financial institution with which the account is placed, directing that the financial institution shall: Immediately encumber funds in any account(s) in which the obligor has an interest, and to the extent of the debt indicated in the notice from the department; Forward the encumbered funds to the department after either the forty-five-day period stated in subsection 3(a) of this section, or a determination favorable to the department by a court of appropriate jurisdiction; or In the event the obligor prevails before the court, immediately release said funds to the obligor. Notice shall be delivered to the obligor at the current mailing address as recorded by the department. Such notice shall be sent by regular mail at the commencement of the action described herein. The financial institution shall not disclose to an account holder or the depositor that the name of such person has been received from or furnished to the department. The financial institution shall disclose to its account holders or its depositors that under the data match system the department has the authority to request certain identifying information on the account holders’ or the depositor’s accounts. Challenges to encumbrance of an account: Challenges to such levy for child support arrearage may be initiated only by the obligor or by an account holder of interest. Challenges shall be made by the filing of a petition for hearing by the obligor in a court of appropriate jurisdiction under Rule 81(d)(2) of the Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure. Service upon the department shall be as prescribed by Rule 4(d)(5) of the Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure. Grounds for the petition challenging the encumbrance shall be limited to: Mistakes of identity; or Mistakes in amount of overdue support. Liability of the financial institution and the department: Neither the department nor the financial institution shall be liable for any applicable early withdrawal penalties on the obligor’s account(s). A financial institution shall be absolutely immune from any civil liability under any law or regulation to any person for the disclosure of or failure to disclose any information pursuant to this chapter or for the escrow, encumbrance, seizure or surrender of any assets held by the financial institution in response to any notice issued by the Department of Human Services, the Child Support Unit or any contractors or agents thereof unless the disclosure or failure to disclose was willful or intentional, or for any other action taken in good faith to comply with the requirements of this chapter. Any amount encumbered and forwarded by the financial institution under this section shall not exceed the arrearage owed by the obligor. The provisions herein and any other relevant sections shall be employed equally by authorized contractors of the department to collect delinquent support payments. A financial institution shall not be liable under federal or state law to any person: For any disclosure of information to the Department of Human Services; For encumbering or forwarding any assets held by such financial institution in response to a notice of lien or levy; For any other action taken in good faith to comply with the requirements of subsection (1)(a) or (b) above. Definitions. For purposes of this section: The term “financial institution” has the meaning given to such by Section 81-12-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, and shall include, but not be limited to, credit unions, stock brokerages, public or private entities administering retirement, savings, annuities, life insurance and/or pension funds; The term “account” means a demand deposit account, checking or negotiable withdrawal order account, savings account, time deposit account or money-market mutual fund account. Failure to comply with the provisions of this section or the willful rendering of false information shall subject the financial institution to a fine of not less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00).

Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-49 Employment by child support unit of investigative, technical, secretarial and supportive staff.

There is hereby authorized to be employed by the child support unit of the state department of public welfare such other, investigative, technical, secretarial and supportive staff as may be necessary for the proper and necessary implementation of the requirements of Public Law 93-647, 93rd Congress, and any amendments adopted thereto applicable to said program as provided under Sections 43-19-31 through 43-19-53; said positions shall be subject to the merit system’s rules and regulations and their salaries shall be fixed in such amounts as the state department of public welfare may deem proper.

Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-51 Duties, powers and functions of Attorney General’s office, district attorneys and county attorneys unaffected.

Nothing contained in Sections 43-19-31 through 43-19-53 shall be construed as relieving or diminishing any of the duties, powers and functions of the Attorney General’s office, district attorneys or county attorneys under the statutes of this state relating to the collection of any judgment or debt in favor of the state or the enforcement of the criminal laws under Sections 43-19-31 through 43-19-53 or any other provisions of state law.

Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-53 Annual report.

Not later than sixty (60) days after the first day of January of each year, the state department of public welfare shall cause to be published for the preceding calendar year a detailed report showing the total number of cases in the aid to dependent children program reported on the basis of fraud or suspected fraud, the total number investigated, prosecuted and disposed of civilly and/or criminally in each county of the state and the total number of support and paternity cases reported, investigated, continued, prosecuted civilly, and the total amount of support collected.

Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-55 Authorization to manage bank accounts for funds received as incentives from federal government and as income tax offsets.

The State Department of Human Services shall be authorized in maintaining separate accounts with Mississippi banks to handle funds received as incentives from the federal government earned as a result of collecting support and also any funds maintained on deposit as a result of federal and state income tax offsets and any other relevant account, and to aggressively manage the float in these accounts so as to accrue maximum interest advantage of the funds in the account, and to retain all earned interest on these funds to be applied to defray the expenses of the Child Support Unit.

Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-57 Administrative subpoenas.

Any administrative subpoena issued by the Department of Human Services pursuant to the provisions of Laws, 1997, Chapter 588, shall be directed to the appropriate party or entity and signed by the Director of the Department of Human Services or his designee. A person wishing to appeal the issuance of an administrative subpoena shall have recourse to the chancery courts as for any subpoena.

Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-58 Appeals process for imposition of civil penalties.

Persons wishing to contest the imposition of an administrative civil penalty under the provisions of Laws, 1997, Chapter 588, shall be entitled to a hearing before the Director of the Department of Human Services or his designee by so requesting within twenty (20) days after receiving notice of the imposition of the administratively imposed civil penalty. The request shall identify the civil penalty contested and legibly state the contestant’s name, mailing address and home and daytime phone numbers. The date, time and place for the hearing shall be made as convenient as possible for the contestant, who shall receive notice thereof not less than seven (7) days before the hearing. A hearing on whether to impose a civil penalty and to consider circumstances in mitigation shall be held on the time and the place specified in the notice. The contestant may appear in person, through his attorney or, prior to the date set for the hearing, submit written testimony and other evidence, subject to the penalty for false swearing, for entry in the hearing record. After the hearing, the director or his designee shall issue his order, which may be appealed to the chancery court of the county in which the contestant resides in the same manner as is provided by law for appeals originating from county courts. The director or his designee may file the order assessing the penalty, or a certified copy of the order, with the clerk of any chancery court in the state after expiration of the time in which an appeal may be taken, or final determination of the matter on appeal, whereupon the order assessing the penalty shall be enrolled on the judgment roll and may be enforced in the same manner as a judgment.

Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-59 Child Support Unit to use high-volume automated administrative enforcement to enforce out-of-state support orders.

The Department of Human Services, as the Title IV-D child support enforcement agency of this state, shall use high-volume automated administrative enforcement, to the same extent as used for intrastate cases, in response to a request made by another state to enforce support orders, and shall promptly report the results of such enforcement procedure to the requesting state. In this section, “high-volume, automated administrative enforcement” means the use of automatic data processing to search various available state data bases, including, but not limited to, license records, employment service data, and state new hire registries, to determine whether information is available regarding a parent who owes a child support obligation. The department may, by electronic or other means, transmit to another state or receive from another state a request for assistance in enforcing support orders through high-volume, automated administrative enforcement, which request: Shall include such information as will enable the state to which the request is transmitted to compare the information about the cases to the information in the data bases of the state receiving the request; and Shall constitute a certification by the requesting state: Of the amount of support under an order the payment of which is in arrears; and That the requesting state has complied with all procedural due process requirements applicable to each case. If the department provides assistance to another state with respect to a case, or if another state seeks assistance from the department pursuant to this section, neither state shall consider the case to be transferred to the caseload of such other state.

Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-61 Child Support Prosecution Fund created; purpose; funding of expenses of legal division of Child Support Unit; deposit of user charges and fees authorized under this section into State General Fund.

There is created in the State Treasury a special fund to be designated as the “Child Support Prosecution Fund.” The fund shall be used by the Office of the Attorney General for the prosecution of delinquent child support cases and may also be used to draw down the sixty-six percent (66%) federal reimbursement IV-D funds for support of the Legal Division of the Child Support Unit of the Mississippi Department of Human Services. From and after July 1, 2016, the expenses of the legal division of the Child Support Unit shall be defrayed by appropriation from the State General Fund and all user charges and fees authorized under this section shall be deposited into the State General Fund as authorized by law and as determined by the State Fiscal Officer. From and after July 1, 2016, no state agency shall charge another state agency a fee, assessment, rent or other charge for services or resources received by authority of this section.

Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-101 Child support award guidelines.

The following child support award guidelines shall be a rebuttable presumption in all judicial or administrative proceedings regarding the awarding or modifying of child support awards in this state: Click to view The guidelines provided for in subsection (1) of this section apply unless the judicial or administrative body awarding or modifying the child support award makes a written finding or specific finding on the record that the application of the guidelines would be unjust or inappropriate in a particular case as determined under the criteria specified in Section 43-19-103. The amount of “adjusted gross income” as that term is used in subsection (1) of this section shall be calculated as follows: Determine gross income from all potential sources that may reasonably be expected to be available to the absent parent including, but not limited to, the following: wages and salary income; income from self-employment; income from commissions; income from investments, including dividends, interest income and income on any trust account or property; absent parent’s portion of any joint income of both parents; workers’ compensation, disability, unemployment, annuity and retirement benefits, including an Individual Retirement Account (IRA); any other payments made by any person, private entity, federal or state government or any unit of local government; alimony; any income earned from an interest in or from inherited property; any other form of earned income; and gross income shall exclude any monetary benefits derived from a second household, such as income of the absent parent’s current spouse; Subtract the following legally mandated deductions: Federal, state and local taxes. Contributions to the payment of taxes over and beyond the actual liability for the taxable year shall not be considered a mandatory deduction; Social security contributions; Retirement and disability contributions except any voluntary retirement and disability contributions; If the absent parent is subject to an existing court order for another child or children, subtract the amount of that court-ordered support; If the absent parent is also the parent of another child or other children residing with him, then the court may subtract an amount that it deems appropriate to account for the needs of said child or children; Compute the total annual amount of adjusted gross income based on paragraphs (a) through (d), then divide this amount by twelve (12) to obtain the monthly amount of adjusted gross income. Upon conclusion of the calculation of paragraphs (a) through (e), multiply the monthly amount of adjusted gross income by the appropriate percentage designated in subsection (1) to arrive at the amount of the monthly child support award. In cases in which the adjusted gross income as defined in this section is more than One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) or less than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00), the court shall make a written finding in the record as to whether or not the application of the guidelines established in this section is reasonable. The Department of Human Services shall review the appropriateness of these guidelines beginning January 1, 1994, and every four (4) years thereafter and report its findings to the Legislature no later than the first day of the regular legislative session of that year. The Legislature shall thereafter amend these guidelines when it finds that amendment is necessary to ensure that equitable support is being awarded in all cases involving the support of minor children. All orders involving support of minor children, as a matter of law, shall include reasonable medical support. Notice to the obligated parent’s employer that medical support has been ordered shall be on a form as prescribed by the Department of Human Services. In any case in which the support of any child is involved, the court shall make the following findings either on the record or in the judgment: The availability to all parties of health insurance coverage for the child(ren); The cost of health insurance coverage to all parties. The court shall then make appropriate provisions in the judgment for the provision of health insurance coverage for the child(ren) in the manner that is in the best interests of the child(ren). If the court requires the custodial parent to obtain the coverage then its cost shall be taken into account in establishing the child support award. If the court determines that health insurance coverage is not available to any party or that it is not available to either party at a cost that is reasonable as compared to the income of the parties, then the court shall make specific findings as to such either on the record or in the judgment. In that event, the court shall make appropriate provisions in the judgment for the payment of medical expenses of the child(ren) in the absence of health insurance coverage. Number Of Children Percentage Of Adjusted Gross Income Due Support That Should Be Awarded For Support 1 14% 2 20% 3 22% 4 24% 5 or more 26%

Miss. Code Ann. § 43-19-103 Criteria for overcoming presumption that guidelines are appropriate.

The rebuttable presumption as to the justness or appropriateness of an award or modification of a child support award in this state, based upon the guidelines established by Section 43-19-101, may be overcome by a judicial or administrative body awarding or modifying the child support award by making a written finding or specific finding on the record that the application of the guidelines would be unjust or inappropriate in a particular case as determined according to the following criteria: Extraordinary medical, psychological, educational or dental expenses. Independent income of the child. The payment of both child support and spousal support to the obligee. Seasonal variations in one or both parents’ incomes or expenses. The age of the child, taking into account the greater needs of older children. Special needs that have traditionally been met within the family budget even though the fulfilling of those needs will cause the support to exceed the proposed guidelines. The particular shared parental arrangement, such as where the noncustodial parent spends a great deal of time with the children thereby reducing the financial expenditures incurred by the custodial parent, or the refusal of the noncustodial parent to become involved in the activities of the child, or giving due consideration to the custodial parent’s homemaking services. Total available assets of the obligee, obligor and the child. Payment by the obligee of child care expenses in order that the obligee may seek or retain employment, or because of the disability of the obligee. Any other adjustment which is needed to achieve an equitable result which may include, but not be limited to, a reasonable and necessary existing expense or debt.