(a) A support enforcement agency of the District, upon request, shall provide services to a petitioner in a proceeding under this chapter.
(b) A support enforcement agency of the District that is providing services to the petitioner shall:
(1) Take all steps necessary to enable an appropriate tribunal in the District or another state to obtain jurisdiction over the respondent;
(2) Request an appropriate tribunal to set a date, time, and place for a hearing;
(3) Make a reasonable effort to obtain all relevant information, including information as to income and property of the parties;
(4) Within 5 days, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, after receipt of a notice in a record from an initiating, responding, or registering tribunal, send a copy of the notice to the petitioner;
(5) Within 5 days, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, after receipt of a communication in a record from the respondent or the respondent's attorney, send a copy of the communication to the petitioner; and
(6) Notify the petitioner if jurisdiction over the respondent cannot be obtained.
(c) A support enforcement agency of the District that requests registration of a child-support order in the District for enforcement or for modification shall make reasonable efforts:
(1) To ensure that the order to be registered is the controlling order; or
(2) If 2 or more child-support orders exist and the identity of the controlling order has not been determined, to ensure that a request for such a determination is made in a tribunal having jurisdiction to do so.
(d) A support enforcement agency of the District that requests registration and enforcement of a support order, arrears, or judgment stated in a foreign currency shall convert the amounts stated in the foreign currency into the equivalent amounts in dollars under the applicable official or market exchange rate as publicly reported.
(e) A support enforcement agency of the District shall issue or request a tribunal of the District to issue a child-support order and an income-withholding order that redirect payment of current support, arrears, and interest if requested to do so by a support enforcement agency of another state pursuant to § 46-303.19.
(f) This chapter does not create or negate a relationship of attorney and client or other fiduciary relationship between a support enforcement agency or the attorney for the agency and the individual being assisted by the agency.
CREDIT(S)
(Feb. 9, 1996, D.C. Law 11-81, § 307, 42 DCR 6748; July 24, 1998, D.C. Law 12-131, § 2(g), 45 DCR 2924; June 22, 2006, D.C. Law 16-137, § 2(c)(7), 53 DCR 3634.)
HISTORICAL AND STATUTORY NOTES
Prior Codifications
1981 Ed., § 30-343.7.
Effect of Amendments
D.C. Law 16-137, in the lead-in language of subsec. (b), substituted “agency of the District” for “agency” and deleted “as appropriate”; in par. (b)(4), substituted “notice in a record” for “written notice”; in par. (b)(5), substituted “communication in a record” for “written communication”; redesignated subsec. (c) as subsec. (f); and added subsecs. (c), (d), and (e).
Temporary Amendments of Section
For temporary (225 day) amendment of section, see § 2(g) of Uniform Interstate Family Support Temporary Amendment Act of 1998 (D.C. Law 12-94, April 29, 1998, law notification 45 DCR 2785).
Emergency Act Amendments
For temporary amendment of section, see § 2(g) of the Uniform Interstate Family Support Emergency Amendment Act of 1997 (D.C. Act 12-225, December 23, 1997, 45 DCR 151).
For temporary addition of § 30-343.7a [1981 Ed.], see § 2(h) of the Uniform Interstate Family Support Emergency Amendment Act of 1997 (D.C. Act 12-225, December 23, 1997, 45 DCR 151).
Emergency act amendments: For temporary amendment of section, see § 2(g) of the Uniform Interstate Family Support Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 1998 (D.C. Act 12-310, March 20, 1998, 45 DCR 1950).
Legislative History of Laws
For legislative history of D.C. Law 11-81, see Historical and Statutory Notes following § 46-301.01.
For legislative history of D.C. Law 12-131, see Historical and Statutory Notes following § 46-301.01.
For Law 16-137, see notes following § 46-301.01.
Effective Dates
Applicability: Section 3 of D.C. Law 16-137 provides: “This act shall apply as of April 1, 2007.”
Uniform Law
This section is based upon § 307 of the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (2001 Act). See Volume 9, Part IB Uniform Laws Annotated, Master Edition, or ULA Database on Westlaw.