§ 792 - Lottery offset - Vermont Statutes

§ 792. Lottery offset

(a) For all Vermont lottery games, the lottery commission shall, before issuing prize money of $500.00 or more to a winner, determine whether the winner has an outstanding child support arrearage payable to the office of child support. If the winner has a child support arrearage, the lottery commission shall withhold the entire amount of winnings and pay the same to the office of child support. The office of child support shall offset the winnings by the amount of support arrearages and the remainder of the winnings, if any, shall be sent to the winner. The obligor shall be notified by the office of child support of the offset prior to payment to the obligee and given a period not to exceed 20 days to contest the accuracy of the information.

(b) The office of child support shall inform the lottery commission of persons with child support arrearages upon request. Each liable person shall be identified by name, address and Social Security number.

(c) This section shall apply to tri-state lottery games at such time as the same or similar provisions become law in Maine and New Hampshire in accordance with the tri-state lotto compact. (Added 1989, No. 220 (Adj. Sess.), § 12.)