Availability of paternity and support services

§ 111-g. Availability of paternity and support services. 1. The office of temporary and disability assistance and the social services districts, in accordance with the regulations of the office of temporary and disability assistance, shall make services relating to the establishment of paternity and the establishment and enforcement of support obligations available to persons not receiving family assistance upon application by such persons. Such persons must apply by (i) completing and signing a form as prescribed by the office of temporary and disability assistance, or (ii) filing a petition with the court or applying to the court in a proceeding for the establishment of paternity and/or establishment and/or enforcement of a support obligation, which includes a statement signed by the person requesting services clearly indicating that such person is applying for child support enforcement services pursuant to this title.

2. The office of temporary and disability assistance may, by regulation, require payment of an application fee for such services and the deduction of costs in excess of such fee from amounts collected on behalf of such persons.

3. (a) A person who is receiving child support services pursuant to this section who has never received assistance pursuant to title IV-A of the federal social security act shall be subject to an annual service fee of thirty-five dollars for each child support case if at least five hundred fifty dollars of support has been collected in the federal fiscal year. Where a custodial parent has children with different noncustodial parents, the order payable by each noncustodial parent shall be a separate child support case for the purpose of imposing an annual service fee. The fee shall be deducted from child support payments received on behalf of the individual receiving services.

(b) In international cases under section 454(32) of the federal social security act which meet the criteria for imposition of the annual service fee under paragraph (a) of this subdivision, the annual service fee shall be imposed but may not be collected from the country requesting services or a person living in another country unless permitted by federal law or regulation.