1998 Minnesota Statutes

     256.979 Child support incentives. 

    Subdivision 1. Repealed, 1993 c 340 s 60; 1Sp1993 c 6 s 
 35 

    Subd. 2. Repealed, 1993 c 340 s 60; 1Sp1993 c 6 s 35 

    Subd. 3. Repealed, 1993 c 340 s 60; 1Sp1993 c 6 s 35 

    Subd. 4. Repealed, 1993 c 340 s 60; 1Sp1993 c 6 s 35 

    Subd. 5.    Paternity establishment and child support 
 order establishment and modification bonus incentives.  (a) A 
 bonus incentive program is created to increase the number of 
 paternity establishments and establishment and modifications of 
 child support orders done by county child support enforcement 
 agencies. 

    (b) A bonus must be awarded to a county child support 
 agency for each case for which the agency completes a paternity 
 or child support order establishment or modification through 
 judicial or administrative processes. 

    (c) The rate of bonus incentive is $100 for each paternity 
 or child support order establishment and modification set in a 
 specific dollar amount. 

    (d) No bonus shall be paid for a modification that is a 
 result of a termination of child care costs according to section 
 518.551, subdivision 5, paragraph (b), or due solely to a 
 reduction of child care expenses. 

    Subd. 6.    Claims for bonus incentive.  (a) The 
 commissioner of human services and the county agency shall 
 develop procedures for the claims process and criteria using 
 automated systems where possible. 

    (b) Only one county agency may receive a bonus per 
 paternity establishment or child support order establishment or 
 modification for each case.  The county agency completing the 
 action or procedure needed to establish paternity or a child 
 support order or modify an order is the county agency entitled 
 to claim the bonus incentive. 

    (c) Disputed claims must be submitted to the commissioner 
 of human services and the commissioner's decision is final. 

    (d) For purposes of this section, "case" means a family 
 unit for whom the county agency is providing child support 
 enforcement services.  

    Subd. 7.    Distribution.  (a) Bonus incentives must be 
 issued to the county agency quarterly, within 45 days after the 
 last day of each quarter for which a bonus incentive is being 
 claimed, and must be paid in the order in which claims are 
 received. 

    (b) Bonus incentive funds under this section must be 
 reinvested in the county child support enforcement program and a 
 county may not reduce funding of the child support enforcement 
 program by the amount of the bonus earned. 

    (c) The county agency shall repay any bonus erroneously 
 issued. 

    (d) A county agency shall maintain a record of bonus 
 incentives claimed and received for each quarter. 

    (e) Payment of bonus incentives is limited by the amount of 
 the appropriation for this purpose.  If the appropriation is 
 insufficient to cover all claims, the commissioner of human 
 services may prorate payments among the county agencies. 

    Subd. 8.    Medical provider reimbursement.  (a) A fee 
 to the providers of medical services is created for the purpose 
 of increasing the numbers of signed and notarized recognition of 
 parentage forms completed in the medical setting. 

    (b) A fee of $25 shall be paid to each medical provider for 
 each properly completed recognition of parentage form sent to 
 the department of vital statistics. 

    (c) The office of vital statistics shall notify the 
 department of human services quarterly of the numbers of 
 completed forms received and the amounts paid. 

    (d) The department of human services shall remit quarterly 
 to each medical provider a payment for the number of signed 
 recognition of parentage forms completed by that medical 
 provider and sent to the office of vital statistics. 

    (e) The commissioners of the department of human services 
 and the department of health shall develop procedures for the 
 implementation of this provision. 

    (f) Payments will be made to the medical provider within 
 the limit of available appropriations. 

    (g) Federal matching funds received as reimbursement for 
 the costs of the medical provider reimbursement must be retained 
 by the commissioner of human services for educational programs 
 dedicated to the benefits of paternity establishment. 

    Subd. 9. Repealed, 1997 c 203 art 6 s 93 

    Subd. 10.    Transferability between bonus incentive 
 accounts and grants to county agencies.  The commissioner of 
 human services may transfer money appropriated for child support 
 enforcement county performance incentives under this section and 
 section 256.9791 among county performance incentive accounts.  
 Incentive funds to counties transferred under this section must 
 be reinvested in the child support enforcement program and may 
 not be used to supplant money now spent by counties for child 
 support enforcement. 

    HIST: 1987 c 403 art 3 s 25; 1993 c 340 s 8-11; 1994 c 529 s 
 8; 1995 c 178 art 2 s 22; 1997 c 245 art 1 s 4-8