2006 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    Subdivision 1.[Repealed, 1993 c 340 s 60; 1Sp1993 c 6 s 35]
    Subd. 2.[Repealed, 1993 c 340 s 60; 1Sp1993 c 6 s 35]
    Subd. 3.[Repealed, 1993 c 340 s 60; 1Sp1993 c 6 s 35]
    Subd. 4.[Repealed, 1993 c 340 s 60; 1Sp1993 c 6 s 35]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 child for which the
agency completes a paternity order or for each case in which child support is established or
modified through judicial or expedited processes.
(c) The rate of bonus incentive is $100 per child for each paternity established, or $100 per
case for each child support order established or modified, which is 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 518A.40, subdivision 4, 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
establishment or modification order. 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.
    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 the State Registrar 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 the State Registrar.
(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.
    Subd. 11. Federal child support incentives. (a) The commissioner of human services
shall distribute to the counties the earned federal child support incentive payments using
the methodology specified in Title IV-D of the Social Security Act and applicable federal
regulations for earning federal incentives by the states except for the paternity portion of the
incentive. The commissioner shall distribute the federal paternity incentive earned using the IV-D
paternity establishment percentage. The commissioner shall follow the federal transition plans in
distributing the incentives to the counties. The commissioner shall distribute to the county child
support agency estimated federal incentive payments within 60 days after the end of each calendar
quarter. The commissioner shall issue actual federal incentive payments to the county agency
within 60 days of receiving the final federal incentive grant award from the federal agency.
(b) The county child support agency shall reinvest incentive funds disbursed under this
section in the county child support enforcement program. These funds may not be used by a
county to reduce funding of the child support enforcement program by the amount of the incentive
earned below the base amount allowed under the applicable federal regulations. The county
agency shall maintain a record of incentives earned and expended according to a procedure
approved by the commissioner. The county agency shall repay any incentive erroneously issued.
History: 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; 2000 c 458 s 3; 1Sp2001 c 9 art 12 s 5,6; art 15 s 32; 2002 c 344 s 6,7;
2002 c 379 art 1 s 113; 2005 c 164 s 29; 1Sp2005 c 7 s 28