(a)
The Legislature finds and declares the following:
(1)
The failure of the Statewide Automated Child Support System (SACSS) has left California without a statewide automated child support system as required by federal law and subjects the state to significant federal penalties.
(2)
Statewide uniformity of child support enforcement practices and procedures is essential to an effective child support enforcement program.
(3)
A single statewide automated child support system promotes uniformity and supports a child support collection system that keeps children out of poverty and reduces welfare costs. Successful implementation of a single statewide child support system is critical to the welfare of California and its children.
(4)
The federal government has informed the state that the proposed consortia-based alternative system configuration submitted by the state for approval does not meet the criteria required by federal law.
(5)
The federal government has informed the state that it intends to disapprove the state’s child support (Title IV-D) plan because the state has failed to timely implement a State Disbursement Unit as required by federal law. Disapproval of the state IV-D plan may result in the state’s ineligibility for a federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) block grant under Title IV-A of the Social Security Act jeopardizing the receipt of billions of dollars of federal funds.
(b)
It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature to:
(1)
Establish a single statewide automated child support system that complies with all federal certification requirements, federal and state laws and policies, meets Year 2000 requirements, and ensures child support collections will continue to increase.
(2)
Ensure that all counties will have an automation system that will allow them to continue their child support services while a single statewide automated child support system is developed and implemented.
(3)
Designate the Franchise Tax Board, as an agent for the department, as the entity responsible for the procurement, development, implementation, and maintenance of the single statewide automated system in accordance with the state’s child support (Title IV-D) plan.
(4)
Ensure that the single statewide automated system project will be completed successfully and in the most expeditious manner possible through the cooperation of all affected state agencies.
(5)
Ensure county participation and compliance with the single statewide automated system by providing for the sharing of federal penalties.
(6)
Avoid the repetition of the practices that led to the failure of the SACSS system and to require the department to ensure that procedures are in place to prevent the repetition of those practices.