Iowa Code Title VI. Human Services [Chs. 216-255A] § 252B.3. Duty of department to enforce child support--cooperation--rules

1. Upon receipt by the department of an application for public assistance on behalf of a child and determination by the department that the child is eligible for public assistance and that provision of child support services is appropriate, the department shall take appropriate action under the provisions of this chapter or under other appropriate statutes of this state including but not limited to chapters 239B, 252A, 252C, 252D, 252E, 252F, 252G, 252H, 252I, 252J, 598, and 600B, to ensure that the parent or other person responsible for the support of the child fulfills the support obligation. The department shall also take appropriate action as required by federal law upon receiving a request from a child support agency for a child receiving public assistance in another state.

2. The department may negotiate a partial payment of a support obligation with a parent or other person responsible for the support of the child, provided that the negotiation and partial payment are consistent with applicable federal law and regulation.

3. The department shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A regarding cases in which, under federal law, it is a condition of eligibility for an individual who is an applicant for or recipient of public assistance to cooperate in good faith with the department in establishing the paternity of, or in establishing, modifying, or enforcing a support order by identifying and locating the parent of the child or enforcing rights to support payments. The rules shall include all of the following provisions:

4. Without need for a court order and notwithstanding the requirements of section 598.22A, the support payment ordered pursuant to any chapter shall be satisfied as to the department, the child, and either parent for the period during which the parents are reconciled and are cohabiting, the child for whom support is ordered is living in the same residence as the parents, and the obligor receives public assistance on the obligor's own behalf for the benefit of the child. The department shall implement this subsection as follows:

5. On or after July 1, 1999, the department shall implement a program for the satisfaction of accrued support debts, based upon timely payment by the obligor of both current support due and any payments due for accrued support debt under a periodic payment plan. Child support services shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to establish the criteria and procedures for obtaining satisfaction under the program. The rules adopted under this subsection shall specify the cases and amounts to which the program is applicable, and may provide for the establishment of the program as a pilot program.