Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 67 - SOCIAL SERVICES
Part III - Economic Stability
Subpart 2 - Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program
Chapter 12 - Application, Eligibility, and Furnishing Assistance
Subchapter B - Conditions of Eligibility
Section III-1239 - Assignment of Support Rights and Cooperation with Support Enforcement Services

1. Each applicant for, or recipient of, FITAP is required to assign to the Department of Social Services, Office of Family Support, any accrued rights to support for any other person that such applicant or recipient may have, including such rights in his own behalf or in behalf of any other family member for whom the applicant or recipient is applying for or receiving.

2. By accepting FITAP for, or on, behalf of a child or children, the applicant or recipient shall be deemed to have made an assignment to the department of any and all right, title, and interest in any support obligation and arrearage owed to, or for, such child or children or caretaker up to the amount of public assistance money paid for, or on, behalf of such child or children or caretaker for such term of time as such public assistance monies are paid; provided, however, that the department may thereafter continue to collect any outstanding debt created by such assignment which has not been paid by the responsible person. The applicant or recipient shall also be deemed, without the necessity of signing any document, to have appointed the support enforcement services program administrator as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact to act in his or her name, place, and stead to perform the specific act of endorsing any and all drafts, checks, money orders or other negotiable instruments representing support payments which are received on behalf of such child or children or caretaker as reimbursement for the public assistance monies paid to such applicant or recipient.

1. Each applicant for, or recipient of, FITAP is required to cooperate in identifying and locating the parent of a child with respect to whom aid is claimed, establishing the paternity of a child born out of wedlock with respect to whom aid is claimed, obtaining support payments for such applicant or recipient and for a child with respect to whom aid is claimed, and obtaining any other payment or property due such applicant or recipient unless good cause is established.

2. Good cause exists when:

3. Failure to cooperate in establishing paternity or obtaining child support will result in case closure. The appropriate STEP sanction shall be imposed on a work-eligible family. The case of a family that is not work-eligible shall be closed for at least one month and until the family cooperates.

4. Failure to cooperate includes, but is not limited to, the following instances where good reason for failing to cooperate has not been established by the IV-D office:

5. The recipient who has failed to cooperate will be notified in writing of the sanctioning. The recipient's desire or intention to cooperate will not preclude case closure.