Current through all regulations passed and filed through September 16, 2024
(A) The child support enforcement agency
(CSEA) is responsible for the contents of the IV-D contract and all
incorporated IV-D contract documents, regardless of whether the IV-D contract
documents were prepared by the CSEA, the contractor, or another
entity.
(B) The following IV-D
contract terms must be agreed upon by the parties to the IV-D contract and
completed by the CSEA, the contractor, or another entity:
(1) IV-D contract period.
The IV-D contract period is for twelve months or less. When the
IV-D contract period is less than twelve months, the CSEA may amend the IV-D
contract to extend the IV-D contract period through the remainder of the
twelve-month period or enter into a new IV-D contract for a period of twelve
months or less.
(2) Unit of
service.
(a) The unit of service represents
the product that the CSEA is purchasing from the contractor. The CSEA and
contractor shall ensure that the unit of service is:
(i) Clearly defined in the IV-D
contract;
(ii) Able to be
accurately counted and measured;
(iii) Related to the objectives of the
support enforcement program;
(iv)
Eligible for federal financial participation (FFP) reimbursement; and
(v) Provided to, for, or on behalf of a IV-D
case.
(b) In a IV-D
contract with a court for magistrate services, the unit of service must be
defined as:
(i) An hour;
(ii) A court order that has been filed with
the clerk of court; or
(iii) A
court hearing presided over by a magistrate.
(c) In a IV-D contract with a clerk of court,
a unit of service must be defined as a filing of a CSEA initiated
document.
(d) In a IV-D contract
with a sheriff for services other than service of process, a unit of service
must be defined as an hour.
(e) In
a IV-D contract with a prosecutor or private attorney for legal services, a
unit of service must be defined as an hour.
(f) In a IV-D contract with a private entity
for a service other than legal services, a unit of service must be defined
according to the standard definition of a unit of service for that
industry.
(3) Optional
purchase of non-CSEA initiated activities.
In a IV-D contract with a court to provide magistrate services,
the CSEA may elect to purchase:
(a)
Only CSEA initiated activities; or
(b) Both CSEA initiated activities and
non-CSEA initiated activities.
(4) IV-D contract costs.
(a) Unit rate.
(i) In a IV-D contract with a private entity,
the unit rate is determined through the procurement process.
(ii) In a IV-D contract with a governmental
entity:
(a) The governmental entity is
prohibited from earning a profit or other increment above allowable costs from
the IV-D contract.
(b) For purposes
of calculating the unit rate, the following definitions apply:
(i) "Dedicated unit" means the contractor has
staff within a separately designated operational unit whose only duties are to
perform activities under the IV-D contract.
(ii) "Non-dedicated unit" means the
contractor has staff whose duties include performing activities under the IV-D
contract as well as other activities.
(iii) "Program" means services provided by
either a non-dedicated unit or a dedicated unit. Costs for the program consist
of the total costs associated with the production of a unit of service by that
non-dedicated or dedicated unit.
(c) In a IV-D contract with a governmental
entity, the unit rate shall be calculated on the JFS 07020, "Governmental
Contractor IV-D Contract Budget" (effective or revised effective date as
identified in rule
5101:12-1-99
of the Administrative Code), by using an estimate of the contractor's
annual costs that are eligible for federal financial participation (FFP)
reimbursement and an estimate of the income generated by the provider of the
program.
(d) The contractor shall
calculate the unit rate on the JFS 07020 by:
(i) Including one hundred per cent of the
costs of the principal staff of the non-dedicated unit.
(ii) Prorating the contractor's costs for
staff, operations, and equipment.
(iii) Including an estimate of the income
generated by the provider of the program.
(iv) Including the estimated number of total
operating units to be produced by the principal staff during the IV-D contract
period.
(v) Including the estimated
number of units of service to be purchased during the IV-D contract
period.
(b) Total IV-D contract cost.
(i) The total IV-D contract cost is
calculated by multiplying the unit cost by the number of units of service
expected to be purchased during the IV-D contract period.
(ii) The CSEA shall ensure that the total
IV-D contract cost includes both the non-federal share and the FFP
reimbursement.
(a) In a IV-D contract with a
private entity:
(i) The CSEA shall pay the
non-federal share of the total IV-D contract cost;
(ii) The contractor shall not contribute the
non-federal share of the total IV-D contract cost, either in cash or in kind;
and
(iii) The FFP reimbursement
shall not be considered as the total IV-D contract cost.
(b) In a IV-D contract with a governmental
entity, the contractor may provide the non-federal share of the total IV-D
contract cost.
(iii) The
CSEA shall not pay the contractor more than the total IV-D contract
cost.
(5)
Availability of funds.
The CSEA shall identify the amount and source of non-federal
funds, as described in rule
5101:12-1-50 of
the Administrative Code, and the amount of FFP reimbursement that is expected
to be available for the reimbursement of services to the
contractor.
(6) Performance
standards.
(a) The performance standards
shall clearly describe the service or services that the CSEA is purchasing from
the contractor and shall be:
(i) In compliance
with the requirements in 45 C.F.R. Part 303 (8/4/1989);
(ii) Consistent with and no less stringent
than the rules in division 5101:12 of the Administrative Code;
(iii) Developed in consultation with the
contractor;
(iv) Sufficiently
detailed to clearly define the expected performance;
(v) Quantifiable; and
(vi) Measurable and clearly specify the
method and frequency of measurement.
(b) The CSEA shall attach a document to the
JFS 07018, "IV-D Contract" (effective or revised effective date as
identified in rule
5101:12-1-99
of the Administrative Code) that describes the performance standards for
the IV-D contract. When the contractor and CSEA are amending the performance
standards of a IV-D contract, the CSEA shall attach a document to the JFS
07037, "IV-D Contract Amendment" (effective or revised effective date as
identified in rule
5101:12-1-99
of the Administrative Code) that describes the amended performance
standards.
(7) Access of
program to public.
The CSEA and contractor shall describe when the contractor will
provide services to the public.
(C) IV-D contract signatures.
(1) The JFS 07018 and JFS 07037 shall be
signed and dated by:
(a) The authorized
representative of the CSEA;
(b) The
authorized representative of the contractor; and
(c) The majority of the commissioners in the
county or a person formally authorized by the commissioners to sign on their
behalf.
(2) If required
by the county, the prosecutor shall also sign the JFS 07018 and JFS
07037.
(D) Amending the
IV-D contract.
(1) After a IV-D contract is in
effect, the CSEA and contractor may agree to amend the IV-D contract terms as
described in paragraph (B) of this rule at any time during the IV-D contract
period by completing and submitting to the office of child support (OCS) the
JFS 07037.
(a) OCS shall review the IV-D
contract amendment and determine whether the amendment is acceptable for
purposes of FFP reimbursement.
(b)
OCS shall notify the CSEA of its determination.
(2) The CSEA shall amend the IV-D contract to
increase the total IV-D contract cost when the total IV-D contract cost amount
is insufficient to provide services for the entire IV-D contract period and the
CSEA desires to continue to purchase services for the remainder of the IV-D
contract period.
(E)
Modifying the IV-D contract.
Language in the JFS 07018 and JFS 07037 shall not be modified,
deleted, struck out, or added, except for the following:
(1) Before signing the IV-D contract or IV-D
contract amendment, the CSEA or contractor may agree to modify the language
contained in the IV-D contract or IV-D contract amendment.
(a) The CSEA shall submit the proposed
modifications to OCS.
(b) OCS shall
review the proposed modifications and determine whether the modifications are
acceptable for purposes of FFP reimbursement.
(c) OCS shall notify the CSEA of its
determination.
(2) If the
CSEA or contractor modifies the language in the IV-D contract or IV-D contract
amendment without the agreement of both parties and acceptance from OCS, the
modified IV-D contract or IV-D contract amendment will have no force or effect
of law.