NEWS

Child Support

The Division of Child Support is considering proposing changes to promote efficiency in the child program.  The changes are focused on five areas that we believe could be improved and modernized.  We are asking for your feedback on our proposal (also known as agency request legislation).

This is a draft concept that still has several steps before it will be approved to be introduced as legislation for the 2027 Washington state legislative session.

 Please provide your feedback by Friday, August 21, 2026 to DCSlegislation@dshs.wa.gov.

Your feedback is an important part of our legislative development process. After reviewing the attached materials, we would appreciate hearing whether you:

  • Support the proposal.

  • Have no concerns.

  • Recommend changes.

  • Oppose the proposal.

 If you recommend changes or oppose the proposal, we would appreciate any additional information you are willing to share regarding your concerns.

We will share your information, comments and position with the Office of Financial Management and the Governor’s Office later this fall when they consider whether to approve our agency request legislation concept.  If it is approved, we will then ask legislators to sponsor the proposal and introduce it during the 2027 session.

 What is the proposal?

The Division of Child Support is considering changes in the following five areas:

  1. Refining abatement for incarceration

  • RCW 26.09.320, 26.09.330, 26.09.335, and 26.09.340 would be amended to address lessons learned since the laws went into effect in 2021 and ease the administration and improve effectiveness of the remedy.

 2. Emphasizing full faith and credit for Washington administrative child support orders

  • RCW 74.20A.055 would be amended to clarify that a final administrative order entered in Washington state shall be superseded upon entry of a court order entered by a Washington state superior court, to the extent the two orders are different.

 3. Modernizing and clarifying the documentation to attach to a Notice and Finding of Financial Responsibility

  • RCW 74.20A.056 would be amended regarding what may be attached to a Notice and Finding of Financial Responsibility if the child was born outside of Washington state.

 4. Simplifying license suspension by adding a universal license suspension provision

  • RCW 74.20A.320 would be amended to add a universal provision regarding DCS’s authority to certify a license to the issuing authority for suspension due to noncompliance with a support order.

 5. Clarifying the requirements for child support to be redirected from the named payee to the physical custodian of the child

  • RCW 26.23.035 would be amended to broaden and clarify what is meant by “lawful” physical custody. It would allow other evidence to be submitted instead of a written attestation from the physical custodian, and it would allow DCS to provide the evidence instead of the physical custodian.

 Why is DCS proposing these changes?

These provisions prioritize efficient, effective, and accountable government by removing unnecessary administrative burdens for families who use child support services and the staff who provide child support services.

Every four years, Washington State takes a fresh look at how it calculates child support — and the next round is coming up in 2027. The Division of Child Support (DCS) is currently accepting applications for the workgroup through September 30, 2026, giving prospective members roughly a year's lead time before deliberations begin.

Why the review happens

The quadrennial review isn't optional. To maintain federal funding, every state with a child support program under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act must establish one set of statewide guidelines for setting and modifying child support award amounts. In Washington, those guidelines live in chapter 26.19 RCW, known as the Washington State Child Support Schedule. Washington State Department of Commerce

Who sits at the table

Workgroup composition is spelled out in detail in RCW 26.19.025(1), and it's a deliberately broad mix of voices. The legislature contributes four members — one from each of the two largest caucuses in both the House and Senate. The governor, working in consultation with DCS, appoints the rest, including:

  • The DCS director, who chairs the workgroup Washington State Department of Commerce

  • A family law professor and a representative from the WSBA's family law executive committee

  • An economist

  • A representative of the tribal community

  • A superior court judge and a court commissioner (via the Superior Court Judges' Association)

  • A representative from the Administrative Office of the Courts

  • A prosecutor and a legal services representative

  • An administrative law judge

  • Three noncustodial parents and three custodial parents — with at least one from each group specifically representing low-income parents

Notably, DSHS emphasizes that it wants parents with direct experience in the child support system who are paying or receiving child support to apply — not just attorneys and officials. Washington State Department of Commerce

DCS's supporting role

While the workgroup does the substantive work, DCS is statutorily required to provide staffing. The agency must prepare a child support review report — pulling together economic data, labor market figures, and case data on deviations and imputed orders — that grounds the workgroup's discussions. DCS also maintains a public-facing webpage, a listserv, and a dedicated email inbox to keep interested parties informed as the process unfolds.

What happens next

By statute, the workgroup must report its findings and any recommended legislative changes back to the legislature — historically due by October 1 following the review year. Anyone interested in applying for one of the governor-appointed seats can do so through the governor's website before the September 30, 2026 deadline.