The following words and terms, when used in this Chapter, shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

     "Address of record" means an address for a party or a custodial person in the Central Case Registry of Oklahoma Child Support Services (OCSS) that is used for service of process in support, custody, and visitation actions.  An address of record may be different from the party's or custodial person's physical address.

     "Alleged father" means a man who alleges himself to be, or is alleged to be, the genetic father or a possible genetic father of a child, but whose paternity has not been determined.  [10 O.S. § 7700-102]

     "Alternative health coverage" means health care services other than health insurance, including, but not limited to, Indian Health Services (IHS) or Defense Eligibility Enrollment Reporting System (DEERS), which is available to either parent under which medical services could be provided to the dependent child(ren).

     "Annual notice" means the yearly notice provided for in Section 237A of Title 56 of the Oklahoma Statutes to notify the noncustodial parent and custodial person of the amount due, actions that may be taken to enforce the child support obligation, actions required of the noncustodial parent and custodial person, and other related information and instructions.

     "Arrears," "arrearage," or "past-due support" means the total amount of unpaid support obligations that has accrued under a support order.  See also the definition for "delinquency" in this Section.

     "Assignment" means any transfer of rights to support to the State of Oklahoma under Sections 608 and 671 of Title 42 of the United States Code or any transfer of rights to medical support and to payment of medical care from any third party under Section 433.146 of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

     "Authorized representative" means a person designated by a custodial person, noncustodial parent, or biological parent according to OAC 340:25-1-3.1.

     "Biological parent" means the natural parent of a child.

     "Case" means the relationship of a particular group of people bound by legal rights and duties for the support of a child(ren) who is receiving or has received child support services and all of the records and actions associated with the group.

     "Cash medical support" means an amount ordered to be paid toward the cost of health coverage provided by a public entity or by a person other than the parents through employment or otherwise.

     "Central Case Registry" means Oklahoma's repository for Part D of Subchapter IV of Chapter 7 of Title 42 of the United States Code (IV-D) cases and child support orders established or modified in Oklahoma after October 1, 1998.  It includes, but is not limited to, information required to be transmitted to the Federal Case Registry under Section 654a of Title 42 of the United States Code.  OCSS maintains the Central Case Registry under Section 112A of Title 43 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

     "Centralized Support Registry" means a repository maintained by OCSS to receive, allocate, and distribute support payments, including child support, spousal support when paid in conjunction with child support, and related support payments under Section 413 of Title 43 of the Oklahoma Statutes.  It serves as Oklahoma's State Disbursement Unit under Section 654b of Title 42 of the United States Code.  The Centralized Support Registry processes payments:

(A) in all cases in which child support services are being provided under the state child support plan as provided under Section Section 237 of Title 56 of the Oklahoma Statutes until all monies owed for child support are no longer owed;

(B) in all other cases in which support is being paid by income withholding; and

(C) when a court orders payments to be made through the Centralized Support Registry.  [43 O.S. § 413]

     "Child support order" means an obligation addressing monetary support, cash medical support, medical support for the child(ren), and support arrearage and arrearage payments, if any.

     "CSED" means the Child Support Enforcement Division of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services and is also known as Oklahoma Child Support Services (OCSS).  OCSS includes a central state office, district offices, and other offices that may be administered through contract or cooperative agreements with district attorneys, Community Action Program (CAP) agencies, and others.  OCSS includes all of these offices and their employees and agents.

     "Current child support" means the base child support obligation and the proportional share of health insurance costs, fixed medical costs, transportation expenses, and annualized child care costs.  Current child support does not include cash medical support.

     "Custodial person" or "custodian" means the person who has primary physical custody of the child(ren).

     "Delinquency" means any payment under an order for support which becomes due and remains unpaid.  [12 O.S. §1170 and 56 O.S. § 237.7]

     "District office" means a child support services office operated by OKDHS or through contract or agreement with OKDHS to serve a specific area of the state.

     "Family violence" means domestic abuse or child abuse, including physical or emotional harm.

     "Fixed medical" means fixed periodic payments for ongoing medical costs not paid or reimbursed by insurance, or included in a cash medical support order.

     "Full-service case" means a child support case for which OCSS provides all appropriate IV-D services as described in OAC 340:25-1-1.2.

     "Health insurance" means insurance coverage that provides routine and major medical expenses, including but not limited to: preventive care, office visits, hospitalization, and medication coverage, that may be provided through a fee for service, health maintenance organization, or preferred provider organization, or other private or public organization, other than SoonerCare (Medicaid).

     "High-volume administrative enforcement cases in interstate actions" means, on request of another state, the identification by a state, through automated data matches with financial institutions and other entities where assets may be found, of assets owned by persons who owe child support in other states, and the seizure of such assets by the state through levy or other appropriate processes.  [42 U.S.C. § 666]

     "Income assignment" means an assignment, by operation of law or by court or administrative order, of a portion of the monies, income, or periodic earnings due and owing by the noncustodial parent to the person entitled to the support or to another person designated by the support order or assignment.  An income assignment may be for payment of current support, arrearages, or both.  The terms "income assignment" and "income withholding" may be used interchangeably.  [12 O.S. §1170 and 56 O.S. § 237.7]

     "Interstate case" means a case in which at least one party resides in another state or country, or a support order was entered in another state or country.

     "Intrastate case" means a case existing or occurring within the boundaries of a single state.

     "IV-A" means Title IV, Part A, of the Social Security Act, codified in Part A of Subchapter IV of Chapter 7 of Title 42 of the United States Code, covering the federal‑state Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program.

     "IV-B" means Title IV, Part B, of the Social Security Act, codified in Part B of Subchapter IV of Chapter 7 of Title 42 of the United States Code, covering child welfare services.

     "IV-D" means Title IV, Part D, of the Social Security Act, codified in Part D of Subchapter IV of Chapter 7 of Title 42 of the United States Code, generally relating to child support.

     "IV-D case" means a child support case receiving IV-D services.

     "IV-D programs and services" means programs and services under Title IV, Part D, of the Social Security Act, codified in Part D of Subchapter IV of Chapter 7 of Title 42 of the United States Code.

     "IV-E" means Title IV, Part E, of the Social Security Act, codified in Part E of Subchapter IV of Chapter 7 of Title 42 of the United States Code, covering foster care.

     "IV-E foster care" means federal and state funded placement of a child(ren) removed from a home whose family members meet the eligibility criteria for federal participation for IV-E foster care.

     "Medicaid" means medical assistance provided under a state plan approved under Title XIX of the Social Security Act, codified in Subchapter XIX of Chapter 7 of Title 42 of the United States Code including SoonerCare, State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP), and Insure Oklahoma.  In Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) provides Medicaid services for eligible adults and children.

     "Medical enforcement only case" or "MEO case" means a child support case for which OCSS provides only IV-D services related to securing and enforcing medical support to non-TANF SoonerCare (Medicaid) recipients.

     "Medical support" means health insurance, alternative health coverage, cash medical support, or a combination of these for the benefit of a minor child(ren).

     "Member of military service" or "servicemember" means any member of the uniformed service on active duty, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.  Also included are members of the National Guard called to active service, certain members of the Public Health Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, members of the Reserves when ordered to report for active military duty, and United States citizens serving with the military of other countries if their service is similar to military service.  [50A U.S.C. §§ 511, 514, and 516]  A servicemember may be a noncustodial parent or a custodial person.

     "Non-cash support" means support provided to a family in the nature of goods or services, rather than in cash, but which has a certain and specific dollar value.

     "Noncustodial parent" means a parent who does not have primary physical custody of the child(ren).

     "Non-IV-D case" means a private child support case not receiving IV-D services.

     "Non-IV-E foster care" means state funded placement of a child(ren) removed from a home where the child(ren) does not meet federal IV-E participation requirements.

    "Non-TANF SoonerCare (Medicaid)" means a case in which a parent or custodial person receives Title XIX Medicaid services for the minor child(ren).

     "Notice of Income Assignment" means the tool used to affect the income withholding process.  This document is used to notify employers and other withholders to deduct child support payments from noncustodial parents' income and to send the payments to Oklahoma's Centralized Support Registry for distribution.  The terms "income withholding" and "income assignment" may be used interchangeably.

     "OAH" means the OKDHS Legal Division Office of Administrative Hearings: Child Support, which employs and assigns administrative law judges to conduct child support administrative hearings.

     "Obligee" or "person entitled" means:

(A) a person to whom a support debt or support obligation is owed;

(B) the Department of Human Services or a public agency of another state that has the right to receive current or accrued support payments or that is providing support enforcement services; or

(C) a person designated in a support order or as otherwise specified by the court.  [56 O.S. § 237.7]

     "Obligor" means the person who is required to make payments under an order for support.  [12 O.S. §1170 and 56 O.S. § 237.7]

     "OCSS" means Oklahoma Child Support Services.  OCSS includes a central state office, district offices, and other offices that may be administered through contract or cooperative agreements with district attorneys, Community Action Program (CAP) agencies, and others.  OCSS includes all of these offices and their employees and agents.  OCSS is formerly known as the Child Support Enforcement Division of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.

     "Offset" means an amount of money intercepted from a noncustodial parent's state or federal tax refund, or from an administrative payment such as federal retirement benefits, to satisfy a child support debt.

     "OKDHS" means the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.  OKDHS is the state agency designated to administer the child support program for the State of Oklahoma.

     "Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA)" means the Oklahoma agency that administers the Medicaid and SoonerCare programs for adults and children who meet eligibility requirements.  OHCA operates under the authority of Title XIX of the Social Security Act and Sections 5003, et seq. of Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

     "Overpayment" means a payment to a custodial person, noncustodial parent, or other entity by OCSS to which the entity or person is not entitled.

     "Participant in a case" means a child, parent or alleged father, or custodial person associated with a child support services case.

     "Past support" means past-due support or support for a prior period.  Refer to the definition for "arrears" in this Section.

     "Payment plan" includes, but is not limited to, a plan approved by the court or the support enforcement entity that provides sufficient security to ensure compliance with a support order or that incorporates voluntary or involuntary income assignment or a similar plan for periodic payment of past-due support and, if applicable, current and future support.  [43 O.S. § 139.1 and 56 O.S. § 237.7]  A payment plan is intended to incrementally reduce arrears.

     "Payor" means any person or entity paying monies, income, or earnings to an obligor.  In the case of a self-employed person, the "payor" and "obligor" may be the same person.  [12 O.S. §1170 and 56 O.S. § 237.7]

     "Presumed father" means a man who, by operation of law under Section 7700-204 of Title 10 of the Oklahoma Statutes, is recognized as the father of a child until that status is rebutted or confirmed in a judicial proceeding.  [10 O.S. § 7700-102]

     "Social Security Act" means Public Law 74-271, approved August 14, 1935, as currently in effect.

     "State's attorney" means a lawyer employed in the child support program to represent the state in rendering services pursuant to the Social Security Act, codified in Part D of Subchapter IV of Chapter 7 of Title 42 of the United States Code.

     "Support" means all payments or other obligations due and owing to the custodial person or person entitled by the noncustodial parent under a support order, and may include, but is not limited to, child support, medical insurance or other health benefit plan premiums or payments, child care obligations, support alimony payments, and other obligations as specified in Sections 118A through 119 of Title 43 of the Oklahoma Statutes.  [56 O.S. § 237.7]

     "Support for a prior period" means the amount of child support ordered under the child support guidelines in Sections 118 through 119 of Title 43 of the Oklahoma Statutes in paternity orders and in TANF notice of support debt orders for past months when no child support order was in effect.   

     "Support order" means a judgment, decree, order or directive, whether temporary, final, or subject to modification, issued by a tribunal for the benefit of a child, a spouse, or a former spouse, which provides for monetary support, health care, arrearages, or reimbursement, and may include related costs and fees, interest, income withholding, attorney's fees, and other relief.  [43 O.S. § 601-101]

     "TANF" means Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.  TANF replaces Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC).

     "Tribunal" means a court or administrative agency authorized to establish, enforce, or modify support orders, or determine parentage.  [43 O.S. § 601-101]

     "UIFSA" means the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act.  In Oklahoma, UIFSA is codified at Sections 601-100 through 601-901 of Title 43 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

     "Unreimbursed public assistance" means money paid as cash assistance from IV-A and IV-E programs that has not been recovered.

     "UPA" means the Uniform Parentage Act.  In Oklahoma, the UPA is codified in Sections 7700-101 through 7700-902 of Title 10 of the Oklahoma Statutes.