Opinion ID: 1709616
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Release of information to credit reporting agencies.

Text: The CSRU has a duty under federal law to disclose information concerning child support debts to credit reporting agencies. See 42 U.S.C. § 666(a)(7); 45 C.F.R. § 303.105. To comply with this duty, the Iowa Department of Human Services has implemented regulations setting forth the procedure to follow in disclosing such information. See Iowa Admin.Code r. 441-95.12(1). IAC rule 441-95.12 states: (1) The bureau chief shall make information available to consumer reporting agencies, upon their request, regarding the amount of overdue support owed by a responsible person only in cases where the overdue support exceeds $1000. Subsections (2) and (3) of IAC rule 44-95.12 set forth the provisions concerning notice requirements and an opportunity to challenge the proposed release of information: (2) A notice of proposed release of information shall be sent to the last known address of the responsible person 30 calendar days prior to the release of the support arrearage information to a consumer reporting agency. This notice shall explain the information to be released and the methods available for contesting the accuracy of the information. (3) The responsible person may, within 15 days of the date of the notice of proposed release of information, request a conference with the child support recovery officer to contest the accuracy of the information to be given to the consumer reporting agency. In contested cases no referral shall be made to the consumer reporting agency until after the amount of overdue support has been confirmed to exceed $1000. (Emphasis added.) Subsections (2) and (3) track the federal law's requirement that the state child support enforcement agency comply with all state procedural due process requirements before releasing the obligor's debt information to the consumer reporting agencies. See 42 U.S.C. § 666(a)(7); 45 C.F.R. § 303.105(d). The administrative record shows that the CSRU informed Hurd in May 1995 that his overdue child support payments exceeded $1000. At the August 1995 conference, Hurd presented no evidence under the applicable statutes showing this amount to be incorrect. As stated above, Hurd only receives credit for payments he made to the Ida County clerk of court or the collection services center. Since Hurd has presented no evidence that he has made all child support payments that are due to the Ida County clerk of court, he clearly owes more than $1000 in child support. [4] This fact alone gave the CSRU sufficient basis to release information concerning Hurd's child support debt to credit reporting agencies. The district court therefore properly upheld the action of the CSRU and dismissed Hurd's petition for judicial review.