(a)  The department of human services is authorized and directed to operate a statewide child support enforcement program. The department shall be responsible for activities assigned to it by law, including, but not limited to, establishing paternity, establishing, enforcing, modifying child support and medical orders, and the collection and distribution of payments of child and medical support, pursuant to IV-D of the Social Security Act, 42 USC § 651 et seq., titles 15 and 40 of the Rhode Island general laws and other applicable state and federal child support laws and regulations.

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(b)  The department is authorized to provide by rule for the payment of child support and/or medical support received from any in-state, or interstate employers, making income withholdings, and from collections received from other state collection and disbursement units and foreign jurisdictions, by electronic funds transfer (EFT) when the child support and/or medical support is required to be paid in connection with a court or administrative order for support to the state’s central collection and disbursement unit. The department may promulgate any regulations necessary to implement this section including regulations that specify the form, frequency, and content of electronic funds transfer messages and electronic data information in order to insure the proper receipt and crediting of the child support and/or medical support payments. The department and the tax administrator, division of taxation, department of administration, are authorized to enter into cooperative agreements to facilitate and coordinate the electronic funds transfer, receipt and crediting of child support and/or medical support payments, in furtherance of their respective duties and functions under this section and § 44-1-31.