Section 8A.504. Setoff procedures.

  1.  Definitions.  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:

  a.  “Collection entity” means the department of administrative services and any other public agency that maintains a separate accounting system and elects to establish a debt collection setoff procedure for collection of debts owed to the public agency.

  b.  “Person” does not include a public agency.

  c.   “Public agency” means a board, commission, department, including the department of administrative services, or other administrative office or unit of the state of Iowa or any other state entity reported in the Iowa comprehensive annual financial report, or a political subdivision of the state, or an office or unit of a political subdivision.  “Public agency” does include the clerk of the district court as it relates to the collection of a qualifying debt.  “Public agency” does not include the general assembly or the governor.

  d.  “Qualifying debt” includes, but is not limited to, the following:

  (1)  Any debt, which is assigned to the department of human services, or which is owed to the department of human services for unpaid premiums under section 249A.3, subsection 2, paragraph “a”, subparagraph (1), or which the child support recovery unit is otherwise attempting to collect, or which the foster care recovery unit of the department of human services is attempting to collect on behalf of a child receiving foster care provided by the department of human services.

  (2)  An amount that is due because of a default on a loan under chapter 261.

  (3)  Any debt which is in the form of a liquidated sum due, owing, and payable to the clerk of the district court.

  2.  Setoff procedure.  The collection entity shall establish and maintain a procedure to set off against any claim owed to a person by a public agency any liability of that person owed to a public agency, a support debt being enforced by the child support recovery unit pursuant to chapter 252B, or such other qualifying debt. The procedure shall only apply when at the discretion of the director it is feasible. The procedure shall meet the following conditions:

  a.  Before setoff, a person’s liability to a public agency and the person’s claim on a public agency shall be in the form of a liquidated sum due, owing, and payable.

  b.  Before setoff, the public agency shall obtain and forward to the collection entity the full name and social security number of the person liable to the public agency or to whom a claim is owing who is a natural person. If the person is not a natural person, before setoff, the public agency shall forward to the collection entity the information concerning the person as the collection entity shall, by rule, require. The collection entity shall cooperate with other public agencies in the exchange of information relevant to the identification of persons liable to or claimants of public agencies. However, the collection entity shall provide only relevant information required by a public agency. The information shall be held in confidence and used for the purpose of setoff only. Section 422.72, subsection 1, does not apply to this paragraph.

  c.  Before setoff, a public agency shall, at least annually, submit to the collection entity the information required by paragraph “b” along with the amount of each person’s liability to and the amount of each claim on the public agency. The collection entity may, by rule, require more frequent submissions.

  d.  Before setoff, the amount of a person’s claim on a public agency and the amount of a person’s liability to a public agency shall constitute a minimum amount set by rule of the collection entity.

  e.  Upon submission of an allegation of liability by a public agency, the collection entity shall notify the public agency whether the person allegedly liable is entitled to payment from a public agency, and, if so entitled, shall notify the public agency of the amount of the person’s entitlement and of the person’s last address known to the collection entity. Section 422.72, subsection 1, does not apply to this paragraph.

  f.  (1)  Upon notice of entitlement to a payment, the public agency shall send written notification to that person of the public agency’s assertion of its rights to all or a portion of the payment and of the public agency’s entitlement to recover the liability through the setoff procedure, the basis of the assertion, the opportunity to request that a jointly or commonly owned right to payment be divided among owners, and the person’s opportunity to give written notice of intent to contest the amount of the allegation. A public agency shall provide the person with an opportunity to contest the liability. A public agency subject to chapter 17A shall give notice, conduct hearings, and allow appeals in conformity with chapter 17A.

  (2)  However, upon submission of an allegation of the liability of a person which is owing and payable to the clerk of the district court and upon the determination by the collection entity that the person allegedly liable is entitled to payment from a public agency, the collection entity shall send written notification to the person which states the assertion by the clerk of the district court of rights to all or a portion of the payment, the clerk’s entitlement to recover the liability through the setoff procedure, the basis of the assertions, the person’s opportunity to request within fifteen days of the mailing of the notice that the collection entity divide a jointly or commonly owned right to payment between owners, the opportunity to contest the liability to the clerk by written application to the clerk within fifteen days of the mailing of the notice, and the person’s opportunity to contest the collection entity’s setoff procedure.

  g.  Upon the timely request of a person liable to a public agency or of the spouse of that person and upon receipt of the full name and social security number of the person’s spouse, a public agency shall notify the collection entity of the request to divide a jointly or commonly owned right to payment. Any jointly or commonly owned right to payment is rebuttably presumed to be owned in equal portions by its joint or common owners.

  h.  The collection entity shall, after the public agency has sent notice to the person liable or, if the liability is owing and payable to the clerk of the district court, the collection entity has sent notice to the person liable, set off the amount owed to the agency against any amount which a public agency owes that person. The collection entity shall refund any balance of the amount to the person. The collection entity shall periodically transfer amounts set off to the public agencies entitled to them. If a person liable to a public agency gives written notice of intent to contest an allegation, a public agency shall hold a refund or rebate until final disposition of the allegation. Upon completion of the setoff, a public agency shall notify in writing the person who was liable or, if the liability is owing and payable to the clerk of the district court, shall comply with the procedures as provided in paragraph “j”.

  i.  The department of revenue’s existing right to credit against tax due or to become due under section 422.73 is not to be impaired by a right granted to or a duty imposed upon the collection entity or other public agency by this section. This section is not intended to impose upon the collection entity or the department of revenue any additional requirement of notice, hearing, or appeal concerning the right to credit against tax due under section 422.73.

  j.  If the alleged liability is owing and payable to the clerk of the district court and setoff as provided in this section is sought, all of the following shall apply:

  (1)  The judicial branch shall prescribe procedures to permit a person to contest the amount of the person’s liability to the clerk of the district court.

  (2)  The collection entity shall, except for the procedures described in subparagraph (1), prescribe any other applicable procedures concerning setoff as provided in this subsection.

  (3)  Upon completion of the setoff, the collection entity shall file, at least monthly, with the clerk of the district court a notice of satisfaction of each obligation to the full extent of all moneys collected in satisfaction of the obligation. The clerk shall record the notice and enter a satisfaction for the amounts collected and a separate written notice is not required.

  k.  If the alleged liability is owing and payable to a community college and setoff pursuant to this section is sought, both of the following shall apply:

  (1)  In addition to satisfying other applicable setoff procedures established under this subsection, the community college shall prescribe procedures to permit a person to contest the amount of the person’s liability to the community college. Such procedures shall be consistent with and ensure the protection of the person’s right of due process under Iowa law.

  (2)  The collection entity shall, except for the procedures prescribed pursuant to subparagraph (1), prescribe any other applicable procedures concerning setoff as provided in this subsection.

  3.  In the case of multiple claims to payments filed under this section, priority shall be given to claims filed by the child support recovery unit or the foster care recovery unit, next priority shall be given to claims filed by the clerk of the district court, next priority shall be given to claims filed by the college student aid commission, next priority shall be given to claims filed by the investigations division of the department of inspections and appeals, and last priority shall be given to claims filed by other public agencies. In the case of multiple claims in which the priority is not otherwise provided by this subsection, priority shall be determined in accordance with rules to be established by the director.

  4.  The director shall have the authority to enter into reciprocal agreements with the departments of revenue of other states that have enacted legislation that is substantially equivalent to the setoff procedure provided in this section for the recovery of an amount due because of a default on a loan under chapter 261. A reciprocal agreement shall also be approved by the college student aid commission. The agreement shall authorize the department to provide by rule for the setoff of state income tax refunds or rebates of defaulters from states with which Iowa has a reciprocal agreement and to provide for sending lists of names of Iowa defaulters to the states with which Iowa has a reciprocal agreement for setoff of that state’s income tax refunds.

  5.  Under substantive rules established by the director, the department shall seek reimbursement from other public agencies to recover its costs for setting off liabilities.

2003 Acts, ch 145, §86, 286

; 2006 Acts, ch 1072, §4

; 2008 Acts, ch 1032, §201

; 2010 Acts, ch 1146, §1

; 2010 Acts, ch 1182, §2, 36

; 2011 Acts, ch 120, §1

; 2013 Acts, ch 138, §113, 127

; 2014 Acts, ch 1036, §10, 11

; 2014 Acts, ch 1061, §1, 2

; 2015 Acts, ch 30, §2

Subsection 2, paragraph b amended