§38-10-9. Investigations by department as to location of parents and ability of parents to furnish child support; authority to notify parent of support duty; falsification of report as to parent's income, etc.; citation to require in-court testimony; employer's duty to provide certain information.

(a) The department is authorized and empowered to conduct investigations to determine the location of parents and putative parents alleged or known to owe child support.

(b) The department is authorized and empowered to conduct investigations to determine the location, income, and assets including real or personal property or income producing property of parents alleged or known to have a child support obligation.

(c) The department is authorized and empowered to notify a parent of his legal duty to provide support and to require information concerning his financial status in order to determine whether or not he is financially able to provide support.

(d) Such notice may inform the parent that he may be liable for reimbursement of any support furnished as public assistance or aid prior to determination of his financial circumstances, as well as future and past support payments due and not paid by him.

(e) Any person who knowingly falsifies such parent's report of his income and resources and other matters bearing on his ability to provide support shall upon conviction be punished as for false swearing or perjury.

(f) If any parent shall refuse to provide the department with information as provide herein, or provides incomplete or false information, the department shall be authorized to petition the appropriate district or circuit court of this state requesting that the court issue a citation to the parent requiring said parent to appear before the court and submit to an oral examination, under oath, touching on the amount of his income and the nature, location, description and value of his assets. Should the parent, after being served with said citation, fail to appear before the court on the date and time stated in the court's citation, then the parent shall be subject to the contempt authority of the court.

(g) For purposes provided herein, private employers shall upon written request by the department, provide the department with the name, social security account number, address, date of birth, wages, unemployment and workers' compensation status, availability and coverage for medical insurance (including insurance coverage on dependents) and numbers of dependents listed for tax purposes, of any parent or putative parent.

(Acts 1979, No. 79-819, p. 1528, §9; Acts 1986, Ex. Sess., No. 86-709, p. 120, §8; Acts 1991, No. 91-660, p. 1263, §1.)