2013 Ohio Revised Code
Title [31] XXXI DOMESTIC RELATIONS - CHILDREN
Chapter 3115 - UNIFORM INTERSTATE FAMILY SUPPORT ACT.
Section 3115.01 - Uniform interstate family support act definitions.

As used in sections 3115.01 to 3115.59 of the Revised Code:

(A) "Child" means an individual under the age of majority, who is or is alleged to be owed a duty of support by the individual's parent or who is or is alleged to be the beneficiary of a support order directed to the parent.

(B) "Child support order" means an order for the support of a child that provides for monetary support, whether current or in arrears, health care, or reimbursements, and may include related costs and fees, interest, income withholding requirements, attorney fees, and other relief. "Child support order" includes:

(1) An order under which the child has attained the age of majority under the law of the issuing state and amounts for current support are required to be paid, or arrearages are owed, under the order;

(2) An order under which the child has attained the age of majority under the laws of this state but has not attained the age of majority under the laws of the issuing state and amounts for current support are required to be paid, or arrearages are owed, under the order.

(C) "Duty of support" means an obligation imposed or that may be imposed under law to provide support for a child, spouse, or former spouse, including an unsatisfied obligation to provide support.

(D) "Home state" means the state in which a child lived with a parent or a person acting as a parent for at least six consecutive months immediately preceding the time of filing of a complaint or comparable pleading for support and, if a child is less than six months old, the state in which the child lived from birth with any of them. A period of temporary absence of any of them is counted as part of the six-month or other period.

(E) "Income" includes earnings or other periodic entitlements to money from any source and any other property subject to withholding for support under the law of this state.

(F) "Income withholding order" means an order or other legal process directed to an obligor's payor to withhold support from the income of the obligor.

(G) "Initiating state" means a state from which a proceeding is forwarded or in which a proceeding is filed for forwarding to a responding state under sections 3115.01 to 3115.59 of the Revised Code or a law or procedure substantially similar to those sections, the uniform reciprocal enforcement of support act, or the revised uniform reciprocal enforcement of support act.

(H) "Initiating tribunal" means the authorized tribunal in an initiating state.

(I) "Issuing state" means the state in which a tribunal issues a support order or renders a judgment determining parentage.

(J) "Issuing tribunal" means the tribunal that issues a support order or renders a judgment determining the existence or nonexistence of a parent and child relationship.

(K) "Law" includes decisional and statutory law and rules and regulations having the force of law.

(L) "Obligee" means any of the following:

(1) An individual to whom a duty of support is or is alleged to be owed or in whose favor a support order has been issued or a judgment determining parentage has been rendered;

(2) A state or political subdivision to which the rights under a duty of support or support order have been assigned or which has independent claims based on financial assistance provided to an individual obligee;

(3) An individual seeking a judgment determining parentage of the individual's child.

(M) "Obligor" means an individual, or the estate of a decedent to which any of the following applies:

(1) The individual or estate owes or is alleged to owe a duty of support;

(2) The individual is alleged but has not been adjudicated to be a parent of a child;

(3) The individual or estate is liable under a support order.

(N) "Payor" has the same meaning as in section 3121.01 of the Revised Code.

(O) "Register" means to file a support order or judgment determining the existence or nonexistence of a parent and child relationship in a registering tribunal.

(P) "Registering tribunal" means a tribunal in which a support order is registered.

(Q) "Responding state" means a state in which a proceeding is filed or to which a proceeding is forwarded for filing from an initiating state under sections 3115.01 to 3115.59 of the Revised Code or a law or procedure substantially similar to those sections, the uniform reciprocal enforcement of support act, or the revised uniform reciprocal enforcement of support act.

(R) "Responding tribunal" means the authorized tribunal in a responding state.

(S) "Revised uniform reciprocal enforcement of support act" means the act addressing interstate enforcement of support orders adopted in 1968 by the national conference of commissioners on uniform state laws or any law substantially similar to the act adopted by another state.

(T) "Spousal support order" means an order for the support of a spouse or former spouse that provides for monetary support, whether current or in arrears, health care, or reimbursements, and may include related costs and fees, interest, income withholding requirements, attorney fees, and other relief.

(U) "State" has the same meaning as in section 1.59 of the Revised Code, except that it also includes both of the following:

(1) An Indian tribe;

(2) A foreign jurisdiction that has enacted a law or established procedures for issuance and enforcement of support orders that are substantially similar to the procedures under sections 3115.01 to 3115.59 of the Revised Code, the uniform reciprocal enforcement of support act, or the revised uniform reciprocal enforcement of support act.

(V) "Support enforcement agency" means a public official or agency authorized to do any of the following:

(1) Seek enforcement of support orders or laws relating to the duty of support;

(2) Seek establishment or modification of child support;

(3) Seek determination of the existence or nonexistence of a parent and child relationship;

(4) Locate obligors or their assets.

(W) "Support order" means a spousal support order or child support order.

(X) "Tribunal" means any trial court of record of this state and when the context requires, a court, administrative agency, or quasi-judicial entity of any other state authorized to establish, enforce, or modify support orders or to determine parentage.

(Y) "Uniform reciprocal enforcement of support act" means the act addressing interstate enforcement of support orders adopted in 1950 and amended in 1952 and 1958 by the national conference of commissioners on uniform state laws or any law substantially similar to the act adopted by another state.

Effective Date: 03-22-2001