2012 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 46b - Family Law
Chapter 816 - Support
Section 46b-212a - Definitions.

As used in sections 46b-212 to 46b-213w, inclusive:

(1) “Child” means an individual, whether over or 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.

(2) “Child support order” means a support order for a child, including a child who has attained the age of majority under the law of the issuing state.

(3) “Duty of support” means an obligation imposed or imposable by law to provide support for a child, spouse or former spouse, including an unsatisfied obligation to provide support.

(4) “Governor” means an individual performing the functions of Governor or the executive authority of a state covered by sections 46b-212 to 46b-213w, inclusive.

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

(6) “Income” includes earnings or other periodic entitlements to money from any source and any other property subject to withholding for support under the laws of this state.

(7) “Income withholding order” means an order or other legal process directed to an obligor’s employer, as defined in section 52-362, to withhold support from the income of the obligor.

(8) “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 46b-212 to 46b-213w, inclusive, or a law or procedure substantially similar to said sections.

(9) “Initiating tribunal” means the authorized tribunal in an initiating state.

(10) “Issuing state” means the state in which a tribunal issues a support order or renders a judgment determining paternity.

(11) “Issuing tribunal” means the tribunal that issues a support order or renders a judgment determining paternity.

(12) “Law” includes decisional and statutory law and rules and regulations having the force of law.

(13) “Obligee” means: (A) 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 paternity has been rendered; (B) 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; or (C) an individual seeking a judgment determining paternity of the individual’s child.

(14) “Obligor” means an individual, or the estate of a decedent: (A) Who owes or is alleged to owe a duty of support; (B) who is alleged but has not been adjudicated to be a parent of a child; or (C) who is liable under a support order.

(15) “Person” means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, government, governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality, public corporation, or any other legal or commercial entity.

(16) “Record” means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form.

(17) “Register” means to file a support order or judgment determining paternity in the registry of support orders of the Family Support Magistrate Division of the Superior Court. Such a support order or judgment shall be filed by delivery of the order or judgment for filing to Support Enforcement Services of the Superior Court which shall maintain the registry on behalf of the Family Support Magistrate Division.

(18) “Registering tribunal” means a tribunal in which a support order is registered.

(19) “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 46b-212 to 46b-213w, inclusive, or a law or procedure substantially similar to said sections.

(20) “Responding tribunal” means the authorized tribunal in a responding state.

(21) “Spousal support order” means a support order for a spouse or former spouse of the obligor.

(22) “State” means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. “State” includes: (A) An Indian tribe, and (B) a foreign country or political subdivision that: (i) Has been declared to be a foreign reciprocating country or political subdivision under federal law; (ii) has established a reciprocal arrangement for child support with this state; or (iii) has enacted a law or established procedures for issuance and enforcement of support orders which are substantially similar to the procedure under sections 46b-212 to 46b-213w, inclusive.

(23) “Support enforcement agency” means a public official or agency authorized to seek: (A) Enforcement of support orders or laws relating to the duty of support; (B) establishment or modification of child support; (C) determination of paternity; (D) the location of obligors or their assets; or (E) determination of the controlling child support order.

(24) “Support order” means a judgment, decree, order or directive whether temporary, final or subject to modification, issued by a tribunal for the benefit of a child, a spouse or a former spouse, which provides for monetary support, health care, arrearages or reimbursement, and may include related costs and fees, interest, income withholding, attorney’s fees and other relief.

(25) “Tribunal” means a court, administrative agency or quasi-judicial entity authorized to establish, enforce or modify support orders or to determine paternity.

(June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-1, S. 2, 75; P.A. 01-91, S. 8; P.A. 03-19, S. 109; P.A. 07-247, S. 15.)

History: June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-1 effective January 1, 1998; P.A. 01-91 changed “the Support Enforcement Division” to “Support Enforcement Services” in Subdiv. (15); P.A. 03-19 made a technical change in Subdiv. (4), effective May 12, 2003; P.A. 07-247 defined “person” and “record”, replaced references to Sec. 46b-213v with references to 46b-213w, deleted references to “the Uniform Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Act or the Revised Uniform Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Act”, redefined “initiating state” to include a state “in which a proceeding is filed for forwarding in a responding state”, redefined “responding state” to include a state to which a proceeding is forwarded for filing “from an initiating state”, redefined “state” by changing foreign jurisdiction to foreign country or political subdivision, redefined “support enforcement agency” to include “determination of the controlling child support order” as a prescribed duty, redefined “support order” to insert “or directive” and “issued by a tribunal” and made technical changes, effective January 1, 2008.

Support enforcement services constitute a support enforcement agency. 286 C. 291.