AG Racine Leads Coalition of 11 Attorneys General in Fight for States' Power to Enact Public Health Policies That Will Protect Their Residents From Opioid Overdose Deaths

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Attorney General Karl A. Racine led a coalition of 11 attorneys general in a friend-of-the-court brief urging the Supreme Court to hear a case supporting states’ rights to enact public health policies that can prevent opioid overdose deaths and treat those suffering from opioid use disorder.

AG Racine and Zillow Partner to Target Discriminatory Online Housing Listings

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Attorney General Karl A. Racine today announced Zillow, an online real estate and rental marketplace company, is working with the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to prevent discriminatory housing advertisements from appearing on its platforms. Under District law, it is illegal for landlords to discriminate against people who rely on housing assistance, including vouchers, to pay for all or part of their rent.

AG Schwalb Compels Owners of District Apartment Complexes – Including Foster House and Marbury Plaza – to Remedy Housing Conditions

WASHINGTON, DC – Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today announced successful outcomes in three separate cases against the owners of four residential properties in the District – Foster House, Marbury Plaza, Garfield Court Apartments, and Concorde Gardens – each of whom failed to comply with previous court orders to remedy numerous housing code violations that threatened the health, safety, and security of thousands of District tenants.

Employers

The Role of Employers in Child Support

Employers play a critical role in ensuring that the proper financial and medical support reaches children.  The following areas represent important ways that employers participate in the child support process.

Important Information for Employers

Wage (Income) Withholding Orders

CSSD is required to issue an Order/Notice to Withhold in every case in which there is a child support order and there is a known employer for the parent who is ordered to pay support. An employer will be notified of the need to withhold a portion of a parent's wages in each of the following situations:

  • Within 2 days of the entry of a new support order or an order modification, if the employer is already known by CSSD
  • When the paying parent changes employment and the new employer’s address becomes known
  • If applicable, when the paying parent is located and an employer for that parent becomes known

Employers are required by law to follow these instructions to implement wage withholding orders from child support agencies. More information about wage withholding is available to employers.

Making Payments

Employers may submit child support payments electronically through the CSSD secure website.  Employers may consult the User Guide for Electronic Child Support Payments for information regarding the formats and procedures for sending payments electronically.

Employers also can send child support payments through the mail as follows:

  • Make each money order or check payable to the “District of Columbia (DC) Child Support Clearinghouse.”
  • Type, write clearly, or print all information.
  • Put the employee’s name, case number, and Social Security number on each money order or check.
  • Mail each employer-submitted payment to:

         DC Child Support Clearinghouse
         PO Box 37868
         Washington, DC 20013-7868

National Medical Support Notice (NMSN)

As of October 1, 2001, use of the National Medical Support Notice (NMSN) went into effect. The NMSN is a standardized federal form that all state child support agencies must use in meeting medical support requirements. The form was developed with input from employer groups and health plan administrators. Of additional interest to employers, the NMSN complies with section 609(a)(3) and (4) of ERISA, which pertains to informational requirements and restrictions against requiring new types or forms of employer-provided benefits. Instructions are available for employers that receive a NMSN.

DC New Hire Reporting

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) requires all employers to report newly hired and re-hired employees to a state directory within 20 days of each employee's hire or re-hire date. Employers are to report DC employees to the District of Columbia Directory of New Hires, using the contact information below:

District of Columbia Directory of New Hires

P.O. Box 366
Holbrook, MA 02343
Phone: (877) 846-9523 Ext. 300
Email: contact@dc-newhire.com

Website: https://dcnewhire.com/                                                                                                                 

Additional information is available for employers regarding the reporting of new hires.

Child Support and Employers

Employers collaborate with the #ChildSupport program to ensure children get the support they need.

Learn more about the employer role nationwide:  https://bit.ly/3nvJi06  #Support4Families

AG Racine Joins Coalition Suing Department of Education Over Failure to Enforce Rule Protecting Students at For-Profit Schools

WASHINGTON D.C. – Attorney General Karl A. Racine today joined a coalition of 16 states, led by Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh and Pennsylvania Attorney General Joshua Shapiro, in suing the United States Department of Education (DOE) and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos for refusing to enforce the Gainful Employment Rule, a federal regulation designed to protect students from predatory for-profit schools.

Notice of Intent to Award Sole Source

In keeping with the District of Columbia’s commitment to transparency in contracting and increased competition, the Office of Attorney General now provides a Notice of Intent to Award Sole Source Contracts. All notices are posted for ten (10) days prior to the award of a sole source contract. If you believe that an intended sole source award noted below is not justified, please provide your response to the email address for the point of contact for that proposed award by the response due date. 

Attorney General Racine Intervenes in Lawsuit to Defend Federal Energy Efficiency Standards for Light Bulbs

WASHINGTON, D. C. – Attorney General Karl A. Racine announced today that he had joined California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, along with five other state attorneys general and a California state agency, in a motion to intervene in a lawsuit to defend federal light bulb regulations that protect the environment. In March, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) challenging energy efficiency regulations for light bulbs.

Attorney General Racine Opposes Trump Administration’s Proposal to Dramatically Increase Entrance Fees at National Parks

WASHINGTON, D. C. – Joining a bipartisan coalition of 11 attorneys general, Attorney General Racine today expressed his strong opposition to the National Park Service’s (NPS) proposal to dramatically increase entrance fees at 17 national parks. Under the proposal, the per vehicle entrance fee during the five-month peak season would increase to $70 from $25 or $30. Motorcycle, bicycle and pedestrian entrance fees would also increase by double or more.