§ 19-11-127.Authority of Attorney General
Chapter 11. Enforcement of Duty of Support · Article 3. Uniform Interstate Family Support Act · Part 3. Civil Provisions · Last amended 2013 · Last verified October 9, 2026
Full Text of § 19-11-127
Plain-English Summary
Georgia’s version of the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA) makes the Department of Human Services the state’s support enforcement agency (§ 19-11-102). Under § 19-11-126, that agency must, on request, provide services to a petitioner in an interstate case: taking the steps needed to get jurisdiction over the other side, asking a tribunal to set a hearing, gathering information about income and property, and passing along notices and letters. This section is the backstop. If the Attorney General determines that the agency is neglecting or refusing to provide those services to a person, the Attorney General may provide them directly.
Both halves of that rule matter. The Attorney General must first make the determination of neglect or refusal, and even then the statute says “may,” not “shall.” Whether to step in is the Attorney General’s call.
Subsection (b) looks abroad. The Attorney General may determine that a foreign country has established a reciprocal arrangement for child support with Georgia, and may take appropriate action to give notice of that determination. The determination has real effect. Under the definition of “foreign country” in § 19-11-101, a country with a reciprocal arrangement under this section is one of four kinds of countries whose support orders the act covers. The others are countries the United States has declared foreign reciprocating countries, countries whose support laws or procedures are substantially similar to Georgia’s, and countries where the Hague child support convention is in force for the United States. The section was last amended in 2013.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I do if Georgia’s child support agency won’t help with my out-of-state case?
This section offers one path. If the Attorney General determines that the support enforcement agency is neglecting or refusing to provide services to you under Georgia’s interstate support law, the Attorney General may provide those services directly. That is a discretionary power, not a right to demand them. You may also hire a private lawyer for any proceeding under the act, as § 19-11-128 confirms.
Is the Attorney General required to take over my interstate support case?
No. The section says the Attorney General “may” provide services directly, and only after determining that the agency is neglecting or refusing to provide them. Both the determination and the decision to act belong to the Attorney General. Nothing in the section gives a parent a right to insist on direct help.
What services is the child support agency supposed to give in an interstate case?
Section 19-11-126 lists them. On request, the agency must provide services to a petitioner, including taking all steps needed so a tribunal can get jurisdiction over the respondent, asking a tribunal to set a hearing, making a reasonable effort to gather information about income and property, and passing along tribunal notices and the respondent’s communications within five days, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays. It must also tell the petitioner if jurisdiction can’t be obtained. Those are the services the Attorney General can step in to provide.
Does Georgia enforce child support orders from other countries?
It can. The act covers support orders from a “foreign country” as defined in § 19-11-101. One way a country qualifies is by having a reciprocal arrangement for child support with Georgia, which the Attorney General may determine under this section. Countries also qualify if the United States has declared them foreign reciprocating countries, if their support procedures are substantially similar to Georgia’s, or if the Hague child support convention is in force between them and the United States.
Who decides whether a foreign country has a child support arrangement with Georgia?
The Attorney General. Under subsection (b), the Attorney General may determine that a foreign country has established a reciprocal arrangement for child support with Georgia and take appropriate action to give notice of that determination. Once made, the determination brings that country within the act’s definition of “foreign country” in § 19-11-101, so its support orders can be handled under Georgia’s interstate support law.
Amendment History
Laws 1997, p. 1613, § 33; Laws 2009, Act 102, § 2-2, eff. July 1, 2009; Laws 2013, Act 224, § 1, eff. July 1, 2013.