§ 19-11-24.Conformity with federal law intended; adoption of necessary regulations authorized
Chapter 11. Enforcement of Duty of Support · Article 1. Child Support Recovery Act · Last amended 1973 · Last verified October 9, 2026
Full Text of § 19-11-24
Plain-English Summary
Georgia’s child support program operates under federal rules and depends on federal funds. Title IV-D of the federal Social Security Act sets the conditions for state child support enforcement programs, and many sections in this article track those conditions closely. This section states the legislature’s intent about that relationship in two sentences.
The first is a statement of purpose: nothing in the article is intended to conflict with any federal law or to result in the loss of federal funds. Readers of the article can keep that purpose in mind when a provision is unclear. The second is a grant of power: the Department of Human Services may adopt regulations necessary to prevent a conflict with federal law or a loss of federal funds. The power is permissive and limited to that goal; it doesn’t authorize rules for other purposes.
Other sections in the article show the same approach. Section 19-11-21 ties payment distribution to the federal Social Security Act, § 19-11-25 releases credit information in accordance with a federal statute, and § 19-11-27 gives the department separate authority to adopt rules for the medical support provisions that affect IV-D cases. This section dates to the original 1973 Act and has not been amended.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Georgia’s child support law keep mentioning federal law?
Because the program is built to comply with it. This section declares that nothing in the Child Support Recovery Act is intended to conflict with federal law or to cause the loss of federal funds. Many sections refer to Title IV-D of the federal Social Security Act, which sets conditions for state child support enforcement programs, and this section confirms the legislature meant the article to fit within them.
Can the Department of Human Services make its own child support rules?
Yes, within limits. This section lets the department adopt regulations necessary to prevent a conflict with federal law or the loss of federal funds. Other sections grant separate rulemaking power for particular tasks, such as § 19-11-27, which authorizes rules to implement the medical support enforcement provisions that affect IV-D cases.
What happens if a Georgia child support law conflicts with federal law?
This section states the legislature’s intent that no conflict exist and lets the department adopt regulations to prevent one. It doesn’t spell out what a court must do if a conflict arises anyway; that question turns on broader legal principles this section doesn’t address. The section’s role is to express purpose and give the department a tool to keep state practice in step.
What does IV-D mean in Georgia child support?
It refers to Title IV-D of the federal Social Security Act, as § 19-11-3 defines the term. That part of federal law governs state child support enforcement programs. A “IV-D case” is one handled by the state’s child support enforcement program, and this section aims to keep Georgia’s article consistent with those federal requirements.
Does this section give parents any rights in a child support case?
Not directly. It speaks to the article’s purpose and to the department’s power to adopt regulations that prevent conflict with federal law or loss of federal funds. A parent’s rights in a case come from other sections, such as the hearing rights in § 19-11-15 and § 19-11-17 and the review rights in § 19-11-18.
Amendment History
Laws 1973, p. 192, § 19.