§ 19-11-30.5.Failure of financial institution to comply
Chapter 11. Enforcement of Duty of Support · Article 1. Child Support Recovery Act · Last amended 2002 · Last verified October 9, 2026
Full Text of § 19-11-30.5
Plain-English Summary
Section 19-11-30.2 requires financial institutions to answer the Department of Human Services’ bank-match requests. This section supplies the consequence for one that doesn’t, and liability follows a set sequence. First, the institution fails, without reasonable cause as the department determines, to comply with the reporting requirements. Next, the department notifies it of the failure by certified mail or statutory overnight delivery, return receipt requested. Then, if the institution keeps failing to comply without reasonable cause for more than 15 business days after the notice was mailed, it is liable for a penalty of $1,000.00.
A separate penalty targets dishonesty. A financial institution that willfully provides false information in reply to the notification is also liable for a penalty of $1,000.00.
A few features stand out. The penalty is a fixed $1,000.00, not a ceiling. The institution has two chances to show reasonable cause: once for the original failure and again for the continued failure after notice. The 15-business-day clock runs from the date the department mails the notice, not the date the institution receives it. And the section doesn’t say how the department collects the penalty. It was last amended in 2002.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if a bank doesn’t respond to a Georgia child support bank match request?
It can owe a penalty of $1,000.00. Liability arises if the institution fails without reasonable cause to comply, the department notifies it of the failure by certified mail or statutory overnight delivery, return receipt requested, and the institution keeps failing to comply without reasonable cause for more than 15 business days after the notice is mailed.
How long does a bank have to fix a missed child support data match after notice?
Fifteen business days. The penalty applies only if the institution’s failure continues for more than 15 business days after the department mails its notice. The clock runs from the mailing date, not the date the institution receives the notice, and only failures without reasonable cause count.
Can a bank be penalized for giving false information to child support enforcement?
Yes. A financial institution that willfully provides false information in reply to the department’s notification is liable for a penalty of $1,000.00. The word “willfully” matters: the section targets knowing falsehoods, not honest mistakes, and it applies to replies to the notification of noncompliance.
Is there an excuse for a bank that misses a child support data match deadline?
Yes: reasonable cause, as determined by the department. The penalty applies only to an institution that fails without reasonable cause to comply and then continues to fail without reasonable cause after notice. The department decides whether the institution’s reason counts.
Is the bank match penalty per account or per request?
The section doesn’t say. It states that an institution meeting its conditions is liable for “a penalty of $1,000.00,” and separately for a penalty of $1,000.00 for willfully false information in reply to the notification. It doesn’t describe the penalty as running per account, per request or per day.
Amendment History
Laws 1997, p. 1613, § 30; Laws 2000, p. 1589, § 3; Laws 2002, p. 1247, § 13.