New Hire Directory

75-5742

State directory of new hires; collection, deletion, confidentiality and transmission of information.

1. The department of labor is hereby designated as the agency to collect the new hires information required by the personal responsibility and work opportunity act of 1996. The secretary of labor shall contract with the secretary for children and families to provide the information needed to be in compliance with the personal responsibility and work opportunity act of 1996.
2. The state directory of new hires shall receive, retain and, to the extent permitted by federal law, make information reported to the directory available pursuant to subsection (c).
3. Except as otherwise permitted by federal law, any agency receiving information from the state directory of new hires shall handle the information as confidential information for use in administering the programs for which it was received. The state directory of new hires shall make information available:
   • Upon implementation of the national directory of new hires, to the national directory;
   • And to the secretary for children and families for use in administering an eligibility verification system and, not later than May 1, 1998, the title IV-D program.
4. Any employer who reports electronically or magnetically and is required to report newly hired employees to more than one state may elect to transmit all such reports to one state by complying with the requirements of title IV-D.
5. Beginning July 1, 1999, the secretary of labor shall annually delete information about individuals contained in the new hires directory if the information is at least two years old. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as requiring the secretary of labor to delete information needed to administer the employment security or workers compensation programs.

75-5743

Same; duty to submit information.

1. All employers and labor organizations doing business in this state shall submit information concerning each new employee to the secretary of labor within 20 business days of the hiring, rehiring or return to work of the newly hired employee or within 20 business days from the date the newly hired employee first receives wages or other compensation from the employer. The information shall include the newly hired employee’s name, address, social security number and the date services for remuneration were first performed by the newly hired employee and the employer’s name, address, federal tax identification number and any other information as may be required by section 453A of the social security act, 42 U.S.C. § 653a.
2. For purposes of this section, the term “newly hired employee” means an employee who has not previously been employed by the employer, or was previously employed by the employer, but has been separated from such prior employment for at least 60 consecutive days.
3. The Kansas department for children and families shall have access to such information to match the employee’s social security number with title IV-D cases.

We need your help to communicate with employers who may be unaware of the benefits and requirements of New Hire Reporting. Do you:

• Belong to an Association or other Organizational Group with other employers?
• Network with other employers in similar industries?
• Provide professional advice to employers? (Accountants, Consultants, etc.)

If you answered yes, then we need your help! We would like to provide you with some tools such as flyers, forms, or public speakers to help spread the message about New Hire Reporting. To order any of the those tools, let us know how you can help, or to find out more, please contact (785) 368-6285 or DCF.CSSEmployers@ks.gov.

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) is a federal law considered to be a major welfare reform. It was signed into law on Aug. 22, 1996, by President Clinton. The law contains strong work requirements, a performance bonus to reward states for moving welfare recipients into jobs, state maintenance of effort requirements, comprehensive child support enforcement and supports for families moving from welfare to work – including increased funding for childcare and guaranteed medical coverage.

Among its provisions, PRWORA required each state to operate a child support enforcement program meeting federal requirements. Provisions include: 

• National new hire reporting system: The law established a Federal Case Registry and National Directory of New Hires to track delinquent parents across state lines. It also required that employers report all new hires to state agencies for transmittal of new hire information to the National Directory of New Hires. The law also expanded and streamlined procedures for direct withholding of child support from wages

• Computerized state-wide collections: The law required states to establish central registries of child support orders and centralized collection and disbursement units. It also required expedited state procedures for child support enforcement

• Streamlined paternity establishment: The law streamlined the legal process for paternity establishment, making it easier and faster to establish paternities

• Uniform interstate child support laws: The law provided for uniform rules, procedures and forms for interstate cases