Audit urges stronger enforcement, insurer outreach for Washington child‑support insurance intercept law

A performance audit presented June 4, 2025, to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC) found gaps in insurer reporting under Washington’s child‑support insurance intercept law and recommended the Legislature add monitoring and enforcement authority to increase collections for families owed past‑due support.

The Washington State Auditor’s Office, represented by senior performance auditor Lisa Weber, told the committee that mandatory reporting — enacted after a 2020 audit and effective Jan. 1, 2022 — coincided with higher collections from insurance intercepts, rising from about $1.7 million in 2021 to just over $3.5 million in 2022. Weber said DCS staff estimate they learn about roughly one in 10 eligible insurance claims through channels other than insurer reports and that the average claim brings in about $7,300 toward past‑due child support.

“We found that OIC could help educate insurers about child‑support insurance intercepts,” Weber said, adding that reporting gaps stem from insurers being unaware of their obligations, administrative errors, or misjudging whether a claim will reach the $500 reporting threshold.

The au…