§576E-10  Hearings officers.  (a)  The
attorney general shall establish the office of child support hearings, and
shall appoint and commission, without regard to chapter 76, such hearings
officers as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter.



(b)  Hearings officers shall exercise all of
the powers granted to the attorney general under this chapter, but shall not be
considered deputy attorneys general and shall not exercise the powers or
discharge the duties conferred upon the attorney general or the attorney
general's deputies by chapter 28.



(c)  In exercising the powers conferred upon
the attorney general in section 576E-2, the hearings officers shall have the
authority to conduct hearings and enter the following orders:



(1)  Child support orders which have the effect of
modifying, suspending, terminating, or enforcing the child support provisions
of orders of the family courts;



(2)  Child support orders establishing, modifying,
suspending, terminating, or enforcing child support obligations;



(3)  Orders enforcing the collection of spousal
support when child support is being established, modified, or enforced;



(4)  Income withholding orders pursuant to section
576E-16;



(5)  Automatic income assignment orders pursuant to
sections 571-52.2 and 576D-14;



(6)  Interstate income withholding orders pursuant to
chapter 576B;



(7)  State income tax refund setoff orders pursuant to
section 231-54;



(8)  Orders determining whether Aid to Families with
Dependent Children pass through payments were properly distributed;



(9)  Orders determining whether a party should be
required to post bond in order to secure payment of past due support pursuant
to section 576D-6;



(10)  Medical insurance coverage orders;



(11)  Orders suspending or denying the granting, the
renewal, the reinstatement, or the restoration of licenses or applications of
an obligor or individual for noncompliance with an order of support or failure
to comply with a subpoena or warrant relating to a paternity or child support
proceeding, and authorizations allowing the reinstatement of suspended licenses
or consideration of license applications pursuant to section 576D-13;



(12)  Orders concerning whether a responsible parent's
child support obligation should be reported to consumer credit reporting
agencies pursuant to chapter 576D; and



(13)  Orders in other child support areas as authorized
by the attorney general.



(d)  Hearings officers shall have further
authority to:



(1)  Accept voluntary acknowledgments of paternity,
support liability, and stipulated agreements setting the amount of child
support to be paid after application of the guidelines established under
section 576D-7;



(2)  Receive testimony and evidence from parties to
the hearing and to establish a record;



(3)  Evaluate testimony and other evidence received at
hearings and make specific findings of fact and conclusions of law after
contested hearings and when otherwise required by law;



(4)  Issue subpoenas;



(5)  Compel production of documents and witnesses;



(6)  Dismiss a case upon a finding of good cause;



(7)  Hold prehearing conferences;



(8)  Examine judgment debtors;



(9)  Refer contempt proceedings to the appropriate
court.



(e)  Hearings officers shall be entitled to
immunity from liability while acting in their official capacity. [L 1988, c
154, pt of §2; am L 1989, c 61, §3; am L 1990, c 176, §16; am L 1993, c 251,
§5; am L 1994, c 105, §11; am L 1997, c 293, §35; am L 1998, c 11, §30 and c
83, §9; am L 1999, c 300, §4; am L 2000, c 253, §150; am L 2002, c 31, §2]