{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/20-88.51.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/20-88.51.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/20-88.51.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/20-88.51.html"}],"law_id":353745,"edition_id":2,"section_id":353745,"structure_id":50647,"section_number":"20-88.51","catch_line":"Duty of Secretary of Health and Human Resources","history":"1994, c. 673; 2005, c. 754; 2015, c. 727.","full_text":"A\n\nIf the Secretary of Health and Human Resources determines that the support enforcement agency is neglecting or refusing to provide services to an individual, he may order the agency to perform its duties under this chapter or may provide those services directly to the individual.\n\nB\n\nThe Secretary of Health and Human Resources may determine that a foreign country has established a reciprocal arrangement for child support with the Commonwealth and take appropriate action for notification of the determination.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1317821,"text":"If the Secretary of Health and Human Resources determines that the support enforcement agency is neglecting or refusing to provide services to an individual, he may order the agency to perform its duties under this chapter or may provide those services directly to the individual.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":1317822,"text":"The Secretary of Health and Human Resources may determine that a foreign country has established a reciprocal arrangement for child support with the Commonwealth and take appropriate action for notification of the determination.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"ancestry":[{"id":50647,"edition_id":2,"name":"Civil Provisions of General Application","identifier":"5","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":5,"parent_id":50642,"metadata":{"child_laws":19,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:30:39","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:51","permalink":{"id":1405747,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50647,"identifier":"5","token":"20\/5.3\/5","url":"\/20\/5.3\/5\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":50642,"edition_id":2,"name":"Uniform Interstate Family Support Act","identifier":"5.3","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":10,"parent_id":50619,"metadata":{"child_laws":77,"child_structures":13},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:30:37","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:50","permalink":{"id":1405597,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50642,"identifier":"5.3","token":"20\/5.3","url":"\/20\/5.3\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":50619,"edition_id":2,"name":"Domestic 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Commonwealth","url":"\/20-88.46\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.46","metadata":false},{"id":353741,"structure_id":50647,"section_number":"20-88.47","catch_line":"Duties of initiating tribunal","url":"\/20-88.47\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.47","metadata":false},{"id":353742,"structure_id":50647,"section_number":"20-88.48","catch_line":"Duties and powers of responding tribunal","url":"\/20-88.48\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.48","metadata":false},{"id":353743,"structure_id":50647,"section_number":"20-88.49","catch_line":"Inappropriate tribunal","url":"\/20-88.49\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.49","metadata":false},{"id":353744,"structure_id":50647,"section_number":"20-88.50","catch_line":"Duties of support enforcement agency","url":"\/20-88.50\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.50","metadata":false},{"id":353745,"structure_id":50647,"section_number":"20-88.51","catch_line":"Duty of Secretary of Health and Human Resources","url":"\/20-88.51\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.51","metadata":false},{"id":353746,"structure_id":50647,"section_number":"20-88.52","catch_line":"Private counsel","url":"\/20-88.52\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.52","metadata":false},{"id":353747,"structure_id":50647,"section_number":"20-88.53","catch_line":"Duties of state information agency","url":"\/20-88.53\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.53","metadata":false},{"id":353748,"structure_id":50647,"section_number":"20-88.54","catch_line":"Pleadings and accompanying documents","url":"\/20-88.54\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.54","metadata":false},{"id":353749,"structure_id":50647,"section_number":"20-88.55","catch_line":"Nondisclosure of information in exceptional circumstances","url":"\/20-88.55\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.55","metadata":false},{"id":353750,"structure_id":50647,"section_number":"20-88.56","catch_line":"Costs and 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discovery","url":"\/20-88.61\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.61","metadata":false},{"id":353756,"structure_id":50647,"section_number":"20-88.62","catch_line":"Receipt and disbursement of payments","url":"\/20-88.62\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.62","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":353744,"structure_id":50647,"section_number":"20-88.50","catch_line":"Duties of support enforcement agency","url":"\/20-88.50\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.50","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":353746,"structure_id":50647,"section_number":"20-88.52","catch_line":"Private counsel","url":"\/20-88.52\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.52","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/20-88.51\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1994. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 673<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. It has been modified 2 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 2005, chapter 754<\/a>; in 2015, chapter 727<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1405777,"object_type":"law","relational_id":353745,"identifier":"20-88.51","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.51","url":"\/20-88.51\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/20-88.51\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.51","dublin_core":{"Title":"Duty of Secretary of Health and Human Resources","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 20-88.51","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> If the Secretary of Health and Human Resources determines that the support enforcement agency<\/span> is neglecting or refusing to provide services to an individual, he may order<\/span> the agency to perform its duties under this chapter or may provide those services directly to the individual. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> The Secretary of Health and Human Resources may determine that a foreign country<\/span> has established a reciprocal arrangement for child<\/span> support with the Commonwealth and take appropriate action for notification of the determination. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDUTY OF SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN RESOURCES (\u00a7 20-88.51)\n\nA. If the Secretary of Health and Human Resources determines that the support\nenforcement agency is neglecting or refusing to provide services to an\nindividual, he may order the agency to perform its duties under this chapter or\nmay provide those services directly to the individual.\n\nB. The Secretary of Health and Human Resources may determine that a foreign\ncountry has established a reciprocal arrangement for child support with the\nCommonwealth and take appropriate action for notification of the determination.\n\nHISTORY: 1994, c. 673; 2005, c. 754; 2015, c. 727.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}