NDOW taking the wrath for welfare reform measures

Tuesday, Feb. 3, 1998 | 3:19 a.m.

The new requirement is in response to welfare reform legislation mandated by Congress in 1996 and adopted by the state Legislature last year.

Specifically, it cracks down on people who owe child support by tracking them through recreational and professional licenses. Offenders who fail to make good on their child support obligations could have their licenses suspended until they do.

It applies to doctors, lawyers, people who perform marriages, dog- or horse-racing participants, auto wreckers, well drillers, fur dealers, crane operators, architects, barbers, real estate agents and many others.

A previous law passed by the 1995 Legislature allows for the suspencion of drivers' licenses if a person is in arears on child support payments.

In short, few people are unaffected.

While many professional licenses require recipients to include their Social Security number, the information is a new addition to those seeking to register a boat or buy a fishing license.

And it's not sitting well with some.

"It's a very sensitive issue," said Patty Wagner, licensing program supervisor for the Nevada Division of Wildlife. "Social Security is not a number people want to give out."

Complaints began last month when the division mailed out boat registration renewal forms, Ms. Wagner said. Registrations from last year expire on Jan. 31.

"We've had lots and lots of calls. Some people are really angry," she said. Renewals received that exclude the Social Security number are returned.

Based on the negative reaction from boat owners, wildlife officials are bracing for the next round of complaints they suspect will come from people buying 1998 fishing licenses needed after Feb. 28.

Many of those licenses, however, are purchased from independent agents at retail outlets across the state.

"We're tried to forewarn them that they may have some angry customers," Ms. Wagner said, adding that licenses should be denied to anyone who refuses to provide their Social Security number.

The divison is not anticipating a lot of hoopla over the requirement from big game hunters, mainly because Social Security numbers have been used for several years to keep track of bonus points in the tag draw, she said.

Information from the registrations and licenses is entered into a data base and will made available to state welfare officials upon request, as required under the new law, Ms. Wagner said.

She stressed that the information will not be printed on any reports and "won't be released except when welfare requests that information."

If the welfare division determines a license holder is delinquent in child support, it will notify NDOW.

"We will then have to contact that person and suspend the license ... until such time that we're notified that they're current on their child support or have worked out a payment plan," Ms. Wagner said.