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MONTANA CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES DIVISION EMPLOYER GUIDE TO NEW HIRE REPORTING • Flexible New Hire Reporting Options • New Hire Reporting Law • State and Federal Contacts
Enlarge image | MONTANA CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES DIVISION EMPLOYER GUIDE TO NEW HIRE REPORTING • Flexible New Hire Reporting Options • New Hire Reporting Law • State and Federal Contacts |
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Montana Child Support Services Division New
Hire Reporting Program
The Montana Child Support Services Division (CSSD) was
established in 1975. Since then, employers have helped to
collect an estimated $1 billion dollars in child support
payments for Montana families by participating in programs
such as the New Hire Reporting Program (NHRP).
The NHRP was established through the Personal
Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
(PRWORA) of 1996 with the purpose of locating a non-
custodial parent’s income source for collection of child
support. This law requires employers to report all newly hired
and rehired employees to the CSSD within certain time
frames.
Employers are a vital part of the CSSD’s
mission to diligently pursue and ultimately achieve financial
and medical support for children by establishing, enforcing
and increasing public awareness of parental obligations.
Thank you to all the employers who help make
Montana a better place for the children of our great state!
Sincerely,
New Hire Reporting Program
Montana Child Support Services Division
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Definitions & Terms
MCA § 40-5-901 Definitions
Date of Hire
The first day that an employee starts work for which the employee is owed
compensation by the payor of income.
Employer
A person, firm corporation,, association, governmental entity, or labor organization
that engages an employee for compensation and withholds federal or state tax
liabilities from the employee's compensation.
Employee
A person 18 years of age or older who performs labor in this state for an employer
in this state for compensation and for whom the employer withholds federal or state
tax liabilities from the employee's compensation.
Rehire
The first day, following a termination of employment that an employee begins to
again perform work or prov dei services for a payor Termination. of employment
does not include temporary separations of less than 60 days from employment,
such as unpaid medical leave an,unpaid leave of absence or a temporary, or
seasonal layoff.
Other terms
CSSD (Montana) Child Support Services Division
DHHS Federal Department of Health & Human Services
DPHHS Department of Public Health & Human Services
EDI Electronic Data Interchange
FEIN Federal Employer Identification Number
NDNH National Directory of New Hires
NHRP New Hire Reporting Program
OCSE Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement
PRWORA Personal Responsibility & Work Opportunity Reconciliation
Act of 1996
SDNH State Directory of New Hires
UIC Unemployment Insurance Claimant
https://dphhs.mt.gov/cssd/employerinfo/newhirereporting
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Overview
This guide is intended to provide Montana Employers with the information needed to be
in compliance with federal and state laws, to help choose a New Hire Reporting option,
and to make available contacts who can help employers with the new hire reporting
process.
42 USC § 653(a) State Directory of New Hires and MCA § 40-5-922 Directory of New
Hires require employers to report all employees hired / rehired on or after October 1,
1997 within twenty (20) days of the employee’s first day of work. In 2013, federal and
state legislation defined the term “rehire” as an individual that has been separated
from employment for more than sixty (60) days. (MCA § 40-5-901(12) Definitions)
Required Information
Employer Employee
• Federal Identification Number • Full legal name
• Business name • Date of hire
• Business address • Social Security Number
• Mailing & Home address
Optional Information
Employers are encouraged, but not required, to report the information below:
Employer Employee
• Work phone number • Home phone number
• Fax number • Work phone number
• State of Hire • Date of Birth
• Health Insurance Availability
New Hire Reporting Deadlines
• Reports must be submitted within twenty (20) days of the date the employee
is hired or rehired.
• Reports submitted by electronic media must be submitted not less than 12 nor
more than 16 days apart.
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Options for Reporting New Hires
New hires may be reported by any of the following means:
• Online New Hire Reporting System*
• State of Montana File Transfer System*
• Electronic Media
• Facsimile
• Mail
• Phone
*Recommended reporting method
Online New Hire Reporting System*
The quickest and easiest option for reporting new hires.
Get started by using your existing Okta Montana account or create one at
https://okta.loginmt.com/. Then call the Montana New Hire Reporting
Specialist at 406.444.9290 or at 1.888.866.0327 for assistance with setup.
Montana File Transfer System via
https://okta.loginmt.com/
Submit reports using the Excel Template or ASCII file format
Format for both is found at:
https://dphhs.mt.gov/cssd/employerinfo/newhirereporting.
An example of ASCII file format is also found on page 9 of this brochure.
It’s recommended to call the New Hire Reporting Specialist to assist with
setup for both Excel & ASCII at 406.444.9290 or 1.888.866.0327.
Scanned new hire reports may be submitted via Montana File Transfer
Service. Please include your name and email address in case there is a
question regarding a report.
DO NOT EMAIL NEW HIRE REPORTS
KEEP YOUR EMPLOYEE’S INFORMATION SAFE
USE THE MONTANA FILE TRANSFER SYSTEM
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Other Options for Reporting New Hires
Electronic Media
Employers may submit reports on CD using the ASCII format found on pages 9 -11. You will need
to mail the CD to the NHRP at the address below.
Facsimile
Fax reports using the New Hire Reporting form or a copy of the employee's W-4 form to the NHR
program. Please make sure all required information found on page 2 is included on the report. Fax
#s: 1.406.444.0745 or 1.888.272.1990
Mail
Employers may mail a hard copy of their report using the New Hire Reporting form, W-4 form or
any other reporting form. All required information must be typed or printed legibly.
Montana New Hire Reporting Program
PO Box 8013
Helena, MT 59604-8013
Phone
Employers with only a few new hires to report may do so by calling 1.888.866.0327 or
406.444.9290. You may leave a message with the required information found on page 2.
Tips for New Hire Reporting
Include a contact name and phone number for your company with your new
hire reports.
Do not use any punctuation when reporting new hires online or electronically.
When naming your electronic files, please use your company name and the
current date. For example: CompanyNameMMDDYYYY
If your company's FEIN changes and your employee(s) are being paid under
the new FEIN, you must submit a new hire report for each employee under
the new FEIN number with the date of hire as the first day the employee
started working under the company's new FEIN.
The employee's name should match the name on the employee's social
security card. If it does not, there is a good chance the report will be rejected.
Only report valid Social Security Numbers to the NHRP. Do not report fake
numbers or Alien Identification Numbers. Reports containing such numbers
will be rejected.
If an employee is rehired, use the date the employee was rehired as the date
of hire.
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New Hire Reporting Law
In 1997 Montana passed legislation in response to passage of the Federal Personal
Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA). This created
the Montana Directory of New Hires (NHRP).
State statute MCA § 40-5-922 requires Montana employers to report all employees
hired or rehired within twenty (20) days after the date of hire. "Rehire" is defined as
an individual that has been separated from employment for more than sixty (60)
days.
The NHRP matches New Hire reports against child support records to locate
parents, establish a child support order, or enforce an existing order.
All Employees must be reported
All newly hired or rehired employees are required to be reported to the NHRP
regardless of whether they have a child support obligation. The NHRP not only
serves as a way to locate the income source of non-custodial parents to provide
families with child support payments, but also as a way to combat unemployment
and public assistance fraud.
If an employee quits or is terminated before a new hire is reported you must still
report them to the NHRP. Reporting these individuals may help child support
agencies locate them for services.
Confidentiality & New Hire Reporting Data
NHR information is confidential and may only be shared on a limited basis with
other agencies. The Montana NHRP will match new hire information against the
Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), Child
Support Services Division (CSSD) case records to locate parents, establish an
order, or enforce an existing order. Montana will also transmit the NHRP
information to the National Directory of New Hires (NDNH) in order to cross
reference the information against that of other child support agencies across the
country.
State agencies operating Employment Security and Workers' Compensation
programs may also have access to Montana's NHRP information to detect and
prevent erroneous or fraudulent benefit payments. Montana may conduct
matches between the NHRP database and the public assistance and Medicaid
agencies for the purpose of determining eligibility, continued eligibility, and fraud.
The CSSD is required to maintain NHR records for twenty-four (24) months from
the date the report is entered into the State Directory of New Hires (SDNH).
After the retention timeframe has lapsed, physical records are shredded and the
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SDNH database is purged and records are deleted.
National Directory of New Hires
The federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) estimates that over 30% of
child support cases involve parents who do not live in the same state as their children.
By matching NHRP data with child support participant information at the national
level, the OCSE will be able to assist states in locating parents who are living in other
states. Upon receipt of NHRP information, the CSSD will be able to take the
necessary steps to establish paternity, issue child support orders or enforce existing
orders.
Personal Responsibility & Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
(PRWORA) of 1996
A major focus of PRWORA is parents sharing the responsibility of supporting their
children. It contains strict work requirements for custodial parents receiving public
assistance and increases the effectiveness of child support programs by including the
development of NHRP in each state.
Employer Impact
The majority of the information employers are required to submit to the NHRP will be
found on the employee W-4 form. Montana offers a variety of reporting methods to
ensure efficiency and convenience for employers to report their newly hired and
rehired employees.
For quick and cost-effective reporting for employers, the NHRP recommends
submitting reports using one of the electronic methods listed on page 3.
Benefits to Employers
A direct benefit to employers is the reduction and prevention of fraudulent
unemployment and workers' compensation payments. Timely receipt of NHRP data
allows Montana and other states to cross-match this data against their active
unemployment claimant (UIC) files which may result in stopping erroneous or
fraudulent payments.
Independent Contractors & Subcontractors
As an employer, you must first make the determination of whether or not an
employer/employee relationship exists. If the work being performed is based on a
contract rather than an employer/employee relationship, you are not required to report.
In such a circumstance, the contractor is responsible for reporting his/her employees.
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Temporary Employment Agencies
If your agency is paying wages to the individual, you must submit a new hire report.
If your agency simply refers individuals for employment and does not pay the individual
directly, a new hire report is not necessary. However, the employer who actually hires
and pays the individual will be required to submit a new hire report.
Labor Organizations & Hiring Halls
Labor organizations and hiring halls must report their own employees - individuals who
work directly for the labor organization or hiring hall - to the NHRP.
If the labor organization or hiring hall simply refers individuals for employment, a new
hire report does not need to be filed.
New Hire Reporting Information Safeguards
Security and privacy of new hire report data are important issues for all those involved
in this vital program. Federal law requires all states to establish safeguards for
confidential information handled by the state agency. All Montana NHRP data is
transmitted to the NDNH over secure and dedicated lines. Federal law also requires
that the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
establish and implement safeguards to protect the integrity and security of
information in the NDNH and to restrict access to and use of the information to
authorized persons and purposes.
Multistate Employers
An employer who has employees in two or more states and who transmits reports
electronically may comply with the NHRP by designating one of the states in which
they have an employee to transmit their new hire reports to electronically. See
Format for Electronic Reporting on pages 9 -11.
A multistate employer who elects to report to only one state should give written or
electronic notice to the Secretary of DHHS notifying them of which state they plan to
electronically transmit their new hire reports to.
The Secretary of DHHS will need the following information:
• Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN)
• Company Name, Address, and Telephone Number
• State you will be electronically transmitting NHR to
• List of states in which your company has employees
• Contact Person Name and Telephone Number
Register as a multistate employer online at:
Office of Child Support Enforcement Employer Information
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Or mail all multistate employer information to:
Office of Child Support Enforcement
Multistate Employer Program
PO Box 509 Randallstown, MD 21133
Montana NHRP Contact Information
Additional information and materials regarding the New
Hire Reporting Program can be found online at:
https://dphhs.mt.gov/cssd/employerinfo/newhirereporting.
Here you will find further instructions on reporting your new hires to
the New Hire Reporting Program as well as useful tools such as:
• Online New Hire Reporting System
• Okta Instructions for File Transfer
• ASCII Format for Electronic Reporting
• Spreadsheet Template for Electronic Reporting
• New Hire Reporting Forms
• New Hire Reporting FAQs
• Montana Employer Guide
If you have further questions after reviewing the information on our website, please
contact the NHRP using the contact information below.
Email: NewHireReporting@mt gov.
Telephone: 1.888.866.0327 or 1.406.444.9290
Employers are a vital part of the Montana NHRP. The CSSD appreciates you for
all that you do to make a difference in the lives of children across the state of
Montana and the country. If you have any questions regarding New Hire Reporting,
please do not hesitate to contact us.
New Hire Reporting Program
Montana Child Support Services Division
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Format for Electronic Reporting
This section details the submission requirements for those employers who submit
via the Montana File Transfer System. It also delineates the minimum required for
submission using either hard copy or electronic medium.
Note that employers who wish to submit reports electronically may contact the New
Hire Reporting Program at 1-888-866-0327; those in the Helena area and outside
of Montana can use 1-406-444-9290 to obtain additional information about the
format.
CD: Reports submitted on CD must be in ASCII listing format. Include employer's
name and FEIN on the CD cover and write (with CD marker pen) FEIN and NHR on
the CD.
The 9's in the data format represent character data. All data should be in character
format, left justified and blank filled.
The two-character state code must adhere to the United States Postal Services
acceptable abbreviations for U.S. states and territories (example: Montana = MT).
* The Foreign Address and Foreign Postal Code are only required if the employer
or employee have foreign addresses.
** The changed Employer Address Flag and Changed Employer Address fields are
only required when the employer wants to report a change in address.
*** The Employee Residential Address field requirements are only applicable if the
employee has an address different from the mailing address.
Header Record Layout Columns Data Required
Start End Length Format Entry
Record Type 1 1 1 1=Header Record Yes
Employer Process Date 2 9 8 YYYYMMDD Yes
Record Count 10 18 9 Yes
Filler 19 868 850 Yes
Data Record Layout 1 868 868 Yes
Record Type Yes
1 1 1 2=Data Record
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Format for Electronic Reporting continued
EMPLOYER INFORMATION
Columns Data Required
Start End Length Format Entry
Business Name 2 41 40 Yes
Federal ID Number (FEIN) 42 50 9 999999999 Yes
State ID Number 51 56 6 999999 Yes
Address Line 1 57 96 40 Yes
Address Line 2 97 136 40 No
City 137 161 25 Yes
State 162 163 2 Yes
Zip 164 168 5 99999 Yes
Zip+4 169 172 4 9999 No
Foreign Country Name 173 202 30 *Yes
Foreign Country Postal
203 217 15 *Yes
Code
Contact Name 218 257 40 No
Voice Phone Number 258 267 10 9999999999 No
Voice Phone Extension 268 272 5 99999 No
Facsimile Number 273 282 10 9999999999 No
Changed Address Flag 283 283 1 Y or Blank **Yes
Changed Address Line 1 284 323 40 **Yes
Changed Address Line 2 324 363 40 **No
Changed Address City 364 388 25 **Yes
Changed Address State 389 390 2 **Yes
Changed Address Zip 391 395 5 99999 **Yes
Changed Address Zip+4 396 399 4 9999 **No
Changed Address Foreign
400 429 30 *Yes
Country
Changed Address Foreign
430 444 15 *Yes
Postal Code
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Format for Electronic Reporting continued
EMPLOYEE INFORMATION
Columns Data Required
Start End Length Format Entry
Date of Hire 445 452 8 YYYYMMDD Yes
SSN 453 461 9 999999999 Yes
Last Name 462 481 20 Yes
First Name 482 501 20 Yes
Middle Initial 502 502 1 No
Mailing Address Line 1 503 542 40 Yes
Mailing Address Line 2 543 582 40 No
Mailing Address City 583 607 25 Yes
Mailing Address State 608 609 2 Yes
Mailing Address Zip 610 614 5 99999 Yes
Mailing Address Zip+4 615 618 4 9999 No
Mailing Address Foreign
619 648 30 *Yes
Country
Mailing Address Foreign
649 663 15 *Yes
Postal Code
Residential Address Line 1 664 703 40 ***Yes
Residential Address Line 2 704 743 40 No
Residential Address City 744 768 25 Yes
Residential Address State 769 770 2 Yes
Residential Address Zip 771 775 5 99999 Yes
Residential Address Zip+4 776 779 4 9999 No
Residential Address
780 809 30 *Yes
Foreign Country
Residential Address Foreign
810 824 15 *Yes
Postal Code
Home Phone Number 825 834 10 9999999999 No
Work Phone Number 835 844 10 999999999 No
Work Phone Extension 845 849 5 99999 No
Date of Birth 850 857 8 YYYYMMDD No
State of Hire 858 859 2 No
Health Insurance Available
860 860 1 Y or Blank No
Indicator
Health Insurance Available
861 868 8 YYYYMMDD No
Date
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