Section 19-11-80. Registration procedure -- Hearing; defenses; grounds for stay; entry of order as registration; county's entitlement to fee; through whom payments made

   (a) At the hearing, the obligor may present only matters that would be available to him as defenses in an action to enforce a foreign money judgment. If he shows to the court that an appeal from the order is pending or will be taken or that a stay of execution has been granted, the court shall stay enforcement of the order until the appeal is concluded, the time for appeal is expired, or the order is vacated, upon satisfactory proof that the obligor has furnished security for payment of the support as required by the rendering state. If he shows to the court any ground upon which enforcement of a support order of this state may be stayed, the court shall stay enforcement of the order for an appropriate period if the obligor furnishes the same security for payment of the support ordered that is required for a support order of this state.

(b) If the obligor asserts no defenses or the court finds the obligor's defenses meritless, the court shall proceed to enter an order making the foreign support order an order of the courts of this state. The entry of such an order constitutes registration under this article.

(c) The registration of a foreign support order or of an order denying registration or of an order in an action brought to enforce a registered foreign support order shall constitute an order granting or denying support for the purposes of entitling the county in which a proceeding is brought under Code Sections 19-11-76 through 19-11-79, this Code section, and Code Section 19-11-81 to the $50.00 fee as provided in Code Section 19-11-53.

(d) The court shall be empowered to order payment under the terms of the registered order through the clerk of the superior court, the department, or such other collection agency as the court shall designate.

Ga. L. 1979, p. 938, § 1; Ga. L. 1989, p. 380, § 2; Ga. L. 1991, p. 94, § 19; Ga. L. 1992, p. 6, § 19.