Section 48-7-161. Definitions

   As used in this article, the term:

   (1) "Claimant agency" means and includes, in the order of priority set forth below:

      (A) The Department of Human Services and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities with respect to collection of debts under Article 1 of Chapter 11 of Title 19, Code Section 49-4-15, and Chapter 9 of Title 37;

      (B) The Georgia Student Finance Authority with respect to the collection of debts arising under Part 3 of Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 20;

      (C) The Georgia Higher Education Assistance Corporation with respect to the collection of debts arising under Part 2 of Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 20;

      (D) The Georgia Board for Physician Workforce with respect to the collection of debts arising under Part 6 of Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 20;

      (E) The Department of Labor with respect to the collection of debts arising under Code Sections 34-8-254 and 34-8-255 and Article 5 of Chapter 8 of Title 34, with the exception of Code Sections 34-8-158 through 34-8-161; provided, however, that the Department of Labor establishes that the debtor has been afforded required due process rights by such Department of Labor with respect to the debt and all reasonable collection efforts have been exhausted;

      (F) The Department of Corrections with respect to probation fees arising under Code Section 42-8-34 and restitution or reparation ordered by a court as a part of the sentence imposed on a person convicted of a crime who is in the legal custody of the department;

      (G) The State Board of Pardons and Paroles with respect to restitution imposed on a person convicted of a crime and subject to the jurisdiction of the board; and

      (H) The Department of Juvenile Justice with respect to restitution imposed on a juvenile for a delinquent act which would constitute a crime if committed by an adult.

   (2) "Debt" means any liquidated sum due and owing any claimant agency, which sum has accrued through contract, subrogation, tort, or operation of law regardless of whether there is an outstanding judgment for the sum, any sum which is due and owing any person and is enforceable by the Department of Human Services pursuant to subsection (b) of Code Section 19-11-8, or any sum of restitution or reparation due pursuant to a sentence imposed on a person convicted of a crime and sentenced to restitution or reparation and probation.

   (3) "Debtor" means any individual owing money to or having a delinquent account with any claimant agency, which obligation has not been adjudicated as satisfied by court order, set aside by court order, or discharged in bankruptcy.

   (4) "Refund" means the Georgia income tax refund which the department determines to be due any individual taxpayer.

Code 1933, § 91A-4102, enacted by Ga. L. 1980, p. 1555, § 1; Ga. L. 1985, p. 785, § 10; Ga. L. 1986, p. 825, § 1; Ga. L. 1988, p. 937, § 1; Ga. L. 1991, p. 139, § 2; Ga. L. 2000, p. 136, § 48; Ga. L. 2004, p. 148, § 1; Ga. L. 2005, p. 88, § 7/HB 172; Ga. L. 2009, p. 453, § 2-21/HB 228; Ga. L. 2011, p. 459, § 5/HB 509.