NOMADS timeline

1988 - Congress passes law requiring states to unify and strengthen Family Support operations traditionally operated at the county level and connect them with federal systems designed to better enforce child support orders across state lines.

1989 - Nevada Legislature passes bill to study creation of a unified system computerizing not only child support but welfare, Medicaid, food stamps and other assistance programs into one system for efficiency and better service. Nevada is the only state to propose or attempt a unified system. Total funding: $22.6 million.

1990 - Gov. Bob Miller's Budget Office puts the system on hold.

1992 - Contract signed with IBM's ISS subsidiary to develop NOMADS computer program.

1993 - NOMADS system rejected by Welfare, IBM told to rework major parts of the program.

1994 - IBM threatens to pull out of the project, saying it was much larger than originally projected. Contract renegotiated for another $6.8 million.

1997 - Congress passes welfare reform, dramatically changing requirements for the NOMADS program as well as increasing pressure on state welfare officials to recoup money that should have been paid to recipients through child support. State officials decide to make the changes to meet the 1997 law in NOMADS rather than roll out the program as originally developed. IBM gets another $2.6 million.

1998 - IBM contract increased another $7.4 million to continue developing, testing NOMADS, bringing the total contract for the company to $29.3 million.

1999 - Amid allegations the state failed to meet promised deadlines, federal authorities cut off funding to Nevada, sending new governor Kenny Guinn and his NOMADS team to San Francisco for talks that finally get the cash flowing again.

Lawmakers agree the state should take over NOMADS, reducing IBM's role to that of a consultant, and put more than $20 million more into the project. With special funding to help enter and convert old cases to the new system to get everything running, that brings the total cost of NOMADS in state and federal funding to $126 million through 2000.

2000 - Sept. 30 deadline for winning federal certification of the NOMADS system or penalties that were $5 million last year will double for 2000.