17. Proceedings under act.
a. Except as otherwise provided in this act, this article applies to all proceedings under this act.
b. An individual petitioner or a support enforcement agency may initiate a proceeding authorized under this act by filing a petition in an initiating tribunal for forwarding to a responding tribunal or by filing a petition or a comparable pleading directly in a tribunal of another state or a foreign country which has or can obtain personal jurisdiction over the respondent.