Committee advances bill letting judges order children onto parents' employer plans; advocates warn of coverage risk

The Ways and Means General Fund committee gave a favorable report to House Bill 177 as amended on a voice vote, advancing a bill that would allow a judge in a custody or child‑support proceeding to order a parent with employer‑provided insurance to enroll a child and make Medicaid a supplemental payer.

The bill’s sponsor, Representative Robbins, told the committee the change would give judges “discretion” to require private coverage where a parent can afford it while preserving Medicaid as a backstop. Robbins said the court could order enrollment without reducing child support calculations and that children who remain at or below poverty would…