Committee advances technical fix allowing termination of child-support redirection when not in child's best interest

House File 102, a technical amendment to statutes governing redirection of child support, was re‑referred Tuesday to the Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee after a brief presentation and no public opposition.

Representative Curran moved the referral and described the bill as a “technical fix” that clarifies how two existing statutes interact. Trish Gopamer, director of the Child Support Services Division in the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office, testified that the change allows public authorities to terminate a child‑support redirection when, under the cost‑of‑care statute, continuing the redirection is no longer in the child’s best interest.

“We consider a technical fix,” Gopamer said, explaining that redirections — for example when a child is placed with a caregiver or in foster care — can already be administratively imposed and terminated with notice. The bill “connects those two statutes and allows us to terminate those redirections and get that money flowing back into a family,” she said.

Committee members had no questions and the motion to re‑refer House File 102 carried by voice vote.

The bill, as described to the committee, does not change the standard used to determine a child’s best interest; it clarifies administrative authority to stop redirection where the cost‑of‑care statute indicates it is appropriate. No court action or additional procedural changes were described during the hearing.

The bill will next be considered by the Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee.