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House debates child-support review standard, circles bill for new fiscal note
Summary
House Bill 150, addressing review and modification of child support orders under the Family Support Act, prompted debate about court workload and included an embedded 25% threshold for triggering review; the House circled the bill and requested an updated fiscal note after amendments.
House Bill 150, related to review and modification of child support orders under the Family Support Act, was taken up Feb. 13, 1990 in a committee of the whole where social services officials briefed representatives on the proposal and its expected effects.
Norm Angus, director of the Department of Social Services, summarized federal requirements and said the bill’s focus is review and modification of orders when there has been a substantial change in circumstances. "If there is a change in circumstances, more than 25%, then this becomes the basis for reconsideration of a child support order," he told the House, explaining the bill would create an objective threshold to allow parties access to the courts.
Sponsors said the 25% threshold would limit an immediate flood of cases; the fiscal note discussed an estimated number of hearings and administrative workload. The bill’s fiscal note mentioned a projection for 4,000 hearings per year by commissioners, with the Office of Recovery Services expected to use about 1,000 of those hearings, a point raised by the sponsor during floor debate.
Members moved to circle the substitute bill and request a new fiscal note in light of recent amendments and directed the bill to a time certain for further consideration.
Next procedural step: the House set a time-certain for further review tomorrow at 11:00 and the tax/legislative fiscal office will be asked to provide an updated fiscal estimate.
