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Advocates Urge Limits on Automated License Suspensions in Child-Support Enforcement (HB 412)
Summary
Supporters argued HB 412 would require case-by-case review before suspending driver's licenses for child-support arrears, reducing erroneous suspensions that cost jobs and housing. The MSBA raised administrative and federal-funding concerns and asked for careful drafting.
Delegate Simpson presented House Bill 412 to change how the Child Support Administration refers obligors for driver's-license suspension. Testimony from Maryland Legal Aid, Out for Justice and affected parents described repeated errors in automatic suspension referrals, instances where people were current on payments or had custody of the child but still had licenses suspended, and consequences including job loss and foreclosures.
Ami Vora (Maryland Legal Aid) and other advocates said Maryland suspends licenses far more often than peer states and that automated referrals without individualized review cause preventable harm. Testimony included a firsthand account of a man whose license was suspended while he worked as a driver and who later lost his home and job because he could not resolve an arrears accounting issue quickly.
The Family Law Section of the MSBA voiced caution: making administrative thresholds too strict could undermine collection tools and federal compliance; they urged careful drafting to avoid unintended loss of enforcement leverage and to preserve federal funding flows. The sponsor said the bill sets standards for when suspension is appropriate and uses existing agency processes, and indicated willingness to work with DHS and DHS child-support administrators on implementation and fiscal details.
Ending: Committee did not vote; staff indicated follow-up communications between sponsors, DHS and stakeholders to reconcile implementation and fiscal questions.
