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Committee hears bill to limit child‑support filings for children in foster care
Summary
The Senate Health & Social Services Committee heard House Bill 341, which would prevent the Division of Family Services from filing child‑support claims when a child enters foster care unless filing would not impede reunification; the children's department says it will stop filing in all cases regardless of the bill.
Senator Townsend brought House Bill 341 before the committee, saying the measure (sponsored in the House by Rep. Chiquotia and by Sen. Brown in the Senate) would change when the Division of Family Services (DFS) may file child‑support claims for children who enter foster care. Meredith Sykes, chief of staff at the children’s department, told the panel that the bill would bar DFS from filing for child support in foster‑care cases unless doing so would not be a barrier to reunification with parents.
Sykes said the practice originally arose to comply with federal requirements that allowed the state to recoup federal funds, but federal rules have shifted. She described an estimated fiscal impact of about $140,000 per year based on prior averages, and added that the department has decided to stop filing in all such cases regardless of whether the bill becomes law. "We plan to stop filing in those cases," Sykes said, which she said would leave the practical fiscal effect similar whether the bill passes or not.
The bill received brief public support from Linda Barnett, who spoke for the League of Women Voters and called the proposal "compassionate," saying it could help parents re‑accumulate resources needed to reunify with their children. No committee vote on HB341 occurred at the hearing; the committee approved only routine meeting minutes by voice vote during the session.
The substitute language as presented focuses on the standard that DFS may not file for child support when it would be a barrier to reunification. Supporters framed the change as aligning practice with modern federal rules and with reunification goals; committee members asked for clarifications about the fiscal note and the department's administrative decision. The committee did not take final action on HB341 at this hearing.
