Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Child Support topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee advances change allowing courts to consider noncustodial parent's health-insurance cost in child-support calculations
Summary
Senate Bill 2032 would allow a chancellor to consider the cost a noncustodial parent pays for a child's health insurance as an adjustment to adjusted gross income when computing child support; committee members clarified it does not mandate a dollar-for-dollar reduction and the committee moved the bill out by voice vote.
Senator Barrett explained SB 2032 adds language that, if a noncustodial parent obtains health insurance for the child, the cost "may be considered" as an adjustment to the parent's adjusted gross income (AGI) for purposes of calculating child support. Barrett and committee members emphasized the change would give chancellors discretion rather than mandate a dollar-for-dollar reduction.
Senators asked whether AGI already accounts for health insurance and whether judges could treat the cost as a direct offset. Sponsor and other members said the change is permissive—"may be considered"—and that further floor amendments might clarify the intended effect. The committee voted to move the bill out of committee ('out of pass').
