The state House has narrowly approved a bill to expedite the support order modification process for incarcerated people who owe money under IV-d child support cases. An Act Expediting Child Support Modification Orders for Incarcerated or Institutionalized Obligators now awaits action in the state Senate.
The government administered Child Support Enforcement Program is for a family that has received public assistance benefits or if an application for services was filed with either the Department of Social Services or the Support Enforcement Unit.
Redding Representative John Shaban says the state should not make automatic reductions by removing procedures in these cases because they're in place to protect children. Mortgages, taxes a car loan and the like don't get waived, but child support would. He questioned how that could be the intent of the bill.
Shaban says if the state is going to flip procedures on their head in order to make it easier to get federal grant money, while taking away money meant for children's well being , that's something he can't support.
The bill would eliminate service of process costs and replace it with certified mail costs, resulting in a net savings of approximately $96,000 annually. There are approximately 3,500 incarcerated people who owe child support and the cost of both notifications is approximately $44,000. Additionally there will be savings of approximately $140,000 associated with eliminating the service of process requirement.
The bill was approved on a mostly party-line vote of 80 to 61.
