Bill Text: HI HB2061 | 2020 | Regular Session | Amended


Bill Title: Relating To Child Support.

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 20-2)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2020-07-08 - Received notice of disagreement (Hse. Com. No. 417). [HB2061 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2020-HB2061-Amended.html

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2061

THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2020

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

S.D. 2

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO CHILD SUPPORT.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) program is a time-limited welfare program that provides cash assistance and supportive services to needy families with children.  The program is designed to help low-income families while they work toward self-sufficiency.

     The legislature further finds that the Hawaii child support enforcement agency within the department of the attorney general is responsible for collecting the debt owed to the department of human services by the non-custodial parent when TANF benefits are paid for the benefit of any dependent child.  Since TANF is a federally-funded program, federal law requires that a portion of the collection be paid back to the federal government, which is retained by the child support enforcement agency for federal matching funds, with the remaining portion reimbursed to the department of human services.

     The federal Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 allows a portion of the debt amount to pass through to the custodial parent without applying the required reimbursement to the federal government and the department of human services.  However, the child support enforcement agency's case management system is not designed to disburse payment by TANF recipient family or household.  Instead, the case management system disburses child support on a per case basis, or per non-custodial parent basis.  The legislature finds that implementation of a pass through program will require modifications to the child support enforcement agency's statewide case management computer system to consider TANF household members or recipients before passing through child support payments.

     Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to convene a study group to examine the impacts of child support moneys collected by the department of human services for the public assistance of children for pass through to the family receiving public assistance.

     SECTION 2.  The department of the attorney general and the department of human services shall jointly convene a study group to examine:

     (1)  The impacts and impediments, including any conflicts with federal law, of allowing child support payments to pass through to TANF recipients;

     (2)  Whether the pass through of child support payments to TANF recipients is permissible; and

     (3)  The costs to agencies of establishing a pass through program for child support payments to TANF recipients.

     SECTION 3.  The department of the attorney general and the department of human services shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than forty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2022.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.


 


 

Report Title:

AG; DHS; Child Support; Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; Pass Through; Child Support Payments; Study

 

Description:

Requires the AG and DHS to convene a study group to examine the impacts, costs, and impediments of allowing child support payments to pass through to TANF recipients and submit a report to the legislature prior to the 2022 Regular Session.  (SD2)

 

 

 

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.

 

 

 

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