The Senate Judiciary Committee heard SB 179 on child support, authored by Sen. Bray. The bill provides the following:
- incarceration of a parent may not be considered voluntary unemployment in determining an amount to be ordered for support of a child
- a court may modify the child support order, or approve a proposed modification, without holding a hearing if: (1) a petition to modify a child support order based on incarceration of a party is filed; and (2) after receiving notice, no party timely files an objection or request for hearing
- requires the child support bureau (bureau), beginning July 1, 2019, to notify both parties of each party’s right to request a modification of the child support order not later than fifteen (15) days after learning that an obligor in a Title IV-D case is or may be incarcerated for a period of at least one hundred eighty (180) calendar days
- requires a prosecuting attorney or private attorney entering into an agreement or a contract with the bureau to review all requests for modification of child support received from an incarcerated obligor with an open Title IV-D case and, if appropriate, file a petition for modification of child support and proposed order in the appropriate court
Representatives from the Department of Child Services Child Support Bureau and the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council testified in support of the bill. The bill was amended by consent and passed 9-0.
Read the bill at http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2018/bills/senate/179