Child-support overhaul stalls in Senate

A vote on a proposed overhaul of the state's child-support guidelines was stalled Monday by questions about the bill's technical aspects and its overall purpose.

SB23, sponsored by Rep. Greg Bell, R-Farmington, would increase child-support orders across the board, with the largest increases found in cases involving only one child. To mitigate that impact somewhat, Bell has capped all increases at 25 percent.

Bell, who carried a similar bill last year that failed to pass the House, maintains the legislation is necessary to update the current, nearly 14-year-old child-support tables, particularly as they pertain to one-child cases.

"If we do nothing else, we've got to change these one-child support awards because they're just way too low in comparison of what we're doing with two, three, four, five, six children," he said.

SB23 received unanimous support in a Senate committee, but, before the full body Monday, was not as easily accepted.

Several lawmakers expressed concern about the impact of the changes on noncustodial parents at the lower end of the income guidelines.

"On the low end, you're going to devastate someone who isn't making very good money," said Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan.

At least two legislators noted that SB23 would have unintended consequences for noncustodial parents already struggling to meet their obligations.

"We have now taken away so much more of the disposable income of the low-income noncustodial parent that they will just literally give up," said Sen. Jon Greiner, R-Ogden.

Sen. Pat Jones, D-Salt Lake, questioned Bell about the factors behind noncustodial parents who don't pay their child support. If a major reason is simply an inability to afford the obligations, Jones wondered how SB23 would actually increase the amount of money going to Utah children.

A December 2005 legislative audit found that $325 million is owed to Utah children in unpaid child support. Out of a caseload of 80,000, 47,000 cases are in arrears, according to the state Office of Recovery Services.

SB23 would also change the state's low-income tables to require a $30 minimum monthly child-support payment, up from the current $20 and extends the tables for parents whose joint monthly income exceeds $10,000, where the current guidelines end.

It also originally required parents to divide child-care costs in proportion to their income, but a Monday amendment by Sen. Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan, returned that to the current 50/50 split for parents.

The Senate discussed SB23 for just over a half hour Monday before running out of time. The bill has been circled, and will likely return to the Senate floor today.

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awelling@desnews.com