Senate approves child-support bill

Senators gave their final OK to a measure that would allow the state Office of Recovery Services to suspend the drivers' licenses of Utahns who continually fail to pay their court-ordered child support.

With the 18-9 vote, HB15 now goes to the House to concur to a minor amendment made by the Senate. The House has already voted 43-25 in favor of the bill, sponsored by Rep. Julie Fisher, R-Fruit Heights.

HB15 is part of a package of child support-related bills before the Legislature this year. It has been opposed by noncustodial parents groups, and, until Friday, Sen. Ed Mayne, D-West Valley City.

Mayne voted against HB15 on previous votes, citing concerns about unfairly targeting noncustodial parents without regard for visitation problems that often stem from child support payment disputes. The senator voted in favor of HB15 Friday, however, after saying he'd been assured that sponsors of the child support legislation plan to study visitation issues over the interim period.

"I think we need to look outside the box," Mayne said. "I think we need to look at what some other states are doing to make it more fair."

Federal regulations prohibit linking child support and visitation.

A December 2005 legislative audit found that Utah children are owed $325 million in back child support. Auditors recommended license suspension as a tool to encourage payment in certain situations, particularly those in which non-custodial parents have the ability to pay their monthly obligations.

The bill allows ORS to administratively suspend the drivers licenses of people who are more than 60 days behind on their child support.

Another controversial child-support measure, SB23, has stalled in the House. That measure, sponsored by Sen. Greg Bell, R-Farmington, would update the state's 14-year-old child support guidelines.

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E-mail: awelling@desnews.com