Child support; update to guidelines. (HB933)

Introduced By

Del. Vivian Watts (D-Annandale) with support from co-patron Del. Manoli Loupassi (R-Richmond)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Update to child support guidelines. Provides for updated child support guidelines. The new guidelines specify monthly child support obligation amounts for obligors who earn a gross monthly income of up to $35,000, with an added additional amount for gross income above $35,000. The bill provides that the court may set an obligation below the presumptive statutory minimum for obligors who earn equal to or less than 150 percent of the federal poverty level, provided that doing so does not create or reduce a support obligation to an amount which seriously impairs the custodial parent's ability to maintain minimal adequate housing and provide other basic necessities for the child. The bill also removes the $250 floor on reasonable and necessary unreimbursed medical or dental expenses that are required to be paid by each parent in proportion to their gross incomes. This bill is a recommendation of the Child Support Guidelines Review Panel.

Outcome

Bill Has Passed

History

DateAction
01/08/2014Committee
01/08/2014Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/08/14 14102800D
01/08/2014Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
01/10/2014Assigned Courts sub: Civil
01/14/2014Impact statement from DPB (HB933)
01/15/2014Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (8-Y 1-N)
01/20/2014Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment (15-Y 5-N) (see vote tally)
01/22/2014Read first time
01/23/2014Read second time
01/23/2014Committee amendment agreed to
01/23/2014Engrossed by House as amended HB933E
01/23/2014Printed as engrossed 14102800D-E
01/23/2014Impact statement from DPB (HB933)
01/24/2014Read third time and passed House (85-Y 10-N)
01/24/2014VOTE: PASSAGE (85-Y 10-N) (see vote tally)
01/24/2014Impact statement from DPB (HB933E)
01/27/2014Constitutional reading dispensed
01/27/2014Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
02/24/2014Reported from Courts of Justice (10-Y 1-N 1-A) (see vote tally)
02/25/2014Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)
02/26/2014Read third time
02/26/2014Passed Senate (38-Y 0-N)
03/03/2014Enrolled
03/03/2014Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB933ER)
03/03/2014Signed by Speaker
03/06/2014Impact statement from DPB (HB933ER)
03/06/2014Signed by President
04/06/2014G Approved by Governor-Chapter 667 (effective 7/1/14)
04/06/2014G Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0667)

Video

This bill was discussed on the floor of the General Assembly. Below is all of the video that we have of that discussion, 2 clips in all, totaling 12 minutes.

Comments

Hans Bader writes:

Please vote against HB 933, at least in its current form.

At the following link, I explain my opposition to HB 933 (a bill that would increase most child-support obligations – including those that are very excessive -- while cutting a smaller number, some of which are not excessive.).

http://www.openmarket.org/2014/01/08/virginia-bill-hb-933-would-increase-excessive-child-support-obligations-by-ignoring-economic-realities/

The commentary found at the above link explains why increasing child-support obligations in Virginia would be unwarranted, and describes flaws in the methods used to derive the child-support schedule contained in the bill). [Note: I am not divorced, and I am not a non-custodial (or custodial) parent].

Hans Bader
(a Virginia resident who practices law in Washington, D.C.)

Bruce Novitsky writes:

This bill will reinstitute slavery in Virginia. Testimony given by this bill's author stated parents forced to pay more than 20% of their income are far less likely to pay support. Several analyses of this bill show a drastic increase over 50 % of parents who pay child support will be over 20%
. Again this bill will hit al noncustodial parents hard but especially African Americans. Please help defeat this bill

Waldo Jaquith writes:

This bill will reinstitute slavery in Virginia.

o_O

Helen Gregory writes:

I am INSULTED that the State of Virginia allows moms to bleed these fathers dry under the COP-OUT of doing whats best for the children, with absoutley NO requirements that the money is actually being spent on the children. In my opinion child support guidelines should encourage parental responsibilites for child support in propotion to as a percentage of the parent's net income. The system treats dads as no more than ATM machines. The state of Virginia has taken away parenting rights from fathers by giving mothers complete financial controll with no ACCOUNTABILITY. THIS IS SO WRONG! Dads love their children and want what is best for them, but bleeding them dry is not what is best for the children.

MARSHAMAINES writes:

IF the agency had EVER complied with the LAWS - in the FIRST PLACE - which their ENTIRE CASELOAD IS FRAUDULENT - when was the last AUDIT?....Then, child "support" may have been a useful IDEA. As it operates today - it's merely a legalized prostitution, child trafficking, money laundering SYSTEM which uses human beings as "account numbers".
Accounts to set up Title IV-D #, MPI #, Inmate#, CP/NCP #, and a HOST of other re-distribution of debits/credits at the EXPENSE of other Human Beings LIVES. SHUT DOWN THE ENTIRE AGENCY, then Start from Scratch. Treat each INDIVIDUAL CHILD with ONE case number and TWO Responsible Obligors # - for each child created under a contract. For the Bastards created out of wedlock - once BOTH DNA contributors ASSIGN their Acknowledged property over to the STATE - as a WARD OF THE STATE - Then - the DSS would have "something" to manage - the STATES' Property & it's ACCOUNT #'s...

Dave Briggman writes:

The Virginia Division of Child Support Enforcement is the largest operating criminal enterprise in Virginia, which has the full support of the General Assembly.