A pair of bills that address the collection of child support from parents who are undergoing reunification efforts with their children placed out of home and collection of a child’s federal benefits for their out-of-home care moved through their respective houses. A3517 (Speight)/S2331 (Ruiz) heads to the governor’s desk after passing out of the Assembly. The New Jersey State Bar Association supports this bill, known as Equitable Outcomes in Child Support Collection Act, as an important step to removing barriers to reunification.
Both the Judiciary and the NJSBA recommended this step as integral to keeping families together when children are removed from their parents by the Department of Children and Families for abuse and neglect. Currently, child support accrues during this period and is collected by the Department of Children and Families. But while parents are actively participating in services to reunify with their children, the accrual of support adds to the burdens of parents whose involvement in the system are most often due to poverty and mental health issues impeding their ability to participate in services and maintain employment in order to meet these obligations.
This bill stops the accrual of child support during the period of time that parents are participating in services in efforts to reunify with their children.
In the Senate, 3153 (Ruiz) was voted out of the house. The bill prohibits the Department of Families and Children from collecting benefits received by a child placed out of home to reimburse the state for the child’s own care. The NJSBA supports this bill as an important step to ensure that children in the care and/or supervision of DCPP are not paying for their own care except when it is in their best interests.
Currently, DCF is designated as the representative payee and receives funds on behalf of children who are entitled to receive federal benefits. The bill proposes that these monies are kept in a qualified ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) account for the benefit of the child and monitored to ensure the child continues to qualify for such benefits. The money would only be used consistent with the child’s best interests.
A4543 (Haider), the Assembly counterpart, remains pending in the Assembly Appropriations Committee where it needs a final vote in the Assembly.
Public Notice Bill Heads to Governor
S3957 (Sarlo)/A5151 (Atkins) heads to the governor to provide a stopgap measure addressing public notices and legal advertisements. The bill is in response to recent announcements regarding the closure of one newspaper and the end of print publications of another. The NJSBA continues to monitor future bills for a permanent solution to this issue.
“This stop-gap measure will give us time to establish a plan that both recognizes and utilizes technological advancements while maintaining the familiarity and transparency that constituents are accustomed to,” said Sen. Anthony Bucco. “With this bill, we can slow down the process, bring all stakeholders to the table, and ensure we find a solution that works for everyone.”
The New Jersey League of Municipalities, New Jersey School Boards Association and New Jersey Association of Counties testified in support of the bill. Earlier they penned a public letter urging the Legislature to consider a bill that would provide local governments with three options to publish these notices – in a clear and transparent manner on a local government’s official website; in a database created and maintained by the state of New Jersey; or on a website or digital publication maintained by the traditional press or an online publication.