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Pennsylvania State Senate
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20170&cosponId=21447
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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2017 - 2018 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: December 16, 2016 01:21 PM
From: Senator Anthony H. Williams
To: All Senate members
Subject: Non-Custodial Child Support Documentation
 
In the near future, I will reintroduce SB 39 to amend the Domestic Relations Code to provide a mechanism for non-custodial parents to have their child support payments accurately documented and updated.

As a result of my "There Oughta Be a Law!" competition in 2011-12, more than 80 individuals from across the state engaged in civic participation by submitting ideas for new legislation that would make Pennsylvania a better place. The winning entry was submitted by Nicole Crawford of Philadelphia. She proposed a bill intended to protect against false claims of non-payment on child support by allowing non-custodial parents the right to have their child support payments documented with the state. At present, this can only happen by order of the Domestic Relations Court at the request of the custodial parent. "There are non-custodial parents, mostly fathers, who are trying to do the right thing but are still being accused of not paying child support," said Crawford, a former career coach in a welfare-to-work readiness program who was excited to win this contest. "They are trying to do the right thing but they are being abused by the system."

Currently, the Domestic Relations Court is not required to report to the consumer reporting agencies the timeliness of support payments, and is only obliged to do so "periodically." Upon petition of an obligor, this bill would require the Domestic Relations Court to report not only the arrears, but also the timely payments of child support to the consumer reporting agencies, and to do so on a monthly basis. This information would be admissible as evidence of payment in any civil proceeding, including child support actions.

Previous co-sponsors include: HUGHES, SCHWANK and BOSCOLA. If you have any questions, please contact my office at 717-787-5970. Thank you for your consideration.



Introduced as SB46