H.B. 159

1

CHILD SUPPORT ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION
2 AND ORDER MODIFICATION TASK FORCE
3 1997 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Sponsor: Byron L. Harward
6 AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD SUPPORT; CREATING THE CHILD SUPPORT
7 ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION AND ORDER MODIFICATION TASK FORCE;
8 PROVIDING FOR MEMBERSHIP; DELINEATING RESPONSIBILITIES AND
9 PROCEDURES; PROVIDING A REPORTING DATE; APPROPRIATING $35,000 FROM
10 THE GENERAL FUND; AND PROVIDING A REPEAL DATE.
11 This act enacts uncodified material.
12 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
13 Section 1. Child Support Alternative Dispute Resolution and Order Modification
14 Task Force -- Creation -- Membership -- Interim rules followed -- Compensation -- Staff.
15 (1) There is created the Child Support Alternative Dispute Resolution and Order
16 Modification Task Force consisting of the following ten members:
17 (a) three members of the Senate appointed by the president of the Senate, no more than
18 two of whom may be from the same political party; and
19 (b) seven members of the House of Representatives appointed by the speaker of the House
20 of Representatives, no more than four of whom may be from the same political party.
21 (2) (a) The president of the Senate shall designate a member of the Senate appointed under
22 Subsection (1)(a) as a cochair of the task force.
23 (b) The speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate a member of the House
24 of Representatives appointed under Subsection (1)(b) as a cochair of the task force.
25 (3) In conducting its business, the task force shall comply with the rules of legislative
26 interim committees.
27 (4) Salaries and expenses of the members of the task force shall be paid in accordance with

1 Section 36-2-2 and Legislative Joint Rule 15.03.
2 (5) The Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall provide staff support
3 to the task force.
4 Section 2. Duties -- Interim report.
5 (1) The task force shall review and make recommendations on the following issues:
6 (a) application of mediation and arbitration procedures that minimize adversarial tensions
7 and traditional high costs associated with formulating or modifying temporary and final domestic
8 relations decrees and orders;
9 (b) responsive alternative methods for:
10 (i) tracking and accounting for substantial or material changes in circumstances of parents,
11 including scheduled reporting of earnings through income tax returns or other income-related
12 documents; and
13 (ii) modifying existing child support orders to reflect those changes in circumstances; and
14 (c) determination of an appropriate entity to be responsible for administrative functions
15 associated with proposed tracking and accounting methods and modifications of child support
16 awards in Subsection (b), notification to the court and affected parties, and enforcement of
17 modified awards.
18 (2) A final report, including any proposed legislation shall be presented to the Judiciary
19 Interim Committee before October 31, 1997.
20 Section 3. Appropriation.
21 There is appropriated from the General Fund for fiscal year 1996-1997:
22 (1) $3,000 to the Senate to pay for the compensation and expenses of senators on the task
23 force;
24 (2) $7,000 to the House of Representatives to pay for the compensation and expenses of
25 representatives on the task force; and
26 (3) $25,000 to the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel to pay for staffing
27 the task force..
28 Section 4. Repeal date.
29 This act is repealed November 1, 1997.


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Legislative Review Note
as of 10-16-96 3:31 PM

A limited legal review of this bill raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel

Committee Note

The Judiciary Interim Committee recommended this bill.

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