Bill > HB0463

This bill modifies various sections of Utah law related to child support, introducing several key changes. The bill updates definitions across multiple statutes, adding a new term "ongoing expense for child care" which refers to a periodic payment to help cover child care costs. Most significantly, the bill mandates that beginning July 1, 2026, child support orders must include a provision requiring the obligor parent to pay a reasonable ongoing expense for child care. The legislation requires the Office of Recovery Services to conduct a comprehensive study on child care costs, including developing guidelines and cost tables for calculating these ongoing child care expenses. Courts will be instructed to use these guidelines as a rebuttable presumption when establishing child support orders, with the ongoing expense typically terminating when the child turns 13 years old. The bill also makes technical amendments to various definitions and procedural requirements related to child support, including provisions for tracking child support arrears, modifying divorce decrees, and ensuring transparency in child support obligations. The bill is set to take effect on May 7, 2025, with the new child care expense provisions becoming mandatory in July 2026.

Justice

https://le.utah.gov/~2025/bills/static/HB0463.html