Bill > SF542

This bill establishes a new legal process for suspending child support and medical support obligations when a child is involved in a Child in Need of Assistance (CINA) proceeding under juvenile court. Specifically, the bill allows a person who is court-ordered to pay child support to request a suspension of support payments if a juvenile court dispositional or permanency order transfers the child's custody to that support-paying individual. To initiate a suspension, the support-paying party must file an application in the original child support case, providing details about the juvenile court proceeding and including a notice of custody change. The suspension becomes effective on the next scheduled support payment date and can be finalized 60 calendar days after the juvenile court proceeding terminates, unless objected to by any party. Similarly, the bill provides a mechanism for reinstating support payments if the child's custody is later returned to the original support-receiving parent. The bill also requires the juvenile court to file a notice of custody change and mandates that the supreme court create standard forms for these applications. Importantly, the bill waives court costs and filing fees for such applications and allows child support services to access custody change notices upon request, facilitating a streamlined process for managing child support during complex custody situations.

Justice

Judiciary (Senate)

https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=91&ba=SF542