Bill > H2053

This bill introduces several modifications to child support laws in Massachusetts. First, it changes service of legal documents related to child support to be done by personal summons instead of following previous court rules. The bill requires the child support enforcement division to publish an annual report on the Mass.gov website by October 15th each year. For noncustodial parents who are incarcerated for over 90 consecutive days, their child support obligation will be automatically adjusted to reflect minimum wage income, unless the custodial parent or child support enforcement can prove the parent has alternative income or assets. The bill also prevents the suspension of driver's licenses for individuals with household incomes at or below 70% of their county's median income, specifically protecting noncommercial driver's licenses. Additionally, the bill introduces new guidelines for income attribution in child support calculations, allowing income attribution based on a parent's earnings from the last 5 years only if they previously earned $100,000 or more, and providing a 60-day grace period for job search and employment verification when income is attributed. The bill includes staggered implementation dates, with some provisions taking effect in 2027 and 2028.

Justice

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H2053