Bill > H201

This bill proposes several changes to child support enforcement laws in Massachusetts, focusing on supporting families receiving public assistance. First, it modifies the conditions under which recipients of public assistance can be sanctioned for not cooperating with child support establishment or enforcement, expanding the "good cause" exceptions to include situations where cooperation might discourage parental relationships, risk physical or emotional harm, or is not in the child's best interest. Second, the bill requires that child support collected on behalf of public assistance recipients be paid directly to the family, and mandates that child support payments below the monthly federal poverty level for the family size will not be counted as income when determining benefits eligibility. Finally, for families who are no longer receiving public assistance, the bill requires that all child support payments, including past-due amounts and payments collected through federal tax refund offset, be paid directly to the family. These changes aim to provide more financial support and protection for families navigating child support situations, particularly those receiving public assistance.

Health and Social Services

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H201