HOUSE BILL No. 5259

 

November 5, 2003, Introduced by Reps. Stahl, Lipsey, Bieda, Elkins, Meisner, Rocca, Howell, Rivet, Meyer, Hart, Phillips, Casperson, Tabor, Bradstreet, Hummel, Voorhees, Vander Veen, Huizenga, Newell, Mortimer, Ehardt, Ruth Johnson, Walker, Woronchak, Pumford, Caswell, Gaffney, Richardville, Palsrok, Palmer, Garfield, Drolet, Taub, Stakoe, Brown, Sheltrown, Anderson and Gillard and referred to the Committee on Family and Children Services.

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1982 PA 294, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "Friend of the court act,"                                                  

                                                                                

    by amending section 11 (MCL 552.511), as amended by 2002 PA 571.            

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 11.  (1) Each office shall initiate 1 or more support                  

                                                                                

2   enforcement measures under the support and parenting time                   

                                                                                

3   enforcement act when 1 of the following applies:                            

                                                                                

4       (a) Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, the                   

                                                                                

5   arrearage under the support order is equal to or greater than the           

                                                                                

6   monthly amount of support payable under the order.  If the                  

                                                                                

7   support order was entered ex parte, an office shall not initiate            

                                                                                

8   enforcement under this subdivision until the office receives a              

                                                                                

9   copy of proof of service for the order and at least 1 month has             

                                                                                

10  elapsed since the date of service.  An office is not required to            

                                                                                

11  initiate enforcement under this subdivision if 1 or more of the             

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   following circumstances exist:                                              

                                                                                

2                                                                                (i) Despite the existence of the arrearage, an order of                             

                                                                                

3   income withholding is effective and payment is being made under             

                                                                                

4   the order of income withholding in the amount required under the            

                                                                                

5   order.                                                                      

                                                                                

6       (ii) Despite the existence of the arrearage and even though                  

                                                                                

7   an order of income withholding is not effective, payment is being           

                                                                                

8   made in the amount required under the order.                                

                                                                                

9       (iii) One or more support enforcement measures have been                     

                                                                                

10  initiated and an objection to 1 or more of those measures has not           

                                                                                

11  been resolved.                                                              

                                                                                

12      (b) A parent fails to obtain or maintain health care coverage               

                                                                                

13  for the parent's child as ordered by the court.  The office shall           

                                                                                

14  initiate enforcement under this subdivision at the following                

                                                                                

15  times:                                                                      

                                                                                

16                                                                               (i) Within 60 days after the entry of a support order                               

                                                                                

17  containing health care coverage provisions.                                 

                                                                                

18      (ii) When a review is conducted as provided in section 17.                   

                                                                                

19      (iii) Concurrent with enforcement initiated by the office                    

                                                                                

20  under subdivision (a).                                                      

                                                                                

21      (iv) Upon receipt of a written complaint from a party.                       

                                                                                

22      (v) Upon receipt of a written complaint from the department                 

                                                                                

23  if the child for whose benefit health care coverage is ordered is           

                                                                                

24  a recipient of public assistance or medical assistance.                     

                                                                                

25      (c) A person legally responsible for the actual care of a                   

                                                                                

26  child incurs an uninsured health care expense and submits to the            

                                                                                

27  office a written complaint that meets the requirements of section           


                                                                                

1   11a.                                                                        

                                                                                

2       (2) An arrearage amount that arises at the moment a court                   

                                                                                

3   issues an order imposing or modifying support, because the order            

                                                                                

4   relates back to a petition or motion filing date, shall not be              

                                                                                

5   considered as an arrearage for the purpose of initiating support            

                                                                                

6   enforcement measures, centralizing enforcement, or other action             

                                                                                

7   required or authorized in response to a support arrearage under             

                                                                                

8   this act or the support and parenting time enforcement act,                 

                                                                                

9   unless the payer fails to become current with the court ordered             

                                                                                

10  support payments within 2 months after entry of the order                   

                                                                                

11  imposing or modifying support.                                              

                                                                                

12      (3) A title IV-D agency shall comply with the amnesty program               

                                                                                

13  established under section 3b of the office of child support act,            

                                                                                

14  1971 PA 174, MCL 400.233b.  If prosecution has been initiated               

                                                                                

15  under section 161, 165, or 167 of the Michigan penal code, 1931             

                                                                                

16  PA 328, MCL 750.161, 750.165, and 750.167, before the payer seeks           

                                                                                

17  participation in the child support amnesty program, the                     

                                                                                

18  individual is not eligible to participate in the child support              

                                                                                

19  amnesty program.                                                            

                                                                                

20      Enacting section 1.  This amendatory act does not take                      

                                                                                

21  effect unless House Bill No. 4654 of the 92nd Legislature is                

                                                                                

22  enacted into law.