ASSEMBLY JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
STATEMENT TO
ASSEMBLY, No. 3517
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
DATED: OCTOBER 21, 2024
The Assembly Judiciary Committee reports favorably Assembly
Bill No. 3517.
This bill is to be known as the “Equitable Outcomes in Child
Support Collection Act.” The bill amends section 1 of P.L.1962, c.142
(C.30:4C-29.1) to remove provisions in the statutes that outline how
the Department of Children and Families currently collects child
support obligations from legally responsible persons to offset the costs
of maintenance, incurred by the Division of Child Protection and
Permanency (DCPP), on behalf of children in the DCPP’s care or
custody, and establishes new procedures for such collection.
Specifically, the bill stipulates that any current child support
obligation or any unpaid outstanding arrears balance of a court-ordered
child support obligation, all unsatisfied civil judgments based on a
court-ordered child support obligation, all warrants issued solely based
on the alleged failure to pay or the sole purpose of enforcing a child
support obligation, or any current outstanding liens entered on any and
all property to which the defendant has or has acquired an interest,
which is owed to reimburse the DCPP for maintenance costs incurred
while a child was in its care or custody, are deemed null and void and
are to be vacated and discharged.
This bill updates the State’s statutes concerning the liability for
maintenance costs of children in the care or custody of the DCPP to
align with revised policies issued in 2022 by the Children’s Bureau, an
office of the federal Administration for Children and Families,
allowing for Title IV-E agencies to define more narrowly when it is
appropriate to seek child support from legally responsible persons.