FL: Governor Signs Child Support, Paternity Bill

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.d...EWS/505210362/
1004/RSS&source=RSS
Governor Signs Child Support, Paternity Bill
Plan makes it easier for the state to be certain that payments are made.

By DAVID ROYSE
The Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Jeb Bush signed a bill Friday aimed at making it easier
for the government to establish a child's paternity and make sure support
payments are efficiently made.

The measure (HB 1283) makes several changes, many of them technical, dealing
with how a child's father is determined and how child support is collected.

Among the changes is one that could allow paternity to be established
without a court order in some cases when genetic testing is conclusive.

For child support to be ordered, there currently must be a court ruling on
paternity. Under the bill, if genetic testing shows paternity with more than
99 percent certainty, the court order could be skipped, although men could
still contest the issue in court.

The measure also requires the state to accept and disburse child support
payments electronically directly to the recipients' bank accounts, instead
of sending out checks as is usually the case currently. The idea is that
such a system will be faster, and will avoid disruptions, such as when
there's no mail delivery because of a hurricane.

"This is money into families' pockets," Bush said. "This will strengthen
family life."

Bush was joined at the bill signing by Tina Calloway, a woman from
Jacksonville who has had to fight to get child support payments for her
children and who lobbied for the bill, and its House and Senate sponsors,
Rep. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, and Sen. Skip Campbell, D-Fort Lauderdale.

Other elements of the bill:


a.. Establish pilot projects to test new ways to establish child support
orders more quickly and more cheaply.

a.. Require an extra 20 percent be added to required payments that are past
due in cases where deductions are automatic.

a.. Make it easier for the state to suspend business, professional and
occupational licenses for nonpayment of support.

a.. Allow wider use of a 2002 law allowing some parents who fail to pay to
be charged with a felony if they owe more than $5,000 in delinquent child
support a year.

Department of Revenue Director Jim Zingale said the measure is expected to
increase child support collections by $600 million over five years. The
state collected just over $1 billion in child support last year in about
690,000 cases.

----------------------------------------------------
The only thing necessary for the triumph
of evil is for good men to do nothing.

Edmond Burke

"Dusty" wrote in

Department of Revenue Director Jim Zingale said the measure is expected to
increase child support collections by $600 million over five years. The
state collected just over $1 billion in child support last year in about
690,000 cases.

And how much more money did the state **** away in Medicare fraud and other
reckless government programs?
This is the same government that sets our extortionate CS rates and then
terrorizes it's citizens to pay up!

Dusty wrote:

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.d...EWS/505210362/
1004/RSS&source=RSS
Governor Signs Child Support, Paternity Bill
Plan makes it easier for the state to be certain that payments are
made.

By DAVID ROYSE
The Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Jeb Bush signed a bill Friday aimed at making it
easier
for the government to establish a child's paternity and make sure
support
payments are efficiently made.

The measure (HB 1283) makes several changes, many of them technical,
dealing
with how a child's father is determined and how child support is
collected.

Among the changes is one that could allow paternity to be established
without a court order in some cases when genetic testing is
conclusive.

For child support to be ordered, there currently must be a court
ruling on
paternity. Under the bill, if genetic testing shows paternity with
more than
99 percent certainty, the court order could be skipped, although men
could
still contest the issue in court.

But he still has to go to court to get visitation?

The measure also requires the state to accept and disburse child
support
payments electronically directly to the recipients' bank accounts,
instead
of sending out checks as is usually the case currently. The idea is
that
such a system will be faster, and will avoid disruptions, such as
when
there's no mail delivery because of a hurricane.

"This is money into families' pockets," Bush said. "This will
strengthen
family life."

Actually, it is money out of family B's pocket and into family A's.

Bush was joined at the bill signing by Tina Calloway, a woman from
Jacksonville who has had to fight to get child support payments for
her
children and who lobbied for the bill, and its House and Senate
sponsors,
Rep. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, and Sen. Skip Campbell, D-Fort
Lauderdale.

For her children huh? Maybe.

Other elements of the bill:


a.. Establish pilot projects to test new ways to establish child
support
orders more quickly and more cheaply.

a.. Require an extra 20 percent be added to required payments that
are past
due in cases where deductions are automatic.

That is a damn high return, like a bad credit card.

a.. Make it easier for the state to suspend business, professional
and
occupational licenses for nonpayment of support.

That will help these men to pay, if you take away their job.

a.. Allow wider use of a 2002 law allowing some parents who fail to
pay to
be charged with a felony if they owe more than $5,000 in delinquent
child
support a year.

That will help these men to pay, throw them in jail, and take away
their job.

Department of Revenue Director Jim Zingale said the measure is
expected to
increase child support collections by $600 million over five years.
The
state collected just over $1 billion in child support last year in
about
690,000 cases.

Yea! Free federal money.

----------------------------------------------------
The only thing necessary for the triumph
of evil is for good men to do nothing.

Edmond Burke

Or for NOW to be involved.