HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 EHB 1619

                      As Passed House:

                        March 7, 1995

Title:  An act relating to proportionate sharing of child support expenses not included in the child support economic table.

Brief Description:  Revising child support provision for day care expenses.

Sponsors:  Representative Appelwick.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Law & Justice:  2/15/95, 2/17/95 [DP].

  Floor Activity:

     Passed House:  3/7/95, 94-2.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON LAW & JUSTICE

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 16 members:  Representatives Padden, Chairman; Delvin, Vice Chairman; Hickel, Vice Chairman; Appelwick, Ranking Minority Member; Costa, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Campbell; Carrell; Chappell; Cody; Lambert; McMahan; Morris; Sheahan; Smith; Thibaudeau and Veloria.

Staff:  Pat Shelledy (786-7149).

Background:  Washington's child support schedule contains an economic table.  The economic table establishes a presumptive basic child support amount based on the combined monthly net income of the parents and the number and ages of the children.   Each parent's share of the presumptive amount is based on each parent's share of the combined monthly net income. 

Day-care and special child rearing expenses, such as tuition and long-distance transportation costs, are not included in the presumptive amount.  The parents share those expenses in the same proportion as they share the basic child support obligation.  The court may include extraordinary expenses such as day care in a parent's monthly support payment one parent (the "obligor") must make to the other parent (the "obligee").  In other cases, the obligor must pay his or her share when the extraordinary expense is incurred. 

Summary of Bill:  If an obligor pays for day care or special child rearing expenses that are not actually incurred, the obligee must reimburse the obligor.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  A parent should be entitled to a credit for extraordinary expenses not actually incurred by the other parent.

Testimony Against:  The Child Support Division of the Department of Social and Health Services is responsible for distributing child support in many cases and for conducting administrative hearings concerning contested issues.  The bill does not address administrative issues or indicate in what manner the parent will be able to obtain the credit.

Testified:  Pat Morgan, Washington State Bar Association, Family Law Section (pro); and Gary E. Marsoll, Washington Families (pro).