H-4532              _______________________________________________

                                    SECOND SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL NO. 2888

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1990 Regular Session

By House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Appelwick, R. Meyers, Dorn, McLean, May and Wood)

Read first time 2/6/90.

AN ACT Relating to child support; creating new sections; making an appropriation; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The Washington state institute for public policy shall undertake a study of the child support schedule implemented pursuant to chapter 26.19 RCW.  The study shall include the following components:

          (1) Analysis of the economic assumptions underlying the economic tables currently in use in Washington state, including those currently in use in counties that have adopted alternative economic tables pursuant to RCW 26.19.020(1)(b).  The analysis shall include consideration of whether support levels included in the economic tables currently in use accurately reflect child rearing costs for families of different sizes and different income levels in the state of Washington and whether those support levels provide additional support commensurate with parents' income, resources, and standard of living.  It also shall include a determination of whether a single child support schedule should be applied state-wide;

          (2) Mechanisms to simplify the current child support schedule to ensure uniform application of the schedule throughout the state;

          (3) Assessment of the current availability of judicial training on the child support schedule, and mechanisms to encourage greater judicial participation in training;

          (4) Assessment of the impact of the current child support schedule on caseload and grant levels for the aid to families with dependent children program;

          (5) Assessment of the financial impact of divorce on the standard of living of custodial parents in families with children;

          (6) Analysis of federal statutory and regulatory requirements relating to federal financial participation in state child support enforcement activities;

          (7) Assessment of the impact of the current child support schedule on parents who have remarried, have children of other relationships, or are caring for dependent relatives;

          (8) Assessment of the impact of current child support schedule standards relating to residential credits;

          (9) Analysis of mechanisms for accounting or verifying expenditures of child support transfer payments; and

          (10) Other issues deemed appropriate by the Washington state institute for public policy.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     A final report detailing the findings of the study shall be provided to relevant committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate on or before December 1, 1990.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     The sum of seventy-five thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated from the general fund to The Evergreen State College for the biennium ending June 30, 1991, solely for the Washington state institute for public policy to conduct the study provided for in this act.  Any portion of this appropriation not expended by June 30, 1991, for the purpose of this act shall lapse.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.