Based on new federal regulations, legislation was introduced which would establish a formal process for the incarceration of an individual to be taken into consideration for the purposes of modifying child support orders. In March, the ACLU of RI testified in front of the Senate Judiciary committee in support of this legislation that would help ensure that incarcerated non-custodial parents will no longer have to be put through the existing burdensome process for modification of child support and that their incarceration will not be treated as “voluntary unemployment” which puts them in further debt and continues the cycle of poverty and incarceration.

In June, this legislation was approved by the Senate and the House.

Sponsors

Representative Grace Diaz and Senator Erin Lynch Prata

Status

Passed

Session

2017

Bill number

Position

Support