Testify about child support

by From staff and wire reports
| May 14, 2015 9:00 PM

BOISE - Idaho residents will get a chance to testify during the Legislature's upcoming special session on proposed child support rules.

The Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee and the House Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee will begin hearing from citizens and interest groups Monday morning. Starting at 8 a.m., interested parties can register to testify.

The special session was called after the House committee killed a bill that would have brought Idaho into compliance with federal child support enforcement rules. That decision jeopardized $46 million in federal funding and access to the federal tools Idaho uses to collect and distribute child support payments.

Opponents feared the legislation would force Idaho to comply with foreign court orders in violation of state law, but proponents contend those fears are unfounded.

To keep the system intact, the state must approve the new guidelines by June 12.

Sen. Mary Souza, R-Coeur d'Alene, is the only senator from Kootenai County on the committee. Reps. Kathy Sims, R-Coeur d'Alene; Luke Malek, R-Coeur d'Alene; and Don Cheatham, R-Post Falls, will sit on the joint committee.