987DE810669F1CD387258C2F00760AE6 Hearing Summary

The committee was placed in a brief recess.

The committee came back to order.

The primary bill
sponsors, Representatives English and Joseph, introduced House Bill 25-1159
to the House Health and Human Services Committee. The bill makes changes
to the child support system that were recommended by the Colorado Child
Support Commission, including changing eligibility for the low-income adjustment
from below the current monthly income level of $1,500 to an amount that
is based on the state minimum wage (self-support reserve); permitting low-income
obligors to retain income up to the self-support reserve threshold and
allocate 80 to 95 percent of the remaining income towards child support
(based upon the number of children). If the calculated amount falls below
the reduced low-income adjustment amount or above the basic schedule amount,
the corresponding amount will apply; updating the basic child support obligation
schedule; modifying the parenting time adjustment to account for all overnights
a parent has with a child and implementing the corresponding parenting
time adjustment table; requiring courts to enter child support orders for
every dissolution of marriage proceeding and allowing courts to appoint
Child Family Investigators in juvenile proceedings that involve the allocation
of parental responsibilities; and making other changes that clarify requirements
for independent contractor reporting, extraordinary medical expenses for
children, and factors considered for retroactive child support and income
tax dependency.



The Colorado Department
of Human Services, Office of Economic Security, provided a handout to the
committee (Attachment C).



Boulder County
provided a handout to the committee (Attachment D).

The bill sponsors responded to questions from the committee.

Larry Desbien, representing
Colorado Department of Human Services, testified in support of the bill.



Melanie Jordan,
representing Office of Respondent Parents' Counsel, testified in support
of the bill.



Tracy Rumans,
representing Colorado Child Support Commission, testified in support of
the bill.

The panel responded to questions from the committee.