Res. No. 269
Resolution calling upon the New York State Legislature to introduce and pass legislation that would reduce the threshold amount of child support arrears due and owing before drivers, professional, occupational, business, and recreational licenses of a child support obligee can be suspended from the equivalent of four months of arrears to the equivalent of two months of arrears.
By Council Members Fidler, Brewer, Chin, James, Palma and Reyna.
Whereas, Child support helps parents promote the well being and development of their children; and
Whereas, The federal government enacted a Child Support Enforcement program in 1975 as a federal/state/local partnership to strengthen families by securing financial support from non-custodial parents and to lower government costs of providing cash welfare to families with absent parents; and
Whereas, According to the latest numbers available, the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement reports that during Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 the total amount of support due was over $31 billion of which $19 billion was collected and distributed leaving a total of $12 billion due for FY 2008; and
Whereas, In total there are over $105 billion in arrearages reported for all fiscal years and of these $8 billion was collected and distributed during FY 2008, which represents an increase of over 13 percent from distributions in FY 2007; and
Whereas, According to the same report, in the State of New York $1,745,959,524 of child support was due in FY 2008 of which $1,156,873,413 was collected and distributed; and
Whereas, A total of $4,667,659,400 in arrears are due in New York State alone; and
Whereas, The New York City Human Resources Administration reports that in January 2010, $54,506,000 was collected in child support payments; and
Whereas, Non-payment of child support obligations is generally detrimental to children; and
Whereas, Punitive measures such as garnishing of wages, unemployment compensation interception, and state or federal income tax refund offsets were created to increase the likelihood that non-custodial parents would comply with child support orders issued by the courts; and
Whereas, Additional consequences include the suspension of drivers, professional, occupational, business, and recreational licenses; and
Whereas, Current New York State Domestic Relations Law allows for the suspension of these licenses if the equivalent of four months of arrears is outstanding; and
Whereas, If the threshold amount of arrears accrual before licenses can be revoked is reduced from the equivalent of four months of arrears to the equivalent of two months of arrears, it will help to ensure that custodial parents have the financial support to provide for their children by providing an additional incentive for non-custodial parents to pay their obligations promptly; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York State Legislature to introduce and pass legislation that would reduce the threshold amount of child support arrears due and owing before drivers, professional, occupational, business, and recreational licenses of a child support obligee can be suspended from the equivalent of four months of arrears to the equivalent of two months of arrears.
MBTL
LS 617
5/3/10
12:09PM
3 pages