TRENTON, NJ – The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee has approved legislation that aims to remove existing procedures for collecting child support from legally responsible individuals for children under the care of the Division of Child Protection and Permanency. The bill, introduced by Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz and Senator Joseph Vitale, seeks to address the inefficiencies in the current system.
Majority Leader Ruiz highlighted that current efforts to collect child support often end up being counterproductive. She noted that the financial burden imposed on parents might create obstacles to family reunification, which could be detrimental when such outcomes are in the child’s best interest. The current system, according to Ruiz, results in the state spending more on reimbursement efforts than it actually collects.
Under the proposed Equitable Outcomes in Child Support Collection Act, or bill S-2331, all outstanding child support obligations, related warrants, unsatisfied civil judgments, and liens aimed at reimbursing the Division of Child Protection and Permanency would be nullified. The legislation seeks to abolish the existing procedures for reimbursement to improve efficiency and focus on family reunification.