Bill Text: IA HF491 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to the replication of an employment-oriented child support assistance pilot program in the state.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-11 - Subcommittee, Forristall, Bacon, and McConkey. H.J. 548. [HF491 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2015-HF491-Introduced.html
House File 491 - Introduced HOUSE FILE BY ROGERS and BERRY A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to the replication of an employment=oriented 2 child support assistance pilot program in the state. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: TLSB 2402YH (6) 86 pf/nh PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. RELIABLE EMPLOYMENT AND CHILD SUPPORT HELP 1 2 PROGRAM == REPLICATION AND ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS. The 1 3 department of human services shall replicate the program 1 4 initiated under the federal office of child support enforcement 1 5 national child support noncustodial parent employment 1 6 demonstration projects grant known as the reliable employment 1 7 and child support help (REACH) program, in a county in 1 8 northeast Iowa with a population of between 130,000 and 135,000 1 9 in the latest certified federal census which has a community 1 10 college located in the county seat. The program shall utilize 1 11 the community college and local workforce services to provide 1 12 employment=oriented services, responsible parenting classes, 1 13 case management, and enhanced child support services to 1 14 unemployed noncustodial parents who are behind or at risk 1 15 of becoming behind on their child support obligations. The 1 16 program shall provide outreach to ensure that any mother of 1 17 a child for whom paternity has not been legally established 1 18 and any father of a child for whom paternity has been legally 1 19 established is provided information about the program. The 1 20 department shall submit a progress report to the governor and 1 21 the general assembly by December 15, 2015, regarding program 1 22 outcomes. 1 23 EXPLANATION 1 24 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 1 25 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly. 1 26 This bill directs the department of human services (DHS) 1 27 to replicate the reliable employment and child support help 1 28 (REACH) program in a county in northeast Iowa with a population 1 29 of between 130,000 and 135,000 in the latest certified 1 30 federal census which has a community college located in the 1 31 county seat. The bill requires that the program utilize the 1 32 community college and local workforce services to provide 1 33 employment=oriented services, responsible parenting classes, 1 34 case management and enhanced child support services to 1 35 unemployed noncustodial parents who are behind or at risk of 2 1 becoming behind on their child support obligations. The bill 2 2 also requires the program to provide outreach to ensure that 2 3 any mother of a child for whom paternity has not been legally 2 4 established and any father of a child for whom paternity has 2 5 been legally established is provided information about the 2 6 program. DHS is directed to submit a progress report to 2 7 the governor and the general assembly by December 15, 2015, 2 8 regarding program outcomes. 2 9 The REACH program was initiated through a federal office of 2 10 child support enforcement national child support noncustodial 2 11 parent employment demonstration projects grant. The purpose 2 12 of the grant is to give child support enforcement programs 2 13 the ability to help noncustodial parents overcome employment 2 14 barriers, to help noncustodial parents strengthen relationships 2 15 with their children, and to help noncustodial parents pay 2 16 their child support consistently. The program was implemented 2 17 in Iowa in October 2013, and is located in the Des Moines 2 18 service region. Partners include the child support recovery 2 19 unit, the Iowa REACH team providing case management, Des 2 20 Moines area community college and the Evelyn K. Davis center 2 21 for working families providing employment services, visiting 2 22 nurse services of Iowa and dads with a purpose providing 2 23 fatherhood and parenting services, united way of central Iowa 2 24 providing financial literacy assistance, and the Iowa coalition 2 25 against domestic violence and visiting nurse services providing 2 26 domestic violence training and screening. The program's goal 2 27 is to enroll 1,500 noncustodial parents who are having trouble 2 28 meeting their child support obligations into the program in 2 29 a three=year period ending September 30, 2017. Some of the 2 30 criteria for eligibility to participate include having an 2 31 active child support recovery unit enforcement case, having 2 32 a court=ordered support obligation that is not currently 2 33 suspended, being medically able to work, and the payor having 2 34 paid up to 50 percent of the current support due in the last 2 35 three months or being unemployed, underemployed, or having 3 1 inconsistent employment, or having been released from prison 3 2 in the last six months. The incentives for participation in 3 3 the program include reinstatement of any sanctioned license, 3 4 bypassing the administrative levy for one year, expedited 3 5 review of modifications, satisfaction of state=owed arrears 3 6 when payments are made, and intense case management by child 3 7 support enforcement, job navigators, and fatherhood and 3 8 parenting providers. LSB 2402YH (6) 86 pf/nh
