The bill, Substitute House Bill No. 6571, proposes amendments to the authority of the court to order support for an adult child with an intellectual or mental disability, or who is physically disabled. The bill repeals the existing subsection (c) of section 46b-84 of the general statutes and substitutes it with new provisions. The key changes include the definition of mental disability as per section 46a-51 and the extension of the age limit for which a child can receive support from 21 to 26 years old. The bill specifies that these provisions apply to cases where the decree of dissolution of marriage, legal separation, annulment, or initial support orders are entered on or after October 1, 2023. Additionally, the bill clarifies that the child support guidelines established pursuant to section 46b-215a shall not apply to orders entered under this subsection.

The bill also includes a fiscal note indicating that there is no expected state or municipal impact, as the additional years of support are unlikely to pose a cost to the child support enforcement division of the Judicial Department due to the relatively small number of cases impacted. The bill defines intellectual disability, mental disability, and physical disability according to sections 1-1g and 46a-51 of the general statutes. The bill is effective from October 1, 2023, and amends section 46b-84(c) of the general statutes. The legislative commissioners added clarifying language for the effective dates and restructured the subsections for clarity.