Raised Bill No. 5420 is a legislative proposal that seeks to amend existing statutes related to child support, specifically extending the obligation of parents to provide support to children under the age of twenty-one. The bill, which would take effect on October 1, 2024, applies to cases filed on or after that date and includes provisions for maintaining a child in need of support who is domiciled in the home of a parent. It also allows for the modification, suspension, or termination of child support orders if the child marries, joins the military, or becomes self-supporting before reaching twenty-one. The bill introduces new subsection numbers and includes deletions of commas for clarity, while defining "child support" as a sum paid by one or both parents for the care, maintenance, and education of a child under twenty-one.

The bill also addresses the provision of health care coverage for children, with parents required to provide coverage through insurance plans, public health insurance programs like HUSKY B, or cash medical support. It defines the cost of health care coverage as reasonable based on a percentage of the parent's net income and outlines the enforcement of support orders, the provision of support orders to parties and the state case registry, and the modification of support orders. Additionally, the bill repeals and replaces language concerning the support of individuals by relatives when supported by the state and removes the provision for support of an unmarried full-time high school student beyond the age of nineteen or completion of the twelfth grade. The bill's purpose is to extend child support obligations to children under the age of twenty-one years.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 51-348a