OHIO LEGISLATIVE SERVICE COMMISSION
Office of Research Legislative Budget
www.lsc.ohio.gov and Drafting Office
S.B. 176 Bill Analysis
135th General Assembly
Click here for S.B. 176’s Fiscal Note
Version: As Passed by the Senate
Primary Sponsors: Sens. Sykes and Romanchuk
Effective date:
Chenwei Zhang, Attorney
SUMMARY
Clarifies that a child support order may continue beyond the age of majority for a
person with a disability.
Defines “person with a disability” as a person with a mental or physical disability, whose
disability began before the person reached the age of majority, and whose disability
makes the person incapable of supporting or maintaining oneself.
Allows a court to issue or modify a child support order for the care of a child who is a
person with a disability as part of a marriage termination proceeding or when issuing or
modifying a court-issued child support order, regardless of whether the child is over or
under the age of majority at the time.
Allows a court to terminate a child support order for a person with a disability upon
satisfactory proof that the person is no longer mentally or physically disabled or is
capable of supporting or maintaining oneself.
Updates the definition of “court child support order” to include any order for child
support issued for a child who is a person with a disability.
Specifies that nothing in the Revised Code allows a child support enforcement agency
(CSEA) to issue an administrative child support order for a person over the age of 18,
including a person with a disability, and instead allows the CSEA to file an action in court
for the support of a person with a disability.
DETAILED ANALYSIS
Court child support orders for a child with a disability
The bill allows a court to extend an existing child support order or to issue or modify a
new child support order for a child who is a person with a disability, regardless of whether the
child has reached the age of majority. This includes the authority to issue child support orders
June 14, 2024
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as part of a proceeding for divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment and in all
circumstances where a court child support order may be issued or modified. In determining the
amount reasonable or necessary for child support, including the child’s medical needs, and
when issuing or modifying an order, the court must comply with existing laws on child support
calculation, the collection and disbursement of child support, enforcement, and Title IV-D
cases.1
Existing law specifies that a duty of support to a child imposed under a court child
support order must continue beyond the child’s 18th birthday when the child is mentally or
physically disabled and is incapable of supporting or maintaining himself or herself.2 The bill
clarifies that this must be pursuant to an order issued or modified under the above provision. 3
Existing law, unchanged by the bill, also specifies the following as the two other
circumstances under which a duty of support imposed pursuant to a child support order must
continue for a child over 18:
The child’s parents have agreed to continue support beyond the child’s 18th birthday
pursuant to a separation agreement that was incorporated into a decree of divorce or
dissolution;
The child continuously attends a recognized and accredited high school on a full-time
basis on or after the child’s 18th birthday.4
Finally, the bill specifies that a court may terminate a child support order that it issues
for a child who is a person with a disability upon satisfactory proof that the person who is the
subject of the order is no longer mentally or physically disabled or is capable of supporting or
maintaining oneself.5
Definitions
The bill defines “person with a disability” as a person with a mental or physical disability,
whose disability began before the person reached the age of majority, and whose disability
1 R.C. 3109.20(B) and (C) and 3119.11. R.C. 3109.20 creates the authority to issue child support orders
for an adult child with a disability as part of a marriage termination proceeding. R.C. 3119.11 applies in
all circumstances where a court child support order may be issued or modified. Because the definition of
“court child support order” under R.C. 3119.01(C)(3), which includes these new orders, also includes
orders issued by a juvenile court, it is clear that R.C. 3119.11 applies to support orders not connected to
a marriage termination proceeding.
2 R.C. 3119.86(A)(1)(a), as it appears in existing law.
3 R.C. 3119.86(A)(1).
4 R.C. 3119.86(A)(1)(b) to (c), as it appears in existing law; recodified in the bill as
R.C. 3119.86(A)(2) to (3).
5 R.C. 3119.88(B)(1).
P a g e |2 S.B. 176
As Passed by the Senate
Office of Research and Drafting LSC Legislative Budget Office
makes the person incapable of supporting or maintaining oneself.6 The bill updates the
definition of “court child support order” to include a court-issued child support order for a child
who is a person with a disability.7
No issuance of administrative support order for child over 18
The bill specifies that nothing in the Revised Code allows a child support enforcement
agency (CSEA) to issue an administrative child support order for a person who has reached the
age of 18, including a person with a disability. Whenever a CSEA is prohibited from issuing an
administrative child support order, it may request the appropriate court to take action to
provide for the care and maintenance of a person with a disability.8
Recodification
The bill recodifies R.C. 3119.86 for easier readability. The table below indicates how the
section has been recodified:
Provision Current law Bill
Continuing a support order beyond a child’s R.C. 3119.86(A)(1) and R.C. 3119.86
18th birthday (2)
Support orders after a child’s 19th birthday R.C. 3119.86(B) R.C. 3119.861
Support orders may not continue beyond an R.C. 3119.86(C) R.C. 3119.862
agreed-upon date in a separation agreement
Parent must pay support order until it R.C. 3119.86(D) R.C. 3119.863
terminates
HISTORY
Action Date
Introduced 10-07-23
Reported, S. Judiciary 05-08-24
Passed Senate (32-1) 06-12-24
ANSB0176PS-135
6 R.C. 3119.10 and 3109.20(A).
7 R.C. 3119.01(C)(3).
8 R.C. 3119.12.
P a g e |3 S.B. 176
As Passed by the Senate
Statutes affected: As Introduced: 3119.01, 3119.66, 3119.86, 3119.88
As Reported By Senate Committee: 3119.01, 3119.66, 3119.86, 3119.88
As Passed By Senate: 3119.01, 3119.66, 3119.86, 3119.88