Senate Bill 1072 aims to amend various statutes related to child support orders and the responsibilities of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and county departments when a child enters foster care. The bill repeals several existing provisions that mandated the assignment of child support orders and arrears to the state upon a child's entry into foster care. It also removes the requirement for DCF and county departments to provide child support referrals and collect child support for families with children in out-of-home care, except in cases where the parents' income exceeds 400% of the federal poverty line or if they are receiving adoption assistance. In these instances, any ordered child support would still be assigned to the state.

Additionally, the bill modifies the best interests of the child factor that family courts must consider when modifying child support orders. It emphasizes the importance of family expenditures aimed at improving home conditions for potential reunification and stresses the need for placements that are least restrictive of the rights of both the child and the parents. The bill also consolidates and renumbers certain provisions within the Juvenile Justice Code, streamlining the legal framework surrounding child support and foster care.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 46.10(1), 46.10, 46.10(14)(e)1, 48.33(4)(b), 48.33, 48.33(4m), 48.335(3r), 48.335, 48.355(2)(b)4, 48.355, 48.357(5m), 48.357, 48.363(2), 48.363, 48.645(3), 48.645, 49.345(1), 49.345, 49.345(14)(e)1, 301.12(1), 301.12, 301.12(14)(e)1, 767.001(1)(m), 767.001, 767.511(1m)(hm), 767.511, 767.59(1), 767.59, 767.59(2)(c), 767.77(1), 767.77, 767.78(1), 767.78, 780.01(5), 780.01, 893.415(2), 893.415