Plain English Breakdown
The bill text contains conflicting phrasing regarding the effective date for noncommercial vs. commercial licenses, but the final operative clause sets a single start date based on system readiness.
AB-2195: Changes to License Suspensions for Child Support Debt
This law stops low-income people from having their driver's licenses or professional permits suspended due to unpaid child support and sets new rules for checking income.
What This Bill Does
- Stops the state Department of Child Support Services from sending names of people with incomes at or below 70% of the median household income to agencies that issue business, occupational, or driving licenses for suspension purposes.
- Requires local child support agencies to send a notice asking people who owe money to provide proof of their employment and income status.
- Assumes a person earns more than the low-income limit if they do not submit the required income documents on time.
- Stops agencies from asking for new income proofs again within 6 months if the person's income is already confirmed as low enough, unless payments are delinquent after that period.
- Allows people with professional licenses to get relief from suspension by proving their income meets the low-income threshold.
Who It Names or Affects
- People who owe child support payments and earn at or below 70% of the median household income for a one-person household (for driver's licenses) or area median income.
- Local child support agencies that must collect documents, send notices, and manage lists for license suspensions.
- State boards and departments, including the Department of Motor Vehicles, that issue licenses, certificates, credentials, permits, registrations, or other authorizations.
Terms To Know
- Support obligor
- A person who is legally required to pay child support.
- Median income
- The middle amount of money earned by households in a specific area, used here as the 70% cutoff for protection from license suspension.
- Rebuttable presumption
- A rule that assumes something is true unless someone provides proof to show it is false; here, it assumes income is above the limit if no documents are provided.
Limits and Unknowns
- The new rules start on January 1, 2027, or later if the state computer system needs more time to be updated.
- It is not yet known if the Commission on State Mandates will find that local agencies need extra money from the state for these tasks.