UNOFFICIAL COPY AS OF 09/16/1802 REG. SESS.02 RS BR 231

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION directing a study of the child support system in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

WHEREAS, in quite literally representing the future of this great Commonwealth, Kentucky's children deserve the full protection of the state and this General Assembly so that they might grow and mature into the responsible citizens and leaders so fundamental to our society; and

WHEREAS, in securing the support of Kentucky's children, the Commonwealth must strive to insure not only the economic well being of the child, but, in so doing, must also see that the parents are treated fairly and equitably, with neither parent receiving an economic advantage from support for the child; and

WHEREAS, the General Assembly wishes to ensure that the citizens of this great Commonwealth have ready and available access to the instrumentalities of government so as to promote the time honored ideals of citizen involvement and oversight together with government responsiveness and accountability; and

WHEREAS, a continuing evaluation and re-assessment of the Commonwealth's efforts to protect the economic security of Kentucky's children will lead to the high degree of efficiency, quality, and fairness that the citizens of the Commonwealth have a right to expect from their government;

NOW, THEREFORE,

Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the House of Representatives concurring therein:

Page 1 of 3

BR023100.100-231

UNOFFICIAL COPY AS OF 09/16/1802 REG. SESS.02 RS BR 231

Section 1. The Kentucky Child Support Task Force, to be composed of twelve members of the General Assembly, is created. The President of the Senate shall appoint six members of the Task Force from among the membership of the Senate, with three of the appointments being from among the members of the majority party in the Senate and three of the appointments being from among the members of the minority party in the Senate. The Speaker of the House shall appoint six members of the Task Force from among the membership of the House, with three of the appointments being from among the members of the majority party in the House and three of the appointments being from among the members of the minority party in the House. The President and the Speaker shall each appoint one person from among that officer’s appointments to the Task Force to serve as a co-chair of the Task Force.

Section 2. The Task Force shall prepare a report of its work together with any recommendations the Task Force deems advisable and transmit a copy of this report and recommendations to the Legislative Research Commission by October 31, 2001.

Section 3. While the Task Force may examine those areas of Kentucky's child support system as it deems advisable, the Task Force shall include among the topics examined the following:

(a)An examination of the mission and operation of the Kentucky Child Support Guidelines Review Commission and other government entities in the child support system, including both a review of any necessary modifications to foster citizen involvement in the governmental process and a broader examination of the question of the proper structure, mission, and activities of these governmental entities and whether the present arrangement represents the optimum.

(b)An examination of the most appropriate economic basis for the construction of child support guidelines, including, among any others, an examination of the income shares model, the cost shares model, and the percentage of income model, together with an examination of data and methods by which the economic assumptions used in constructing the guidelines reflect Kentucky specific information.

(c)Means of increasing access to the system and removing barriers to utilization, with a particular emphasis on decreasing the cost to the participants and increasing the speed at which a decision may be reached.

(d)Means by which abuse of the system, including utilization for purposes of harassment, might be curtailed.

(e)An examination of the question of whether a child support award should be adjusted where the child spends an increased amount of time with the child support obligor.

(f)Whether Kentucky child support law equitably addresses the effect of subsequent marriages and subsequent born children in assigning support obligations.

(g)Means by which the interstate establishment and collection of support may be improved.

Section 4. Provisions of this resolution to the contrary notwithstanding, the Legislative Research Commission shall have the authority to alternatively assign the issues identified herein to an interim joint committee or subcommittee thereof, and to designate a study completion date.

Page 1 of 3

BR023100.100-231