House File 491 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 491 BY ROGERS and BERRY A BILL FOR An Act relating to the replication of an employment-oriented 1 child support assistance pilot program in the state. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2402YH (6) 86 pf/nh

H.F. 491 Section 1. RELIABLE EMPLOYMENT AND CHILD SUPPORT HELP 1 PROGRAM —— REPLICATION AND ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS. The 2 department of human services shall replicate the program 3 initiated under the federal office of child support enforcement 4 national child support noncustodial parent employment 5 demonstration projects grant known as the reliable employment 6 and child support help (REACH) program, in a county in 7 northeast Iowa with a population of between 130,000 and 135,000 8 in the latest certified federal census which has a community 9 college located in the county seat. The program shall utilize 10 the community college and local workforce services to provide 11 employment-oriented services, responsible parenting classes, 12 case management, and enhanced child support services to 13 unemployed noncustodial parents who are behind or at risk 14 of becoming behind on their child support obligations. The 15 program shall provide outreach to ensure that any mother of 16 a child for whom paternity has not been legally established 17 and any father of a child for whom paternity has been legally 18 established is provided information about the program. The 19 department shall submit a progress report to the governor and 20 the general assembly by December 15, 2015, regarding program 21 outcomes. 22 EXPLANATION 23 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 24 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 25 This bill directs the department of human services (DHS) 26 to replicate the reliable employment and child support help 27 (REACH) program in a county in northeast Iowa with a population 28 of between 130,000 and 135,000 in the latest certified 29 federal census which has a community college located in the 30 county seat. The bill requires that the program utilize the 31 community college and local workforce services to provide 32 employment-oriented services, responsible parenting classes, 33 case management and enhanced child support services to 34 unemployed noncustodial parents who are behind or at risk of 35 -1- LSB 2402YH (6) 86 pf/nh 1/ 3

H.F. 491 becoming behind on their child support obligations. The bill 1 also requires the program to provide outreach to ensure that 2 any mother of a child for whom paternity has not been legally 3 established and any father of a child for whom paternity has 4 been legally established is provided information about the 5 program. DHS is directed to submit a progress report to 6 the governor and the general assembly by December 15, 2015, 7 regarding program outcomes. 8 The REACH program was initiated through a federal office of 9 child support enforcement national child support noncustodial 10 parent employment demonstration projects grant. The purpose 11 of the grant is to give child support enforcement programs 12 the ability to help noncustodial parents overcome employment 13 barriers, to help noncustodial parents strengthen relationships 14 with their children, and to help noncustodial parents pay 15 their child support consistently. The program was implemented 16 in Iowa in October 2013, and is located in the Des Moines 17 service region. Partners include the child support recovery 18 unit, the Iowa REACH team providing case management, Des 19 Moines area community college and the Evelyn K. Davis center 20 for working families providing employment services, visiting 21 nurse services of Iowa and dads with a purpose providing 22 fatherhood and parenting services, united way of central Iowa 23 providing financial literacy assistance, and the Iowa coalition 24 against domestic violence and visiting nurse services providing 25 domestic violence training and screening. The program’s goal 26 is to enroll 1,500 noncustodial parents who are having trouble 27 meeting their child support obligations into the program in 28 a three-year period ending September 30, 2017. Some of the 29 criteria for eligibility to participate include having an 30 active child support recovery unit enforcement case, having 31 a court-ordered support obligation that is not currently 32 suspended, being medically able to work, and the payor having 33 paid up to 50 percent of the current support due in the last 34 three months or being unemployed, underemployed, or having 35 -2- LSB 2402YH (6) 86 pf/nh 2/ 3

H.F. 491 inconsistent employment, or having been released from prison 1 in the last six months. The incentives for participation in 2 the program include reinstatement of any sanctioned license, 3 bypassing the administrative levy for one year, expedited 4 review of modifications, satisfaction of state-owed arrears 5 when payments are made, and intense case management by child 6 support enforcement, job navigators, and fatherhood and 7 parenting providers. 8 -3- LSB 2402YH (6) 86 pf/nh 3/ 3