Relating to: the assignment of child support orders and arrears to the state when a child enters foster care and the role of the Department of Children and Families, county departments of human and social services, and juvenile courts in referring, collecting, and ordering child support. (FE)

SB 1072 modifies child support rules for children in foster care by automatically assigning future child support payments to the state when a child enters foster care. It directly affects parents of foster children, county human services departments, the Department of Children and Families, and juvenile courts. The bill requires county departments to refer cases to child support enforcement if parents earn above 400% of the federal poverty line or receive adoption assistance, triggering an assignment of the parent’s future wages and benefits to cover foster care costs. Key provisions update statutes to streamline this assignment process and clarify which court orders trigger the state’s right to collect payments. The bill aims to ensure foster care costs are covered without requiring separate court orders for each case.