Senate Passes Fuschillo Bill to Aid in Collection of Child Support

             Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (R-Merrick) announced that the New York State Senate recently passed legislation he sponsors to help ensure that parents make their child support payments. 

            The legislation (S4071) extends an existing law which allows the state to suspend the driver’s licenses of parents who have failed to pay child support. Under the driver’s license suspension process, the state identifies parents who failed to pay child support and have a driver’s license. These individuals are then notified that their license will be suspended unless they make their child support payments. The law authorizing the program is set to expire on June 30^th of this year. 

            “Parents have a responsibility to support their children. The state’s driver license suspension program is an effective tool in ensuring that parents pay their child support and live up to their responsibilities. This legislation enables New York State to continue utilizing this program to collect child support payments,” said Senator Fuschillo.             

            Estimates are that the driver’s suspension process helps collect as much as $10 million in child support payments each year. In 2010, there were over 42,000 license suspension orders issued for failing to pay child support, according to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Senator Fuschillo’s legislation is needed to allow the program to continue operating.

            The legislation has been sent to the Assembly for consideration.

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