Senator Fuschillo’s Legislation to Aid in Collection of Child Support Approved by Transportation Committee

     Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (R-Merrick) announced that legislation he sponsored to help ensure that parents make their child support payments has been approved by the Senate’s Transportation Committee. 

     The legislation (S4246) extends an existing law which allows the state to suspend the driver’s licenses of parents who fail 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 30th of this year. Senator Fuschillo’s legislation is needed to allow the program to continue operating. 

     “Parents have a moral and legal obligation to support their children, but there are some who neglect that responsibility. New York State’s driver license suspension program is an important and effective resource to recover delinquent child support payments, but the law authorizing the program needs to be extended. This legislation would ensure that New York State can continue to utilize this effective tool to ensure that parents pay their child support and live up to their responsibilities,” said Senator Fuschillo, Chairman of the Senate’s Transportation Committee. 

     Estimates are that the driver’s license suspension process helps collect as much as $10 million in child support payments each year.