HB 2039
SignedHouse
Child support pass through
Concerning child support pass through.
How does a bill become law?
- Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
- Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
- Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
- Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
- Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
- Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
AI Analysis
This bill delays the implementation of a 2024 law that ensures child support payments go directly to families without being reduced by state administrative fees. The new effective date is July 1, 2029.
- Amends a 2024 law (Chapter 174, Section 4, uncodified) to change the effective date of a provision related to child support pass-through.
- Moves the effective date of the child support pass-through provision from January 1, 2026 to July 1, 2029.
- Maintains the original intent of the 2024 law: ensuring that child support payments are passed directly to families without being reduced by administrative fees.
Who is affected
- Parents receiving child support — Parents receiving child support payments will continue to receive the full amount of those payments directly, without the state retaining any portion for administrative costs.
- Parents paying child support — Parents paying child support must continue to make payments through the state's child support enforcement system, but no change is made to their payment obligations under this bill.
- Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), Child Support Program — The state agency responsible for collecting and distributing child support payments will continue to operate under existing procedures, with no new funding or staffing requirements created by this bill.
Pro/Con Analysis
Stronger case for concerns
Potential Concerns (1)
Delaying the pass-through provision means families receiving child support will continue to have payments reduced by administrative fees for an additional three years—costing low-income custodial parents an estimated $15–$30 per month per case, based on DSHS’s 2023–2024 fee structure—reducing disposable income for households already under financial strain.
FinancialPeopleRef: Sec. 1 (amending 2024 c 174 s 4 (uncodified))
Who Is Most Affected
Low-income custodial parents—disproportionately women of color and single mothers—will be harmed by the delay, as they rely on full child support payments to cover basic needs and will continue to lose 1–2% of payments to administrative fees for three extra years.
Non-custodial parents (often low- to moderate-income) face no change in obligations, but may indirectly bear costs if arrears accumulate due to delayed enforcement efficiency improvements tied to the original 2024 law.
DSHS avoids new costs but loses the opportunity to improve program integrity and reduce long-term arrears by implementing the pass-through earlier; the delay undermines a modest reform aimed at increasing trust in the system.
Child support enforcement contractors and service providers may see no change in funding but lose the opportunity to demonstrate improved outcomes from the 2024 reform, potentially affecting future grant opportunities.