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2018 SESSION

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18103210D
HOUSE BILL NO. 248 Offered January 10, 2018 Prefiled January 2, 2018 A BILL to direct the Department of Social Services to establish the Responsible Employed Active Loving Parenting Pilot Program. ---------- Patron-- Miyares ---------- Referred to Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions ----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. § 1. That the Department of Social Services (the Department) shall establish a two-year pilot program, to be referred to as the Responsible Employed Active Loving Parenting Pilot Program (REAL Parenting Pilot Program or the Program), beginning in 2018 for the purpose of providing noncustodial parents an opportunity to reduce amounts owed for accrued interest on child support arrears to the Commonwealth.

§ 2. The Department shall select up to 50 individuals to participate in the Program who are (i) in arrears of at least $2,000 on child support payments and accrued interest, (ii) unemployed, and (iii) receiving public assistance.

§ 3. The Department shall require individuals participating in the Program to complete at least 40 hours of classroom instruction over a 10-week period related to financial planning and management, career counseling, and parenting. Upon successful completion of such classroom instruction by an individual participating in the Program, any interest accrued on child support arrears owed by such individual to the Commonwealth shall be reduced by 25 percent. If an individual who has successfully completed the required 40 hours of classroom instruction secures full-time employment and maintains such employment continuously for 90 days, any interest accrued on child support arrears owed by such individual to the Commonwealth shall be reduced by an additional 25 percent. If an individual who has successfully completed the required 40 hours of classroom instruction and has maintained employment for 90 days satisfies all child support payments in full continuously for a period of 12 months, any interest accrued on child support arrears owed by such individual to the Commonwealth shall be reduced to the amount of $500.

§ 4. The provisions of this act shall not be construed to affect the amount of child support owed to a custodial parent or other person who has physical custody of the child and with whom the child resides.

§ 5. The Department shall monitor, record, and analyze the outcomes of all individuals participating in the Program. The Department shall report to the Governor and the General Assembly no later than December 1 of each year of the Program. Such report shall include (i) the number of individuals selected to participate in the Program and nonidentifying statistical information about such individuals, (ii) outcome analysis and evaluation, (iii) actual expenditures for the Program, and (iv) any other information deemed necessary by the Department to evaluate the effectiveness of the Program.