2011 Connecticut Code
Title 46b Family Law
Chapter 816 Support
Sec. 46b-215a. Commission for Child Support Guidelines. Duties. Members.

      Sec. 46b-215a. Commission for Child Support Guidelines. Duties. Members. The Commission for Child Support Guidelines is established to review the child support guidelines promulgated pursuant to section 8 of public act 85-548*, to establish criteria for the establishment of guidelines to ensure the appropriateness of child support awards and to issue updated guidelines not later than October 1, 1993, and every four years thereafter. Not later than January 1, 1992, the commission shall also establish criteria and promulgate guidelines to ensure that such orders of payment on any arrearage and past due support shall be based on the obligor's ability to pay. Such guidelines shall also ensure the appropriateness of periodic payments of arrearages when the obligor (1) is the child's legal guardian and resides with the child or (2) is not the child's legal guardian but has resided with the child either for at least six months immediately preceding the order of payment of arrearage or for at least six months of the twelve months immediately preceding such order. In such cases, the commission shall consider exemptions similar to those in the uniform contribution scale adopted pursuant to section 4a-12. Updated arrearage guidelines shall be issued at the same time as the child support guidelines. The commission shall consist of eleven members as follows: The Chief Court Administrator or his designee, the Commissioner of Social Services or his designee, the Attorney General or his designee, the chairpersons and ranking members of the joint standing committee on judiciary or their designees and a representative of the Connecticut Bar Association, a representative of legal services, a person who represents the financial concerns of child support obligors and a representative of the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women, all of whom shall be appointed by the Governor. The chairperson of the commission shall be elected by the members of the commission.

      (P.A. 89-203, S. 1, 3; P.A. 91-391, S. 7; P.A. 92-253, S. 1; P.A. 93-262, S. 1, 87; 93-329, S. 5.)

      *Note: Section 8 of public 85-548 is special in nature and therefore has not been codified but remains in full force and effect according to its terms.

      History: P.A. 91-391 amended section to require commission to establish and promulgate guidelines to ensure orders of payment on arrearage and past due support are based on obligor's ability to pay and specified situations when guidelines shall ensure appropriateness of payments on arrearage; P.A. 92-253 changed deadline for initial issuance of updated guidelines from January 1, 1991, to January 1, 1993; P.A. 93-262 authorized substitution of commissioner and department of social services for commissioner and department of human resources, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-329 changed date for updated guidelines from not later than January 1, 1993, to not later than October 1, 1993.

      Cited. 219 C. 703. Cited. 222 C. 699. P.A. 89-203 cited. Id. Cited. 231 C. 1. Cited. 236 C. 582. As to regulations issued re child support guidelines, trial court properly included in defendant's gross income contributions made by his domestic partner toward his living expenses when it determined his child support obligation under such guidelines. 244 C. 350. Re parent whose sole income is federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and state supplementation, guidelines expressly exclude such income from determination of child support and the "best interest of the child" deviation criterion is not applicable and cannot be used to require child support payments from such parent. 255 C. 617. When parties' combined net weekly income exceeds upper limit of the guidelines' schedule, court shall apply the principles that underlie the child support guidelines. 296 C. 80.

      Cited. 25 CA 555. P.A. 89-203 cited. Id. Cited. Id., 563. P.A. 89-203 cited. Id. Cited. Id., 693. Cited. 28 CA 632. Cited. 29 CA 436. Cited. 37 CA 856. As to regulations issued re child support guidelines, trial court properly imposed a deviation on basis of the extraordinary reduction in plaintiff's living expenses. 83 CA 398.

      Cited. 43 CS 400.