FRIEND OF THE COURT DUTIES S.B. 585 (S-2) : FLOOR ANALYSIS
Senate Bill 585 (Substitute S-2 as reported by the Committee of the Whole) Sponsor: Senator Robert Geake
Committee: Families, Mental Health and Human Services
The bill would amend the Friend of the Court (FOC) Act to specify additional duties of the FOC, including disbursing support payments within 14 days; performing duties in accordance with the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act; monitoring local FOC offices for gender bias; meeting with a party during an investigation; compiling data on complaints regarding support and visitation; and compiling data on grievances filed and sanctions imposed, makeup petitions filed and makeup visitation ordered, income tax intercepts found to be based on inaccurate information or employee error, support orders modified due to inaccurate information or employee error, reviews completed each year, and custody recommendations made. The bill would take effect on June 1, 1996.
MCL 552.503 et al. Legislative Analyst: L. Burghardt
Currently the FOC has 30 days in which to process support payments. Under this bill, payments would have to be disbursed within 14 days. The impact on the FOC of this change would be minimal. Currently, approximately 10% of the support payments are not disbursed in a timely manner and this number is expected to decrease with the ongoing implementation of the Child Support Enforcement System (CSES).
Date Completed: 11-6-95 Fiscal Analyst: M. Bain
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This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.