HB2502

THE CONTEXT: A court is authorized to order either or both parents owing a duty of support to a child to pay an amount reasonable and necessary to support the child in a proceeding for dissolution of marriage, legal separation, maintenance or child support, regardless of marital misconduct. Statute requires the Arizona Supreme Court to establish guidelines for determining the proper amount of child support (Guidelines) and review them at least once every four years.

WHAT THE BILL DID: The final vetoed version would allow a court, when applicable, to consider the retroactive application of child support to the date on which a pregnancy was positively confirmed by a licensed health care professional, specifies that, in directing the amount of past child support from the date of a positive pregnancy test confirmed by a licensed health care professional, the court must take into account any amount of temporary or voluntary support that has been paid from and after the date of the positive pregnancy test, and make technical and conforming changes.

WHY IT MATTERED: The practical reason for this bill was to give Arizonans and public officials a defined option for child support under state law. It would allow a court, when applicable, to consider the retroactive application of child support to the date on which a pregnancy was positively confirmed by a licensed health care professional, and would also specifies that, in directing the amount of past child support from the date of a positive pregnancy test confirmed by a licensed health care professional, the court must take into account any amount of temporary or voluntary support that has been paid from and after the date of the positive pregnancy test, rather than leave the current rule unchanged.