Creates a deadbeats most wanted list

2 Co-sponsors

• Frank Padavan
• Andrew J. Lanza

Title of bill

An act to amend the social services law, in relation to authorizing the creation of a deadbeats most wanted list

Purpose

Creates a deadbeats most wanted list website to locate those in arrears of child support of more than ten thousand dollars.

Summary of provisions

A new section 111-w of the social services law is added to require the office of temporary and disability assistance to compile, disclose and publish at regular intervals a deadbeats most wanted list of individuals who are in arrears of their child support obligations under a court or administrative order.

The list would consist of those who are more than ten thousand dollars in arrears. The list shall include the individual's name, physical description, last known address and photograph if available. The list shall be used for the purposes of locating delinquent individuals and shall consist of up to 500 individuals at one time and is to be posted on the OTDA website and made available to local child support collection units.

Prior to the posting of one's information on the website, the OTDA is to attempt to notify the individual about the potential posting and provide him or her with the opportunity to prevent the posting by either paying the child support owed or enter into an agreement with the child support collection agency to make payments.

An individual's information shall he removed from the list upon paying the balance of child support owed, making three consecutive payments as per an agreement with the office, or submission to the office of a certified copy of a court or administrative order stating that the individual is not responsible for the payments.

Existing law

None

Justification

Statistics show that in 2009 more than $648 million that was owed to New York's children went uncollected, including $317 million owed to New York City children. This amount uncollected is up $64 million since 2003.

This proposal would require the creation of a new Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance website that would post photographs and identifying information of individuals who are more than $10,000 in arrears on their child support payments. Posting this information would encourage the public to notify authorities regarding the whereabouts of such individuals. In addition, the website would also help pressure more individuals to make good on their payments in order to avoid the potential shame and embarrassment of having such information made public. Other states, such as Illinois and Delaware, currently utilize such web sites.

Legislative history

New Bill

Fiscal implications

Minimal

Effective date

Immediately