1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to human services; creating a permanent child support task force; 
1.3 	requiring a report;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 
1.4 	518A.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [518A.79] PERMANENT CHILD SUPPORT TASK FORCE.
1.7 		Subdivision 1.Establishment; purpose. There is hereby established the Permanent 
1.8 	Child Support Task Force for the Department of Human Services. The purpose of the task 
1.9 	force is to advise the commissioner of human services on matters relevant to maintaining 
1.10 	effective and efficient child support guidelines that will best serve the children of 
1.11 	Minnesota and take into account the changing dynamics of families.
1.12 		Subd. 2.Members.  (a) The task force must consist of:
1.13 	(1) two members of the house of representatives, one appointed by the speaker 
1.14 	and one appointed by the minority leader;
1.15 	(2) two members of the senate appointed by the Subcommittee on Committees of the 
1.16 	Committee on Rules and Administration, including one member of the minority;
1.17 	(3) one representative from the Minnesota County Attorneys Association;
1.18 	(4) one staff member from the Department of Human Services Child Support 
1.19 	Division;
1.20 	(5) one representative from a tribe with an approved IV-D program;
1.21 	(6) one representative from the Minnesota Family Support Recovery Council;
1.22 	(7) one child support magistrate, family court referee, or one district court judge or 
1.23 	retired judge with experience in child support matters, appointed by the chief justice of 
1.24 	the Supreme Court;
2.1 	(8) four parents, at least two of whom represent diverse cultural and social 
2.2 	communities, appointed by the commissioner with equal representation between custodial 
2.3 	and noncustodial parents;
2.4 	(9) one representative from the Minnesota Legal Services Coalition; and
2.5 	(10) one representative from the Family Law Section of the Minnesota Bar 
2.6 	Association.
2.7 	(b) Section 15.059 governs the Permanent Child Support Task Force. 
2.8 	Notwithstanding section 15.059, the task force does not expire.
2.9 	(c) Members of the task force shall be compensated as provided in section 15.059, 
2.10 	subdivision 3.
2.11 		Subd. 3.Organization. (a) The commissioner or the commissioner's designee shall 
2.12 	convene the first meeting of the task force.
2.13 	(b) The members of the task force shall annually elect a chair and other officers 
2.14 	as the members deem necessary.
2.15 	(c) The task force shall meet at least three times per year, with one meeting devoted 
2.16 	to collecting input from the public.
2.17 		Subd. 4.Staff. The commissioner shall provide support staff, office space, and 
2.18 	administrative services for the task force.
2.19 		Subd. 5.Duties of the task force. (a) General duties of the task force include, but 
2.20 	are not limited to:
2.21 	(1) serving in an advisory capacity to the commissioner of human services;
2.22 	(2) reviewing the effects of the implementation of the parenting expense adjustment 
2.23 	enacted by the 2016 legislature; 
2.24 	(3) at least every four years, preparing for and advising the commissioner on the 
2.25 	development of the quadrennial review report;
2.26 	(4) collecting and studying information and data relating to child support awards; and
2.27 	(5) conducting a comprehensive review of child support guidelines, economic 
2.28 	conditions, and other matters relevant to maintaining effective and efficient child support 
2.29 	guidelines.
2.30 	(b) The task force must review, address, and make recommendations on the 
2.31 	following priority issues: 
2.32 	(1) the self-support reserve for custodial and noncustodial parents;
2.33 	(2) simultaneous child support orders;
2.34 	(3) obligors who are subject to child support orders in multiple counties;
2.35 	(4) parents with multiple families;
3.1 	(5) non-nuclear families, such as grandparents, relatives, and foster parents who 
3.2 	are caretakers of children; 
3.3 	(6) standards to apply for modifications; and
3.4 	(7) updating section 518A.35, subdivision 2, the guideline for basic support.
3.5 		Subd. 6.Consultation. The chair of the task force must consult with the Cultural 
3.6 	and Ethnic Communities Leadership Council at least annually on the issues under 
3.7 	consideration by the task force.
3.8 		Subd. 7.Report and recommendations. Beginning February 15, 2019, and 
3.9 	biennially thereafter, the commissioner shall prepare and submit to the chairs and ranking 
3.10 	minority members of the committees of the house of representatives and the senate with 
3.11 	jurisdiction over child support matters a report that summarizes the activities of the 
3.12 	task force, issues identified by the task force, methods taken to address the issues, and 
3.13 	recommendations for legislative action, if needed.

3.14 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.