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

1.5 	Section 1. [518A.79] CHILD SUPPORT TASK FORCE.
1.6 		Subdivision 1.Establishment; purpose. There is hereby established the Child 
1.7 	Support Task Force for the Department of Human Services. The purpose of the task 
1.8 	force is to advise the commissioner of human services on matters relevant to maintaining 
1.9 	effective and efficient child support guidelines that will best serve the children of 
1.10 	Minnesota and take into account the changing dynamics of families.
1.11 		Subd. 2.Members. (a) The task force consists of 15 members, appointed as follows:
1.12 	(1) two members of the house of representatives, one appointed by the speaker of the 
1.13 	house of representatives and one appointed by the minority leader;
1.14 	(2) two members of the senate, including one senator appointed by the senate 
1.15 	majority leader and one senator appointed by the senate minority leader;
1.16 	(3) one person appointed by the Board of the Minnesota County Attorneys 
1.17 	Association;
1.18 	(4) one person appointed by the commissioner of human services who is an 
1.19 	employee of the child support division;
1.20 	(5) one person from a tribe with an approved IV-D program appointed by resolution 
1.21 	of the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council;
1.22 	(6) one person with experience working directly with parents appointed by the 
1.23 	Board of the Minnesota Family Support Recovery Council;
2.1 	(7) one child support magistrate, family court referee, district court judge, or retired 
2.2 	judge with experience in child support matters, appointed by the chief justice;
2.3 	(8) four parents, at least two of whom represent diverse cultural and social 
2.4 	communities, appointed by the commissioner of human services, with equal representation 
2.5 	between custodial and noncustodial parents;
2.6 	(9) one person appointed by the directors of the Minnesota Legal Services Coalition; 
2.7 	and
2.8 	(10) one person appointed by the executive council of the Family Law section 
2.9 	of the Minnesota State Bar Association.
2.10 	(b) Section 15.059 governs the Child Support Task Force.
2.11 	(c) Members of the task force shall be compensated as provided in section 15.059, 
2.12 	subdivision 3.
2.13 		Subd. 3.Chair; meetings. (a) The members of the task force shall annually elect a 
2.14 	chair and other officers as the members deem necessary.
2.15 	(b) 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 of human services shall provide support staff, 
2.18 	office space, and 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 of human 
2.25 	services on the 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. By February 15, 2018, and biennially 
3.9 	thereafter, if the task force is extended by the legislature, the commissioner of human 
3.10 	services shall prepare and submit to the chairs and ranking minority members of the 
3.11 	committees of the house of representatives and the senate with jurisdiction over child 
3.12 	support matters a report that summarizes the activities of the task force, issues identified 
3.13 	by the task force, methods taken to address the issues, and recommendations for legislative 
3.14 	action, if needed.
3.15 		Subd. 8.Task force. The task force expires June 30, 2019, unless extended by 
3.16 	the legislature.

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

3.18 	Sec. 2. INITIAL APPOINTMENTS.
 3.19 	The appointing authorities shall make initial appointments to the Child Support 
3.20 	Task Force established in Minnesota Statutes, section 518A.79, by August 1, 2016. The 
3.21 	commissioner of human services or the commissioner's designee shall convene the first 
3.22 	meeting of the task force by October 1, 2016. The members of the task force shall elect a 
3.23 	chair at the first meeting. The terms of the initial appointees appointed under Minnesota 
3.24 	Statutes, section 518A.79, subdivision 2, clauses (8), (9), and (10), shall end the first 
3.25 	Monday in January 2024.  The terms of the initial appointees appointed under Minnesota 
3.26 	Statutes, section 518A.79, subdivision 2, clauses (3), (4), (5), (6), and (7) shall end on 
3.27 	the first Monday in January 2023.

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