AB 1643: California's New Child Support Bill

0:00It's April 6th, I'm Cory with the story, and this is California News Today, local news powered by AI, a new bill in California's Assembly, AB 1643 from Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen, wants to flip child support in Roman from opt-in to opt-out for separated families. Right now, custodial parents have to sign up with the State Department of Child Support Services to get wages garnished from the other parent. This change aims to make sure kids get that money automatically and stay out of poverty. In single-parent homes, which cover 2 million kids stay wide, one in four lives in poverty, four times higher than kids with married parents. The State already has over 1 million court orders with $2.6 billion owed in child support last year, but the program only collects. About two-thirds because too many families skip enrolling, supporters, including county directors call it a powerhouse anti-poverty tool, sending $11 million a month just in Sacramento

1:00County for food and shoes. Critics like Assemblyman Isaac Bryan worry it could break fragile parent bonds by forcing everyone into the system, especially when families have their own deals. Advocates point out risks too, like higher costs for taxpayers, possible federal law clashes, and harm to domestic violence survivors who avoid the program for safety. It's the first of its kind push nationwide, potentially adding thousands of families without a pilot test first. Nguyen says the bill stays cost neutral and she's hashing out fixes with opponents as it heads through the assembly, balancing kids' support with family, realities.