By Mr. Frost of Auburn (by request), petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2916) of Brian Smith for legislation to provide for suspension of motor vehicle licenses and incarceration in child support violation cases.  Revenue.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PETITION OF:

Brian Smith

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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

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An Act to enforce child support.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

Section 1. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary non-support shall be defined as the failure of an ordered parent to fail to make half of his weekly or bi-weekly support payments.

Section 2. The registry of motor vehicles shall be notified by the department of social services  of the delinquency of any party obligated to make support payments. If the obligated party is $3500 in arrears in his support obligations, his driver’s license shall be suspended until such time as all payments are current. If any party obligated to make payments is $5000 or more in arrears and is found guilty of non-support, such person shall be sentenced to the house of correction for up to 2 years and for a first offense the sentence shall be suspended. During the period of such suspended sentence, the guilty party shall be placed in a job training program and shall monthly report all income to the probation department. During the period of the suspended sentence the registry of motor vehicles may reinstate the offender’s driver’s license for work related reasons.