A Bill for an Act
Page 1, Line 101Concerning the child support commission's legislative
Page 1, Line 102recommendations.
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at http://leg.colorado.gov.)
The bill implements the legislative recommendations of the child support commission by updating the child support guidelines schedule, updating the monthly incomes eligible for a reduced low-income adjustment, and replacing the current parenting time credit with a formula that provides parents credit for all overnights spent with that parent.
This Unofficial Version Includes Committee
Amendments Not Yet Adopted on Second Reading
Page 2, Line 1Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
Page 2, Line 2SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 14-10-114, amend (8)(c)(IV) as follows:
Page 2, Line 314-10-114. Spousal maintenance - advisory guidelines -
Page 2, Line 4legislative declaration - definitions. (8) Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
Page 2, Line 5(c) (IV) If a party is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed,
Page 2, Line 6maintenance
shall must be calculated based on a determination ofPage 2, Line 7potential income; except that a determination of potential income
shallPage 2, Line 8must not be made for a party who is physically or mentally incapacitated
Page 2, Line 9or is caring for a child under the age of
thirty twenty-four months forPage 2, Line 10whom the parties owe a joint legal responsibility or for an incarcerated parent sentenced to
one year one hundred eighty days or more.Page 2, Line 11SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 14-10-115, amend
Page 2, Line 12(2)(a), (3)(h), (3)(i), (5)(a) introductory portion, (5)(a)(III)(B), (5)(a)(IV),
Page 2, Line 13(7)(a), (8)(a), (8)(b), (8)(c), (10)(h), (11)(c)(II), (12), and (13)(a)(III);
Page 2, Line 14repeal (8)(g); repeal and reenact, with amendments, (7)(b); and add (3)(g.5) and (8)(h) as follows:
Page 2, Line 1514-10-115. Child support guidelines - purpose - determination
Page 2, Line 16of income - schedule of basic child support obligations - adjustments
Page 2, Line 17to basic child support - additional guidelines - child support
Page 2, Line 18commission - definitions. (2) Duty of support - factors to consider.
Page 2, Line 19(a) In a proceeding for dissolution of marriage, legal separation,
Page 2, Line 20maintenance, or child support, the court
may shall, to the extentPage 2, Line 21allowable within the court's jurisdiction, enter an order
Page 2, Line 22directing either or both parents owing a duty of support to a child of the
Page 3, Line 1marriage to pay an amount reasonable or necessary for the child's support
Page 3, Line 2and may order an amount determined to be reasonable under the
Page 3, Line 3circumstances for a time period that occurred after the date of the parties'
Page 3, Line 4physical separation or the filing of the petition or service upon the
Page 3, Line 5respondent, whichever date is latest, and prior to the month the child support obligation begins, without regard to marital misconduct.
Page 3, Line 6(3) Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
Page 3, Line 7(g.5) "Self-support reserve" means an amount equal to the
Page 3, Line 8state hourly minimum wage multiplied by twenty-nine hours per
Page 3, Line 9week, multiplied by fifty weeks per year, divided by twelve months.
Page 3, Line 10(h) "Shared physical care", for the purposes of the child support
Page 3, Line 11guidelines and schedule of basic child support obligations specified in
Page 3, Line 12this section, and as further specified in
paragraph (b) of subsection (8)Page 3, Line 13subsection (8)(b) of this section, means that each parent keeps the
Page 3, Line 14children
overnight for more than ninety-two overnights for at least onePage 3, Line 15overnight each year and that both parents contribute to the expenses of the children in addition to the payment of child support.
Page 3, Line 16(i) "Split physical care", for the purposes of the child support
Page 3, Line 17guidelines and schedule of basic child support obligations specified in
Page 3, Line 18this section, and as further specified in
paragraph (c) of subsection (8)Page 3, Line 19subsection (8)(c) of this section, means that each parent has physical
Page 3, Line 20care of at least one of the children by means of that child or children
Page 3, Line 21residing with that parent
the majority more than fifty percent of the time.Page 3, Line 22(5) Determination of income. (a) For the purposes of the child
Page 4, Line 1support guidelines and schedule of basic child support obligations
Page 4, Line 2specified in this section, the gross income of each parent
shall be is determined according to the following guidelines:Page 4, Line 3(III) (B) "Ordinary and necessary expenses" does not include
Page 4, Line 4amounts allowable by the internal revenue service for the accelerated
Page 4, Line 5component of depreciation expenses or investment tax credits or any
Page 4, Line 6other business expenses determined by the court to be inappropriate for
Page 4, Line 7determining gross income for purposes of calculating child support;
Page 4, Line 8except that, the court may consider straight-line depreciation,
Page 4, Line 9if appropriate, even if accelerated depreciation was used in the party's income tax forms.
Page 4, Line 10(IV) If a preexisting court-ordered alimony or maintenance
Page 4, Line 11obligation actually
received paid by a party does not involve the samePage 4, Line 12parties as the child support calculation and is not deductible for federal
Page 4, Line 13income tax purposes by that party, then the amount of preexisting
Page 4, Line 14court-ordered alimony or maintenance that is deducted from that party's
Page 4, Line 15gross income is the amount actually
received paid by that party multiplied by 1.25.Page 4, Line 16(7) Schedule of basic child support obligations. (a) (I) The
Page 4, Line 17basic child support obligation
shall must be determined using thePage 4, Line 18schedule of basic child support obligations contained in
paragraph (b) ofPage 4, Line 19
this subsection (7) subsection (7)(b) of this section. The basic childPage 4, Line 20support obligation
shall must be divided between the parents in proportion totheir each parent's adjusted grossincomes income.Page 4, Line 21(II)
(A) For a combined gross income that falls between amountsPage 4, Line 22shown in the schedule of basic child support obligations, basic child
Page 4, Line 23support amounts
shall must be interpolated.The category entitledPage 5, Line 1
"number of children due support" in the schedule of basic child supportPage 5, Line 2
obligations shall have the meaning defined in subsection (3) of this section.Page 5, Line 3(III) (A) In any circumstance in which the obligor's
Page 5, Line 4monthly adjusted gross income is less than or equal to six
Page 5, Line 5hundred fifty dollars, regardless of the monthly adjusted
Page 5, Line 6gross income of the obligee, the court shall order the obligor
Page 5, Line 7to pay the minimum monthly order amount in child support. The
Page 5, Line 8minimum order amount is ten dollars per month, regardless of
Page 5, Line 9the number of children between the parties. If, as a result of
Page 5, Line 10shared parenting time, the obligor's presumptive total monthly
Page 5, Line 11child support obligation is less than ten dollars then the
Page 5, Line 12ten-dollar minimum monthly order amount does not apply and the presumptive total monthly child support obligation applies.
Page 5, Line 13(B) In circumstances in which the obligor's monthly adjusted
Page 5, Line 14gross income is less than
one thousand five hundred dollars or equal toPage 5, Line 15the self-support reserve but more than six hundred fifty dollars, the
Page 5, Line 16
obligor is required to pay a child support payment of obligor's basicPage 5, Line 17child support obligation is reduced to fifty dollars per month for
Page 5, Line 18one child, seventy dollars per month for two children, ninety dollars per
Page 5, Line 19month for three children, one hundred ten dollars per month for four
Page 5, Line 20children, one hundred thirty dollars per month for five children, and one
Page 5, Line 21hundred fifty dollars per month for six or more children.
The minimumPage 5, Line 22
order amount shall not apply when each parent keeps the children morePage 5, Line 23
than ninety-two overnights each year as defined in subsection (3)(h) ofPage 5, Line 24
this section. In no case, however, shall the amount of child supportPage 5, Line 25
ordered to be paid exceed the amount of child support that wouldPage 6, Line 1
otherwise be ordered to be paid if the parents did not share physicalPage 6, Line 2
custody. The reduced low-income adjustment does not apply if, asPage 6, Line 3a result of shared parenting time, the adjustment is greater
Page 6, Line 4than the obligor's presumptive total monthly child support
Page 6, Line 5obligation calculated pursuant to the child support guidelines.
Page 6, Line 6The amount of child support owed by a parent with shared
Page 6, Line 7physical care must not exceed the amount owed by that same parent if the parent had no overnights.
Page 6, Line 8(C) For an obligor with an adjusted gross income that is less than
Page 6, Line 9or equal to
one thousand five hundred dollars the self-support reservePage 6, Line 10but more than six hundred fifty dollars, the obligor's
child supportPage 6, Line 11
amount, as determined basic child support obligation as reduced byPage 6, Line 12the low-income adjustment pursuant to
subsection (7)(a)(II)(B)Page 6, Line 13subsection (7)(a)(III)(B) of this section, must be adjusted pursuant to
Page 6, Line 14subsection (11)(c)(III) of this section. The obligor's child support amount
Page 6, Line 15may be further adjusted to include a share of the work-related and
Page 6, Line 16education-related child care costs, health insurance, extraordinary medical
Page 6, Line 17expenses, and other extraordinary adjustments as described in subsections
Page 6, Line 18(9), (10), (11)(a), and (11)(b) of this section. However, if at the time the
Page 6, Line 19child support obligation is calculated, adjustments made pursuant to
Page 6, Line 20subsections (9), (10), (11)(a), and (11)(b) of this section, together with the
Page 6, Line 21reduced low-income adjustment amount, exceed
twenty ten percent ofPage 6, Line 22the obligor's adjusted gross income, the child support obligation must be
Page 6, Line 23capped at
twenty ten percent of the obligor's adjusted gross income.ThePage 6, Line 24
low-income adjustment does not apply when each parent keeps thePage 6, Line 25
children more than ninety-two overnights each year as defined inPage 6, Line 26
subsection (8) of this section. In no case, however, shall the amount ofPage 7, Line 1
child support ordered to be paid exceed the amount of child support thatPage 7, Line 2
would otherwise be ordered to be paid if the parents did not sharePage 7, Line 3
physical custody. The amount of child support owed by a parentPage 7, Line 4with shared parenting time must not exceed the amount owed by that same parent if the parent had no overnights.
Page 7, Line 5
(D) In any circumstance in which the obligor's monthly adjustedPage 7, Line 6
gross income is less than or equal to six hundred fifty dollars, regardlessPage 7, Line 7
of the monthly adjusted gross income of the obligee, the obligor must bePage 7, Line 8
ordered to pay the minimum monthly order amount in child support. ThePage 7, Line 9
minimum order amount is ten dollars per month, regardless of the numberPage 7, Line 10
of children between these parties. The ten-dollar minimum monthly orderPage 7, Line 11
amount is not adjusted by the number of the obligor's overnights with children.Page 7, Line 12
(E) The judge may use discretion to determine child support inPage 7, Line 13
circumstances where combined adjusted gross income exceeds thePage 7, Line 14
uppermost levels of the schedule of basic child support obligations;Page 7, Line 15
except that the presumptive basic child support obligation shall not bePage 7, Line 16
less than it would be based on the highest level of adjusted gross income set forth in the schedule of basic child support obligations.Page 7, Line 17(IV) The final presumptive child support obligation,
Page 7, Line 18including adjustments made pursuant to subsections (9), (10),
Page 7, Line 19(11)(a), (11)(b), and (11)(c)(III) of this section, must not exceed
Page 7, Line 20twenty percent of the obligor's adjusted gross income if the
Page 7, Line 21obligor's monthly adjusted gross income is above the
Page 7, Line 22self-support reserve and less than or equal to the state minimum
Page 7, Line 23wage multiplied by forty hours, multiplied by fifty-two weeks a
Page 7, Line 24year, divided by twelve months. The amount of child support
Page 8, Line 1owed by a parent with shared physical care must not exceed the
Page 8, Line 2amount owed by that same parent if the parent had no overnights.
Page 8, Line 3(V) (A) For an obligor with an adjusted gross income that
Page 8, Line 4is above the self-support reserve, the obligor's basic child
Page 8, Line 5support obligation must be adjusted by deducting the
Page 8, Line 6self-support reserve amount from the obligor's adjusted gross
Page 8, Line 7income. The difference calculated must be equal to eighty
Page 8, Line 8percent of the difference for one child, eighty-five percent of
Page 8, Line 9the difference for two children, eighty-nine percent of the
Page 8, Line 10difference for three children, ninety-two percent of the
Page 8, Line 11difference for four children, ninety-four percent of the
Page 8, Line 12difference for five children, and ninety-five percent of the difference for six or more children.
Page 8, Line 13(B) If the resulting difference calculated pursuant to
Page 8, Line 14subsection (7)(a)(V)(A) of this section is less than the reduced
Page 8, Line 15low-income adjustment calculated pursuant to subsection
Page 8, Line 16(7)(a)(III)(A) of this section, the obligor's basic child support obligation is equal to the reduced low-income adjustment.
Page 8, Line 17(C) If the resulting difference calculated pursuant to
Page 8, Line 18subsection (7)(a)(V)(A) of this section is more than the reduced
Page 8, Line 19low-income adjustment calculated pursuant to subsection
Page 8, Line 20(7)(a)(III)(A) of this section but less than the schedule of basic
Page 8, Line 21child support obligation, the obligor's basic child support
Page 8, Line 22obligation is equal to the amount calculated pursuant to subsection (7)(a)(V)(A) of this section.
Page 8, Line 23(D) If the resulting difference calculated pursuant to
Page 9, Line 1subsection (7)(a)(V)(A) of this section is equal to or more than
Page 9, Line 2the schedule of basic child support obligation, the amount listed in the schedule of basic child support obligation applies.
Page 9, Line 3(VI) In addition to the adjustments described in this
Page 9, Line 4subsection (7)(a), the obligor's child support amount must be
Page 9, Line 5further adjusted for work-related and education-related child
Page 9, Line 6care costs, health insurance, extraordinary medical expenses,
Page 9, Line 7and other extraordinary adjustments as described in subsections (9), (10), (11)(a), (11)(b), and (11)(c)(II) of this section.
Page 9, Line 8(VII) The judge may use discretion to determine child
Page 9, Line 9support in circumstances when the combined adjusted gross
Page 9, Line 10income exceeds the uppermost levels of the schedule of basic
Page 9, Line 11child support obligations; except that the presumptive basic
Page 9, Line 12child support obligation must not be less than it would be based
Page 9, Line 13on the highest level of adjusted gross income set forth in the schedule of basic child support obligations.
Page 9, Line 14(b) Schedule of basic child support obligations:
Page 26, Line 18(8) Computation of basic child support - shared overnight
Page 26, Line 19parenting time - split physical care - stipulations - deviations - basis
Page 26, Line 20for periodic updates. (a)
Except in cases of shared physical care or splitPage 26, Line 21
physical care as defined in paragraphs (h) and (i) of subsection (3) of thisPage 26, Line 22
section, A total child support obligation is determined by adding eachPage 26, Line 23parent's respective basic child support obligation, as determined through
Page 26, Line 24the child support guidelines and schedule of basic child support
Page 26, Line 25obligations specified in subsection (7) of this section, education and
Page 26, Line 26work-related net child care costs, extraordinary medical expenses, and
Page 26, Line 27extraordinary adjustments to the schedule of basic child support
Page 26, Line 28obligations, as described in subsections (9), (10), (11)(a), (11)(b), and
Page 26, Line 29(11)(c)(II) of this section. The parent receiving a child support payment
Page 26, Line 30
shall be is presumed to spendhis or her the total child support obligationPage 26, Line 31directly on the children. The parent paying child support to the other
Page 26, Line 32parent
shall owe his or her owes the total child support obligation asPage 26, Line 33child support to the other parent minus any ordered payments included in
Page 27, Line 1the calculations made directly on behalf of the children for education
Page 27, Line 2and work-related net child care costs, extraordinary medical expenses, or
Page 27, Line 3extraordinary adjustments to the schedule of basic child support
Page 27, Line 4obligations, as described in subsections (9), (10), (11)(a), (11)(b), and (11)(c)(II) of this section.
Page 27, Line 5(b)
Because shared physical care Shared overnight parentingPage 27, Line 6time presumes that certain basic expenses for the children will be paid
Page 27, Line 7directly by the overnight parent; therefore, expenses may be
Page 27, Line 8duplicated and an adjustment for shared
physical care is made byPage 27, Line 9
multiplying the basic child support obligation by one and fifty hundredthsPage 27, Line 10
(1.50). In cases of shared physical care, each parent's adjusted basic childPage 27, Line 11
support obligation obtained by application of paragraph (b) of subsectionPage 27, Line 12
(7) of this section shall first be divided between the parents in proportionPage 27, Line 13
to their respective adjusted gross incomes. Each parent's share of thePage 27, Line 14
adjusted basic child support obligation shall then be multiplied by thePage 27, Line 15
percentage of time the children spend with the other parent to determinePage 27, Line 16
the theoretical basic child support obligation owed to the other parentPage 27, Line 17parenting timeis necessary. The shared parenting time
Page 27, Line 18adjustment is calculated by identifying the parenting time
Page 27, Line 19credit percentage listed in the parenting time table in
Page 27, Line 20subsection (8)(h) of this section based upon the number of
Page 27, Line 21overnights for each parent. The parenting time credit is the
Page 27, Line 22total basic child support obligation multiplied by that parent's
Page 27, Line 23parenting time credit percentage. The shared parenting
Page 27, Line 24adjustment is deducted from each parent's share of the basic
Page 27, Line 25child support obligation, which is in addition to
these amounts shallPage 27, Line 26
be added each parent's proportionate share of education andPage 28, Line 1work-related net child care costs, extraordinary medical expenses, and
Page 28, Line 2extraordinary adjustments to the schedule of basic child support
Page 28, Line 3obligations, as described in subsections (9), (10), (11)(a), (11)(b), and
Page 28, Line 4(11)(c)(II) of this section. The parent owing the greater amount of child
Page 28, Line 5support
shall owe owes the difference between the two amounts as aPage 28, Line 6child support order minus any ordered direct payments made on behalf of
Page 28, Line 7the children for education and work-related net child care costs,
Page 28, Line 8extraordinary medical expenses, or extraordinary adjustments to the
Page 28, Line 9schedule of basic child support
obligations. In no case, however, shallPage 28, Line 10obligations, as described in subsections (9), (10), (11)(a), (11)(b),
Page 28, Line 11and (11)(c)(II) of this section. The amount of child support ordered to
Page 28, Line 12be paid must not exceed the amount
of child support that wouldPage 28, Line 13
otherwise be ordered to be paid if the parents did not share physicalPage 28, Line 14
custody owed by that same parent if the parent had noPage 28, Line 15overnights. For purposes of calculating overnights when two or
Page 28, Line 16more children are included in the child support worksheet
Page 28, Line 17calculation and the parties have a different number of
Page 28, Line 18overnights with each of the two or more children, the number of
Page 28, Line 19overnights is determined by adding the number of overnights for
Page 28, Line 20each child and dividing the resulting number by the number of children included in the child support worksheet calculation.
Page 28, Line 21(c)
(I) In cases of split physical care, the number of overnightsPage 28, Line 22used to calculate a child support obligation
shall must be computedPage 28, Line 23
separately for each parent based upon the number of children living withPage 28, Line 24
the other parent in accordance with subsections (7), (9), (10), and (11) ofPage 28, Line 25
this section. The amount so determined shall be a theoretical supportPage 28, Line 26
obligation due each parent for support of the child or children for whomPage 29, Line 1
he or she has primary physical custody. The obligations so determinedPage 29, Line 2
shall then be offset, with the parent owing the larger amount owing thePage 29, Line 3
difference between the two amounts as a child support order in the samePage 29, Line 4manner as shared overnight parenting time: By adding the
Page 29, Line 5number of overnights for each child and dividing the resulting
Page 29, Line 6number by the number of children included in the child support worksheet calculation.
Page 29, Line 7
(II) If the parents also share physical care as outlined in paragraphPage 29, Line 8
(b) of this subsection (8), an additional adjustment for shared physical care shall be made as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection (8).Page 29, Line 9(g)
For purposes of calculating child support, when two or morePage 29, Line 10
children are included in the child support worksheet calculation and thePage 29, Line 11
parties have a different number of overnights with two or more of thePage 29, Line 12
children, the number of overnights used to determine child support isPage 29, Line 13
determined by adding together the number of overnights for each childPage 29, Line 14
and then dividing that number by the number of children included in the child support worksheet calculation.Page 29, Line 15(h) Parenting time table:
Page 31, Line 7(10) Adjustments for health-care expenditures for children.
Page 31, Line 8(h) (I) Any extraordinary medical expenses incurred on behalf of the
Page 31, Line 9children
shall must be added to the basic child support obligation andPage 31, Line 10
shall be divided between the parents in proportion totheir each parent'sPage 31, Line 11adjusted gross
incomes income. Ongoing extraordinary medicalPage 31, Line 12expenses may be added as an adjustment on the child support
Page 31, Line 13worksheet calculation only if the expenses are consistent and
Page 31, Line 14expected to continue. Extraordinary medical expenses that are
Page 31, Line 15not ongoing and consistent or that are otherwise not added to
Page 31, Line 16the child support worksheet calculation are subject to reimbursement among the parties.
Page 31, Line 17(II) Extraordinary medical expenses
are uninsured expenses,Page 31, Line 18
including copayments and deductible amounts, in excess of two hundredPage 31, Line 19
fifty dollars per child per calendar year. Extraordinary medical expensesPage 31, Line 20include, but
need not be are not limited to,such, copayments,Page 31, Line 21deductibles, and uninsured out-of-pocket expenses for reasonable
Page 31, Line 22costs
as that are reasonably necessary for professional medical care,Page 31, Line 23prescription medication, medical equipment, orthodontia, dental
Page 31, Line 24treatment, asthma treatments, physical therapy, vision care, professional
Page 31, Line 25counseling or psychiatric therapy for behavioral or mental health
Page 31, Line 26disorders, and any uninsured
chronic health problem. For adults andPage 31, Line 27children with disabilities or with a disabling condition who are
Page 31, Line 28eligible for long-term services and supports pursuant to article
Page 32, Line 16 of title 25.5 and who are not emancipated pursuant to
Page 32, Line 2subsection (13)(a)(II) of this section, extraordinary medical
Page 32, Line 3expenses may include any expense resulting from the adult's or
Page 32, Line 4child's disability or disabling conditions, including expenses
Page 32, Line 5that are reasonably necessary to support the adult's or child's
Page 32, Line 6health, protection, and quality of life. Extraordinary medical
Page 32, Line 7expenses may include, but are not limited to, medically
Page 32, Line 8necessary equipment, home and vehicle modification,
Page 32, Line 9recommended therapeutic activities, and reasonable respite
Page 32, Line 10care. Ordinary medical expenses included in the schedule of
Page 32, Line 11basic child support obligations that are not subject to
Page 32, Line 12allocation pursuant to subsection (10)(h)(I) of this section
Page 32, Line 13include minor expenses incurred in the course of caring for an
Page 32, Line 14adult or child, such as over-the-counter medication, bandages,
Page 32, Line 15or regular hygiene and health products, except when the minor
Page 32, Line 16expenses are recommended by the adult's or child's treatment
Page 32, Line 17provider to treat or manage the adult's or child's chronic conditions.
Page 32, Line 18(III) (A) The party seeking reimbursement for an
uninsuredPage 32, Line 19extraordinary medical expense
must that is not included as anPage 32, Line 20adjustment in the monthly child support worksheet calculation
Page 32, Line 21and monthly child support order shall provide proof of the expense
Page 32, Line 22to the reimbursing party within a reasonable time after incurring the
Page 32, Line 23expense. Absent extraordinary circumstances, failure to provide proof of
Page 32, Line 24the expense to the reimbursing party by July 1 of the year following the
Page 32, Line 25calendar year in which the expense was incurred results in a waiver of the
Page 32, Line 26reimbursement.
Page 33, Line 1(B) The party seeking reimbursement may file a motion for
Page 33, Line 2judgment of
uninsured extraordinary medical expenses for thatPage 33, Line 3particular calendar year if the party fails to respond and reimburse the
Page 33, Line 4expenses or reach a payment arrangement with the requesting party within
Page 33, Line 5forty-nine days after the date the request was received. The motion must
Page 33, Line 6specify the amount of the expense incurred, the amount sought from the
Page 33, Line 7other party pursuant to subsection (10)(h)(I) of this section, and when and
Page 33, Line 8how the request for reimbursement was made to the other party. Any
Page 33, Line 9response to the motion must include any objection to the costs requested or proposed payment arrangements.
Page 33, Line 10(11) Extraordinary adjustments to the schedule of basic child
Page 33, Line 11support obligations - periodic disability benefits. (c) (II) Absent good
Page 33, Line 12cause shown, the custodial
parent party must apply for dependentPage 33, Line 13benefits for the child or children within sixty days after the custodial
Page 33, Line 14
parent party receives notification pursuant to subsection (11)(c)(I) ofPage 33, Line 15this section and shall cooperate with the appropriate federal agency in
Page 33, Line 16completing any application for benefits. No later than seven days
Page 33, Line 17after receiving a social security benefit verification letter or
Page 33, Line 18other correspondence from the federal social security
Page 33, Line 19administration confirming the amount of the lump sum
Page 33, Line 20retroactive payment and the dates covered, the custodial party
Page 33, Line 21shall provide the noncustodial parent and the delegate child
Page 33, Line 22support enforcement unit, if the unit is a party to the case, with a copy of the letter or correspondence.
Page 33, Line 23(12) Dependency exemptions.
Unless otherwise agreed upon byPage 33, Line 24
the parties, the court shall allocate the right to claim dependent childrenPage 33, Line 25
for income tax purposes between the parties. These rights shall bePage 34, Line 1
allocated between the parties in proportion to their contributions to thePage 34, Line 2
costs of raising the children. A parent shall not be entitled to claim a childPage 34, Line 3
as a dependent if he or she has not paid all court-ordered child support forPage 34, Line 4
that tax year or if claiming the child as a dependent would not result in any tax benefit.Page 34, Line 5(a) The court may allocate an income tax dependency
Page 34, Line 6exemption and the resulting tax benefit for a child and require
Page 34, Line 7the party who has the child in the party's physical custody for
Page 34, Line 8more than fifty percent of the calendar year to provide the
Page 34, Line 9other party a properly executed declaration that releases the
Page 34, Line 10party's claim to the child as a dependent pursuant to the federal
Page 34, Line 11"Internal Revenue Code of 1986", 26 U.S.C. sec. 152 (e). If an
Page 34, Line 12allocation of exemption is contested, the court must make findings supporting the court's decision for the allocation.
Page 34, Line 13(b) In determining the allocation pursuant to subsection (12)(a) of this section, the court shall consider the following:
Page 34, Line 14(I) The financial resources of each party;
Page 34, Line 15(II) Any negative impacts on a party's ability to provide
Page 34, Line 16for the needs of the child if the party is not awarded the allocation of exemption;
Page 34, Line 17(III) If one party or both parties would each receive a tax
Page 34, Line 18benefit from the right to claim the child for tax purposes
Page 34, Line 19pursuant to the federal "Internal Revenue Code of 1986", 26
Page 34, Line 20U.S.C. sec. 152 (e). The filing status as head of household is not impacted by this designation.
Page 34, Line 21(IV) The impact of the allocation of exemption on either
Page 34, Line 22party's ability to claim a premium tax credit or a premium
Page 35, Line 1subsidy pursuant to the federal "Patient Protection and
Page 35, Line 2Affordable Care Act", 42 U.S.C. sec. 18001 et seq., as amended by
Page 35, Line 3the federal "Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of
Page 35, Line 42010", 42 U.S.C. sec. 1305 et seq., and any federal guidance or regulations issued pursuant to the federal acts.
Page 35, Line 5(c) (I) The court may place reasonable conditions on a
Page 35, Line 6party's right to claim an allocation of exemption, including a
Page 35, Line 7requirement that the party remains in compliance with a child
Page 35, Line 8support obligation. In the event the party is not in compliance
Page 35, Line 9with a child support obligation or other court order, either party may move to modify the allocation of exemption.
Page 35, Line 10(II) As used in this subsection (12)(c), "compliance with a
Page 35, Line 11child support obligation" means making ordered payments for the applicable tax year.
Page 35, Line 12(d) If the court determines that a party has claimed an
Page 35, Line 13income tax dependency exemption in violation of a court order
Page 35, Line 14or applicable law, or has failed or refused to provide a properly
Page 35, Line 15executed written declaration that releases the party's claim to
Page 35, Line 16a child as a dependent to the other party as required by court
Page 35, Line 17order, the court may issue an order requiring compensation in
Page 35, Line 18the amount of the lost tax benefit and reasonable attorney fees
Page 35, Line 19and costs to the party who was wrongfully deprived of the
Page 35, Line 20income tax dependency exemption. A motion for relief must be
Page 35, Line 21brought within three years after the date of filing the income
Page 35, Line 22tax return in which the exemption was claimed or could have
Page 35, Line 23been claimed. A party who brings a meritless motion for relief
Page 35, Line 24may be ordered to pay reasonable attorney fees and costs to the other party.
Page 36, Line 1(13) Emancipation. (a) For child support orders entered on or
Page 36, Line 2after July 1, 1997, unless a court finds that a child is otherwise
Page 36, Line 3emancipated, emancipation occurs and child support terminates without
Page 36, Line 4either party filing a motion when the last or only child attains nineteen years of age unless one or more of the following conditions exist:
Page 36, Line 5(III) If the child is still in high school or an equivalent program,
Page 36, Line 6support continues until the end of the month following graduation. A
Page 36, Line 7child who ceases to attend high school prior to graduation and later
Page 36, Line 8reenrolls is entitled to support upon reenrollment and until the end of the
Page 36, Line 9month following graduation, but not beyond age twenty-one. A
Page 36, Line 10concurrent enrollment program, as defined in section 22-35-103,
Page 36, Line 11does not qualify as an equivalent program. A child participating
Page 36, Line 12in a concurrent enrollment program is emancipated once the
Page 36, Line 13child completes the local education provider's minimum high school graduation requirements.
Page 36, Line 15SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 14-10-122, amend (6)(d) introductory portion and (6)(d)(I) as follows:
Page 36, Line 1614-10-122. Modification and termination of provisions for
Page 36, Line 17maintenance, support, and property disposition - automatic lien -
Page 36, Line 18definitions. (6) (d) Notwithstanding
the provisions of paragraphs (a) andPage 36, Line 19
(b) of this subsection (6) subsections (6)(a) and (6)(b) of this section,Page 36, Line 20a court order for child support
shall must not be modified or terminated pursuant to this subsection (6) if:Page 36, Line 21(I) The child support obligor acknowledged paternity pursuant to
Page 36, Line 22section 19-4-105 (1)(c) or
(1)(e), C.R.S., (2)(a.5) knowing that he was not the father of the child;Page 37, Line 2SECTION 4. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 14-14-111.5, amend (4)(c)(II), (4)(c)(III)(B), (4)(c)(IV)(C), and (16.7) as follows:
Page 37, Line 314-14-111.5. Income assignments for child support or
Page 37, Line 4maintenance. (4) Notice to withhold income for support. (c) A notice
Page 37, Line 5to withhold income for support must be provided on a federal office of
Page 37, Line 6management and budget-approved income withholding for support form
Page 37, Line 7and must contain the following information and, except in cases in which
Page 37, Line 8the obligee is receiving child support enforcement services pursuant to section 26-13-106, must include a certified copy of the support order:
Page 37, Line 9(II) A statement that withholding must begin no later than the first
Page 37, Line 10pay period that begins at least fourteen
working calendar days after the date on the notice to withhold income for support;Page 37, Line 11(III) Instructions concerning withholding the deductions, including:
Page 37, Line 12(B) A statement that the employer, trustee, or other
payor payerPage 37, Line 13of funds may deduct a fee once a month to defray the cost of
Page 37, Line 14withholding and that the employer, trustee, or other
payor payer of fundsPage 37, Line 15shall refer to the laws governing the work state of the employee for the allowable amount of such fee; and
Page 37, Line 16(IV) Instructions about disbursing the withheld amounts, including the requirements that each disbursement:
Page 37, Line 17(C) Must be identified by the remittance identifier, the name
andPage 37, Line 18
social security number of each obligor, the date the deduction was made,Page 37, Line 19the amount of the payment, and the family support registry account
Page 37, Line 20number for cases ordered to be paid through the family support registry; and
Page 38, Line 1(16.7) The employer, trustee, or other payer of funds may extract
Page 38, Line 2a processing fee of up to five dollars per month.
from the remainder of thePage 38, Line 3
obligor's income after the deduction and withholding The total amountPage 38, Line 4withheld, including the processing fee, is subject to the limits described in section 13-54-104 (3).
Page 38, Line 5SECTION 5. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 14-14-113, amend (1)(b) as follows:
Page 38, Line 614-14-113. Recordation of social security numbers in certain
Page 38, Line 7family matters. (1) (b) The judicial department shall maintain records
Page 38, Line 8of the parties' and children's social security numbers in family matters
Page 38, Line 9filed
under pursuant to articles 10 and 14 of thistitle title 14, articlesPage 38, Line 104 and 6 of title 19,
C.R.S., and article 13.5 of title 26.C.R.S. Nothing inPage 38, Line 11
this paragraph (b) shall This subsection (1)(b) does not requirethat aPage 38, Line 12person's social security number to appear on the face of the court order.
Page 38, Line 13A case information sheet that contains a person's social security number must be filed under seal.
Page 38, Line 14SECTION 6. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 19-4-107.3, amend (3) introductory portion and (3)(a) as follows:
Page 38, Line 1519-4-107.3. When determination of parentage is final -
Page 38, Line 16modifications - exceptions. (3) Notwithstanding
the provisions ofPage 38, Line 17subsection (1) of this section,
neither a determination of parentagenor orPage 38, Line 18an order respecting child support
shall must not be modified or set aside pursuant to this section if:Page 38, Line 19(a) The individual named in the order acknowledged paternity
Page 38, Line 20pursuant to section 19-4-105 (1)(c) or
(1)(e) (2)(a.5) knowing that he wasPage 38, Line 21not the father of the child;
Page 39, Line 1SECTION 7. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 19-4-116, amend (6)
Page 39, Line 2introductory portion, (6)(g), and (6)(j); repeal (6)(e); and add (6)(l), (6)(m), (6)(n), (6)(o), (6)(p), and (6)(q) as follows:
Page 39, Line 319-4-116. Judgment or order - birth-related costs - evidence.
Page 39, Line 4(6) The court or delegate child support enforcement unit has
Page 39, Line 5the discretion to enter an order directing the obligor to pay a
Page 39, Line 6reasonable amount of retroactive child support for a time
Page 39, Line 7period that occurred prior to the month the child support
Page 39, Line 8obligation begins. In determining the amount
to be paid by a parent forPage 39, Line 9
support of the child and the period during which the duty of support isPage 39, Line 10
owed, a court enforcing the obligation of support of retroactive child support, the court shall consider all relevantfacts factors, including:Page 39, Line 11(e)
The need and capacity of the child for education, including higher education;Page 39, Line 12(g) The financial resources
and the earning ability of the child;Page 39, Line 13(j) The standard of living the child would have enjoyed had the parents been
married; and an intact family;Page 39, Line 14(l) The ability of the obligor to pay court-ordered
Page 39, Line 15current child support in addition to a potential judgment for retroactive child support;
Page 39, Line 16(m) Efforts the parents have made to contact each other
Page 39, Line 17and communicate the needs of the child, including requests for financial support;
Page 39, Line 18(n) Any evidence regarding a parent's attempt to avoid service;
Page 39, Line 19(o) Support provided by the obligor, including, but not
Page 39, Line 20limited to, money, supplies, food, clothing, and gifts;
Page 40, Line 1(p) Evidence of efforts to restrict access to the child from the other parent; and
Page 40, Line 2(q) Evidence that the parents had a financial agreement during the retroactive time period.
Page 40, Line 3SECTION 8. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 26-13-122.7, amend (1)(c)(I)(D) as follows:
Page 40, Line 426-13-122.7. Administrative lien and attachment of insurance
Page 40, Line 5claim payments, awards, and settlements - reporting - rules - fund.
Page 40, Line 6(1) (c) (I) For the purposes of this section, an insurance claim payment,
Page 40, Line 7award, or settlement is limited to an individual who receives money in
Page 40, Line 8excess of one thousand dollars after making a claim for payment under an insurance policy for:
Page 40, Line 9(D)
A Life insurancepolicy or annuity contract payable to a beneficiary.Page 40, Line 10SECTION 9. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 26-13-125, amend (1)(a) and (3); and add (1)(e), (1)(f), and (9) as follows:
Page 40, Line 1126-13-125. State directory of new hires - definitions. (1) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
Page 40, Line 12(a) "Employee" means a natural person who is employed by an
Page 40, Line 13employer in this state for compensation, which employer is required to
Page 40, Line 14report the compensation to the federal internal revenue service.
Page 40, Line 15
"Employee" includes a self-employed or contracted employee for whomPage 40, Line 16
the employer is required to report compensation to the federal internal revenue service. "Employee" does not include:Page 40, Line 17(I) An employee hired to perform intelligence or
Page 40, Line 18counterintelligence functions for an agency of the United States
Page 40, Line 19government, as those terms are defined in the federal "Intelligence
Page 41, Line 1Organization Act of 1992", 50 U.S.C. sec. 401a, when the head of the
Page 41, Line 2agency has determined that reporting the employee could endanger the
Page 41, Line 3safety of the employee or compromise an ongoing investigation or intelligence mission; or
Page 41, Line 4(II) An independent contractor.
(e) "Service provider" means:
Page 41, Line 5(I) An individual, sole shareholder of a corporation, sole member of a limited liability company, or sole proprietor;
Page 41, Line 6(II) An individual who is not an employee of a service recipient; or
Page 41, Line 7(III) An independent contractor who:
Page 41, Line 8(A) Contracts or provides services for compensation to a
Page 41, Line 9service recipient doing business in Colorado in an amount equal
Page 41, Line 10to or greater than the amount set forth in 26 U.S.C. sec. 6041 in the calendar year; or
Page 41, Line 11(B) Is a transportation network company driver who uses
Page 41, Line 12a personal vehicle to deliver food, goods, or other services to
Page 41, Line 13a person in Colorado through the transportation network company's digital network.
Page 41, Line 14(f) "Service recipient" means:
Page 41, Line 15(I) A person doing business in Colorado who enters into a
Page 41, Line 16contract for services with a service provider or receives services from a service provider; or
Page 41, Line 17(II) A person doing business in Colorado as a company that
Page 41, Line 18maintains a digital network to facilitate service transportation
Page 41, Line 19network company drivers, including, but not limited to, drivers
Page 41, Line 20delivering food, goods, or services to a person seeking such services.
Page 42, Line 1(3)
Effective October 1, 1997, Each employer shall submit to thePage 42, Line 2state directory of new hires a copy of the W-4 form, the W-9 form, or, at
Page 42, Line 3the option of the employer, an equivalent form for each newly hired
Page 42, Line 4employee in Colorado. The report may be transmitted to the state
Page 42, Line 5department by first-class mail, magnetically, or electronically. The report
Page 42, Line 6must contain the newly hired employee's name, date of birth, address,
Page 42, Line 7social security number, whether the new hire is an employee or
Page 42, Line 8service provider, and the date services for remuneration were first
Page 42, Line 9performed by the newly hired employee. The report must contain the
Page 42, Line 10name and address of the employer and the identifying number assigned
Page 42, Line 11to the employer
under section 6109 of pursuant to the federal "InternalPage 42, Line 12Revenue Code of 1986",
as amended, 26 U.S.C. sec. 6109. An employerPage 42, Line 13is not liable for furnishing information pursuant to this section. An
Page 42, Line 14employer is not required to submit to the state directory of new hires a report concerning any employee hired for less than thirty days.
Page 42, Line 15(9) (a) No later than twenty days after a service recipient
Page 42, Line 16pays remuneration to or contracts for services with a service
Page 42, Line 17provider in an amount set forth in 26 U.S.C sec. 6041, whichever
Page 42, Line 18is earlier, the service recipient shall report to the state directory of new hires the following information:
Page 42, Line 19(I) For each service provider who is newly paid or
Page 42, Line 20contracted for services provided in this state, the service
Page 42, Line 21provider's name, date of birth, address, social security number,
Page 42, Line 22and whether the service provider is being reported as a service provider and not as an employee; and
Page 42, Line 23(II) The service recipient's name, address, and social security number.
Page 43, Line 1(b) A service recipient may report remuneration or
Page 43, Line 2contracts for services pursuant to this subsection (9) if the
Page 43, Line 3value of the services is less than the amount set forth in 26 U.S.C. sec. 6041 or unknown.
Page 43, Line 4(c) Information that is reported by a service recipient
Page 43, Line 5pursuant to this subsection (9) is confidential but must be made
Page 43, Line 6available for use by state agencies that administer state plans
Page 43, Line 7pursuant to Title IV-D of the federal "Social Security Act", including state agencies in other states.
Page 43, Line 8(d) A service recipient who fails to provide a report
Page 43, Line 9pursuant to this subsection (9) is subject to the same
Page 43, Line 10enforcement action available for failure of an employer to report a newly hired employee.
Page 43, Line 11(e) A service recipient who reports information to the
Page 43, Line 12state directory of new hires pursuant to this section is immune from civil liability.
Page 43, Line 13SECTION 10. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 26-13.5-103, amend (1)(h) and (1)(i.5) as follows:
Page 43, Line 1426-13.5-103. Notice of financial responsibility issued -
Page 43, Line 15contents. (1) The delegate child support enforcement unit shall issue a
Page 43, Line 16notice of financial responsibility to the APA-respondent who is the
Page 43, Line 17obligee or an obligor who owes a child support debt or who is responsible
Page 43, Line 18for the support of a child or to the custodian of a child who is receiving
Page 43, Line 19support enforcement services from the delegate child support enforcement
Page 43, Line 20unit pursuant to article 13 of this title 26. If the obligor has applied for
Page 43, Line 21child support services, the notice must be served on the obligee. The notice must advise the APA-respondent:
Page 44, Line 1(h) That, in calculating the amount of monthly support obligation
Page 44, Line 2pursuant to the child support guidelines as set forth in section 14-10-115,
Page 44, Line 3
C.R.S., the delegate child support enforcement unit shall set the monthlyPage 44, Line 4support obligation based upon reliable information concerning the
Page 44, Line 5parents' income, which may include wage statements or other wage
Page 44, Line 6information obtained from the department of labor and employment, tax
Page 44, Line 7records, and verified statements and other information provided by the
Page 44, Line 8parents and that, in the absence of any such information, the delegate
Page 44, Line 9child support enforcement unit
may shall set the monthly supportPage 44, Line 10obligation
based on the current minimum wage for a forty-hour workweek pursuant to section 14-10-115 (5)(b.5);Page 44, Line 11(i.5) That the court or delegate child support enforcement unit
Page 44, Line 12may enter an order directing the obligor to pay for support of the child in
Page 44, Line 13an amount
as may be determined by the court or delegate child supportPage 44, Line 14enforcement unit to be reasonable under the circumstances, for a time
Page 44, Line 15period prior to the entry of an order establishing paternity or for a time
Page 44, Line 16period prior to the
entry of the month the child support obligationPage 44, Line 17begins in a support order established pursuant to section 19-6-104;
C.R.S.;Page 44, Line 18SECTION 11. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 26-13.5-105, amend (5) as follows:
Page 44, Line 1926-13.5-105. Negotiation conference - issuance of order of
Page 44, Line 20financial responsibility - filing of order with district court. (5) If the
Page 44, Line 21court or delegate child support enforcement unit finds that the obligor has
Page 44, Line 22an obligation to support the child or children mentioned in the petition or
Page 44, Line 23notice, the court or delegate child support enforcement unit may enter an
Page 45, Line 1order directing the obligor to pay such sums for support as may be
Page 45, Line 2reasonable under the circumstances, taking into consideration the factors
Page 45, Line 3
found described in section 19-4-116 (6)The court or delegate childPage 45, Line 4
support enforcement unit may also enter an order directing thePage 45, Line 5
appropriate party to pay for support of the child, in an amount as may bePage 45, Line 6
determined by the court or delegate child support enforcement unit to bePage 45, Line 7
reasonable under the circumstances, for a time periodwhich thatPage 45, Line 8occurred prior to the month the child support obligation begins pursuant to section 19-6-104.
Page 45, Line 9SECTION 12. Effective date. This act takes effect upon passage;
Page 45, Line 10except that section 7 and section 12 of this act take effect on February 1,
Page 45, Line 112026; and section 14-10-115 (3), (7), and (8), as amended in section 2 of this act, takes effect on March 1, 2026.
Page 45, Line 12SECTION 13. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,
Page 45, Line 13determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate
Page 45, Line 14preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for
Page 45, Line 15the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state institutions.