Assigned to ED & APPROP                                                                                                                   AS ENACTED

 

 


 

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Phoenix, Arizona

 

FINAL REVISED

FACT SHEET FOR H.B. 2445

 

appropriation; national guard tuition

(NOW:  appropriations; DES; child support)

 

Purpose

 

            Appropriates $755,133 in FY 2002-2003 from the state general fund to the Department of Economic Security (DES) for distribution to six counties providing child support enforcement services. 

 

Background

 

The DES Division of Child Support Enforcement is the administering entity for the federal IV-D child support enforcement program. In Arizona, counties have the first right to provide program services, such as establishing paternity and enforcing child support orders.  Six counties have exercised that right through their county attorney offices. The Office of the Attorney General operates the program in seven counties, and DES contracts with a private company to provide program services for the remaining two counties.

 

Approximately 73 percent of program revenues are federal funds, 21 percent are state funds, three percent are county funds and one percent comes from handling and processing fees. During FY 1999-2000, the six counties providing child support enforcement services contributed an estimated $2.2 million in local funds to help pay for program costs not covered by federal and state dollars.

 

            The bill states that the Legislature intends for the specified counties to refrain from taxing citizens for the child support programs in addition to the state taxes the citizens pay, but there is no prohibition on county taxation for child support enforcement purposes.

 

The bill appropriates $755,133 from the state general fund in FY 2002-2003 to DES for distribution to the six specified counties for local child support enforcement programs.

 

            In her veto message, the Governor eliminated the appropriation in FY 2001-2002 due to concern that state general fund revenues will be insufficient to support the budget for the next two years.

 

Provisions

 

1.      Appropriates $755,133 from the state general fund in FY 2002-2003 to DES for distribution to the six counties providing child support enforcement services.

 

2.      Specifies the following distribution:

 

Pima County                 $450,276

Pinal County                   169,939

Gila County                      40,348

Cochise County                43,057

Navajo County     22,203

La Paz County                  29,310

 

3.      Specifies the purpose of the appropriation is that the six counties not tax citizens for these programs.

 

4.      Exempts the appropriations from lapsing.

 

5.      Provides for a general effective date.

 

Amendments Adopted by Appropriations Committee

 

            A strike everything amendment, identical to S.B. 1516 as passed by the Senate, was adopted.

 

Amendments Adopted by Committee of the Whole

 

            Reduces appropriations by half, from approximately $1.5 million per year to $755,133 per year of the biennium.

 

Line Item Veto

 

            Eliminates the appropriation in FY 2001-2002.

 

Senate Action                                                               House Action

 

ED                   3/22/01    DP               6-0-2-0                        Final Read        5/2/01              39-16-5-0

APPROP         4/10/01    DPA/SE       7-0-5-0

3rd Read           4/27/01                        28-0-2-0

 

 

Signed by Governor (LIV) 5/8/01

Chapter 386

 

 

Prepared by Senate Staff

May 31, 2001