House Pushing License Suspension for Parents Who Owe Support

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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Child-support advocates again want to yank the driver's license of people who fall behind in payments.

The bill is making its second journey through the Utah Legislature after failing by a single vote in the Senate last year.

It's aimed at people who are "experts at hiding their assets," said Rep. Julie Fisher, R-Fruit Heights, the chief sponsor.

A House committee heard testimony from a woman who said her ex-husband, a Utah County lawyer, once kept $100 bills rolled up in a shoe box for his own use and was $85,000 behind in child support.

She said he makes minimal payments to stay a step ahead of the law and out of jail. She once toiled in a job at $6.50 an hour while trying to support four children in a tiny condominium.

"It's been a legal nightmare for me," she said. "It goes months and months with no payments made. It's just been very difficult."

Fisher's bill won unanimous approval Wednesday in committee and is headed to the House floor. House Bill 15 would let the Office of Recovery Services order the suspension of driving privileges when parents are more than 60 days in arrears.

Senators last year said they didn't want to penalize ex-spouses who weren't being allowed to see their children, although courts have ruled that's no excuse for nonpayment. Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem, broke a 14-14 tie by voting against the bill.

Other critics say taking away driving privileges would only deny ex-spouses the ability to get to work and earn money. The bill, however, would grant a temporary license for that reason.

Utah has about 18,000 parents in arrears on child support.

Another mother said she's received erratic payments over the past 10 years from an ex-husband who once brought trinkets from a Hawaii vacation for their children, even as "we can barely make ends meet."

Advocates say the Office of Recovery Services can only do so much to collect the money without a big stick.

"Even the threat of losing a license will make a difference," Pamela Atkinson said.