North Dakota Department of Health

The committee reviewed the contents of the binder, discussed the administrative rulemaking process, and provided a section-by-section overview of the current child support guidelines. Key discussion topics included potential amendments regarding the deduction for hypothetical state income tax, inclusion of royalties and rents in gross income, updating terminology to align with new legislation, revising lodging expense deductions, and clarifying procedures for split custody and equal physical custody cases. Additionally, the committee analyzed data on child support deviations and identified future action items for research and draft preparation.

The committee reviewed and discussed several proposed amendments to the child support guidelines, including adjustments to income deductions for lodging expenses, clarifications on extended parenting time requirements, and the inclusion of various benefits in imputed income calculations. The committee deliberated on the impacts of court decisions regarding overpayments caused by children's benefits and debated the appropriateness of imputing income for incarcerated individuals and students. Additionally, the committee considered revisions to definitions regarding gross income, handled matters of depreciation in support calculations, and established action items for further research and future meetings.

The meeting covered updates on the Life Skills and Transition Center, Adult and Aging programs including waiver and supervision changes, and the Transition and Diversion Program. Discussions included statistics on Money Follows the Person (MFP), housing partner updates regarding training and resources, tribal initiatives, and a comprehensive review of MFP capacity funds, including completed and ongoing projects such as remote work technology, peer support, and person-centered competency development. Additionally, the committee reviewed programmatic requirements, quality measure sets, and future survey implementation.

The committee held an introductory session to discuss child support guidelines, including the history and rule-making process. Key discussion topics included the philosophical differences between the obligor and income shares models, the potential for requiring an accounting of child support expenditures, and the implementation of a cap on support levels. The committee initiated a section-by-section review of the guidelines, specifically addressing definitions of children, benefits, and custody arrangements. Future meetings were scheduled to continue these deliberations.

The committee held a meeting to discuss amendments to the child support guidelines, specifically reviewing economic data on the cost of raising children based on the USDA 1997 Annual Report. Discussions focused on child support calculations, including income deduction methods for taxes and exemptions, the impact of multiple children in foster care, and adjustments for various employment situations. The committee also debated and voted on proposed amendments regarding extended visitation, establishing specific thresholds for visitation credit. Additionally, the committee formally agreed to dissolve upon adjournment.