4/10/02 3208s

2002 SESSION

01-2271

05/09

HOUSE BILL 1139

AN ACT relative to international reciprocal child support agreements.

COMMITTEE: Children and Family Law

AMENDED ANALYSIS

This bill allows the commissioner of the department of health and human services, with the approval and cooperation of the governor, to enter into reciprocal child support agreements with foreign countries that provide similar due process rights to those afforded to the citizens of this state.

This bill was requested by the department of health and human services.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

4/10/02 3208s

01-2271

05/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Two

AN ACT relative to international reciprocal child support agreements.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

187:1 New Paragraph; Support of Dependent Children; International Reciprocal Child Support Agreements. Amend RSA 161-B:3 by inserting after paragraph V the following new paragraph:

VI. Consistent with federal law and any international treaty or convention to which the United States is a party and that has been ratified by the United States Congress, the commissioner may, on approval by and with the cooperation of the governor, pursue negotiations and enter into reciprocal agreements with a foreign country or a political subdivision of a foreign country to establish and enforce child support obligations. As a prerequisite to entering into a reciprocal agreement with this state, the foreign country or political subdivision shall have enacted laws or established procedures for the issuance and enforcement of support orders that are substantially similar to fundamental due process rights afforded to the citizens of this state, including personal and subject matter jurisdiction, notice, and an opportunity to be heard.

187:2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

(Approved: May 15, 2002)

(Effective Date: July 14, 2002)