Sec. 1. 19-A MRSA §2101, sub-§2, as amended by PL 1997, c. 466, §5 and affected by §28, is further amended to read:

2. Compliance with a support order. "Compliance with a support order" means that the support obligor is no more than 60 30 days in arrears in making payments in full for current support, in making periodic payments on a support arrearage pursuant to a written agreement with the department or in making periodic payments as set forth in support order and has obtained or maintained health insurance coverage if required by a support order. For purposes of this subsection, a payment made by means of automatic withdrawal or direct deposit from the paycheck or bank account of a support obligor is deemed to be a payment made on the date of the automatic withdrawal or direct deposit.

SUMMARY

This bill decreases from 60 days to 30 days the amount of time that a person required to pay child support may take before no longer being considered in compliance with the support order. If a person has the child support payment directly withdrawn from the person's bank account or paycheck, then the payment is considered to have been made on the day of the withdrawal.