Sec. 1. 19-A MRSA §1653, sub-§8, ¶B-1 is enacted to read:

B-1.__After January 1, 2000, if the court orders either parent to provide child support, the court order must require that parent to contribute to the child's postsecondary education costs.__The order must specify either a set amount or a percentage of actual costs.

Sec. 2. 19-A MRSA §1653, sub-§12, ¶A, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read:

A. Attains 18 years of age. For orders issued after January 1, 1990, if the child attains 18 years of age while attending secondary school as defined in Title 20-A, section 1, the order remains in force until the child graduates, withdraws or is expelled from secondary school or attains 19 years of age, whichever occurs first.__For orders issued after January 1, 2000, the order remains in force until the child graduates, withdraws or is expelled from a postsecondary educational institution or attains 23 years of age, whichever occurs first;

Sec. 3. 19-A MRSA §1653, sub-§13, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and as affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read:

13. Automatic adjustments. The order of the court or hearing officer may include automatic adjustments to the amount of money paid for the support of a child when the child attains 12 or 18 years of age; or when the child graduates, withdraws or is expelled from secondary school, attains 19 years of age or is otherwise emancipated, whichever occurs first; or when the child graduates, withdraws or is expelled from a postsecondary educational institution or attains 23 years of age, whichever occurs first.

SUMMARY

This bill requires a parent paying child support to contribute to the costs of postsecondary education for the child until the child graduates, withdraws or is expelled, or turns 23 years of age, whichever occurs first.