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An Act Relating to Child Support and Visitation by Noncustodial Parents
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 19-A MRSA §2306, sub-§1, ¶B, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read:
 
B. This subsection does not apply if:
 
(1) A party demonstrates and the hearing officer finds that there is good cause not to require immediate withholding under this section; or
 
(2) A written agreement between the parties providing an alternative arrangement is filed with the hearing officer.; or
 
(3) Unless reasonable grounds exist for refusing contact, the obligee is not in compliance with an order requiring contact between the responsible parent and the child or, if no order concerning contact is in effect, the obligee does not permit the responsible parent to have contact with the child.
 
SUMMARY
This bill provides that the Department of Health and Human Services is prohibited from issuing an income withholding order against the wages of the financially responsible parent when the parent with whom the child lives either is in violation of a parental rights and responsibilities order requiring contact between the child and the financially responsible parent or, if no order concerning contact is in effect, does not permit contact between the financially responsible parent and the child. If reasonable grounds exist for refusing contact, the prohibition is void.