Bill HD.4463

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4463 FILED ON: 1/8/2018

HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Shawn Dooley

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act to create a commission to align the Commonwealth’s alimony and child support statutes with the new federal tax policy.

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PETITION OF:

Name:	District/Address:	Date Added:
Shawn Dooley	9th Norfolk	1/8/2018

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4463 FILED ON: 1/8/2018

HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No.

By Mr. Dooley of Norfolk, a petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Shawn Dooley for an investigation by a special commission (including members of the General Court) relative to the effects of federal tax reform on the Commonwealth’s alimony and child support statutes. The Judiciary.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

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An Act to create a commission to align the Commonwealth’s alimony and child support statutes with the new federal tax policy.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there shall be established a special commission to study and report on the effects of federal tax reform on the Commonwealth’s alimony and child support statutes. The commission shall be composed of 9 members: 2 members of the House of Representatives, 1 of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House and 1 of whom shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the House; 2 members of the Senate, 1 of whom shall be appointed by the Senate President and 1 of whom shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate; 3 members appointed by the Governor; 1 of whom shall be an expert on Federal tax law, 1 of whom shall be an expert on divorce and family law, and 1 of whom shall be an expert in the area of children and family advocacy; 1 member appointed by the Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court who shall be an expert on divorce and family law; and 1 member appointed by the Treasurer and Receiver General who shall be an expert on Federal and state tax law.

The scope of the commission shall include, but shall not be limited to, studying recent changes in federal tax law as it relates to the Commonwealth’s divorce, alimony, unallocated support, and child support statutes; identifying any major conflicts or shortcomings created by said federal tax reform on said statutes , and making recommendations on changes, legislative and otherwise, to ensure that the Commonwealth’s alimony and divorce process is fair, equitable, and predictable for all involved.

(b) The commission shall report the results of its investigation and its recommendations by filing a report with the Clerk of the Senate, the Clerk of the House of Representatives, the Joint Committee on the Judiciary, and the Probate & Family Court Department no later than 6 months after the first meeting of the commission is convened.