SENATE WOMEN'S ISSUES, CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES COMMITTEE

 

STATEMENT TO

 

SENATE, No. 1286

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

 

DATED: OCTOBER 3, 1996

 

      The Senate Women's Issues, Children and Family Services Committee favorably reports Senate Bill No. 1286.

      This bill amends P.L.1991, c.384 (C.5:9-13.1 et seq.) to allow the withholding of lottery prizes to satisfy alimony arrearages. The data exchange between the Department of the Treasury and the Clerk of the Superior Court would begin at a threshold of $1,000. The Clerk of the Superior Court would be required to provide the Office of Telecommunications and Information Services with the names of individuals who are behind in alimony payments, social security numbers and the amount of the alimony arrearage. This information would then be cross-referenced with the list of prize winners generated by the State Lottery. If a match is made, the Department of the Treasury would be required to notify the Superior Court and withhold the amount owed from the pending lottery award.

      The bill also updates references to the Division of Economic Assistance whose name has been changed to the Division of Family Development.

      Finally, the bill requires that the alimony collected as a result of the data exchange be distributed only after any child support arrearage is collected from a lottery prize and is distributed to the custodial parent.