06/14/2024
CONGRATUATIONS TO MARLIS ROBBERTS for her continued appointment to the Iowa Child Support Guidelines Review Committee and her service as Co-Chair of said committee. See full Order below:
The Iowa Supreme Court
In the Matter of Appointments to the 2024 Iowa Child Support Guidelines Review Committee
Order
The Federal Family Support Act of 1988 requires that every four years each state must review its child support guidelines “to ensure that their application results in the determination of appropriate child support award amounts.” 42 U.S.C. §667(a). The Iowa General Assembly has entrusted the Iowa Supreme Court with the responsibility of this quadrennial review of Iowa’s child support guidelines. Iowa Code §598.21B(1)(a). The court concluded its last review of the Iowa child support guidelines in 2021.
When conducting this review, federal law and regulations require the state to: (1) consider economic data on the costs of raising children, labor market data, the impact of guidelines policies on low income parents, and factors that influence employment rates of noncustodial parents and compliance with child support orders; (2) analyze case data on deviations from the guidelines, rates of default and imputed child support orders, and orders using the low income adjustment; and (3) provide a meaningful opportunity for public input and consider the views and advice of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. See 45 C.F.R. §302.56(h). In addition, Iowa Code section 598.21B(1)(c) requires that review of the guidelines “[e]mphasize the ability of a court to apply the guidelines in a just and appropriate manner based upon the individual facts of a judgment or case” and “[i]n determining monthly child support payments, consider other children for whom either parent is legally responsible for support and other child support obligations actually paid by either party pursuant to a court or administrative order.”
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With this order, the court establishes the 2024 Iowa Child Support Guidelines Review Committee. Among other things, the committee will do the following: (1) analyze information about the number of deviations from the Iowa guidelines; (2) study current data concerning child-raising costs and other economic measures; (3) compare Iowa’s guidelines with child-rearing measures and the guidelines of other states; (4) review and consider public comments and recommendations made on the Iowa child support guidelines; and (5) consider other information deemed necessary or useful for thorough review of the current Iowa child support guidelines.
The committee will complete its work and submit a final report to the court on or before April 1, 2025. The final report will include the committee’s findings, as well as any recommendations the committee may have for the court.
The court appoints the following persons to the 2024 Iowa Child Support Guidelines Review Committee:
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Wayne Bergman, Assistant Attorney General, Des Moines
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DeShawne Bird-Sell, Attorney, Glenwood
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Honorable Thomas A. Bitter, First Judicial District, Dubuque
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Honorable Craig Dreismeier, Fourth Judicial District, Council Bluffs
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Ryan Genest, Attorney, Des Moines
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Whitney Jacque, Attorney, Iowa Legal Aid
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Kevin E. Kaufman, Assistant Attorney General, Davenport
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Honorable Chad A. Kepros, Sixth Judicial District, Iowa City, Co-Chair
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Andrea McGinn, Attorney, Van Meter
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Honorable Laura Parrish, First Judicial District, Decorah
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Marlis J. Robberts, Attorney, Burlington, Co-Chair
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Anjela Shutts, Attorney, Des Moines
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Alison Werner Smith, Attorney, Iowa City
The following persons will provide staff service to the committee:
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Cheri Damante Cummings, Assistant Attorney General, Cedar Rapids
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Timothy Eckley, Assistant Counsel to the Chief Justice, Allen Township
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Melissa Gray, Child Support Analyst 3, Iowa Dep’t of HHS, Des Moines
Members and staff of the committee will be reimbursed for travel and other expenses actually incurred in the performance of their duties pursuant to Iowa Court Rules 22.16 through 22.21.
Dated this 14th day of June, 2024.
The Iowa Supreme Court
By:
Susan Larson Christensen, Chief Justice
