House bill NO. 340

INTRODUCED BY J. Gillette

By Request of the ****

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT REQUIRING APPLICANTS FOR THE federal SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM TO COOPERATE WITH THE STATE CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT services; and PROVIDING a delayed EFFECTIVE DATE."

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

NEW SECTION. Section 1. Child support cooperation. (1) For the purposes of this section, "obligor" and "support order" have the same meaning as those terms are defined in 40-5-201.

(2)        (a) Noncustodial obligors shall cooperate with the department's child support enforcement services provided for in 40-5-203 as a condition of eligibility for the federal supplemental nutrition assistance program in accordance with the provisions of 7 CFR 273.11(o) and 7 CFR 273.11(p).

(b)        An individual is not eligible for the supplemental nutrition assistance program during any month in which the individual is delinquent in payment of a support order, as that term is defined in 40-5-201.

(3)        The department shall exempt from the requirement described in subsection (1) obligors:

(a)        who provide good cause for not cooperating, as allowed under 7 CFR 273.11(o); or

(b)        whose noncooperation is not determined to be a refusal to cooperate, as described in 7 CFR 273.11(p).

NEW SECTION. Section 2. Codification instruction. [Section 1] is intended to be codified as an integral part of Title 53, chapter 2, part 9, and the provisions of Title 53, chapter 2, part 9, apply to [section 1].

NEW SECTION. Section 3. Effective date. [This act] is effective January 1, 2024.