Governor Bob Taft today signed into law Senate Bill 170, authorizing the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to compensate child support recipients dating back to October 1997.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Bill Harris (R-Ashland), will enable ODJFS to carry out an Executive Order issued by the Governor Aug. 8.

"I thank Sen. Harris for his leadership in sponsoring this legislation," ODJFS Director Tom Hayes said. "Now we have the opportunity to work cooperatively with county child support enforcement agencies to put money, with interest, into the hands of mothers and children."

The legislation requires county child support enforcement agencies to audit child support cases, from October 1997 to September 2000, to identify instances in which state income tax refunds and/or past due child support payments were kept by the state to offset the cost of public assistance. While not required by law, the return of past due payments that were kept during this time period is an option Ohio is exercising as part of the state's commitment to welfare reform.

ODJFS will distribute payments to families based on the county audit findings. Interest of 6.5 percent per year will be paid in cases in which the total interest exceeds $10. It is estimated that families will receive a total of up to $44 million, including $6 million in interest.

There are 900,000 child support cases in Ohio. Total collections were $1.82 billion in State Fiscal Year 2001. Ohio has the sixth largest child support caseload in the nation, but is first in the distribution of current support and third in total collections.

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For more information, contact Jon Allen, ODJFS Communications, (614) 466-6650.