Gov. Butch Otter posted his draft child support enforcement bill today on his website that will be the focus of deliberations when the Idaho Legislature convenes May 18 for its first special session since 2006; you can read it here.

“I want every parent and family relying on court-ordered child support payments to have the chance to review this bill,” Otter said in a statement. “I want every member of the Legislature to have a better understanding of what it does and does not do, and a fuller appreciation of what happens if we fail to act affirmatively. The more everyone knows – not ‘thinks’ but knows – about this measure, the better chance we have for success.” For comparison, the original bill, SB 1067, is online here. Idaho Public TV reporter Melissa Davlin has gone through both bills line by line to compare them; you can see her analysis here.

Otter said he’s worked with an array of legislative leaders, including House Speaker Scott Bedke and Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis; along with legislators who helped kill the legislation during the regular session, including Boise GOP Reps. Lynn Luker and Tom Dayley, to “fine-tune some subtleties and reach agreement on the language in recent days. Those changes have been approved by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officials responsible for monitoring state compliance with federal child support laws and regulations.” Opponents in the House raised concerns that the bill, which had passed the Senate unanimously, could compromise state sovereignty; some said it would expose Idaho to foreign law, because federal regulations include acceding to a 2007 international child support enforcement treaty.

If Idaho doesn’t conform its child support enforcement laws to federal regulations by June 12, it stands to lose $16 million in federal child support enforcement funds, plus access to all the federal tools it now uses to enforce $205 million a year in child support payments to Idaho children. Also, more than $30 million in federal assistance to needy Idaho families, from child care subsidies to Head Start, also would be in jeopardy.