AB 1643: Child support.

California · Assembly · 2025–2026 Regular Session · last verified June 8, 2026

What AB 1643 does, verified June 8, 2026

The bill amends sections of California's Family Code regarding child support. It requires both obligors and obligees to submit personal information through a confidential electronic portal before filing a judgment or order, rather than within ten days after the court order. The Department of Child Support Services must establish this portal and include details about federal Title IV-D services. The bill mandates that all child support payments be directed to the state disbursement unit and authorizes courts to direct local agencies to enforce orders on behalf of minor children. It also requires obligees to submit personal information, which is considered an application for federal Title IV-D services unless declined by the obligee under state or federal law. The bill imposes additional duties on local child support agencies and may require state reimbursement for mandat…

Bill journey

1IntroducedCurrent

2In CommitteePending

3First Chamber FloorPending

4Second ChamberPending

5GovernorPending

6ChapteredPending

Last action: In committee: Held under submission. (2026-05-14)Alert me

Author and sponsors

Asm. Stephanie NguyenAuthor · California State Assembly

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Coauthors

Lori Wilson

Recent actions14 total · showing 5

May. 14, 2026	In committee: Held under submission.
May. 14, 2026	Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended. (Page 5030.)
May. 13, 2026	In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
Apr. 28, 2026	Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Apr. 27, 2026	Read second time and amended.

Full action history, 9 earlier actionsConnect Plus

Latest bill textAmended version, April 27, 2026 · 2,423 words

Amended IN Assembly April 27, 2026

Amended IN Assembly April 16, 2026

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1643

Introduced by Assembly Member Nguyen
(Coauthor: Assembly Member Wilson)

January 27, 2026

An act to amend ~~Sections 4014 and~~ Section 4201 of the Family Code, relating to child support.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1643, as amended, Nguyen. Child support.

Existing federal law, Title IV-D of the Social Security Act, requires the state to establish a single state entity to administer the Title IV-D state plan for securing child support. Existing law designates the Department of Child Support Services as the state entity to administer laws and regulations related to child support enforcement obligations. Existing law requires that each county maintain a local child support agency that has numerous responsibilities relating to the establishment, modification, and enforcement of child support obligations.

Existing law authorizes the court, in any proceeding in which the court makes or has made a child support order, to direct that child support payments be made to a designated county officer or State Disbursement Unit, as specified, or to direct the local child support agency to appear on behalf of the minor children to enforce the order, or both. Existing law also requires a judgment for paternity and an order for child support entered or modified pursuant to any law to include a provision requiring the child support obligor and obligee to file with the court, within 10 days of the court order, and the child support registry specified personal information, including their residential and mailing address and social security number, and requires the Judicial Council to develop forms for this purpose.

This bill would instead require a child support obligor and obligee to submit that specified personal information prior to filing the proposed judgment or order and to submit the information via a confidential electronic portal. The bill would require the Department of Child Support Services to establish a confidential electronic portal for that purpose, and would require the portal to include information to inform the child support obligor and obligee about child support services authorized pursuant to Title IV-D of the Social Security Act, as specified. The bill would require that all child support payments be directed to the State Disbursement Unit, and would authorize the court to direct the local child support agency to appear on behalf of the minor children to enforce the order. The bill would also require the court to require every child support obligee to submit the previously described personal information, and would deem the submittal of that personal information to be an application for child support services authorized under Title IV-D of the federal Social Security Act. that every court order for payment of child support be deemed to be an application for child support enforcement services authorized pursuant to Title IV-D of the Social Security Act, and would require the court to transmit a copy of the child support order and the contact information of the support obligor and support obligee to the local child support agency, as specified. The bill would authorize a support obligee to decline to receive or opt out of receiving the child support services described above unless otherwise required to receive those services under state or federal law. The bill would require the Judicial Council to adopt or modify forms to implement these provisions. To the extent these provisions increase the duties of local child support agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.Section 4014 of the Family Code is amended to read:
4014.
(a)An order for child support issued or modified pursuant to this chapter shall include a provision requiring the child support obligor and child support obligee to notify the other parent or, if the order requires payment through an agency designated under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 651 et seq.), the agency named in the order, of the name and address of the person’s current employer.
~~(b)(1)The requirements set forth in this subdivision apply only in cases when the local child support agency is not providing child support services pursuant to Section 17400.~~
(2)(A)To the extent required by federal law, and subject to applicable confidentiality provisions of state or federal law, a judgment for paternity and an order for child support entered or modified pursuant to any law shall include a provision requiring the child support obligor and obligee to submit all of the following information via a confidential electronic portal:
~~(i)Residential and mailing address.~~
~~(ii)Social security number, individual taxpayer identification number, or other uniform identification number.~~
~~(iii)Telephone number.~~
~~(iv)Driver’s license number or identification card number issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles.~~
~~(v)Name, address, and telephone number of the employer.~~
~~(vi)Any other information prescribed by the Judicial Council.~~
(B)The child support obligor and obligee shall submit the information specified in subparagraph (A) prior to filing the proposed judgment or order, and include a receipt or confirmation of that submittal from the confidential electronic portal when filing the proposed judgment or order.
~~(C)The information from the confidential electronic portal shall be sent to the Statewide Child Support Registry, as described in Section 17391, and to the local child support agency.~~
(D)The judgment or order shall specify that each parent is responsible for providing the parent’s own information, and that new or different information shall be submitted via the confidential electronic portal within 10 days after any event causing a change in the previously provided information.
~~(3)(A)The Department of Child Support Services shall establish a confidential electronic portal to implement this subdivision.~~
(B)The portal shall include information to inform the child support obligor and obligee about child support services authorized under Title IV-D of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 651 et seq.), including, but not limited to, all of the following:
~~(i)The contact information of the local child support agency in the county in which the support order was made.~~
(ii)The nature and scope of child support services authorized under Title IV-D of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 651 et seq.), including information about all free services and information about any applicable fees.
(iii)A notification that the submittal of the information required under this subdivision will be deemed to be an application for child support services authorized under Title IV-D of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 651 et seq.).
~~(iv)Information concerning the child support obligee’s option to opt out of Title IV-D services, and a section to allow the child support obligee to opt out.~~
~~(v)Information regarding the local child support agency’s obligation to maintain confidentiality of the parties’ information pursuant to federal and state laws and regulations.~~
~~(vi)An option for the child support obligee to indicate if there is a domestic violence concern.~~
~~(vii)Any additional child support program notices, rights advisements, or disclosures deemed necessary.~~

~~SEC. 2.~~SECTION 1.

Section 4201 of the Family Code is amended to read:

4201.

In any proceeding where a court makes or has made an order requiring the payment of child support to the person having custody of a child for whom support may be ordered, the following shall apply:

(a) The court shall order that all payments be directed to the State Disbursement Unit as implemented pursuant to Section 17309.

(b)(1)The court shall require every child support obligee to submit the personal information required pursuant to Section 4014 via the confidential electronic portal established pursuant to Section 4014. Notwithstanding any other law, the submittal of the special information pursuant to Section 4014 shall be deemed to be an application for child support services authorized under Title IV-D of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 651 et seq.).
(b) (1) Notwithstanding any other law, every court order for payment of child support shall be deemed to be an application for child support services authorized pursuant to Title IV-D of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 651 et seq.), and provided under Division 17 (commencing with Section 17000), unless the support obligee makes a timely election to decline those services pursuant to paragraph (3).
(2) The court shall transmit a copy of the child support order and the contact information of the support obligor and support obligee to the local child support agency of the county where the order was issued within five business days of the expiration of the election window specified in paragraph (3) if no timely election has been made. The contact information provided by the court shall include, as is available to the court at the time the order was issued, the name, address, telephone number, and email address of the obligor and obligee.
(3) (A) At the time a child support order is entered, the court shall advise the obligee, on the record or in writing, of all the following:
(i) The child support order will be deemed an application for Title IV-D child support services, unless the obligee elects to decline those services.
(ii) Title IV-D child support services include, but are not limited to, issuance and service of an earnings assignment order on the obligor’s employer, payment processing through the State Disbursement Unit, and other enforcement actions authorized under Division 17 (commencing with Section 17000).
(iii) The obligee may decline Title IV-D child support services and simultaneously request a stay of service of the earnings assignment order pursuant to Section 5230 by making an election on the record at the time of the hearing or by submitting a written election within 10 business days of the date the child support order is served on the obligee.
(iv) Declining Title IV-D child support services does not affect the validity or enforceability of the underlying child support order, and the obligee may request child support services at any time in the future.
(v) If the obligor fails to make timely payments, the obligee may lift the stay and serve the earnings assignment order on the obligor’s employer without further court action, or may request that the local child support agency open a case and provide child support services.
(B) If the obligee is present at the hearing and elects on the record to decline Title IV-D child support services, the court shall do all of the following:
(i) Note the obligee’s election in the child support order.
(ii) Stay service of the earnings assignment order pursuant to Section 5230, subject to the parties’ compliance with the child support order.
(iii) Not transmit the child support order to the local child support agency pursuant to paragraph (2).
(C) If the obligee is not present at the hearing, or the child support order is entered by stipulation without a hearing, the obligee may submit a written election to decline Title IV-D child support services within 10 business days of the date the child support order is served on the support obligee. A written election shall be submitted simultaneously to the court, at no cost to the support obligee, and to the local child support agency on a form prescribed by the Judicial Council. Upon receipt of a timely written election, all of the following shall apply:
(i) The court shall stay service of the earnings assignment order pursuant to Section 5230.
(ii) The local child support agency shall not open a case, take any enforcement action, or issue an earnings assignment order during the 10-business-day election window or upon receipt of a timely written election.
(iii) If the local child support agency has already issued an earnings assignment order to the support obligor’s employer prior to receipt of a timely written election, the agency shall issue a termination of that order to the employer within five business days of receipt of the support obligee’s election.
(D) An obligee may not make an election pursuant to this subdivision if the obligee is required to receive Title IV-D child support services under state or federal law, including, but not limited to, cases in which the child or support obligee receives CalWORKs, Medi-Cal, or foster care assistance, or in which there is an assignment to the state of medical support or of arrearages accrued under the child support order.
(4) An obligee who has made an election pursuant to paragraph (3) may request Title IV-D child support services from the local child support agency at any time in the future by submitting an application consistent with applicable state and federal law. Upon submission of that application, the stay of service of the earnings assignment order shall be lifted, and the local child support agency may take all enforcement actions authorized under Division 17 (commencing with Section 17000).
(2)A support obligee may opt out of receiving child support services authorized pursuant to Title IV-D of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 651 et seq.) by indicating that in the confidential electronic portal established pursuant to Section 4014,

(5) An obligee receiving child support services may opt out of receiving those services by submitting a voluntary case closure request (Form DCSS 0432) to their local child support agency of the county in which the order was issued,
unless otherwise required to receive those services under state or federal law. Opting out of receiving child support services pursuant to this paragraph shall not preclude the ~~support~~ ability of the obligee ~~from submitting~~ to submit subsequent applications for child support services.

(6) On or before January 1, 2028, the Judicial Council shall adopt or modify forms, as needed, to implement this subdivision.

(c) The court may direct the local child support agency to appear on behalf of the minor children in any proceeding to enforce the order.

~~SEC. 3.~~SEC. 2.

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

Text of AB 1643 as amended, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions