Liston Introduces Legislation to Put Money Back in the Hands of Low-Income Families

Today, state Senators Beth Liston (D-Dublin) and Senator Mark Romanchuk (R-Ontario) announced the introduction of their bipartisan legislation that allows families who currently receive temporary cash assistance through Ohio Works First (OWF) to retain their child support money.

“This legislation puts the hard-earned money of low-income families back with the children who need it the most,” said Senator Liston. “The state should not be taking money from our poorest kids.”

To qualify for OWF, families must earn less than 50% of the Federal Poverty Level. Currently, families receiving temporary cash assistance through Ohio Works First are required to assign their child support payments to the state, impacting collections and family stability.

To remedy this issue, Senator Liston and Romanchuk’s legislation creates a partial “‘pass-through’” whereby child support payments of $100/month per child up to $200/month per family are not assigned to the state, but instead “passes through” so that they go directly to the families. This way, families can put that money towards the needs of their child. 

The goal of this legislation is to increase funds that impoverished children receive in child support, decrease the money that our poorest families pay to the government, maximize policies that encourage two-parent involvement, and decrease reliance on SNAP and other government programs.