Meetings; members’ expenses

(a) The commission shall hold meetings at the call of the chairperson or as called by the Governor. Meetings shall be open to the public. (b) A quorum for transacting business shall be a majority of the members of the commission. (c) Any legislative members of the commission shall receive the 616 19-6-53 allowances provided for in Code Section 28-1-8. Citizen members shall receive a daily expense allowance in the amount specified in subsection (b) of Code Section 45-7-21 as well as the mileage or transportation allowance authorized for state employees. Members of the commission who are state officials, other than legislative members, or state employees shall receive no compensation for their services on the commission, but they shall be reimbursed for expenses incurred by them in the performance of their duties as members of the commission in the same manner as they are reimbursed for expenses in their capacities as state officials or state employees. The funds necessary for the reimbursement of the expenses of state officials, other than legislative members, and state employees shall come from funds appropriated to or otherwise available to their respective departments. All other funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this article shall come from funds appropriated to the House of Representatives and the Senate. History. Code 1981, § 19-6-52, enacted by Ga. L. 2005, p. 224, § 11/HB 221. 19-6-53. Duties; powers; authorization to retain professional services. (a) The commission shall have the following duties: (1) To study and evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of Georgia’s child support guidelines; (2) To evaluate and consider the experiences and results in other states which utilize child support guidelines; (3) To create and recommend to the General Assembly a child support obligation table consistent with Code Section 19-6-15; (4) To determine periodically, and at least every four years, if the child support obligation table results in appropriate presumptive awards; (5) To identify and recommend whether and when the child support obligation table or child support guidelines should be modified; (6) To develop, publish in print or electronically, and update the child support obligation table and worksheets and schedules associated with the use of such table; (7) To develop or cause to be developed software and a calculator associated with the use of the child support obligation table and child support guidelines and adjust the formula for the calculations of self-employed persons’ income pursuant to applicable federal law, if the commission determines that the calculation affects persons paying or receiving child support in this state; 617 19-6-53 (8) To develop training manuals and information to educate judges, attorneys, and litigants on the use of the child support obligation table and child support guidelines; (9) To collaborate with the Institute for Continuing Judicial Education, the Institute of Continuing Legal Education, and other agencies for the purpose of training persons who will be utilizing the child support obligation table and child support guidelines; (10) To make recommendations for proposed legislation; (11) To study the appellate courts’ acceptance of discretionary appeals in domestic relations cases and the formulation of case law in the area of domestic relations; (12) To study alternative programs, such as mediation, collaborative practice, and pro se assistance programs, in order to reduce litigation in child support and child custody cases; and (13) To study the impact of having parenting time serve as a deviation to the presumptive amount of child support and make recommendations concerning the utilization of the parenting time adjustment. (b) The commission shall have the following powers: (1) To evaluate the child support guidelines in Georgia and any other program or matter relative to child support in Georgia; (2) To request and receive data from and review the records of appropriate agencies to the greatest extent allowed by state and federal law; (3) To accept public or private grants, devises, and bequests; (4) To enter into all contracts or agreements necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties; (5) To establish rules and procedures for conducting the business of the commission; and (6) To conduct studies, hold public meetings, collect data, or take any other action the commission deems necessary to fulfill its responsibilities. (c) The commission shall be authorized to retain the services of auditors, attorneys, financial consultants, child care experts, economists, and other individuals or firms as determined appropriate by the commission. History. Code 1981, § 19-6-53, enacted by Ga. L. 2005, p. 224, § 11/HB 221; Ga. L. 2006, p. 583, § 6/SB 382; Ga. L. 2010, p. 838, § 10/SB 388; Ga. L. 2014, p. 457, § 9/SB 282. 618 Editor’s notes. Ga. L. 2006, p. 583, § 10(b)/SB 382, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: “Sections 1 through 7 of this Act shall become effective on January 1, 2007, and shall apply to all pending civil actions on or after January 1, 2007.” 19-6-53