AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR WORK OR WORK‑RELATED ACTIVITIES AS AN ALTERNATIVE REMEDY TO INCARCERATION FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DETERMINED TO BE DELINQUENT ON CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENTS.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1. G.S. 50‑13.4(f) reads as rewritten:

(f)       Remedies for enforcement of support of minor children shall be available as follows:

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(9)        An order for the periodic payments of child support or a child support judgment that provides for periodic payments is enforceable by proceedings for civil contempt, and disobedience may be punished by proceedings for criminal contempt, as provided in Chapter 5A of the General Statutes.

Notwithstanding the provisions of G.S. 1‑294, an order for the payment of child support which has been appealed to the appellate division is enforceable in the trial court by proceedings for civil contempt during the pendency of the appeal. Upon motion of an aggrieved party, the court of the appellate division in which the appeal is pending may stay any order for civil contempt entered for child support until the appeal is decided, if justice requires.

As a special condition of a contempt order, the court may direct the person into job search or dually specific education training. If the court selects this option, the court shall review the person's progress in 30‑day intervals, at a minimum, unless the person is enrolled and actively participating in work‑specific training. The person's enrollment in work‑specific training shall not exceed six months and the person shall satisfy all the following requirements:

a.         Pay a minimum of fifty dollars ($50.00) monthly of child support.

b.         Notify the court upon completion from work‑specific training.

c.         Notify the court within 14 days of failing to satisfy the attendance requirements of work‑specific training.

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SECTION 2. This act is effective when it becomes law.