State Rep. Alicia St. Germaine’s plan to help more Michigan families receive the child support payments they are owed passed the Michigan House this week with bipartisan support.

“Let’s stop pretending a prison sentence is a payment plan, and start doing what actually works for Michigan’s kids,” St. Germaine said.

House Bill 5510 would give courts additional flexibility when sentencing individuals convicted of felony nonpayment of child support. The legislation would allow courts to use longer delayed sentencing and probation periods in appropriate cases, helping individuals remain employed so they can make court-ordered support payments.

As of September 2025, Michigan had approximately $5.6 billion in unpaid child support, including roughly $4.2 billion owed in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. St. Germaine said the figures underscore the need for solutions that work, noting a specialty court program operated by Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido’s office which recovered approximately $3.3 million during the past two years while helping individuals remain employed and meet their support obligations.

“Children should not suffer because a parent fails to meet their responsibilities,” St. Germaine said. “Parents have a legal obligation to support their children, and courts should have tools to address cases where that obligation isn’t being met.”

Under the legislation, courts could continue monitoring compliance over a longer period of time before imposing a final sentence. Judges would retain discretion to determine whether a delayed sentence is appropriate in a particular case.

“Every family situation is different, and every case that comes before a judge is different,” St. Germaine said. “Allowing courts more time to work through these cases can help ensure decisions are made with the long-term interests of children and families in mind.”

The plan now moves to the Senate for further consideration.