New York has recently amended two sections of the Penal Law, §260.05 and §260.06, which make it a crime for a parent to voluntarily reduce his or her income, terminate employment, or fail to seek employment to circumvent an order of child support. Specifically, §260.05, non-support of a child in the second degree, provides that:
A person is guilty of non-support of a child when:
1. being a parent, guardian, or other person legally charged with the care or custody of a child less than sixteen years old, he or she fails or refuses without lawful excuse to provide support for such child when he or she is able to do so, or becomes unable to do so, when, though employable, he or she voluntarily terminates his or her employment, voluntarily reduces his or her earning capacity or fails to diligently seek employment; or
2. being a parent, guardian, or other person obligated to make child support payments by an order of child support entered by a court of competent jurisdiction for a child less than eighteen years old, he or she knowingly fails or refuses without lawful excuse to provide support for such child when he or she is able to do so, or becomes unable to do so, when, though employable, he or she voluntarily terminates his or her employment, voluntarily reduces his or her earning capacity or fails to diligently seek employment.
Penal Law §260.06 makes such failure to support a felony if a person was convicted of violating Penal Law §260.05 within the last 5 years. Such charges are available in conjunction with other remedies available to the recipient of child support under the Family Court Act, the Domestic Relations Law, and the Judiciary Law. Both sections take effect on November 1, 2008.