Council Urges Screening for Deadbeat Parents

The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday authorized the city attorney, legislative analyst, administrative officer and Police Department to explore ways to screen potential employees and discipline municipal contractors who are delinquent in child support payments.

The city agencies will report to the council’s Personnel Committee on the matter in 30 days.

Councilman Richard Alarcon introduced the motion Nov. 18, saying that taxpayers’ money shouldn’t be used to support deadbeat dads. The motion was modeled after a similar program in Chicago and a proposed plan in Sacramento.

Along with denial of employment, the plan calls for the city to prevent the awarding of contracts, loans, grants or other forms of city assistance to businesses whose owners or principal employees are deadbeat parents.