Oregon updates child-support self-support reserve

Oregon's child-support guideline rule on the self-support reserve states an amount of $1,729 effective July 1, 2026. The rule directs that amount be subtracted from a parent's adjusted income to determine income available for support, subject to the rule's stated exceptions.

The rule says a parent's total obligation—including shares of basic support, child care, health insurance and cash medical support—may not exceed available income except as provided in the cited medical-support and minimum-order rules. It states the reserve is based on the federal poverty guideline for one person multiplied by 1.30, rounded to the nearest whole dollar, and reviewed annually.

The earlier rule reproduced in the Oregon Department of Justice's 2026 bench book, effective July 1, 2025, stated a $1,522 reserve and a 1.167 multiplier. The July 2026 rule also identifies the minimum-order rule among its exceptions. The July compilation continues to state a presumed $100 minimum order; a February director response accepting a proposed $50 minimum does not itself establish that the proposed minimum was adopted.

The reserve is one component of the guideline calculation. The full rules, their exceptions and any permissible rebuttal must be considered for a particular order.