Child Support Enforcement Effectiveness Act of 2013

Summary: Child Support Enforcement Effectiveness Act of 2013 - Establishes the Commission on Child Support to evaluate the effectiveness of existing child support enforcement programs and collection practices employed by state agencies administering programs under part D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSA). Amends part D of SSA title IV to repeal the exclusion from federal matching payments of any amounts expended by a state from child support incentive payments it has received from the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). (Thus reinstates federal matching of state spending of child support incentive payments.)

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Child Support Enforcement 
Effectiveness Act of 2013''.

SEC. 2. COMMISSION ON CHILD SUPPORT.

    (a) Establishment.--There is hereby established a Commission to be 
known as the Commission on Child Support (referred to in this section 
as the ``Commission'').
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of 15 
        members, to be appointed not later than 30 days after the date 
        of enactment of this Act, as follows:
                    (A) The majority and minority leaders of the 
                Senate, in consultation with the chairman and ranking 
                member of the Committee on Finance of the Senate, shall 
                jointly appoint 4 members.
                    (B) The Speaker and the minority leader of the 
                House, in consultation with the chairman and ranking 
                member of the Committee on Ways and Means of the House 
                of Representatives, shall jointly appoint 4 members.
                    (C) The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
                shall appoint 7 members.
            (2) Qualifications.--The membership of the Commission shall 
        consist of individuals who are knowledgeable on issues 
        regarding child support and related activities and shall 
        include, among others, individuals representing the interests 
        of parents, including noncustodial parents.
            (3) Period of appointment; quorum.--The provisions under 
        paragraphs (2) and (3) of section 126 of the Family Support Act 
        of 1988 (42 U.S.C. 666 note) providing for appointment of 
        members and quorum for transaction of business shall apply to 
        the Commission to the same extent and in the same manner as 
        those provisions applied to the Commission on Interstate Child 
        Support.
            (4) Meetings.--
                    (A) Initial meeting.--Following appointment of all 
                of the members of the Commission, the first meeting of 
                the Commission shall be held on the first date for 
                which all members are available (as is determined by 
                the Secretary of Health and Human Services).
                    (B) Chairman.--During the first meeting of the 
                Commission, the Commission shall elect a chairman from 
                among its members.
                    (C) Other meetings.--Following the first meeting of 
                the Commission, any subsequent meetings shall be at the 
                call of the chairman or by a majority vote of the 
                membership.
                    (D) Open to the public.--All meetings of the 
                Commission shall be open to the public and any 
                interested persons shall be permitted to appear at open 
                meetings and present oral or written statements on the 
                subject matter of the meeting, subject to such 
                requirements and limitations as are determined 
                appropriate by the chairman. All meetings of the 
                Commission shall be preceded by timely public notice in 
                the Federal Register of the time, place, and subject of 
                the meeting.
            (5) Compensation.--Members of the Commission are not 
        entitled to receive compensation for service on the Commission. 
        Members may be reimbursed for travel expenses, including per 
        diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by section 5703 of 
        title 5, United States Code.
    (c) Duties.--
            (1) Review of child support enforcement programs.--The 
        Commission shall conduct an evaluation of the effectiveness of 
        existing child support enforcement programs and collection 
        practices employed by State agencies administering programs 
        under part D of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
        651 et seq.), including a review of any unintended consequences 
        or performance issues associated with such programs and 
        practices.
            (2) National conferences.--During fiscal years 2014 and 
        2015, the Commission shall hold 1 or more national conferences 
        on child support reform for purposes of preparing the report 
        described in paragraph (3).
            (3) Report to congress.--Not later than October 1, 2015, 
        the Commission shall prepare and submit a report to Congress 
        that contains recommendations for such legislative and 
        administrative actions as the Commission determines appropriate 
        for improvement in child support enforcement, including the 
        following:
                    (A) Methods to enhance the effectiveness of child 
                support enforcement programs and collection practices, 
                as determined pursuant to the Commission's review of 
                such programs and practices under paragraph (1).
                    (B) Implementation of distribution policies that 
                ensure children are the beneficiaries of child support 
                paid by noncustodial parents.
                    (C) Fostering engagement by noncustodial parents in 
                their children's lives by consideration of parental 
                time and visitation with children in determining child 
                support, and the role for alternative dispute 
                resolution in making such determination.
                    (D) Development of best practices for purposes of 
                connecting custodial parents to services and support 
                programs, including services for parents who are 
                victims of domestic violence.
                    (E) Development of best practices for purposes of 
                employment support, job training, and job placement for 
                custodial and noncustodial parents.
                    (F) Establishment of services, supports, and child 
                support payment tracking for noncustodial parents, 
                including options for prevention and intervention on 
                uncollectible arrearages such as retroactive 
                obligations and Medicaid birthing costs.
                    (G) Development of options for States to collect 
                child support payments from individuals who owe 
                arrearages in excess of $2,500.
    (d) Powers.--The provisions under section 126(e) of the Family 
Support Act of 1988 providing for use of mails, donations, procurement 
and contracting authority, and establishment of rules shall apply to 
the Commission to the same extent and in the same manner as those 
provisions applied to the Commission on Interstate Child Support.
    (e) Termination.--The Commission shall terminate 60 days after 
submission of the report described in subsection (c)(3).
    (f) Funding.--
            (1) Authorization of appropriations.--For purposes of 
        carrying out this section, there is authorized to be 
        appropriated $2,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2014 
        through 2015.
            (2) Unobligated amounts.--Any amounts made available under 
        this section that are unobligated on the date of the 
        termination of the Commission under subsection (e) shall be 
        returned to the Treasury of the United States.

SEC. 3. REINSTATEMENT OF FEDERAL MATCHING OF STATE SPENDING OF CHILD 
              SUPPORT INCENTIVE PAYMENTS.

    Effective as if enacted on October 1, 2013, section 455(a)(1) of 
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 655(a)(1)) is amended by striking 
``from amounts paid to the State under section 458 or''.