II 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 321 

To provide more child support money to families leaving welfare, to simplify 

the rules governing the assignment and distribution of child support 

collected by States on behalf of children, to improve the collection of 

child support, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 8, 2005 

Ms. SNOWE (for herself, Mr. KOHL, Mr. ROCKEFELLER, and Ms. LANDRIEU) 

introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 

Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

To provide more child support money to families leaving 

welfare, to simplify the rules governing the assignment 

and distribution of child support collected by States on 

behalf of children, to improve the collection of child support, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Child Support Dis5 tribution Act of 2005’’. 

6 SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

7 The table of contents for this Act is as follows: 
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Sec. 1. Short title. 

Sec. 2. Table of contents. 

TITLE I—DISTRIBUTION OF CHILD SUPPORT 

Sec. 101. Distribution of child support collected by States on behalf of children 

receiving certain welfare benefits. 

TITLE II—EXPANDED ENFORCEMENT 

Sec. 201. Decrease in amount of child support arrearage triggering passport 

denial. 

Sec. 202. Use of tax refund intercept program to collect past-due child support 

on behalf of children who are not minors. 

Sec. 203. Garnishment of compensation paid to veterans for service-connected 

disabilities in order to enforce child support obligations. 

Sec. 204. Mandatory review and adjustment of child support orders for families receiving TANF. 

TITLE III—MISCELLANEOUS 

Sec. 301. Report on undistributed child support payments. 

Sec. 302. Use of new hire information to assist in administration of unemployment compensation programs. 

Sec. 303. Increase in payment rate to States for expenditures for short-term 

training of staff of certain child welfare agencies. 

TITLE IV—EFFECTIVE DATE 

Sec. 401. Effective date. 

1 TITLE I—DISTRIBUTION OF 

2 CHILD SUPPORT 

3 SEC. 101. DISTRIBUTION OF CHILD SUPPORT COLLECTED 

4 BY STATES ON BEHALF OF CHILDREN RE5 CEIVING CERTAIN WELFARE BENEFITS. 

6 (a) MODIFICATION OF RULE REQUIRING ASSIGN7 MENT OF SUPPORT RIGHTS AS A CONDITION OF RECEIV8 ING TANF.—Section 408(a)(3) of the Social Security Act 

9 (42 U.S.C. 608(a)(3)) is amended to read as follows: 

10 ‘‘(3) NO ASSISTANCE FOR FAMILIES NOT AS11 SIGNING CERTAIN SUPPORT RIGHTS TO THE

12 STATE.—A State to which a grant is made under 
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1 section 403 shall require, as a condition of paying 

2 assistance to a family under the State program 

3 funded under this part, that a member of the family 

4 assign to the State any right the family member 

5 may have (on behalf of the family member or of any 

6 other person for whom the family member has ap7 plied for or is receiving such assistance) to support 

8 from any other person, not exceeding the total 

9 amount of assistance so paid to the family, which ac10 crues during the period that the family receives as11 sistance under the program.’’. 

12 (b) INCREASING CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENTS TO

13 FAMILIES AND SIMPLIFYING CHILD SUPPORT DISTRIBU14 TION RULES.— 

15 (1) DISTRIBUTION RULES.— 

16 (A) IN GENERAL.—Section 457(a) of such 

17 Act (42 U.S.C. 657(a)) is amended to read as 

18 follows: 

19 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsections (d) and 

20 (e), the amounts collected on behalf of a family as support 

21 by a State pursuant to a plan approved under this part 

22 shall be distributed as follows: 

23 ‘‘(1) FAMILIES RECEIVING ASSISTANCE.—In the 

24 case of a family receiving assistance from the State, 

25 the State shall— 
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1 ‘‘(A) pay to the Federal Government the 

2 Federal share of the amount collected, subject 

3 to paragraph (3)(A); 

4 ‘‘(B) retain, or pay to the family, the State 

5 share of the amount collected, subject to para6 graph (3)(B); and 

7 ‘‘(C) pay to the family any remaining 

8 amount. 

9 ‘‘(2) FAMILIES THAT FORMERLY RECEIVED AS10 SISTANCE.—In the case of a family that formerly re11 ceived assistance from the State: 

12 ‘‘(A) CURRENT SUPPORT.—To the extent 

13 that the amount collected does not exceed the 

14 current support amount, the State shall pay the 

15 amount to the family. 

16 ‘‘(B) ARREARAGES.—Except as otherwise 

17 provided in an election made under 434(34), to 

18 the extent that the amount collected exceeds the 

19 current support amount, the State— 

20 ‘‘(i) shall first pay to the family the 

21 excess amount, to the extent necessary to 

22 satisfy support arrearages not assigned 

23 pursuant to section 408(a)(3); 
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1 ‘‘(ii) if the amount collected exceeds 

2 the amount required to be paid to the fam3 ily under clause (i), shall— 

4 ‘‘(I) pay to the Federal Govern5 ment, the Federal share of the excess 

6 amount described in this clause, sub7 ject to paragraph (3)(A); and 

8 ‘‘(II) retain, or pay to the family, 

9 the State share of the excess amount 

10 described in this clause, subject to 

11 paragraph (3)(B); and 

12 ‘‘(iii) shall pay to the family any re13 maining amount. 

14 ‘‘(3) LIMITATIONS.— 

15 ‘‘(A) FEDERAL REIMBURSEMENTS.—The 

16 total of the amounts paid by the State to the 

17 Federal Government under paragraphs (1) and 

18 (2) of this subsection with respect to a family 

19 shall not exceed the Federal share of the 

20 amount assigned with respect to the family pur21 suant to section 408(a)(3). 

22 ‘‘(B) STATE REIMBURSEMENTS.—The 

23 total of the amounts retained by the State 

24 under paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection 

25 with respect to a family shall not exceed the 
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1 State share of the amount assigned with respect 

2 to the family pursuant to section 408(a)(3). 

3 ‘‘(4) FAMILIES THAT NEVER RECEIVED ASSIST4 ANCE.—In the case of any other family, the State 

5 shall pay the amount collected to the family. 

6 ‘‘(5) FAMILIES UNDER CERTAIN AGREE7 MENTS.—Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) through 

8 (3), in the case of an amount collected for a family 

9 in accordance with a cooperative agreement under 

10 section 454(33), the State shall distribute the 

11 amount collected pursuant to the terms of the agree12 ment. 

13 ‘‘(6) STATE FINANCING OPTIONS.—To the ex14 tent that the State’s share of the amount payable to 

15 a family pursuant to paragraph (2)(B) of this sub16 section exceeds the amount that the State estimates 

17 (under procedures approved by the Secretary) would 

18 have been payable to the family pursuant to former 

19 section 457(a)(2)(B) (as in effect for the State im20 mediately before the date this subsection first ap21 plies to the State) if such former section had re22 mained in effect, the State may elect to use the 

23 grant made to the State under section 403(a) to pay 

24 the amount, or to have the payment considered a 
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1 qualified State expenditure for purposes of section 

2 409(a)(7), but not both. 

3 ‘‘(7) STATE OPTION TO PASS-THROUGH ADDI4 TIONAL SUPPORT WITH FEDERAL FINANCIAL PAR5 TICIPATION.— 

6 ‘‘(A) FAMILIES THAT FORMERLY RE7 CEIVED ASSISTANCE.—Notwithstanding para8 graph (2)(B)(ii), a State shall not be required 

9 to pay to the Federal Government the Federal 

10 share of an amount collected on behalf of a 

11 family that formerly received assistance under 

12 the State program funded under part A, to the 

13 extent that the State pays the amount to the 

14 family. 

15 ‘‘(B) RECIPIENTS OF TANF FOR LESS

16 THAN 5 YEARS.— 

17 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding 

18 paragraph (1), in the case of a family that 

19 includes an adult that has received assist20 ance from the State for not more than 5 

21 years after the date of enactment of this 

22 paragraph, a State shall not be required to 

23 pay to the Federal Government the Fed24 eral share of the excepted portion (as de25 fined in clause (ii)) of any amount col-
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1 lected on behalf of such family during a 

2 month to the extent that— 

3 ‘‘(I) the State pays the excepted 

4 portion to the family; and 

5 ‘‘(II) the excepted portion is dis6 regarded in determining the amount 

7 and type of assistance provided to the 

8 family under such program. 

9 ‘‘(ii) EXCEPTED PORTION DEFINED.— 

10 For purposes of this subparagraph, the 

11 term ‘excepted portion’ means that portion 

12 of the amount collected on behalf of a fam13 ily during a month that does not exceed 

14 $400 per month, or in the case of a family 

15 that includes 2 or more children, that does 

16 not exceed an amount established by the 

17 State that is not more than $600 per 

18 month. 

19 ‘‘(8) STATES WITH DEMONSTRATION WAIV20 ERS.—Notwithstanding the preceding paragraphs, in 

21 the case of a State that, on the date of enactment 

22 of this paragraph, has had in effect since October 1, 

23 1997, a waiver under section 1115 permitting pass24 through payments of child support collections— 
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1 ‘‘(A) the State may continue to distribute 

2 such payments to families without regard to the 

3 expiration date of such waiver; and 

4 ‘‘(B) the requirement under paragraph (1) 

5 to pay to the Federal Government the Federal 

6 share of the amount collected on behalf of a 

7 family shall not apply to the extent that— 

8 ‘‘(i) the State distributes such amount 

9 to the family; and 

10 ‘‘(ii) such amount is disregarded in 

11 determining the amount and type of assist12 ance paid to the family.’’. 

13 (B) STATE PLAN TO INCLUDE ELECTION

14 AS TO WHICH RULES TO APPLY IN DISTRIB15 UTING CHILD SUPPORT ARREARAGES COL16 LECTED ON BEHALF OF FAMILIES FORMERLY

17 RECEIVING ASSISTANCE.—Section 454 of such 

18 Act (42 U.S.C. 654) is amended— 

19 (i) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of 

20 paragraph (32); 

21 (ii) by striking the period at the end 

22 of paragraph (33) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; 

23 and 

24 (iii) by inserting after paragraph (33) 

25 the following: 
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1 ‘‘(34) include an election by the State to apply 

2 section 457(a)(2)(B) of this Act or former section 

3 457(a)(2)(B) of this Act (as in effect for the State 

4 immediately before the date this paragraph first ap5 plies to the State) to the distribution of the amounts 

6 which are the subject of such sections, and for so 

7 long as the State elects to so apply such former sec8 tion, the amendments made by paragraphs (1) and 

9 (2) of subsection (e) of section 101 of the Child Sup10 port Distribution Act of 2005 shall not apply with 

11 respect to the State, notwithstanding subsection 

12 (f)(1) of such section 101.’’. 

13 (C) APPROVAL OF ESTIMATION PROCE14 DURES.—Not later than the date that is 6 

15 months after the date of enactment of this Act, 

16 the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 

17 in consultation with the States (as defined for 

18 purposes of part D of title IV of the Social Se19 curity Act), shall establish the procedures to be 

20 used to make the estimate described in section 

21 457(a)(6) of such Act. 

22 (2) CURRENT SUPPORT AMOUNT DEFINED.— 

23 Section 457(c) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 657(c)) is 

24 amended by adding at the end the following: 
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1 ‘‘(5) CURRENT SUPPORT AMOUNT.—The term 

2 ‘current support amount’ means, with respect to 

3 amounts collected as support on behalf of a family, 

4 the amount designated as the monthly support obli5 gation of the noncustodial parent in the order re6 quiring the support.’’. 

7 (c) BAN ON RECOVERY OF MEDICAID COSTS FOR

8 CERTAIN BIRTHS.—Section 454 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

9 654), as amended by subsection (b)(1)(B), is amended— 

10 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 

11 (33); 

12 (2) by striking the period at the end of para13 graph (34) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

14 (3) by inserting after paragraph (34) the fol15 lowing: 

16 ‘‘(35) provide that the State shall not use the 

17 State program operated under this part to collect 

18 any amount owed to the State by reason of costs in19 curred under the State plan approved under title 

20 XIX for the birth of a child for whom support rights 

21 have been assigned pursuant to section 408(a)(3), 

22 471(a)(17), or 1912.’’. 

23 (d) STATE OPTION TO DISCONTINUE OLDER SUP24 PORT ASSIGNMENTS.—Section 457(b) (42 U.S.C. 657(b)) 

25 is amended to read as follows: 
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1 ‘‘(b) CONTINUATION OF ASSIGNMENTS.— 

2 ‘‘(1) STATE OPTION TO DISCONTINUE PRE-1997

3 SUPPORT ASSIGNMENTS.— 

4 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Any rights to support 

5 obligations assigned to a State as a condition of 

6 receiving assistance from the State under part 

7 A and in effect on September 30, 1997 (or such 

8 earlier date on or after August 22, 1996, as the 

9 State may choose), may remain assigned after 

10 such date. 

11 ‘‘(B) DISTRIBUTION OF AMOUNTS AFTER

12 ASSIGNMENT DISCONTINUATION.—If a State 

13 chooses to discontinue the assignment of a sup14 port obligation described in subparagraph (A), 

15 the State may treat amounts collected pursuant 

16 to such assignment as if such amounts had 

17 never been assigned and may distribute such 

18 amounts to the family in accordance with sub19 section (a)(4). 

20 ‘‘(2) STATE OPTION TO DISCONTINUE POST-1997

21 ASSIGNMENTS.— 

22 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Any rights to support 

23 obligations accruing before the date on which a 

24 family first receives assistance under part A 

25 that are assigned to a State under that part 
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1 and in effect before the implementation date of 

2 this section may remain assigned after such 

3 date. 

4 ‘‘(B) DISTRIBUTION OF AMOUNTS AFTER

5 ASSIGNMENT DISCONTINUATION.—If a State 

6 chooses to discontinue the assignment of a sup7 port obligation described in subparagraph (A), 

8 the State may treat amounts collected pursuant 

9 to such assignment as if such amounts had 

10 never been assigned and may distribute such 

11 amounts to the family in accordance with sub12 section (a)(4).’’. 

13 (e) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

14 (1) Section 404(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

15 604(a)) is amended— 

16 (A) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end of para17 graph (1); 

18 (B) by striking the period at the end of 

19 paragraph (2) and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 

20 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

21 ‘‘(3) to fund payment of an amount pursuant to 

22 section 457(a)(2)(B), but only to the extent that the 

23 State properly elects under section 457(a)(6) to use 

24 the grant to fund the payment.’’. 
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1 (2) Section 409(a)(7)(B)(i) of such Act (42 

2 U.S.C. 609(a)(7)(B)(i)) is amended— 

3 (A) in subclause (I)(aa), by striking 

4 ‘‘457(a)(1)(B)’’ and inserting ‘‘457(a)(1)’’; and 

5 (B) by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘(V) PORTIONS OF CERTAIN

7 CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENTS COL8 LECTED ON BEHALF OF AND DISTRIB9 UTED TO FAMILIES NO LONGER RE10 CEIVING ASSISTANCE.—Any amount 

11 paid by a State pursuant to section 

12 457(a)(2)(B), but only to the extent 

13 that the State properly elects under 

14 section 457(a)(6) to have the payment 

15 considered a qualified State expendi16 ture.’’. 

17 (3) Section 6402(c) of the Internal Revenue 

18 Code of 1986 (relating to offset of past-due support 

19 against overpayments) is amended— 

20 (A) in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘the 

21 Social Security Act.’’ and inserting ‘‘of such 

22 Act.’’; and 

23 (B) by striking the third sentence and in24 serting the following: ‘‘The Secretary shall 

25 apply a reduction under this subsection first to 
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1 an amount certified by the State as past due 

2 support under section 464 of the Social Secu3 rity Act before any other reductions allowed by 

4 law.’’. 

5 (f) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by 

7 this section shall take effect on October 1, 2008, 

8 and shall apply to payments under parts A and D 

9 of title IV of the Social Security Act for calendar 

10 quarters beginning on or after such date, and with11 out regard to whether regulations to implement such 

12 amendments (in the case of State programs operated 

13 under such part D) are promulgated by such date. 

14 (2) STATE OPTION TO ACCELERATE EFFECTIVE

15 DATE.—In addition, a State may elect to have the 

16 amendments made by this section apply to the State 

17 and to amounts collected by the State, on and after 

18 such date as the State may select that is after the 

19 date of enactment of this Act and before October 1, 

20 2008. 
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1 TITLE II—EXPANDED 

2 ENFORCEMENT 

3 SEC. 201. DECREASE IN AMOUNT OF CHILD SUPPORT AR4 REARAGE TRIGGERING PASSPORT DENIAL. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 452(k)(1) of the Social 

6 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 652(k)(1)) is amended by striking 

7 ‘‘$5,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$2,500’’. 

8 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 454(31) of 

9 the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 654(31)) is amended 

10 by striking ‘‘$5,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$2,500’’. 

11 SEC. 202. USE OF TAX REFUND INTERCEPT PROGRAM TO 

12 COLLECT PAST-DUE CHILD SUPPORT ON BE13 HALF OF CHILDREN WHO ARE NOT MINORS. 

14 Section 464 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

15 664) is amended— 

16 (1) in subsection (a)(2)(A), by striking ‘‘(as 

17 that term is defined for purposes of this paragraph 

18 under subsection (c))’’; and 

19 (2) in subsection (c)— 

20 (A) in paragraph (1)— 

21 (i) by striking ‘‘(1) Except as pro22 vided in paragraph (2), as used in’’ and in23 serting ‘‘In’’; and 
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1 (ii) by inserting ‘‘(whether or not a 

2 minor)’’ after ‘‘a child’’ each place it ap3 pears; and 

4 (B) by striking paragraphs (2) and (3). 

5 SEC. 203. GARNISHMENT OF COMPENSATION PAID TO VET6 ERANS FOR SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABIL7 ITIES IN ORDER TO ENFORCE CHILD SUP8 PORT OBLIGATIONS. 

9 Section 459(h) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

10 659(h)) is amended— 

11 (1) in paragraph (1)(A)(ii)— 

12 (A) in subclause (IV), by striking ‘‘or’’ 

13 after the semicolon; 

14 (B) in subclause (V), by inserting ‘‘or’’ 

15 after the semicolon; and 

16 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

17 ‘‘(VI) subject to paragraph (3), 

18 other than periodic benefits or pay19 ments described in subclause (V), by 

20 the Secretary of Veterans Affairs as 

21 compensation for a service-connected 

22 disability paid by the Secretary to a 

23 former member of the Armed 

24 Forces;’’; and 

25 (2) by adding at the end the following: 
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1 ‘‘(3) LIMITATIONS WITH RESPECT TO COM2 PENSATION PAID TO VETERANS FOR SERVICE-CON3 NECTED DISABILITIES.— 

4 ‘‘(A) ALIMONY AND CHILD SUPPORT.— 

5 Subject to subparagraph (B), compensation de6 scribed in paragraph (1)(A)(ii)(VI) shall not be 

7 subject to withholding pursuant to this sec8 tion— 

9 ‘‘(i) for payment of alimony; or 

10 ‘‘(ii) for payment of child support if 

11 the individual is fewer than 60 days in ar12 rears in payment of the support. 

13 ‘‘(B) LIMITATION.—Not more than 50 per14 cent of any payment of compensation described 

15 in subparagraph (A) may be withheld pursuant 

16 to this section.’’. 

17 SEC. 204. MANDATORY REVIEW AND ADJUSTMENT OF 

18 CHILD SUPPORT ORDERS FOR FAMILIES RE19 CEIVING TANF. 

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 466(a)(10)(A)(i) of the 

21 Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 666(a)(10)(A)(i)) is 

22 amended in the matter preceding subclause (I)— 

23 (1) by striking ‘‘parent, or,’’ and inserting 

24 ‘‘parent or’’; and 
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1 (2) by striking ‘‘upon the request of the State 

2 agency under the State plan or of either parent,’’. 

3 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

4 subsection (a) shall take effect on October 1, 2007. 

5 TITLE III—MISCELLANEOUS 

6 SEC. 301. REPORT ON UNDISTRIBUTED CHILD SUPPORT 

7 PAYMENTS. 

8 Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment 

9 of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

10 shall submit to the Committee on Ways and Means of the 

11 House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance 

12 of the Senate a report on the procedures that the States 

13 use generally to locate custodial parents for whom child 

14 support has been collected but not yet distributed. The 

15 report shall include an estimate of the total amount of 

16 such undistributed child support and the average length 

17 of time it takes for such child support to be distributed. 

18 The Secretary shall include in the report recommendations 

19 as to whether additional procedures should be established 

20 at the Federal or State level to expedite the payment of 

21 undistributed child support. 
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1 SEC. 302. USE OF NEW HIRE INFORMATION TO ASSIST IN 

2 ADMINISTRATION OF UNEMPLOYMENT COM3 PENSATION PROGRAMS. 

4 Section 453(j) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

5 653(j)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘(7) INFORMATION COMPARISONS AND DISCLO7 SURE TO ASSIST IN ADMINISTRATION OF UNEMPLOY8 MENT COMPENSATION PROGRAMS.— 

9 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—If a State agency re10 sponsible for the administration of an unem11 ployment compensation program under Federal 

12 or State law transmits to the Secretary the 

13 name and social security account number of an 

14 individual, the Secretary shall, if the informa15 tion in the National Directory of New Hires in16 dicates that the individual may be employed, 

17 disclose to the State agency the name, address, 

18 and employer identification number of any pu19 tative employer of the individual, subject to this 

20 paragraph. 

21 ‘‘(B) CONDITION ON DISCLOSURE.—The 

22 Secretary shall make a disclosure under sub23 paragraph (A) only to the extent that the Sec24 retary determines that the disclosure would not 

25 interfere with the effective operation of the pro26 gram under this part. 
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1 ‘‘(C) USE OF INFORMATION.—A State 

2 agency may use information provided under this 

3 paragraph only for purposes of administering a 

4 program referred to in subparagraph (A).’’. 

5 SEC. 303. INCREASE IN PAYMENT RATE TO STATES FOR EX6 PENDITURES FOR SHORT-TERM TRAINING OF 

7 STAFF OF CERTAIN CHILD WELFARE AGEN8 CIES. 

9 Section 474(a)(3)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 

10 U.S.C. 674(a)(3)(B)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, or State11 licensed or State-approved child welfare agencies providing 

12 services,’’ after ‘‘child care institutions’’. 

13 TITLE IV—EFFECTIVE DATE 

14 SEC. 401. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

15 (a) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise provided in 

16 this Act, and subject to subsection (b), this Act and the 

17 amendments made by this Act shall take effect on October 

18 1, 2005, and shall apply to payments under part D of title 

19 IV of the Social Security Act for calendar quarters begin20 ning on or after such date, and without regard to whether 

21 regulations to implement such amendments are promul22 gated by such date. 

23 (b) DELAY PERMITTED IF STATE LEGISLATION RE24 QUIRED.—In the case of a State plan approved under sec25 tion 454 of the Social Security Act which requires State 
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1 legislation (other than legislation appropriating funds) in 

2 order for the plan to meet the additional requirements im3 posed by the amendments made by this Act, the State plan 

4 shall not be regarded as failing to comply with the addi5 tional requirements solely on the basis of the failure of 

6 the plan to meet the additional requirements before the 

7 first day of the first calendar quarter beginning after the 

8 close of the first regular session of the State legislature 

9 that begins after the date of enactment of this Act. For 

10 purposes of the previous sentence, in the case of a State 

11 that has a 2-year legislative session, each year of such ses12 sion shall be deemed to be a separate regular session of 

13 the State legislature. 

Æ