II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4998 

To amend part D of title IV of the Social Security Act to allow States 

to receive Federal matching payments for mandatory work activity programs for noncustodial parents, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 10, 2020 

Mr. COTTON introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

To amend part D of title IV of the Social Security Act 

to allow States to receive Federal matching payments 

for mandatory work activity programs for noncustodial 

parents, 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 Works 

5 Act of 2020’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. STATE OPTION FOR MANDATORY WORK ACTIVITY 

2 PROGRAMS FOR NONCUSTODIAL PARENTS. 

3 (a) STATE PLAN OPTION.—Section 454(13) of the 

4 Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 654(13)) is amended— 

5 (1) by inserting ‘‘(A)’’ after ‘‘(13)’’; 

6 (2) by adding ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon; and 

7 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

8 ‘‘(B) provide, at the option of the State and 

9 subject to subsection (g) of section 455, mandatory 

10 work activity programs for noncustodial parents de11 scribed in paragraph (2) of that subsection who are 

12 ordered to participate in work activities in accord13 ance with procedures required under section 

14 466(a)(15);’’. 

15 (b) PAYMENT REQUIREMENTS.—Section 455 of such 

16 Act (42 U.S.C. 655) is amended by adding at the end the 

17 following new subsection: 

18 ‘‘(g) In the case of a State that elects under section 

19 454(13)(B) to provide mandatory work activity programs 

20 for noncustodial parents in cases subject to enforcement 

21 under the State plan who are ordered to participate in 

22 work activities in accordance with procedures required 

23 under section 466(a)(15), amounts expended by the State 

24 for such programs shall be included in the total amounts 

25 expended by the State during a quarter for purposes of 


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1 payments under subsection (a)(1)(A) subject to the fol2 lowing: 

3 ‘‘(1) The total amount paid under subsection 

4 (a)(1) to a State for amounts expended on such pro5 grams in any quarter shall not exceed an amount 

6 equal to 2 percent of the total amount expended by 

7 the State during the quarter for the operation of the 

8 plan approved under section 454 (excluding any 

9 amounts expended on such programs). 

10 ‘‘(2) The programs are provided only for non11 custodial parents who— 

12 ‘‘(A) have a current child support order; 

13 ‘‘(B) are unemployed, underemployed, or 

14 not making regular child support payments; 

15 and 

16 ‘‘(C) meet such other eligibility criteria as 

17 the State may establish.’’. 

18 (c) OPTION TO REQUIRE TANF OR SNAP WORK

19 ACTIVITIES.—Section 466(a)(15) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

20 666(a)(15)) is amended— 

21 (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), 

22 by inserting ‘‘(and, if the State has elected under 

23 section 454(13)(B) to provide mandatory work activ24 ity programs for noncustodial parents described in 

25 section 455(g)(2), in any case subject to enforceVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:23 Dec 20, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4998.IS S4998

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1 ment under the State plan that involves such a non2 custodial parent)’’after ‘‘with respect to a child re3 ceiving assistance under a State program funded 

4 under part A’’; and 

5 (2) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ‘‘(or, in 

6 the case of a noncustodial parent described in sec7 tion 455(g)(2), to participate in such work activities 

8 (as so defined) or in activities that would satisfy the 

9 work requirements that would apply to the noncusto10 dial parent under subsection (d) or (o) of section 6 

11 of the Food and Nutrition Act if the noncustodial 

12 parent were eligible for benefits under the supple13 mental nutrition assistance program established 

14 under that Act and were required to satisfy such 

15 work requirements)’’ after ‘‘(as defined in section 

16 407(d))’’. 

17 SEC. 3. EVALUATION OF EFFECTIVENESS OF WORK ACTIV18 ITY PROGRAMS FOR NONCUSTODIAL PAR19 ENTS. 

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 413 of such Act (42 

21 U.S.C. 613) is amended— 

22 (1) by redesignating subsection (h) as sub23 section (i); and 

24 (2) by inserting after subsection (g), the fol25 lowing: 


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1 ‘‘(h) EVALUATION OF WORK ACTIVITY PROGRAMS

2 FOR NONCUSTODIAL PARENTS.— 

3 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall con4 duct research to determine the effects of work activ5 ity programs for noncustodial parents funded under 

6 section 455(g) and required in accordance with sec7 tion 466(a)(15) on child support payments, employ8 ment, earnings, and other factors, as determined by 

9 the Secretary. 

10 ‘‘(2) METHODOLOGY.—The research conducted 

11 under paragraph (1) shall employ random assign12 ment when feasible, or, when random assignment is 

13 not feasible, other research methods that allow for 

14 the strongest possible causal inferences.’’. 

15 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

16 (1) Section 403(a)(1)(B) of such Act (42 

17 U.S.C. 603(a)(1)(B)) is amended by striking 

18 ‘‘413(h)(1)’’ and inserting ‘‘413(i)(1)’’. 

19 (2) Paragraph (3) of subsection (i) of section 

20 413 of such Act (as redesignated by paragraph 

21 (1)(A)) is amended by striking ‘‘section 413(h) of 

22 this Act’’ and inserting ‘‘this subsection’’. 

Æ 


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