I

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 2269

To guarantee the provision of minimum child support benefits and to reform

the child support enforcement system.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEPTEMBER 6, 1995

Mr. NADLER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Commerce, Banking and Financial Services, Agriculture, and Economic and

Educational Opportunities, for a period to be subsequently determined by

the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To guarantee the provision of minimum child support

benefits and to reform the child support enforcement system.

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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the

5 ‘‘Child Security Act of 1995’’.

6 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of

7 this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.

Sec. 2. Universal child support assurance system.

Sec. 3. National child support order registry.
2

HR 2269 IH

Sec. 4. Collection of child support through wage withholding and the income

tax collection system.

Sec. 5. Distribution by the Department of Health and Human Services of child

support collected by the Internal Revenue Service.

Sec. 6. State role in collection and distribution of child support.

Sec. 7. National Child Support Guideline Commission.

Sec. 8. Uniform termination of child support obligations.

Sec. 9. Reallocation of resources.

Sec. 10. Direct accountability of child support enforcement programs.

Sec. 11. Social services demonstration projects.

1 SEC. 2. UNIVERSAL CHILD SUPPORT ASSURANCE SYSTEM.

2 (a) MONTHLY CHILD SUPPORT ASSURANCE BENE3 FITS.—

4 (1) ENTITLEMENT.—Each eligible individual

5 who has applied for benefits under this subsection

6 shall be entitled to payment of a monthly child sup7 port assurance benefit under this subsection.

8 (2) AMOUNT OF BENEFIT.—

9 (A) GENERAL RULE.—The amount of the

10 child support assurance benefit payable under

11 this subsection to an eligible individual for a

12 calendar month is—

13 (i) the basic benefit payable to the in14 dividual for the month; multiplied by

15 (ii) the inflation percentage in effect

16 for the month for the locality of the United

17 States in which the individual resides.

18 (B) BASIC BENEFIT.—For purposes of

19 subparagraph (A), the amount of the basic ben-
3

HR 2269 IH

1 efit payable to an eligible individual for a

2 month is—

(i) 1 3 ⁄12 of the sum of—

4 (I) $3,000 for the 1st eligible

5 child of the individual; and

6 (II) $1,000 for each additional

7 eligible child of the individual; multi8 plied by

9 (ii) the sum of—

10 (I) 1.00; plus

11 (II) the locality adjustment in ef12 fect for the month for the locality of

13 the United States in which the indi14 vidual resides.

15 (C) LOCALITY ADJUSTMENT.—

16 (i) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of

17 subparagraph (B)(ii)(II), the locality ad18 justment in effect for a month for a local19 ity is the percentage (if any) by which the

20 cost of living in the locality for the cal21 endar year immediately preceding the cal22 endar year in which the month occurs ex23 ceeds the cost of living in the locality with

24 the least such cost for such immediately

25 preceding calendar year.
4

HR 2269 IH

1 (ii) METHODOLOGY.—The Secretary

2 shall determine the cost of living in a local3 ity for a calendar year for purposes of

4 clause (i) by using an average of retail

5 market prices for the locality during the

6 calendar year. The retail market prices

7 shall be selected and used under the same

8 methodology used by the Bureau of Labor

9 Statistics in developing the Consumer

10 Price Index for all Urban Consumers.

11 (D) INFLATION PERCENTAGE.—For pur12 poses of subparagraph (A):

13 (i) IN GENERAL.—The inflation per14 centage in effect for a month for a locality

15 shall be the greater of—

16 (I) the percentage (if any) by

17 which the cost of living in the locality

18 for the calendar year immediately pre19 ceding the calendar year in which the

20 month occurs exceeds the cost of liv21 ing in the locality for the calendar

22 year 2nd preceding the calendar year

23 in which the month occurs; or

24 (II) the inflation percentage in

25 effect for the locality for the calendar
5

HR 2269 IH

1 year immediately preceding the cal2 endar year in which the month occurs.

3 (ii) 1995.—The inflation percentage

4 in effect for a locality for calendar year

5 1995 shall be zero.

6 (3) TIMING OF PAYMENTS.—The Secretary

7 shall make payments under this subsection on the

8 1st day of each calendar month.

9 (b) NOTICE TO BE INCLUDED WITH PAYMENT.—

10 Upon making any payment under this section to an eligi11 ble individual, the Secretary shall transmit to the individ12 ual and the State agency referred to in section 402(a)(3)

13 of the Social Security Act of the State in which the indi14 vidual resides a notice that specifies—

15 (1) the name of the individual;

16 (2) the amount of the payment;

17 (3) the method used to determine the amount

18 of the payment;

19 (4) the date the payment is made; and

20 (5) the portion of the payment that is to be in21 cluded in the income of the eligible individual for

22 purposes of the State program of aid to families

23 with dependent children under part A of title IV of

24 the Social Security Act.

25 (c) NOTICE OF ELIGIBILITY FOR BENEFITS.—
6

HR 2269 IH

1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall notify

2 each individual who has responsibility for meeting

3 the daily needs of an eligible child, and each individ4 ual who owes child support with respect to the child

5 of—

6 (A) entitlement to benefits under this sec7 tion with respect to the child;

8 (B) the system for collecting and distribut9 ing child support (including past-due support)

10 owed with respect to the child;

11 (C) the rights and responsibilities of the

12 individual under the system; and

13 (D) the penalties for failure to cooperate in

14 the collection of child support under the system.

15 (2) TIMING.—The Secretary shall provide the

16 notice required by paragraph (1) with respect to an

17 eligible child—

18 (A) if the Secretary determines that the

19 child is an eligible child by October 1, 1996, not

20 later than such date;

21 (B) if the Secretary determines that the

22 child is an eligible child after such date, then—

23 (i) if a child support order has been

24 issued with respect to the child, within 5

25 days after the national registry established
7

HR 2269 IH

1 under section 3(a) receives a copy of the

2 order; or

3 (ii) if a child support order has not

4 been issued with respect to the child, upon

5 the determination of the Secretary that the

6 child is an eligible child.

7 (d) FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION OF STATE OR LOCAL

8 SUPPLEMENTARY CHILD SUPPORT ASSURANCE BENEFIT

9 PAYMENTS.—

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may enter

11 into an agreement, with any qualified political sub12 division of the United States under which the Sec13 retary will, on behalf of the subdivision, pay a sup14 plementary child support assurance benefit to all eli15 gible individuals who reside in the subdivision, in ac16 cordance with such procedural rules or other general

17 administrative provisions as the Secretary finds nec18 essary to achieve efficient and effective administra19 tion of the child support assurance benefit program

20 under this section and the supplementary child sup21 port assurance benefit program of the subdivision.

22 (2) ADMINISTRATION FEE.—The Secretary

23 shall assess each subdivision with which an agree24 ment under subsection (a) has been entered into an

25 administration fee in an amount equal to—
8

HR 2269 IH

1 (A) the number of payments made by the

2 Secretary on behalf of the subdivision under

3 this subsection for any month; multiplied by

4 (B) $1.67.

5 (3) FEES TO BE DEPOSITED IN THE TREAS6 URY.—All administration fees collected pursuant to

7 paragraph (2) shall be deposited in the general fund

8 of the Treasury of the United States as miscellane9 ous receipts.

10 (4) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this subsection:

11 (A) QUALIFIED POLITICAL SUBDIVISION.—

12 The term ‘‘qualified political subdivision’’

13 means any State or any political subdivision of

14 a State which has a supplementary child sup15 port assurance benefit program.

16 (B) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ includes

17 the District of Columbia.

18 (C) SUPPLEMENTARY CHILD SUPPORT AS19 SURANCE BENEFIT PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘sup20 plementary child support assurance benefit pro21 gram’’ means, with respect to a subdivision, any

22 program of the subdivision under which cash

23 benefits are payable to all and only those resi24 dents of the subdivision who are eligible individ25 uals.
9

HR 2269 IH

1 (e) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary may prescribe

2 such regulations as may be necessary to carry out this

3 section.

4 (f) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section:

5 (1) CHILD SUPPORT.—The term ‘‘child sup6 port’’ has the meaning given such term by section

7 462(b) of the Social Security Act.

8 (2) ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUAL.—The term ‘‘eligible

9 individual’’ means an individual who has responsibil10 ity for meeting the daily needs of an eligible child.

11 (3) ELIGIBLE CHILD.—The term ‘‘eligible

12 child’’ means—

13 (A) a child who has not attained 18 years

14 of age with respect to whom child support is

15 owed under a court order, or an order of an ad16 ministrative process established under State

17 law; and

18 (B) any other child who has not attained

19 18 years of age if the State in which the child

20 resides determines that the custodial parent of

21 the child—

22 (i) has good cause for not seeking

23 child support with respect to the child; or

24 (ii) has cooperated in seeking child

25 support with respect to the child.
10

HR 2269 IH

1 (4) LOCALITY.—The term ‘‘locality’’ means a

2 metropolitan statistical area of the United States (as

3 defined by the Bureau of the Census for census pur4 poses).

5 (5) PAST-DUE SUPPORT.—The term ‘‘past-due

6 support’’ has the meaning given such term by sec7 tion 464(c)(1) of the Social Security Act.

8 (6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means

9 the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

10 (g) EFFECT ON AFDC BENEFITS.—Section

11 402(a)(8)(A)(vi) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.

12 602(a)(8)(A)(vi)) is amended by striking ‘‘the first $50

13 of any child support payments for such month received

in that month’’ and inserting ‘‘1 14 ⁄2 of any amount received

15 for the month under section 2(a) of the Child Security

16 Act of 1995’’.

17 (h) EFFECT ON MEDICAID BENEFITS.—Section

18 1902(a)(17) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1396a(a)(17)) is

19 amended—

20 (1) by striking ‘‘and (D)’’ and inserting ‘‘(D)’’;

21 and

22 (2) by striking ‘‘; and provide’’ and inserting

23 the following: ‘‘, and (E) provide for disregarding 50

24 percent of any income consisting of amounts paid
11

HR 2269 IH

1 under section 2(e) of the Child Security Act of 1995;

2 and provide’’.

3 (i) EFFECT ON HOUSING BENEFITS.—Notwithstand4 ing any other provision of law, any amount paid to a mem5 ber of a family under subsection (a) of this section may

6 not be considered as income for purposes of determining

7 the eligibility of the family for assistance or occupancy in

8 a unit assisted, the amount of benefits received by or pro9 vided on behalf of the family, or the amount paid by the

10 family for rent for a unit assisted, under—

11 (1) the United States Housing Act of 1937;

12 (2) title V of the Housing Act of 1949;

13 (3) section 101 of the Housing and Urban De14 velopment Act of 1965; or

15 (4) section 221(d)(3), 235, or 236 of the Na16 tional Housing Act.

17 (j) EFFECT ON BENEFITS UNDER THE FOOD STAMP

18 ACT OF 1977.—

19 (1) AMENDMENTS.—Section 5(d) of the Food

20 Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2014(d)) is amend21 ed—

22 (A) by striking ‘‘and (16)’’ and inserting

23 ‘‘(16)’’, and

24 (B) by inserting before the period at the

25 end the following: ‘‘, and (17) any payment re-
12

HR 2269 IH

1 ceived under section 2(a) of the Child Security

2 Act of 1995’’.

3 (2) APPLICATION OF AMENDMENTS.—The

4 amendments made by paragraph (1) shall not apply

5 with respect to certification periods beginning before

6 the effective date of this section.

7 (k) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section and the amend8 ments made by this section shall take effect on January

9 1, 1996.

10 SEC. 3. NATIONAL CHILD SUPPORT ORDER REGISTRY.

11 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than October 1,

12 1995, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall

13 establish a national registry of child support orders issued

14 or modified by any State court or administrative process

15 established under State law.

16 (b) MAINTENANCE OF ABSTRACTS OF CHILD SUP17 PORT ORDERS.—The registry shall maintain an abstract

18 of each child support order, which shall contain the follow19 ing information:

20 (1) The names, addresses, and social security

21 account numbers of—

22 (A) the individual obligated to make pay23 ments under the order; and

24 (B) the individual entitled to receive such

25 payments.
13

HR 2269 IH

1 (2) The name, address, and taxpayer identifica2 tion number of any employer of the individual re3 ferred to in paragraph (1)(A).

4 (3) The name and date of birth of any child

5 with respect to whom payments are to be made

6 under the order.

7 (4) The dollar amount of child support required

8 to be paid under the order and the times when such

9 payments are due.

10 (5) The date the order was issued or most re11 cently modified.

12 (6) Any such orders superseded by the order.

13 (7) Any other such orders issued with respect

14 to the child.

15 (c) ACCESS OF SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY TO

16 THE REGISTRY.—The Secretary of Health and Human

17 Services shall, upon request of the Secretary of the Treas18 ury, provide the Secretary of the Treasury with access to

19 the information contained in the registry.

20 (d) CHILD SUPPORT ORDER DEFINED.—As used in

21 this section, the term ‘‘child support order’’ means an

22 order requiring payments for support and maintenance of

23 a child or of a child and the parent with whom the child

24 is living.
14

HR 2269 IH

1 (e) TRANSMISSION OF COPIES OF CHILD SUPPORT

2 ORDERS TO THE NATIONAL REGISTRY.—Section 466(a)

3 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 666(a)) is amended

4 by inserting after paragraph (11) the following:

5 ‘‘(12) Not later than January 1, 1996, proce6 dures to ensure that a copy of any child support

7 order issued or modified in the State (whether be8 fore or after the enactment of this paragraph) is

9 transmitted immediately to the national child sup10 port order registry established under section 3(a) of

11 the Child Security Act of 1995.’’.

12 (f) INCLUSION OF SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS IN

13 CHILD SUPPORT ORDERS.—Section 466(a) of the Social

14 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 666(a)), as amended by sub15 section (e) of this section, is amended by inserting after

16 paragraph (12) the following:

17 ‘‘(13) Not later than January 1, 1996, proce18 dures to ensure that each child support order issued

19 or modified in the State (whether before or after the

20 enactment of this paragraph) contains the social se21 curity account number of each parent with rights or

22 obligations under the order.’’.
15

HR 2269 IH

1 SEC. 4. COLLECTION OF CHILD SUPPORT THROUGH WAGE

2 WITHHOLDING AND THE INCOME TAX COL3 LECTION SYSTEM.

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 77 of the Internal Reve5 nue Code of 1986 (relating to miscellaneous provisions)

6 is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new

7 section:

8 ‘‘SEC. 7524. COLLECTION OF CHILD SUPPORT.

9 ‘‘(a) EMPLOYEE TO NOTIFY EMPLOYER OF CHILD

10 SUPPORT OBLIGATION.—

11 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each employee shall speci12 fy, on each withholding certificate furnished to such

13 employee’s employer—

14 ‘‘(A) the monthly amount (if any) of each

15 child support obligation of such employee, and

16 ‘‘(B) the TIN of the individual to whom

17 each such obligation is owed.

18 ‘‘(2) WHEN CERTIFICATE FILED.—In addition

19 to the other required times for filing a withholding

20 certificate, a new withholding certificate shall be

21 filed within 10 days after the date of any change in

22 the information specified under paragraph (1).

23 ‘‘(3) PERIOD CERTIFICATE IN EFFECT.—Any

24 specification under paragraph (1) shall continue in

25 effect until another withholding certificate takes ef-
16

HR 2269 IH

1 fect which specifies a change in the information

2 specified under paragraph (1).

3 ‘‘(b) EMPLOYER OBLIGATIONS.—

4 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Every employer who re5 ceives a certificate under subsection (a) that speci6 fies that the employee has a child support obligation

7 for any month shall deduct and withhold from the

8 wages paid by such employer to such employee dur9 ing each month that such certificate is in effect an

10 additional amount equal to the amount of such obli11 gation or such other amount as may be specified by

12 the Secretary under subsection (c).

13 ‘‘(2) NOTICE TO SECRETARY.—

14 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Every employer who

15 receives a withholding certificate shall, within

16 10 business days after such receipt, submit a

17 copy of such certificate to the Secretary.

18 ‘‘(B) EXCEPTION.—Subparagraph (A)

19 shall not apply to any withholding certificate

20 if—

21 ‘‘(i) a previous withholding certificate

22 is in effect with the employer, and

23 ‘‘(ii) the information shown on the

24 new certificate with respect to child sup25 port is the same as the information with
17

HR 2269 IH

1 respect to child support shown on the cer2 tificate in effect.

3 ‘‘(3) WHEN WITHHOLDING OBLIGATION TAKES

4 EFFECT.—Any withholding obligation with respect

5 to a child support obligation of an employee shall

6 commence with the first payment of wages after the

7 certificate is furnished.

8 ‘‘(c) SECRETARY TO VERIFY AMOUNT OF CHILD

9 SUPPORT OBLIGATION.—

10 ‘‘(1) VERIFICATION OF INFORMATION SPECI11 FIED ON WITHHOLDING CERTIFICATES.—Within 10

12 business days after receiving a withholding certifi13 cate of any employee, the Secretary shall determine

14 whether the information available to the Secretary

15 under section 3 of the Child Security Act of 1995

16 indicates that such employee has a child support ob17 ligation.

18 ‘‘(2) EMPLOYER NOTIFIED IF INCREASED

19 WITHHOLDING IS REQUIRED.—If the Secretary de20 termines that an employee’s child support obligation

21 is greater than the amount (if any) shown on the

22 withholding certificate in effect with respect to such

23 employee, the Secretary shall, within 5 business days

24 after such determination, notify the employer to

25 whom such certificate was furnished of the correct
18

HR 2269 IH

1 amount of such obligation, and such amount shall

2 apply in lieu of the amount (if any) specified by the

3 employee with respect to payments of wages by the

4 employer after the date the employer receives such

5 notice.

6 ‘‘(3) DETERMINATION OF CORRECT AMOUNT.—

7 In making the determination under paragraph (2),

8 the Secretary shall take into account whether the

9 employee is an employee of more than 1 employer

10 and appropriately adjust the amount of the required

11 withholding from each such employer.

12 ‘‘(d) MONTHLY PAYMENTS BY INDIVIDUALS WITH

13 INSUFFICIENT CHILD SUPPORT WITHHOLDING.—Each

14 individual who has a child support obligation for any

15 month shall pay, not later than the close of such month,

16 to the Secretary an amount equal to the excess (if any)

17 of—

18 ‘‘(1) the amount of such obligation for such

19 month, over

20 ‘‘(2) the amount (if any) deducted and withheld

21 under subsection (b) from the wages paid to such in22 dividual during such month.

23 ‘‘(e) CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATIONS REQUIRED TO

24 BE PAID WITH INCOME TAX RETURN.—
19

HR 2269 IH

1 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The child support obliga2 tion of any individual for months ending with or

3 within any taxable year shall be paid—

4 ‘‘(A) not later than the last date (deter5 mined without regard to extensions) prescribed

6 for filing his return of tax imposed by chapter

7 1 for such taxable year, and

8 ‘‘(B)(i) if such return is filed not later

9 than such date, with such return, or

10 ‘‘(ii) in any case not described in clause (i),

11 in such manner as the Secretary may by regula12 tions prescribe.

13 ‘‘(2) CREDIT FOR AMOUNT PREVIOUSLY

14 PAID.—The amount required to be paid by an indi15 vidual under paragraph (1) shall be reduced by the

16 sum of—

17 ‘‘(A) the amount collected under this sec18 tion with respect to periods during the taxable

19 year, plus

20 ‘‘(B) the amount (if any) paid by such in21 dividual under section 6654 by reason of sub22 section (f)(3) thereof for such taxable year.

23 ‘‘(f) FAILURE TO PAY AMOUNT OWING.—If an indi24 vidual fails to pay the full amount required to be paid

25 under subsection (d) or (e) on or before due date for such
20

HR 2269 IH

1 payment, the Secretary shall assess and collect the unpaid

2 amount in the same manner, with the same powers, and

3 subject to the same limitations applicable to a tax imposed

4 by subtitle C the collection of which would be jeopardized

5 by delay.

6 ‘‘(g) CREDIT OR REFUND FOR WITHHELD CHILD

7 SUPPORT IN EXCESS OF ACTUAL OBLIGATION.—There

8 shall be allowed as a credit against the taxes imposed by

9 subtitle A for the taxable year an amount equal to the

10 excess (if any) of—

11 ‘‘(1) the aggregate of the amounts described in

12 subparagraphs (A) and (B) of subsection (e)(2),

13 over

14 ‘‘(2) the actual child support obligation of the

15 taxpayer for such taxable year.

16 The credit allowed by this subsection shall be treated for

17 purposes of this title as allowed by subpart C of part IV

18 of subchapter A of chapter 1.

19 ‘‘(h) CHILD SUPPORT TREATED AS TAXES.—

20 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of penalties

21 and interest related to failure to deduct and with22 hold taxes, amounts required to be deducted and

23 withheld under this section shall be treated as taxes

24 imposed by chapter 24.
21

HR 2269 IH

1 ‘‘(2) OTHER RULES.—Rules similar to the rules

2 of sections 3403, 3404, 3501, 3502, 3504, and 3505

3 shall apply with respect to child support obligations

4 required to be deducted and withheld.

5 ‘‘(i) REMITTANCE OF CHILD SUPPORT COLLECTED

6 BY SECRETARY.—Payments received by the Secretary

7 pursuant to this section or by reason of section 6654(f)(3)

8 which are attributable to a child support obligation pay9 able for any month shall be paid (to the extent such pay10 ments do not exceed the amount of such obligation for

11 such month) within 10 days to the Secretary of Health

12 and Human Services for disbursement under section 2(b)

13 of the Child Security Act of 1995.

14 ‘‘(j) DEFINITIONS AND SPECIAL RULES.—

15 ‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this sec16 tion—

17 ‘‘(A) WITHHOLDING CERTIFICATE.—The

18 term ‘withholding certificate’ means the with19 holding exemption certificate used for purposes

20 of chapter 24.

21 ‘‘(B) BUSINESS DAY.—The term ‘business

22 day’ means any day other than a Saturday,

23 Sunday, or legal holiday (as defined in section

24 7503).
22

HR 2269 IH

1 ‘‘(2) TIMELY MAILING.—Any notice under sub2 section (b)(2) or (c)(2) which is delivered by United

3 States mail shall be treated as given on the date of

4 the United States postmark stamped on the cover in

5 which such notice is mailed.

6 ‘‘(3) MODIFICATION OF CERTIFICATE.—The

7 Secretary shall modify the withholding certificate so

8 that the information required to be furnished under

9 subsection (a)(1) may be included on such certifi10 cate.’’

11 (b) WITHHELD CHILD SUPPORT TO BE SHOWN ON

12 W–2.—Subsection (a) of section 6051 of such Code is

13 amended by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph (8),

14 by striking the period at the end of paragraph (9) and

15 inserting ‘‘, and’’, and by inserting after paragraph (9)

16 the following new paragraph:

17 ‘‘(10) the total amount deducted and withheld

18 as a child support obligation under section 7524(b).’’

19 (c) APPLICATION OF ESTIMATED TAX.—

20 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (f) of section

21 6654 of such Code (relating to failure by individual

22 to pay estimated income tax) is amended by striking

23 ‘‘minus’’ at the end of paragraph (2) and inserting

24 ‘‘plus’’, by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph
23

HR 2269 IH

1 (4), and by inserting after paragraph (2) the follow2 ing new paragraph:

3 ‘‘(3) the aggregate child support obligations of

4 the taxpayer for months ending with or within the

5 taxable year, minus’’.

6 (2) Paragraph (1) of section 6654(d) of such

7 Code is amended by adding at the end the following

8 new subparagraph:

9 ‘‘(D) DETERMINATION OF REQUIRED AN10 NUAL PAYMENT FOR TAXPAYERS REQUIRED TO

11 PAY CHILD SUPPORT.—In the case of a tax12 payer who is required under section 7524 to

13 pay a child support obligation (as defined in

14 section 7524) for any month ending with or

15 within the taxable year, the required annual

16 payment shall be the sum of—

17 ‘‘(i) the amount determined under

18 subparagraph (B) without regard to sub19 section (f)(3), plus

20 ‘‘(ii) the aggregate amount of such

21 obligation for all months ending with or

22 within the taxable year.’’

23 (3) CREDIT FOR WITHHELD AMOUNTS, ETC.—

24 Subsection (g) of section 6654 of such Code is
24

HR 2269 IH

1 amended by adding at the end the following new

2 paragraph:

3 ‘‘(3) CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATIONS.—For pur4 poses of applying this section, the amounts collected

5 under section 7524 shall be deemed to be a payment

6 of the amount described in subsection (f)(3) on the

7 date such amounts were actually withheld or paid, as

8 the case may be.’’

9 (d) REPEAL OF REFUND OFFSET, ETC.—

10 (1)(A) Subsections (c) and (g) of section 6402

11 of such Code are hereby repealed.

12 (B) Paragraph (2) of section 6402(d) of such

13 Code is amended by striking ‘‘after such overpay14 ment is reduced’’ and all that follows through ‘‘Se15 curity Act and’’.

16 (C) Subsection (e) of section 6402 is amended

17 by striking ‘‘(c) or’’.

18 (2)(A) Section 6305 of such Code is hereby re19 pealed.

20 (B) The table of sections for subchapter A of

21 chapter 64 of such Code is amended by striking the

22 item relating to section 6305.

23 (e) OFFICE OF CHILD ADVOCATE.—

24 (1) IN GENERAL.—There is established in the

25 Department of Health and Human Services an office
25

HR 2269 IH

1 to be known as the ‘‘Office of the Child Advocate’’.

2 Such office, including all problem resolution officers,

3 shall be under the supervision and direction of an of4 ficial to be known as the ‘Child Advocate’ who shall

5 be appointed by the President by and with the ad6 vice and consent of the Senate, and who shall report

7 directly to the President. The Child Advocate shall

8 be entitled to compensation at the same rate as the

9 Chief Counsel for the Internal Revenue Service.

10 (2) FUNCTIONS OF OFFICE.—

11 (A) IN GENERAL.—It shall be the function

12 of the Office of the Child Advocate to—

13 (i) assist individuals to whom child

14 support obligations are owned in resolving

15 problems relating to the collection and pay16 ment of such obligations by the Internal

17 Revenue Service,

18 (ii) to the extent possible, propose

19 changes in the administrative practices of

20 the Internal Revenue Service to mitigate

21 problems identified under clause (i), and

22 (iii) identify potential legislative

23 changes which may be appropriate to miti24 gate such problems.
26

HR 2269 IH

1 (3) RESPONSIBILITIES OF COMMISSIONER OF

2 INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE.—The Commissioner

3 of Internal Revenue shall establish procedures re4 quiring a formal response to all recommendations

5 submitted to the Commissioner by the Child Advo6 cate and shall submit an annual report to the Con7 gress of the progress of the Internal Revenue Service

8 in resolving problems identified by the Child Advo9 cate.

10 (f) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections

11 for chapter 77 of such Code is amended by adding at the

12 end thereof the following new item:

‘‘Sec. 7524. Collection of child support.’’

13 (g) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by

14 this section shall apply to calendar years after 1995, and

15 to taxable years beginning in such calendar years. For

16 purposes of section 7524 of the Internal Revenue Code

17 of 1986, as added by this section, all employees employed

18 on January 1, 1996, shall be treated as commencing em19 ployment on such date but such employees shall be treated

20 as meeting the requirement of subsection (a)(2) of such

21 section 7524 if the certificate referred to in such sub22 section is filed not later than March 1, 1996.
27

HR 2269 IH

1 SEC. 5. DISTRIBUTION BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

2 AND HUMAN SERVICES OF CHILD SUPPORT

3 COLLECTED BY THE INTERNAL REVENUE

4 SERVICE.

5 (a) COLLECTED CHILD SUPPORT TO BE PAID TO

6 CUSTODIAL PARENT AFTER REIMBURSEMENT OF FED7 ERAL AND STATE AID.—Upon receipt of an amount col8 lected from an employee during a calendar month under

9 section 7524 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or

10 under section 6654 of such Code by reason of subsection

11 (f)(3) thereof, on account of a child support obligation

12 owed with respect to an individual for the month, the Sec13 retary shall distribute the amount as follows:

14 (1) The amount shall be paid to the Federal

15 Government to the extent necessary to reimburse the

16 Federal Government for payments made to the indi17 vidual for the month under section 2(a) of this Act.

18 (2) Amounts in excess of any amount paid

19 under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be paid

20 to the States to the extent necessary to reimburse

21 the States for all payments made to the individual

22 under State plans approved under part A of title IV

23 of the Social Security Act.

24 (3) Amounts in excess of any amount paid

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

26 shall be paid to any other State which has provided
28

HR 2269 IH

1 aid to the individual under the State plan approved

2 under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act

3 to the extent necessary to reimburse such other

4 State for payments of such aid.

5 (4) Amounts in excess of any amount paid

6 under paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of this subsection

7 shall be paid to the individual.

8 (b) NOTICE TO ACCOMPANY PAYMENT TO CUSTO9 DIAL PARENT.—Upon making any payment under this

10 section to an eligible individual, the Secretary shall trans11 mit to the individual and the State agency referred to in

12 section 402(a)(3) of the Social Security Act of the State

13 in which the individual resides a notice that specifies—

14 (1) the name of the individual;

15 (2) the amount of the payment;

16 (3) the method used to determine the amount

17 of the payment;

18 (4) the date the payment is made;

19 (5) the portion of the payment that is to be in20 cluded in the income of the eligible individual for

21 purposes of the State program of aid to families

22 with dependent children under part A of title IV of

23 the Social Security Act; and

24 (6) in the case of a payment that includes a

25 payment that has been in arrears—
29

HR 2269 IH

1 (A) the amount of the arrearage payment;

2 and

3 (B) a detailed statement of the status of

4 child support payments owed to the individual

5 by the employee referred to in subsection (a)

6 that are in arrears.

7 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take effect

8 on January 1, 1996.

9 SEC. 6. STATE ROLE IN COLLECTION AND DISTRIBUTION

10 OF CHILD SUPPORT.

11 (a) ASSIGNMENT OF RIGHTS TO PAST-DUE SUP12 PORT.—

13 (1) CHILDREN RECEIVING AFDC.—Section

14 402(a)(26) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.

15 602(a)(26) is amended—

16 (A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting

17 ‘‘(except, in the case of child support, only

18 rights to past-due support (as defined in section

19 464(c)(1)))’’ after ‘‘support’’; and

20 (B) in subparagraph (B), by inserting

21 ‘‘(except, in the case of child support payments,

22 only past-due support payments)’’ after ‘‘sup23 port payments’’.

24 (2) CHILDREN RECEIVING FOSTER CARE MAIN25 TENANCE PAYMENTS.—Section 471(a)(17) of such
30

HR 2269 IH

1 Act (42 U.S.C. 671(a)(17)) is amended by striking

2 ‘‘support’’ and inserting ‘‘past-due support (as de3 fined in section 464(c)(1))’’.

4 (b) COLLECTION OF ONLY PAST-DUE SUPPORT.—

5 Section 464(c)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 664(c)(1)) is

6 amended—

7 (1) by striking ‘‘term ‘past-due support’

8 means’’ and inserting ‘‘terms ‘support’ and ‘past-due

9 support’ mean’’; and

10 (2) by inserting ‘‘, for any period that ends be11 fore January 1, 1996’’ before the period.

12 (c) DISTRIBUTION OF PAST-DUE SUPPORT.—

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 457(b)(1) of such

14 Act (42 U.S.C. 657(b)(1)) is amended—

15 (A) by striking ‘‘the first $50 of payments

16 for a month received in that month, and’’; and

17 (B) by inserting ‘‘(if the month ended be18 fore January 1, 1996)’’ after ‘‘prior month’’.

19 (2) NOTICE OF PAYMENT TO INDIVIDUAL.—

20 Section 457 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 657) is amended

21 by adding at the end the following:

22 ‘‘(e) Upon making any payment under this section

23 to a family, the State shall transmit to the family and

24 to the Secretary a notice that specifies—
31

HR 2269 IH

1 ‘‘(1) the name of the individual to whom the

2 payment is made;

3 ‘‘(2) the amount of the payment;

4 ‘‘(3) the method used to determine the amount

5 of the payment;

6 ‘‘(4) the date the payment is made;

7 ‘‘(5) the portion of the payment that is to be

8 included in the income of the eligible individual for

9 purposes of the State program of aid to families

10 with dependent children under part A of title IV of

11 the Social Security Act; and

12 ‘‘(6) the extent to which the payment rep13 resents a child support arrearage of the individual

14 from whom the amount was collected; and

15 ‘‘(7) in detail, the amount of any remaining

16 child support arrearage of the individual from whom

17 the amount was collected that is payable to the fam18 ily.’’.

19 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by

20 this section shall take effect on January 1, 1996.

21 SEC. 7. NATIONAL CHILD SUPPORT GUIDELINE COMMIS22 SION.

23 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Health and

24 Human Services (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Sec25 retary’’) shall establish in the Department of Health and
32

HR 2269 IH

1 Human Services a commission which shall be known as

2 the ‘‘National Child Support Guideline Commission’’ (in

3 this section referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’).

4 (b) DUTY OF THE COMMISSION.—

5 (1) DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR UNI6 FORM NATIONAL CHILD SUPPORT GUIDELINES.—

7 The Commission shall develop recommendations for

8 uniform national guidelines to be followed in deter9 mining the amount of a child support award.

10 (2) FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED.—In develop11 ing such guidelines, the Commission shall take ac12 count of—

13 (A) the child care, educational, and health

14 care needs of the child;

15 (B) the income and resources of the par16 ents of the child;

17 (C) any other child support obligations of

18 the parents of the child;

19 (D) any spouse or other children of any

20 parent of the child;

21 (E) child custody arrangements, including

22 joint physical custody and split custody;

23 (F) visitation rights and needs;

24 (G) changes in the circumstances of the

25 child and of the parents of the child;
33

HR 2269 IH

1 (H) the frequency with which the guide2 lines should be reviewed or revised; and

3 (I) the extent (if any) to which parents

4 should be allowed to rebut the use of the guide5 lines.

6 (c) DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY.—

7 (1) APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS.—

8 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall

9 have 10 members appointed by the Secretary,

10 as follows:

11 (i) 1 member shall be an economist.

12 (ii) 1 member shall be a lawyer.

13 (iii) 1 member shall be a judge.

14 (iv) 1 member shall be a representa15 tive of a child support agency.

16 (v) 1 member shall be a representative

17 of organizations that represent the inter18 ests of custodial parents.

19 (vi) 1 member shall be a representa20 tive of organizations that represent the in21 terests of noncustodial parents.

22 (vii) 1 member shall be a representa23 tive of organizations that represent the in24 terests of children.
34

HR 2269 IH

1 (viii) 1 member shall be an individual

2 involved in academic research into the

3 costs of raising children and comparative

4 living standards in households of different

5 sizes and compositions.

6 (ix) 1 member shall be an individual

7 involved in government research into the

8 costs of raising children and comparative

9 living standards in households of different

10 sizes and compositions.

11 (x) 1 member shall be an individual

12 involved in private research into the costs

13 of raising children and comparative living

14 standards in households of different sizes

15 and compositions.

16 (B) POLITICAL AFFILIATION.—Not more

than 1 17 ⁄2 of the members of the Commission may

18 be of the same political party.

19 (2) COMPENSATION.—

20 (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in

21 subparagraph (B), members of the Commission

22 shall be paid at a rate determined by the Sec23 retary for each day (including travel time) dur24 ing which they are engaged in the actual per25 formance of duties vested in the Commission.
35

HR 2269 IH

1 (B) NO COMPENSATION OF FEDERAL EM2 PLOYEES.—Members of the Commission who

3 are full-time officers or employees of the United

4 States or Members of Congress may not receive

5 additional pay, allowances, or benefits by reason

6 of their service on the Commission.

7 (C) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Each member of

8 the Commission shall receive travel expenses,

9 including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in ac10 cordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title

11 5, United States Code.

12 (3) CHAIRPERSON.—The Secretary shall serve

13 as the Chairperson for purposes of conducting the

14 business of the Commission, but may not vote on

15 any matter before the Commission.

16 (4) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet at

17 the call of the Secretary.

18 (5) STAFF.—The Secretary may detail, on a re19 imbursable basis, any of the personnel of the De20 partment of Health and Human Services to the

21 Commission to assist the Commission in carrying

22 out the duties of the Commission under this section.

23 (d) POWERS.—

24 (1) HEARINGS AND SESSIONS.—The Commis25 sion may, for the purpose of carrying out this sec-
36

HR 2269 IH

1 tion, hold hearings, sit and act at times and places,

2 take testimony, and receive evidence as the Commis3 sion considers appropriate.

4 (2) OBTAINING OFFICIAL DATA.—The Commis5 sion may secure directly from any department or

6 agency of the United States information necessary

7 to enable it to carry out this section. Upon request

8 of the Secretary, the head of that department or

9 agency shall furnish that information to the Com10 mission.

11 (3) MAILS.—The Commission may use the

12 United States mails in the same manner and under

13 the same conditions as other departments and agen14 cies of the United States.

15 (4) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES.—

16 Upon the request of the Secretary, the Adminis17 trator of General Services shall provide to the Com18 mission, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative

19 support services necessary for the Commission to

20 carry out its duties under this section.

21 (e) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date

22 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall transmit

23 to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of

24 Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the

25 Senate a report that contains the recommendations of the
37

HR 2269 IH

1 Commission for national guidelines to be followed by the

2 States in making child support awards, together with its

3 recommendations for such legislation or administrative ac4 tion as the Commission considers appropriate.

5 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take effect

6 on the date of the enactment of this Act.

7 (f) TERMINATION.—The Commission shall terminate

8 on the earlier of—

9 (1) the date the work of the Commission is

10 completed, as determined by the Secretary; or

11 (2) the date that is 1 year after the effective

12 date of this section.

13 SEC. 8. UNIFORM TERMINATION OF CHILD SUPPORT OBLI14 GATIONS.

15 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 454 of the Social Security

16 Act (42 U.S.C. 654) is amended—

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

18 (23);

19 (2) by striking the period at the end of para20 graph (24) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and

21 (3) by inserting after paragraph (24) the fol22 lowing:

23 ‘‘(25) provide that the State shall have in effect

24 a law providing that a court order, or an order of

25 an administrative process established under State
38

HR 2269 IH

1 law, for support and maintenance of a child, or of

2 a child and the parent with whom the child is living

3 may not require the payment of such support or

4 maintenance with respect to—

5 ‘‘(A) a child who has attained 18 years of

6 age, unless the parent claims an exemption for

7 the child under section 151 of the Internal Rev8 enue Code of 1986; or

9 ‘‘(B) any child who has attained 21 years

10 of age.’’.

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

12 this section shall take effect on January 1, 1996.

13 SEC. 9. REALLOCATION OF RESOURCES.

14 (a) STAFFING.—

15 (1) PROMULGATION OF METHODOLOGY TO BE

16 USED TO DETERMINE STATE STAFFING NEEDS.—

17 Section 452(a)(2) of the Social Security Act (42

18 U.S.C. 652(a)(1)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, and a

19 methodology to be used to determine such require20 ments’’ before the semicolon.

21 (2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made

22 by paragraph (1) shall take effect on November 1,

23 1995.

24 (3) CERTAIN CONSULTATIONS REQUIRED.—Be25 fore prescribing a methodology to be used to deter-
39

HR 2269 IH

1 mine staffing requirements under section 452(a)(2)

2 of the Social Security Act, the Secretary of Health

3 and Human Services shall consult with the heads of

4 State child support enforcement agencies, experts in

5 the operation of State child support enforcement

6 programs.

7 (4) DETERMINATION OF REQUIRED STATE

8 STAFFING NEEDS; DEVELOPMENT OF PLAN TO MEET

9 REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary of Health and

10 Human Services shall—

11 (A) determine the staffing requirements

12 for each State child support enforcement pro13 gram, in consultation with the State, by using

14 the methodology established under section

15 452(a)(2) of the Social Security Act; and

16 (B) develop a plan that details the steps

17 that the State must take to meet such require18 ments by September 1, 1995.

19 (b) INCREASE IN FEDERAL FINANCIAL PARTICIPA20 TION.—Section 455(a)(2) of the Social Security Act (42

21 U.S.C. 655(a)(2)) is amended—

22 (1) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘and’’;

23 (2) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘fiscal

24 year 1990 and each fiscal year thereafter.’’ and in25 serting ‘‘fiscal years 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994,
40

HR 2269 IH

1 and 1995, and the first quarter of fiscal year 1996;

2 and’’; and

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

4 ‘‘(D) 82.5 percent for quarters beginning after

5 calendar year 1995.’’.

6 (c) MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT.—Section 455 of such

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

8 following:

9 ‘‘(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this sec10 tion, the amount otherwise payable to a State for a quar11 ter under this section shall be reduced to the extent that

12 the total of the amount expended by the State from State

13 and local sources to carry out the State plans under part

14 A and this part during the quarter is less than the amount

15 so expended from such sources during the corresponding

16 quarter of the calendar year 1994.’’.

17 (d) MINIMUM AFDC STANDARD OF NEED.—Section

18 402(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 602(a)) is amended—

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

20 (44);

21 (2) by striking the period at the end of para22 graph (45) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and

23 (3) by inserting after paragraph (45) the fol24 lowing:
41

HR 2269 IH

1 ‘‘(46) provide that the State’s standard of need

2 for a family shall be an amount that is not less than

3 the greater of—

4 ‘‘(A) 90 percent of the income official pov5 erty line (as defined by the Office of Manage6 ment and Budget, and revised annually in ac7 cordance with section 673(2) of the Omnibus

8 Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981) applicable

9 to a family of the same composition; or

10 ‘‘(B) the State’s standard of need for the

11 family as of March 1, 1995.’’.

12 (e) EXPANDED AFDC COVERAGE FOR NEEDY STU13 DENTS.—Section 406(a)(2)(B) of such Act (42 U.S.C.

14 606(a)(2)(B)) is amended by striking ‘‘nineteen’’ each

15 place such term appears and inserting ‘‘21’’.

16 (f) OPERATION OF STATE AFDC PLAN AND STATE

17 CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT PLAN AS REQUIREMENT

18 UNDER STATE MEDICAID PLAN.—Section 1902(a) of

19 such Act (42 U.S.C. 1396a(a)) is amended—

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

21 (61);

22 (2) by striking the period at the end of para23 graph (62) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and

24 (3) by adding at the end the following new

25 paragraph:
42

HR 2269 IH

1 ‘‘(63) provide that the State—

2 ‘‘(A) has in effect a plan approved under part

3 D of title IV and operates a child support program

4 in substantial compliance with such plan, and

5 ‘‘(B) has in effect a plan approved under part

6 A of title IV and operates a program of aid to fami7 lies with dependent children in substantial compli8 ance with such plan.’’.

9 (g) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Except as provided in sub10 section (a), the amendments made by this section shall

11 take effect on January 1, 1996.

12 SEC. 10. DIRECT ACCOUNTABILITY OF CHILD SUPPORT EN13 FORCEMENT PROGRAMS.

14 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 403(h) of such Act (42

15 U.S.C. 603(h))—

16 (1) is amended—

17 (A) in paragraph (1)—

18 (i) by striking ‘‘part D’’ and inserting

19 ‘‘this part’’;

20 (ii) by striking ‘‘such part’’ and in21 serting ‘‘this part’’; and

22 (iii) by striking ‘‘—’’ and all that fol23 lows and inserting ‘‘5 percent.’’;

24 (B) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ‘‘re25 ductions’’ and inserting ‘‘reduction’’; and
43

HR 2269 IH

1 (C) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘, section

2 402(a)(27),’’; and

3 (2) as so amended, is hereby transferred to sec4 tion 455 of such Act, inserted after subsection (b)

5 of such section 455 and designated as subsection (c)

6 of such section 455.

7 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 454(1) of

8 such Act (42 U.S.C. 654(1)) is amended by inserting ‘‘and

9 carried out’’ after ‘‘in effect’’.

10 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by

11 this section shall take effect on January 1, 1996.

12 SEC. 11. SOCIAL SERVICES DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.

13 (a) PURPOSE.—The Secretary of Health and Human

14 Services (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’)

15 shall authorize 5 States to conduct 5-year demonstration

16 projects under which States are to give priority, to custo17 dial and noncustodial parents who are unable to support

18 their children financially, in the provision of services under

19 the job opportunities and basic skills training program

20 under part F of title IV of the Social Security Act and

21 under the Job Training Partnership Act, and in the provi22 sion of other Federal job training, education, and child

23 care services, in order to aid such parents to better provide

24 for themselves and their children.

25 (b) DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY.—
44

HR 2269 IH

1 (1) CONSIDERATION OF APPLICATIONS.—The

2 Secretary shall consider all applications received

3 from States desiring to conduct demonstration

4 projects under this section.

5 (2) APPROVAL OF APPLICATIONS.—

6 (A) NUMBER.—The Secretary shall ap7 prove not more than 5 applications to conduct

8 demonstration projects under this section.

9 (B) PRIORITY.—In approving such applica10 tions, the Secretary shall give priority to States

11 that are conducting programs similar to those

12 that would be conducted under this section.

13 (3) GRANTS.—The Secretary shall make a

14 grant in the amount of $2,000,000, in a lump sum,

15 to each State whose application to conduct a dem16 onstration project under this section is approved by

17 the Secretary, to assist the State in carrying out the

18 project.

19 (4) TIMING OF GRANTS.—The Secretary shall

20 make all grants under this section at the same time.

21 (c) REQUIREMENTS.—

22 (1) PRESCRIBED BY THE SECRETARY.—Each

23 State that receives a grant for a demonstration

24 project under this section shall conduct the project
45

HR 2269 IH

1 in accordance with such requirements as the Sec2 retary may prescribe.

3 (2) EVALUATIONS AND REPORTS.—

4 (A) IN GENERAL.—

5 (i) INTERIM EVALUATION AND RE6 PORT.—Each State that conducts a dem7 onstration project under this section shall

8 conduct an interim evaluation of the effec9 tiveness of the project after the project has

10 been conducted for 30 months, and shall

11 submit to the Secretary an interim report

12 that contains—

13 (I) information on the number of

14 parents involved in particular pro15 grams under the project;

16 (II) information on the average

17 length of time between the enrollment

18 of a parent and the employment of

19 the parent; and

20 (III) a description of any rela21 tionship found to exist between social

22 service programs and the payment of

23 child support.

24 (ii) FINAL EVALUATION AND RE25 PORT.—Each State that conducts a dem-
46

HR 2269 IH

1 onstration project under this section shall

2 conduct a final evaluation of the effective3 ness of the project at the end of the

4 project, and shall submit to the Secretary

5 a final report that contains—

6 (I) information on the number of

7 parents involved in particular pro8 grams under the project;

9 (II) information on the average

10 length of time between the enrollment

11 of a parent and the employment of

12 the parent; and

13 (III) a description of any rela14 tionship found to exist between social

15 service programs and the payment of

16 child support.

17 (B) CONTENTS.—The evaluations and re18 ports required by subparagraph (A) with re19 spect to a demonstration project shall analyze

20 and describe (in a manner prescribed by the

21 Secretary)—

22 (i) the impact of the project on the

23 economic and noneconomic well-being of

24 children and adults in custodial and

25 noncustodial households;
47

HR 2269 IH

1 (ii) the rates at which custodial and

2 noncustodial parents increase participation

3 in the workforce as a result of the project;

4 (iii) the impact of the project on par5 ticipation rates in, amounts of aid provided

6 under, and overall level of funding for, the

7 program of aid to families with dependent

8 children under part A of title IV of the So9 cial Security Act; and

10 (iv) the impact on custodial and

11 noncustodial parents of access to education

12 and job training services under the project.

13 (d) REPORTS TO THE CONGRESS.—

14 (1) INTERIM REPORT.—After receiving and

15 analyzing the interim reports required by subsection

16 (c)(2)(A)(i) and analyzing such reports, the Sec17 retary shall submit to the Committee on Ways and

18 Means and the Committee on Education and Labor

19 of the House of Representatives, and to the Commit20 tee on Finance and the Committee on Labor and

21 Human Resources of the Senate, a report that con22 tains—

23 (A) the results of the evaluations described

24 in the interim reports; and
48

HR 2269 IH

1 (B) a description of any improvements in

2 child support enforcement resulting from the

3 conduct of demonstration projects under this

4 section.

5 (2) COMPARATIVE EVALUATION.—

6 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall

7 submit to the Committee on Ways and Means

8 and the Committee on Education and Labor of

9 the House of Representatives, and to the Com10 mittee on Finance and the Committee on Labor

11 and Human Resources of the Senate, a report

12 that—

13 (i) contains a comparative evaluation

14 of the demonstration projects conducted

15 under this section;

16 (ii) identifies which of such projects,

17 or aspects of such projects, best contrib18 uted to the achievement of the purpose of

19 this section; and

20 (iii) makes such recommendations for

21 legislative and administrative action as the

22 Secretary deems appropriate.

23 (B) TIMING OF REPORTS.—The Secretary

24 shall submit the evaluation required under sub25 paragraph (A) with respect to a demonstration
49

HR 2269 IH

1 project after the project has been carried out

2 for 5 years.

Æ

HR 2269 IH——2

HR 2269 IH——3

HR 2269 IH——4

HR 2269 IH——5