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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 15, 2025)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 3752-3753]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-00638]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families

45 CFR Parts 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 307, 308, 309, and 310

RIN 0970-AC96

Parentage Establishment in the Child Support Services Program; 
Withdrawal

AGENCY: Administration for Children and Families (ACF), HHS.

ACTION: Proposed rule; withdrawal.

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SUMMARY: This document withdraws a proposed rule that was published in 
the Federal Register on September 26, 2023. The proposed rule would 
have amended the Child Support Services Program to be inclusive of all 
family structures served by the child support services program.

DATES: The Administration for Children and Families is withdrawing the 
proposed rule published September 26, 2023 (88 FR 65928) as of January 
15, 2025.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kimberly Curtis, Division of Policy 
and Training, OCSS, telephone (202) 690-6614. Email inquiries to 
[email protected]. Telecommunications Relay users may dial 711 
first.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Administration for Children and Families 
(ACF) published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) related to the 
administration of the Child Support Services Program in the Federal 
Register on September 26, 2023 (88 FR 65928). The Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking (NPRM) proposed to define ``parentage'' to mean the 
establishment of the legal parent-child relationship in accordance with 
the laws and procedures of the state or tribe. The NPRM also proposed 
to replace the gender-specific term ``paternity'' with the gender-
neutral term ``parentage'' throughout Title 45 Chapter III of the Code 
of Federal Regulations, to be inclusive of all family structures served 
by the child support program. These proposed changes to Chapter III of 
the child support regulations recognized developments in state law 
regarding parentage establishment, including state laws allowing for 
establishment of parentage for children with same-sex parents. The 
proposed rulemaking provided states and tribes the option to expand 
their parentage establishment laws and procedures to include 
establishment of parentage for children of same-sex parents, and it 
reinforced that such services are eligible for Title IV-D matching 
funds.
    ACF does not intend to publish a final rule following the 
publication of this NPRM on September 26, 2023. In making this 
decision, we considered the complexity of the issues raised by some of 
the comments received and determined that, if the Department were to 
proceed with rulemaking on this topic, we would benefit from additional 
input from stakeholders to assure that assistance in obtaining support 
would be available under Title IV-D to all children for whom such 
assistance is requested, regardless of their family structure. 
Moreover, with the time

[[Page 3753]]

remaining in this Administration, the Department is focused on several 
critical child support priorities, including the recently passed H.R. 
9076 Supporting America's Children and Families Act, the recently 
published Final Rule on Employment and Training Services, recently 
issued sub-regulatory guidance on Systems Modernization, and other sub-
regulatory guidance documents. The Department's reasons for withdrawing 
this NPRM are independently sufficient.
    Importantly, the Department continues to believe that the NPRM is 
authorized by the Secretary's longstanding and existing authority under 
the Act, as explained in the NPRM.

    Dated: January 8, 2025.
Xavier Becerra,
Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services.
[FR Doc. 2025-00638 Filed 1-14-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-41-P
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