Parents could also face fines and would be responsible for making restitution for unpaid child support.
Current law makes it merely a misdemeanor to cross state lines to avoid payments.
Clinton said that too many parents were still walking away from their family obligations and failed to pay child support. He said that, while much needed to be done yet, the new law was an important measure to improve the quality of life for children. A tracking system established under the 1996 welfare legislation has identified more than 1 million parents delinquent in child support payments, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Too often in bankruptcy cases, court-ordered child support obligations had to compete against consumer debts, he said. The president also called on Congress to support his proposals to improve education, including reducing class size by hiring new teachers and Internet link-ups for schools and more affordable child care for working parents.