S. 1763 — Introduced in Senate

II 113th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1763 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES November 21, 2013Mr. Rockefeller introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To increase the effectiveness of child support enforcement and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Child Support Enforcement Effectiveness Act of 2013. 2. Commission on Child Support (a) Establishment There is hereby established a Commission to be known as the Commission on Child Support (referred to in this section as the Commission). (b) Membership (1) Appointment The Commission shall be composed of 15 members, to be appointed not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, as follows: (A) The majority and minority leaders of the Senate, in consultation with the chairman and ranking member of the Committee on Finance of the Senate, shall jointly appoint 4 members. (B) The Speaker and the minority leader of the House, in consultation with the chairman and ranking member of the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, shall jointly appoint 4 members. (C) The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall appoint 7 members. (2) Qualifications The membership of the Commission shall consist of individuals who are knowledgeable on issues regarding child support and related activities and shall include, among others, individuals representing the interests of parents, including noncustodial parents. (3) Period of appointment; quorum The provisions under paragraphs (2) and (3) of section 126 of the Family Support Act of 1988 (42 U.S.C. 666 note) providing for appointment of members and quorum for transaction of business shall apply to the Commission to the same extent and in the same manner as those provisions applied to the Commission on Interstate Child Support. (4) Meetings (A) Initial meeting Following appointment of all of the members of the Commission, the first meeting of the Commission shall be held on the first date for which all members are available (as is determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services). (B) Chairman During the first meeting of the Commission, the Commission shall elect a chairman from among its members. (C) Other meetings Following the first meeting of the Commission, any subsequent meetings shall be at the call of the chairman or by a majority vote of the membership. (D) Open to the public All meetings of the Commission shall be open to the public and any interested persons shall be permitted to appear at open meetings and present oral or written statements on the subject matter of the meeting, subject to such requirements and limitations as are determined appropriate by the chairman. All meetings of the Commission shall be preceded by timely public notice in the Federal Register of the time, place, and subject of the meeting. (5) Compensation Members of the Commission are not entitled to receive compensation for service on the Commission. Members may be reimbursed for travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by section 5703 of title 5, United States Code. (c) Duties (1) Review of child support enforcement programs The Commission shall conduct an evaluation of the effectiveness of existing child support enforcement programs and collection practices employed by State agencies administering programs under part D of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 651 et seq.), including a review of any unintended consequences or performance issues associated with such programs and practices. (2) National Conferences During fiscal years 2014 and 2015, the Commission shall hold 1 or more national conferences on child support reform for purposes of preparing the report described in paragraph (3). (3) Report to Congress Not later than October 1, 2015, the Commission shall prepare and submit a report to Congress that contains recommendations for such legislative and administrative actions as the Commission determines appropriate for improvement in child support enforcement, including the following: (A) Methods to enhance the effectiveness of child support enforcement programs and collection practices, as determined pursuant to the Commission's review of such programs and practices under paragraph (1). (B) Implementation of distribution policies that ensure children are the beneficiaries of child support paid by noncustodial parents. (C) Fostering engagement by noncustodial parents in their children's lives by consideration of parental time and visitation with children in determining child support, and the role for alternative dispute resolution in making such determination. (D) Development of best practices for purposes of connecting custodial parents to services and support programs, including services for parents who are victims of domestic violence. (E) Development of best practices for purposes of employment support, job training, and job placement for custodial and noncustodial parents. (F) Establishment of services, supports, and child support payment tracking for noncustodial parents, including options for prevention and intervention on uncollectible arrearages such as retroactive obligations and Medicaid birthing costs. (G) Development of options for States to collect child support payments from individuals who owe arrearages in excess of $2,500. (d) Powers The provisions under section 126(e) of the Family Support Act of 1988 providing for use of mails, donations, procurement and contracting authority, and establishment of rules shall apply to the Commission to the same extent and in the same manner as those provisions applied to the Commission on Interstate Child Support. (e) Termination The Commission shall terminate 60 days after submission of the report described in subsection (c)(3). (f) Funding (1) Authorization of appropriations For purposes of carrying out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $2,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2014 through 2015. (2) Unobligated amounts Any amounts made available under this section that are unobligated on the date of the termination of the Commission under subsection (e) shall be returned to the Treasury of the United States. 3. Reinstatement of Federal matching of State spending of child support incentive payments Effective as if enacted on October 1, 2013, section 455(a)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 655(a)(1)) is amended by striking from amounts paid to the State under section 458 or.