[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 95 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 H. R. 95

 To improve the interstate enforcement of child support and parentage 
                 court orders, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 4, 1995

   Mrs. Kennelly (for herself, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Ms. Pelosi, Ms. 
Eshoo, Ms. Norton, Mr. Evans, Mr. Meehan, Mr. Filner, Mr. Serrano, Mr. 
 Shays, Mr. Klink, Mrs. Meek of Florida, and Mr. Neal) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means 
and, in addition, to the Committees on Resources, Government Reform and 
 Oversight, National Security, International Relations, the Judiciary, 
Banking and Financial Services, and House Oversight, 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 improve the interstate enforcement of child support and parentage 
                 court orders, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; REFERENCE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Interstate Child 
Support Act of 1995''.
    (b) Reference to Social Security Act.--Except as otherwise 
specifically provided, wherever in this Act an amendment is expressed 
in terms of an amendment to or repeal of a section or other provision, 
the reference shall be considered to be made to that section or other 
provision of the Social Security Act.
    (c) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; reference; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings, declarations, and purposes.
                   TITLE I--LOCATE AND CASE TRACKING

Sec. 101. Expansion of functions of Federal Parent Locator Service.
Sec. 102. Expansion of data bases accessed by parent locator systems.
Sec. 103. Expansion of access to national network for location of 
                            parents.
Sec. 104. Private access to locate and enforcement services.
Sec. 105. National reporting of new hires and child support 
                            information.
Sec. 106. Access to law enforcement records systems.
Sec. 107. Broadcasting of warrants on State networks.
Sec. 108. Case monitoring.
Sec. 109. Access to financial records.
                        TITLE II--ESTABLISHMENT

Sec. 201. Service of process on Federal employees and members of the 
                            armed services in connection with 
                            proceedings relating to child support and 
                            parentage obligations.
Sec. 202. Presumed address of obligor and obligee.
Sec. 203. Notice to custodial parents.
Sec. 204. Uniform State rules in parentage and child support cases.
Sec. 205. Fair Credit Reporting Act amendment.
Sec. 206. National Child Support Guidelines Commission.
Sec. 207. Guideline principles.
Sec. 208. Duration of support.
Sec. 209. Evidence.
Sec. 210. Telephonic appearance in interstate cases.
Sec. 211. Uniform terms in orders.
Sec. 212. Social security numbers on marriage licenses, divorce 
                            decrees, parentage decrees, and birth 
                            certificates.
Sec. 213. Administrative subpoena power.
Sec. 214. Legal assistance programs.
Sec. 215. Indian child support.
Sec. 216. Support orders outreach and demonstrations.
                          TITLE III--PARENTAGE

Sec. 301. Parentage.
                         TITLE IV--ENFORCEMENT

Sec. 401. Direct wage withholding.
Sec. 402. Priorities in application of withheld wages.
Sec. 403. Additional benefits subject to garnishment.
Sec. 404. Consumer Credit Protection Act amendments.
Sec. 405. Prohibition against use of election of remedies doctrine to 
                            prevent collection of child support.
Sec. 406. Hold on occupational, professional, and business licenses.
Sec. 407. Driver's licenses and vehicle registrations denied to persons 
                            failing to appear in child support cases.
Sec. 408. Liens on certificates of vehicle title.
Sec. 409. Attachment of bank accounts.
Sec. 410. Seizure of lottery winnings, settlements, payouts, awards, 
                            and bequests, and sale of forfeited 
                            property, to pay child support arrearages.
Sec. 411. Fraudulent transfer pursuit.
Sec. 412. Full IRS collection.
Sec. 413. Tax refund offset program expanded to cover non-AFDC post-
                            minor children.
Sec. 414. Attachment of public and private retirement funds.
Sec. 415. Statutes of limitation.
Sec. 416. Interest.
Sec. 417. Armed Forces cooperation in enforcement of support 
                            obligations of members and former members 
                            of the Armed Forces.
Sec. 418. States required to enact the Uniform Interstate Family 
                            Support Act.
Sec. 419. IRS reconciliation process.
Sec. 420. Denial of passports to noncustodial parents subject to State 
                            arrest warrants in cases of nonpayment of 
                            child support.
Sec. 421. Denial of Federal benefits, loans, guarantees, and employment 
                            to certain persons with large child support 
                            arrearages.
Sec. 422. States required to order courts to allow assignment of life 
                            insurance benefits to satisfy child support 
                            arrearages.
Sec. 423. Interests in jointly held property subject to assignment to 
                            satisfy child support arrearages.
Sec. 424. International child support enforcement.
                  TITLE V--COLLECTION AND DISTRIBUTION

Sec. 501. Priorities in distribution of collected child support.
Sec. 502. State claims against noncustodial parent limited to 
                            assistance provided to the child.
Sec. 503. Fees for non-AFDC clients.
Sec. 504. Collection and disbursement points for child support.
Sec. 505. Sense of the Congress that States should encourage parents to 
                            use the State child support agency to 
                            collect and process child support payments.
                         TITLE VI--FEDERAL ROLE

Sec. 601. Placement and role of the Office of Child Support 
                            Enforcement.
Sec. 602. Training.
Sec. 603. Staffing.
Sec. 604. Demonstration projects to test alternative approaches to 
                            incentive funding for State child support 
                            programs.
Sec. 605. Child support definition.
Sec. 606. Audits.
Sec. 607. Child support assurance demonstration projects.
Sec. 608. Children's trust fund.
Sec. 609. Study of reasons for nonpayment of child support.
Sec. 610. Study of effectiveness of administrative processes; report.
Sec. 611. Publication of best child support practices.
Sec. 612. Establishment of permanent child support advisory committee.
                         TITLE VII--STATE ROLE

Sec. 701. Advocation of children's economic security.
Sec. 702. Duties of State child support agencies.
Sec. 703. Sense of the Congress regarding quality of and accessibility 
                            to child support services.
Sec. 704. Process for change of payee in IV-D cases.
Sec. 705. Sense of the Congress supporting use of administrative 
                            procedures in child support cases.
Sec. 706. Sense of the Congress supporting establishment of State child 
                            support councils.
          TITLE VIII--JOBS FOR UNEMPLOYED NONCUSTODIAL PARENTS

Sec. 801. Parents Fair Share Demonstration Projects.
                        TITLE IX--EFFECTIVE DATE

Sec. 901. Effective date.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS, DECLARATIONS, AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds that--
            (1) there is a large and growing number of child support 
        and parentage cases annually involving disputes between parents 
        or presumed parents who reside in different States;
            (2) the laws by which the courts of the various States 
        determine their authority to establish, enforce, or modify a 
        child support order, or to determine parentage are not uniform;
            (3) those laws, along with the limits imposed by a Federal 
        system, on the authority of each State to take certain actions 
        outside its own boundaries, contribute to--
                    (A) the pressing problem of parties moving to avoid 
                jurisdiction;
                    (B) inequities based solely on choice of domicile;
                    (C) disregard of court orders resulting in massive 
                arrearages nationwide;
                    (D) excessive relitigation of cases;
                    (E) the establishment of conflicting orders by the 
                courts of various States; and
                    (F) interjurisdiction travel and communication that 
                is so expensive and time consuming as to disrupt 
                parties' occupations and commercial activities; and
            (4) among the results of these conditions are--
                    (A) the failure of the courts of such jurisdictions 
                to give full faith and credit to the judicial 
                proceedings of the other States;
                    (B) the deprivation of rights of liberty and 
                property without due process of law;
                    (C) burdens on commerce among the States; and
                    (D) harm to the welfare of children and their 
                parents and other custodians.
    (b) Declaration.--Based on the findings stated in subsection (a), 
it is necessary to establish national standards under which the courts 
of each State will determine their jurisdiction to establish, enforce, 
or modify a child support order, or to determine parentage and the 
effect to be given by each State to such determinations by the courts 
of other States.
    (c) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are to--
            (1) expand the forums available to establish, enforce, or 
        modify a child support order, or to determine parentage so that 
        such actions may be heard in the State that has the strongest 
        interest in the child's financial security;
            (2) promote and expand the exchange of information and 
        other forms of mutual assistance between States that are 
        concerned with the same child;
            (3) facilitate the enforcement of support decrees among the 
        States;
            (4) discourage continuing interstate controversies over 
        child support in the interest of greater financial stability 
        and secure family relationships for the child; and
            (5) avoid jurisdictional competition and conflict between 
        courts in matters relating to the establishment, enforcement, 
        and modification of child support orders, and to the 
        determination of parentage, which have resulted in the movement 
        of parties among States and a low percentage of interstate 
        cases with support orders, thereby adversely affecting 
        children's well-being.
    (d) State.--For purposes of this section, the term ``State'' means 
the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of 
Puerto Rico, the territories and possessions of the United States, and 
Indian country (as defined in section 1151 of title 18, United States 
Code).

                   TITLE I--LOCATE AND CASE TRACKING

SEC. 101. EXPANSION OF FUNCTIONS OF FEDERAL PARENT LOCATOR SERVICE.

    (a) In General.--Section 453 (42 U.S.C. 653) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``enforcing support 
        obligations against such parent'' and inserting ``establishing 
        parentage, establishing, modifying, and enforcing child support 
        obligations, and enforcing child visitation rights and 
        responsibilities, and which shall use safeguards to prevent the 
        disclosure of information in cases that would jeopardize the 
        safety of the custodial parent or any child of the custodial 
        parent'';
            (2) in subsection (b), by inserting after the 2nd sentence 
        the following: ``Information with respect to an absent parent 
        shall not be disclosed to any person if the disclosure would 
        jeopardize the safety of the custodial parent or any child of 
        the custodial parent. Information with respect to an absent 
        parent shall not be disclosed to any person (other than the 
        custodial parent) unless the custodial parent has been notified 
        in advance of the disclosure.''; and
            (3) in subsection (d), by inserting ``and such reasonable 
        fees'' after ``such documents''.
    (b) Sense of the Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) the denial of visitation rights under a child support 
        order should be treated as irrelevant in any action brought to 
        enforce the support provisions of the order; and
            (2) the failure to pay child support pursuant to a child 
        support order should be treated as irrelevant in any action 
        brought to enforce visitation rights under the order.

SEC. 102. EXPANSION OF DATA BASES ACCESSED BY PARENT LOCATOR SYSTEMS.

    (a) Additional Information for Federal Parent Locator Service.--
Section 453 (42 U.S.C. 653) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b), by striking ``the most recent 
        address and place of employment'' and inserting ``the most 
        recent residential address, employer name and address, and 
        amounts and nature of income and assets'';
            (2) in subsection (c)(3), by striking ``the resident 
        parent'' and inserting ``either parent''; and
            (3) in subsection (e), by adding at the end the following:
    ``(4) The Secretary of the Treasury shall enter into an agreement 
with the Secretary to provide prompt access by the Secretary (in 
accordance with this subsection and section 6103(l)(6) of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986) to the quarterly estimated Federal income tax 
returns filed by individuals with the Internal Revenue Service.''.
    (b) State Information.--Section 466(a) (42 U.S.C. 666(a)) is 
amended by inserting after paragraph (10) the following:
            ``(11) Procedures under which the State child support 
        enforcement agency shall have automated on-line or batch access 
        (or, if necessary, nonautomated access) to information 
        regarding residential addresses, employers and employer 
        addresses, income and assets, and medical insurance benefits 
        with respect to absent parents that is available through any 
        data base maintained by--
                    ``(A) any agency of the State or any political 
                subdivision thereof, that contains information on 
                residential addresses, or on employers and employer 
                addresses, as the State deems appropriate;
                    ``(B) any publicly regulated utility company 
                located in the State;
                    ``(C) any credit reporting agency located in the 
                State; and
                    ``(D) any trade or labor union located in the 
                State.
            ``(12) Procedures under which the State child support 
        enforcement agency shall--
                    ``(A) maintain a child support order registry which 
                shall include each child support order (or an abstract 
                thereof) issued or modified in the State on or after 
                the effective date of this paragraph; and
                    ``(B) transmit electronically to the Office of 
                Child Support Enforcement an abstract of each such 
                order, containing such information and in such form as 
                the Secretary may prescribe pursuant to section 
                452(a)(11).''.
    (c) Federal Registry of Abstracts of Child Support Orders.--Section 
452(a) (42 U.S.C 652(a)), as amended by section 212(a) of this Act, is 
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (10), by striking ``and'' after the 
        semicolon;
            (2) in paragraph (11), by striking the period at the end of 
        the 2nd sentence and inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(12) maintain a registry of all child support order 
        abstracts received from States pursuant to section 
        466(a)(12)(B).''.
    (d) Sense of the Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services should investigate, pursuant 
to section 453(e) of the Social Security Act, accessing Federal data 
banks that are not linked to the Parent Locator Service which are more 
than marginally useful in locating absent parents.

SEC. 103. EXPANSION OF ACCESS TO NATIONAL NETWORK FOR LOCATION OF 
              PARENTS.

    (a) In General.--Section 453 (42 U.S.C. 653) is amended by adding 
at the end the following:
    ``(g) The Secretary shall expand the Parent Locator Service to 
establish a national network based on the comprehensive statewide child 
support enforcement systems developed by the States, to--
            ``(1) allow each State to--
                    ``(A) locate any absent parent who owes child 
                support, for whom a child support obligation is being 
                established, or for whom an order for visitation is 
                being enforced, by--
                            ``(i) accessing the records of other State 
                        agencies and sources of locate information 
                        directly from one computer system to another; 
                        and
                            ``(ii) accessing Federal sources of locate 
                        information in the same fashion;
                    ``(B) access the files of other States to determine 
                whether there are other child support orders and obtain 
                the details of those orders;
                    ``(C) provide for both on-line and batch processing 
                of locate requests, with on-line access restricted to 
                cases in which the information is needed immediately 
                (for such reasons as court appearances) and batch 
                processing used to `troll' data bases to locate 
                individuals or update information periodically; and
                    ``(D) direct locate requests to individual States 
                or Federal agencies, broadcast requests to selected 
                States, or broadcast cases to all States when there is 
                no indication of the source of needed information;
            ``(2) provide for a maximum of 48-hour turnaround time for 
        information to be broadcast and returned to a requesting State;
            ``(3) provide ready access to courts of the information on 
        the network by location of a computer terminal in each court; 
        and
            ``(4) access the registry of child support orders for 
        public and private cases maintained at the State level by the 
        State agencies as described in section 466(a)(12).''.
    (b) Expanded State Interaction With National Network.--Section 
454(16) (42 U.S.C. 654(16)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and (E)'' and inserting ``(E)''; and
            (2) by striking ``enforcement;'' and inserting 
        ``enforcement, and (F) to provide access to the national 
        network developed pursuant to section 453(g);''.
    (c) Sense of the Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that 
the national network established under section 453(g) of the Social 
Security Act should be used to access State records only through the 
agency that administers the State plan approved under part D of title 
IV of such Act.

SEC. 104. PRIVATE ACCESS TO LOCATE AND ENFORCEMENT SERVICES.

    Section 466(a) (42 U.S.C. 666(a)), as amended by section 102(b) of 
this Act, is amended by inserting after paragraph (12) the following:
            ``(13)(A) Procedures under which private attorneys and pro 
        se obligees must be given access to State locate resources and 
        through enforcement techniques of the State child support 
        enforcement agency, for the purpose of establishing, modifying, 
        and enforcing child support, visitation, and parentage orders, 
        in accordance with safeguards established--
                    ``(i) to provide the custodial parent advance 
                notice of any release of information with respect to a 
                noncustodial parent; and
                    ``(ii) to prevent release of information with 
                respect to a noncustodial parent if the release may 
                jeopardize the safety of the noncustodial parent, the 
                custodial parent, or any child of either parent; and
            ``(B) The procedures described in subparagraph (A) must 
        require the State--
                    ``(i) to develop and publish guidelines 
                implementing the safeguards described in subparagraph 
                (A); and
                    ``(ii) if the State provides for reasonable fees 
                for the access referred to in subparagraph (A), to 
                establish such fees in accordance with guidelines 
                developed and published by the State that set schedules 
                for such fees.''.

SEC. 105. NATIONAL REPORTING OF NEW HIRES AND CHILD SUPPORT 
              INFORMATION.

    (a) Federal Implementation of System.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of the Treasury, in 
        consultation with the Secretary of Labor, shall establish a 
        system of reporting of new employees by requiring employers to 
        provide a copy of every new employee's W-4 form to the 
        employment security agency of the State in which the employment 
        is located.
            (2) Expanded use of form.--The Secretary of the Treasury 
        shall modify the W-4 form to be completed by a new employee to 
        enable the employee to indicate on the form--
                    (A) whether the employee owes child support, and if 
                so--
                            (i) to whom the support is payable and the 
                        amount of the support payable; and
                            (ii) whether the support is to be paid 
                        through wage withholding; and
                    (B) whether health care insurance is available to 
                the new employee, and, if so, whether the new employee 
                has obtained such insurance for the dependent children 
                of the new employee.
            (3) Employer withholding obligation.--
                    (A) In general.--Subtitle C of the Internal Revenue 
                Code of 1986 (relating to employment taxes) is amended 
                by inserting after chapter 24 the following new 
                chapter:

  ``CHAPTER 24A--COLLECTION OF CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATIONS AT SOURCE ON 
                                 WAGES

                              ``Sec. 3411. Child support obligations 
                                        collected at source.

``SEC. 3411. CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATIONS COLLECTED AT SOURCE.

    ``(a) Requirement of Withholding.--Every employer making payment of 
wages shall deduct and withhold upon such wages a specified child 
support obligation amount.
    ``(b) Specified Child Support Obligation Amount.--For purposes of 
this chapter, the specified child support obligation amount with 
respect to any employee shall be determined based on--
            ``(1) information provided by the employee, or, if an 
        agency of the State in which the employer is located notifies 
        the employer that such information is inaccurate, information 
        provided by the agency; and
            ``(2) information contained in any wage withholding order 
        received by the employer from any State.
    ``(c) Liability for Payment.--The employer shall be liable for the 
payment of the specified child support obligation amount to the 
individual entitled to such payment.
    ``(d) Special Rules.--For purposes of this chapter (and so much of 
subtitle F as relates to this chapter), any specified child support 
obligation amount shall be treated as if it were a tax withheld under 
chapter 24 and rules similar to the rules of such chapter shall 
apply.''
                    (B) Clerical amendment.--The table of chapters of 
                subtitle C of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is 
                amended by inserting after the item relating to chapter 
                24 the following new item:

                              ``Chapter 24A. Child support obligations 
                                        collected at source.''
            (4) Withheld child support obligations reported on w-2 
        forms.--Subsection (a) of section 6051 of the Internal Revenue 
        Code of 1986 (relating to receipts for employees) is amended by 
        striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (8), by striking the 
        period at the end of paragraph (9) and inserting ``, and'', and 
        by inserting after paragraph (9) the following new paragraph:
            ``(10) the total amount of specified child support 
        obligations withheld under section 3411.''
    (b) State Implementation of System.--Section 466(a) (42 U.S.C. 
666(a)), as amended by section 104 of this Act, is amended by inserting 
after paragraph (13) the following:
            ``(14) Procedures under which the State shall--
                    ``(A) use the Parent Locator Service established 
                under section 453 to access information in the national 
                registry of child support orders maintained pursuant to 
                section 452(a)(12) with respect to new employee, 
                compare such information with the information reported 
                on W-4 forms of new employees, and identify child 
                support obligations not reported on such forms;
                    ``(B) if child support information from the W-4 
                form of a new employee agrees with information with 
                respect to the new employee in the national registry of 
                child support orders maintained pursuant to section 
                452(a)(12), notify the individual owed the support (or 
                the individual's designee) of such information;
                    ``(C) notify an employer of any new employee who 
                has not reported on the W-4 form a child support 
                obligation of the new employee, using the wage 
                withholding order developed under section 452(a)(14);
                    ``(D) impose monetary penalties on--
                            ``(i) any individual who owes child support 
                        and fails to report the obligation to provide 
                        the support on a Federal income tax W-4 form at 
                        time of employment;
                            ``(ii) any employer who fails to forward a 
                        W-4 form for a new employee to the State 
                        employment security agency within 10 calendar 
                        days of the date of the first payroll from 
                        which the new employee is paid; and
                            ``(iii) any employer who fails to withhold 
                        from the pay of any new employee who reports a 
                        child support obligation on a W-4 form an 
                        amount equal to the support owed, or fails to 
                        pay to the individual owed the obligation the 
                        amount so withheld, within 10 calendar days of 
                        the date of the payroll, using electronic funds 
                        transfer, if possible, unless otherwise 
                        notified by a State agency;
                    ``(E) provide the services described in this 
                paragraph to any individual owed child support who 
                applies for assistance under the State plan; and
                    ``(F) on request of another State, broadcast over 
                the Parent Locator Service to such other State child 
                support information from W-4 forms that have been sent 
                to the State employment security agency.''.

SEC. 106. ACCESS TO LAW ENFORCEMENT RECORDS SYSTEMS.

    (a) Access by Child Support Enforcement Agencies.--The head of the 
National Criminal Information Center, the head of the National Law 
Enforcement Telecommunications Network, and the head of any other 
national or regional system for tracking individuals shall each--
            (1) allow Federal, State, and local child support 
        enforcement agencies access to the information of the system 
        for purposes of establishing paternity or a child support 
        obligation of an individual tracked by the system, using 
        appropriate safeguards to prevent improper release of such 
        information; and
            (2) if an access code is required to gain such access, 
        provide the access code to each child support enforcement 
        agency that applies for the code.
    (b) Loss of Federal Funding.--A non-Federal system for tracking 
individuals that fails to comply with paragraphs (1) and (2) of 
subsection (a) shall not be eligible to receive Federal funding for the 
system.

SEC. 107. BROADCASTING OF WARRANTS ON STATE NETWORKS.

    Section 466(a) (42 U.S.C. 666(a)), as amended by section 105 of 
this Act, is amended by inserting after paragraph (14) the following:
            ``(15) Procedures under which the State--
                    ``(A) shall broadcast on any State or local crime 
                information system each failure-to-appear warrant, 
                capias, and bench warrant issued by a State court in 
                any proceeding related to child support; and
                    ``(B) shall, in a criminal case, remit to any 
                individual to whom the defendant owes child support any 
                security posted by or on behalf of the defendant and 
                forfeited, to the extent of any arrearage in the 
                payment of the support.''.

SEC. 108. CASE MONITORING.

    Section 454(16)(E) (42 U.S.C. 654(16)(E)) is amended by inserting 
``, not less frequently that once every 3 years'' before the semicolon.

SEC. 109. ACCESS TO FINANCIAL RECORDS.

    Section 466(a) (42 U.S.C. 666(a)), as amended by section 105 of 
this Act, is amended by inserting after paragraph (15) the following:
            ``(16) Procedures under which the State may obtain access 
        to financial records maintained with respect to any person by 
        any financial institution doing business in the State, for the 
        purpose of establishing or enforcing a child support obligation 
        of the person.''.

                        TITLE II--ESTABLISHMENT

SEC. 201. SERVICE OF PROCESS ON FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND MEMBERS OF THE 
              ARMED SERVICES IN CONNECTION WITH PROCEEDINGS RELATING TO 
              CHILD SUPPORT AND PARENTAGE OBLIGATIONS.

    Part D of title IV (42 U.S.C. 651-670) is amended by inserting 
after section 460 the following:

``SEC. 460A. SERVICE OF PROCESS ON FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND MEMBERS OF THE 
              ARMED SERVICES IN CONNECTION WITH PROCEEDINGS RELATING TO 
              CHILD SUPPORT AND PARENTAGE OBLIGATIONS.

    ``(a) In General.--The head of each Government agency shall, in 
accordance with applicable regulations under subsection (b), designate 
an agent for receipt of service of process, for any Federal employee or 
member of the Armed Forces serving in or under such agency, in 
connection with an action, brought in a court of competent jurisdiction 
within any State, territory, or possession of the United States, for 
obtaining a child support order or for establishing parentage.
    ``(b) Regulations.--Regulations governing the implementation of 
this section with respect to the executive, legislative, or judicial 
branch of the Government shall be promulgated by the authority or 
authorities responsible for promulgating regulations under section 461 
with respect to the branch of Government involved.
    ``(c) Interpretive Rule.--This section shall not be construed to 
prevent any otherwise eligible individual from requesting or being 
granted a stay or continuance in any judicial proceeding, including a 
judicial proceeding under the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act 
of 1940 (50 U.S.C. App. 501 et seq.).
    ``(d) Government Agency Defined.--For purposes of this section, the 
term `Government agency' means each agency of the Federal Government, 
including--
            ``(1) an Executive agency (as defined by section 105 of 
        title 5, United States Code);
            ``(2) the Department of Defense, to the extent that any 
        Federal employee serving in or under that agency or any member 
        of the Armed Services is involved;
            ``(3) the United States Postal Service and the Postal Rate 
        Commission;
            ``(4) the government of the District of Columbia;
            ``(5) an agency within the legislative or judicial branch 
        of the Government; and
            ``(6) an advisory committee to which the Federal Advisory 
        Committee Act applies.''.

SEC. 202. PRESUMED ADDRESS OF OBLIGOR AND OBLIGEE.

    Section 466(a) (42 U.S.C. 666(a)), as amended by section 107 of 
this Act, is amended by inserting after paragraph (16) the following:
            ``(17) Procedures under which the State shall--
                    ``(A) require the court or administrative agency 
                with authority to issue the final order in a child 
                support or parentage case to require each party subject 
                to the order to file with the court or administrative 
                agency, on or before the date the order is issued--
                            ``(i) the party's residential address or 
                        addresses;
                            ``(ii) the party's mailing address or 
                        addresses;
                            ``(iii) the party's home telephone number 
                        or numbers;
                            ``(iv) the party's driver's license number;
                            ``(v) the party's social security account 
                        number;
                            ``(vi) the name of each employer of the 
                        party;
                            ``(vii) the addresses of each place of 
                        employment of the party; and
                            ``(viii) the party's work telephone number 
                        or numbers;
                    ``(B) require the court or administrative agency in 
                any action related to child support to presume, for the 
                purpose of providing sufficient notice (other than the 
                initial notice in an action to establish parentage or a 
                child support order), that the noncustodial parent 
                resides at the last residential address given by the 
                noncustodial parent to the court or agency, or a more 
                recent address provided in good faith by the parent 
                owed the support obligation; and
                    ``(C) ensure that information concerning the 
                location of a custodial parent or a child of the 
                custodial parent is not released to a noncustodial 
                parent if a court order has been issued against the 
                noncustodial parent for the physical protection of the 
                custodial parent or the child.''.

SEC. 203. NOTICE TO CUSTODIAL PARENTS.

    Section 454 (42 U.S.C. 654) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (23);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (24) and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (24) the following:
            ``(25) provide that the agency administering the plan--
                    ``(A) shall make reasonable attempts to provide 
                timely notice to any individual owed child support of 
                any proceeding to establish, modify, or enforce the 
                support obligation;
                    ``(B) shall not delay any such proceeding solely 
                due to the failure of the custodial parent to appear; 
                and
                    ``(C) shall, within 14 days after the date an order 
                that establishes, modifies, or enforces a child support 
                obligation is issued, provide the custodial parent of 
                the child with a copy of the order.''.

SEC. 204. UNIFORM STATE RULES IN PARENTAGE AND CHILD SUPPORT CASES.

    Section 466(a) (42 U.S.C. 666(a)), as amended by section 202 of 
this Act, is amended by inserting after paragraph (17) the following:
            ``(18) Procedures under which, in the State--
                    ``(A) a party may, in a single cause of action, 
                seek judicial determination of the parentage of a child 
                and judicial establishment of a child support order 
                with respect to the child;
                    ``(B) the venue for determination of parentage of a 
                child shall be in the county of residence of the child;
                    ``(C) a court or agency that issues a parentage or 
                child support order shall have continuing and exclusive 
                jurisdiction over the order until the court or agency 
                transfers such jurisdiction to the appropriate court or 
                agency in the county of residence of the child, or the 
                parties consent to be bound by another court or agency 
                in the State that has subject matter jurisdiction;
                    ``(D) proceedings to enforce or modify of a child 
                support order may be transferred to the city, county, 
                or district in which the child resides without any 
                requirement that the order be filed or the defendant be 
                served again;
                    ``(E) a court or agency that hears a parentage or 
                child support cases shall have statewide jurisdiction 
                over the parties to the case, and the parentage and 
                child support orders issued by the court or agency 
                shall have statewide effect for enforcement purposes; 
                and
                    ``(F) denial of visitation rights may not be used 
                as a defense in an action to enforce an obligation to 
                provide child support and the failure to provide child 
                support may not be used as a defense in an action to 
                enforce visitation rights.''.

SEC. 205. FAIR CREDIT REPORTING ACT AMENDMENT.

    Section 604 of the Consumer Credit Protection Act (15 U.S.C. 1681b) 
is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(4) To a State agency administering a State plan under section 
454 of the Social Security Act, for use to establish or modify a child 
support award.''.

SEC. 206. NATIONAL CHILD SUPPORT GUIDELINES COMMISSION.

    (a) Establishment.--There is hereby established a commission to be 
known as the ``National Child Support Guidelines Commission'' (in this 
section referred to as the ``Commission'').
    (b) General Duties.--The Commission shall convene a conference to 
study the desirability of a national child support guideline, and if 
such guideline is advisable, the Commission shall develop for 
congressional consideration a national child support guideline that is 
based on the conference's study of various guideline models, the 
deficiencies of such models, and any needed improvements, taking into 
consideration differences in the cost of living in different areas of 
the United States. In developing such guideline, the Commission shall 
consider indexing the guideline to the cost of living, specifying 
minimum (rather than maximum) amounts, or using other methodologies to 
reflect such differences.
    (c) Membership.--
            (1) Number; appointment.--
                    (A) In general.--The Commission shall be composed 
                of 9 individuals appointed jointly by the Secretary of 
                Health and Human Services and the Congress, not later 
                than March 15, 1996.
                    (B) Qualifications of members.--Members of the 
                Commission shall be appointed from among those who are 
                able to provide expertise and experience in the 
                evaluation and development of child support guidelines.
            (2) Terms of office.--Each member shall be appointed for a 
        term of 2 years. A vacancy in the Commission shall be filled in 
        the manner in which the original appointment was made.
    (d) Commission Powers, Compensation, Access to Information, and 
Supervision.--The first sentence of subparagraph (C), the first and 
third sentences of subparagraph (D), subparagraph (F) (except with 
respect to the conduct of medical studies), clauses (ii) and (iii) of 
subparagraph (G), and subparagraph (H) of section 1886(e)(6) of the 
Social Security Act shall apply to the Commission in the same manner in 
which such provisions apply to the Prospective Payment Assessment 
Commission.
    (e) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the appointment of 
members, the Commission shall submit to the President, the Committee on 
Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on 
Finance of the Senate, a report on the results of the study described 
in subsection (b) and the final assessment by the Commission of issues 
relating to a national child support guideline.
    (f) Termination.--The Commission shall terminate upon the 
submission of the report described in subsection (e).

SEC. 207. GUIDELINE PRINCIPLES.

    Section 467 (42 U.S.C. 667) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
    ``(d) The guidelines established pursuant to subsection (a) shall 
be based on, and applied in accordance with, the following principles:
            ``(1) A change in the child support amount resulting from 
        the application of the guidelines since the entry of the last 
        support order is sufficient reason for modification of a child 
        support obligation without the necessity of showing any other 
        change in circumstance. The State may set a minimum timeframe 
        between reviews of modifications based on the guidelines, 
        absent other changes in circumstances.
            ``(2) Not later than January 1, 1997, each State shall 
        establish automatic child support order review procedures based 
        on the automated calculation of the amount of support to which 
        a child is entitled, to ensure that the amount is sufficient to 
        meet the needs of the child, and takes into account any changes 
        in the income of the parents of the child.
            ``(3) The State shall advise any custodial parent who is 
        not receiving aid under a State plan approved under part A of 
        the review of a child support award made with respect to a 
        child of the custodial parent, of any proposed modification in 
        the amount of the award based on the review, and of the right 
        of the custodial parent to decline to seek the modification.
    ``(e) The guidelines established pursuant to subsection (a) may 
consider the treatment of the following:
            ``(1) Work-related or job-training-related child care 
        expenses of either parent for the care of children of either 
        parent.
            ``(2) Health insurance and related uninsured health care 
        expenses, and school expenses incurred on behalf of the child 
        for whom the child support order is sought.
            ``(3) Multiple family child raising obligations other than 
        those for the child for whom the child support order is sought.
    ``(f) Each State must publish the guidelines established pursuant 
to subsection (a).''.

SEC. 208. DURATION OF SUPPORT.

    (a) In General.--Section 466(a) (42 U.S.C. 666(a)), as amended by 
section 205 of this Act, is amended by inserting after paragraph (17) 
the following:
            ``(18) Procedures under which the State--
                    ``(A) imposes on 1 or both parents of a child an 
                obligation to continue to provide support for the child 
                until not earlier than the later of the date the child 
                attains 18 years of age or the date the child is 
                graduated from or is no longer enrolled in secondary 
                school or its equivalent, unless the child is married 
                or is otherwise emancipated by a court of competent 
                jurisdiction;
                    ``(B) provides that courts with jurisdiction over 
                child support cases may, in accordance with criteria 
                established by the State, order--
                            ``(i) child support, payable to an adult 
                        child, at least up to the age of 22 years for a 
                        child enrolled in an accredited postsecondary 
                        or vocational school or college who is a 
                        student in good standing; and
                            ``(ii) either or both parents to pay for 
                        postsecondary school support based on each 
                        parent's financial ability to pay;
                    ``(C) provides for child support to continue beyond 
                the child's minority if the child is disabled, unable 
                to be self-supportive, and the disability arose during 
                the child's minority; and
                    ``(D) provides that courts should consider the 
                effect of child support received on means-tested 
                governmental benefits and whether to credit 
                governmental benefits against a support award 
                amount.''.
    (b) Sense of the Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that, 
if children receive child support while obtaining postsecondary 
education, they will attain higher levels of education affording them a 
greater chance to break the welfare cycle.

SEC. 209. EVIDENCE.

    (a) National Subpoena Duces Tecum.--Section 452(a) (42 U.S.C. 
652(a)), as amended by sections 210(a) and 102(c) of this Act, is 
amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (11);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (12) and 
        inserting a semicolon; and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (12) the following:
            ``(13) develop and distribute a national subpoena duces 
        tecum, which shall be designed to be used by any State or local 
        child support agency or child support litigant to reach income 
        information on the prior 12 months of income or on accumulated 
        income to date of any recipient of income;
            ``(14) establish a simplified certification process and 
        admissibility procedure for out-of-State documents in child 
        support or parentage cases.''.
    (b) State Laws.--Section 466(a) (42 U.S.C. 666(a)), as amended by 
section 208 of this Act, is amended by inserting after paragraph (19) 
the following:
            ``(20) Procedures under which--
                    ``(A) in a child support case in the State--
                            ``(i) the subpoena duces tecum developed 
                        pursuant to section 452(a)(13) shall be used, 
                        if necessary, to reach income information on 
                        the prior 12 months of income or on accumulated 
                        income to date of any individual;
                            ``(ii) an entity that is a source of income 
                        for the individual may comply with such a 
                        subpoena by timely mailing the information 
                        described in the subpoena to an address 
                        supplied in the subpoena;
                            ``(iii) the State shall permit such a 
                        subpoena to be enforced against such an entity 
                        in the State, with the entity bearing the 
                        burden of justifying any failure to comply with 
                        the subpoena; and
                            ``(iv) information supplied by an entity in 
                        response to such a subpoena shall be admissible 
                        to prove the truth of the information;
                    ``(B) a certified copy of an out-of-State order, 
                decree, or judgment related to child support or 
                parentage shall be admitted once offered in the courts 
                of the State if the order, decree, or judgment is 
                regular on its face;
                    ``(C) electronically transmitted information and 
                documents faxed to a court or administrative agency 
                that contain information related to the amount of a 
                child support obligation and the terms of the order 
                imposing the obligation may be offered as evidence of 
                the amount and the terms, and electronically 
                transmitted records of payment of a child support 
                agency that are regular on their face shall be 
                admissible as evidence in a child support or parentage 
                proceeding to prove the truth of the matter asserted in 
                the records;
                    ``(D) out-of-State depositions, interrogatories, 
                admissions of fact, and other discovery documents may 
                be offered and shall be admitted in a child support or 
                parentage proceeding to prove the truth of the matters 
                asserted in the documents if regular on their face and 
                if such documents comply with the appropriate discovery 
                rule or law of the State where the discovery was 
                conducted; and
                    ``(E) written, videotaped, or audiotaped evidence 
                related to a child support or parentage proceeding may 
                be offered and shall be admitted to prove the truth of 
                the matter asserted therein.''.

SEC. 210. TELEPHONIC APPEARANCE IN INTERSTATE CASES.

    Section 466(a) (42 U.S.C. 666(a)), as amended by section 209(b) of 
this Act, is amended by inserting after paragraph (20) the following:
            ``(21) Procedures under which the parties to an interstate 
        parentage or child support administrative or judicial 
        proceeding may appear and participate by telephonic means in 
        lieu of appearing personally.''.

SEC. 211. UNIFORM TERMS IN ORDERS.

    (a) In General.--Section 452(a) (42 U.S.C. 652(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (9), by striking ``and'' after the 
        semicolon;
            (2) in paragraph (10), by striking the period at the end of 
        the 2nd sentence and inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(11) not later than 12 months after the date of the 
        enactment of this paragraph, develop, in conjunction with State 
        executive and judicial organizations, a uniform abstract of a 
        child support order, for use by all State courts to record, 
        with respect to each child support order in the child support 
        order registry established under section 466(a)(12)--
                    ``(A) the date support payments are to begin under 
                the order;
                    ``(B) the circumstances upon which support payments 
                are to end under the order;
                    ``(C) the amount of child support payable pursuant 
                to the order expressed as a sum certain to be paid on a 
                monthly basis, arrearages expressed as a sum certain as 
                of a certain date, and any payback schedule for the 
                arrearages;
                    ``(D) whether the order awards support in a lump 
                sum (nonallocated) or per child;
                    ``(E) if the award is in a lump sum, the event 
                causing a change in the support award and the amount of 
                any change;
                    ``(F) other expenses covered by the order;
                    ``(G) the names of the parents subject to the 
                order;
                    ``(H) the social security account numbers of the 
                parents;
                    ``(I) the name, date of birth, and social security 
                account number (if any) of each child covered by the 
                order;
                    ``(J) the identification (FIPS code, name, and 
                address) of the court that issued the order;
                    ``(K) any information on health care support 
                required by the order; and
                    ``(L) the party to contact if additional 
                information is obtained.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 212. SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS ON MARRIAGE LICENSES, DIVORCE 
              DECREES, PARENTAGE DECREES, AND BIRTH CERTIFICATES.

    Section 466(a) (42 U.S.C. 666(a)), as amended by section 211 of 
this Act, is amended by inserting after paragraph (21) the following:
            ``(22) Procedures under which the social security account 
        number (if any) of--
                    ``(A) each individual applying for a marriage 
                license is to be listed by the individual's name on the 
                license;
                    ``(B) each party granted a divorce decree is to be 
                listed by the party's name on the decree, if any party 
                to the decree is pregnant or a parent; and
                    ``(C) each individual determined to be a parent of 
                a child in an action to establish parentage is to be 
                listed by the individual's name on the decree 
                containing the determination; and
                    ``(D) each parent of a child is to be listed by the 
                parent's name on the child's birth certificate.''.

SEC. 213. ADMINISTRATIVE SUBPOENA POWER.

    Section 466(a) (42 U.S.C. 666(a)), as amended by section 214 of 
this Act, is amended by inserting after paragraph (22) the following:
            ``(23) Procedures under which the State child support 
        enforcement agency may issue a subpoena which--
                    ``(A) requires the individual served to produce and 
                deliver documents to, or to appear at, a court or 
                administrative agency on a certain date; and
                    ``(B) penalizes an individual for failing to comply 
                with the subpoena.''.

SEC. 214. LEGAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.

    (a) Use of Funds for Child Support Cases.--The Legal Services 
Corporation shall ensure that at least 10 percent of the funds it 
provides to each recipient in a fiscal year be used to assist eligible 
clients to obtain child support to which they may be entitled.
    (b) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
            (1) the term ``child support'' means a payment of money or 
        provision of a benefit for the support of a child, and includes 
        periodic and lump-sum payments for current and past due 
        economic support, payments of premiums for health insurance for 
        children, payments for or provision of child care, and payments 
        for educational expenses; and
            (2) the terms ``eligible client'' and ``recipient'' have 
        the meanings given those terms in section 1002 of the Legal 
        Services Corporation Act (42 U.S.C. 2996a).

SEC. 215. INDIAN CHILD SUPPORT.

    (a) Sense of the Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) children residing on Indian reservations be accorded 
        the same right of support that is currently afforded off-
        reservation children; and
            (2) State and tribal governments should, to the greatest 
        extent possible, ensure that jurisdictional issues do not 
        prevent any Indian child, on- or off-reservation, from 
        receiving support to which the child is entitled.
    (b) Full Faith and Credit of Support Orders.--The Indian Child 
Welfare Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.) is amended by adding at 
the end the following:

                    ``TITLE IV--INDIAN CHILD SUPPORT

``SEC. 401. FULL FAITH AND CREDIT.

    ``(a) Every Indian tribe shall give full faith and credit to the 
public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of the United States, 
every State, and every territory or possession of the United States 
applicable to Indian child support proceedings to the same extent that 
the Indian tribe gives full faith and credit to public acts, records, 
and judicial proceedings of any other entity pursuant to section 101(d) 
of this Act.
    ``(b) The United States, every State, every territory or possession 
of the United States, and every Indian tribe shall give full faith and 
credit to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of any 
Indian tribe applicable to Indian child support proceedings to the same 
extent that such entities give full faith and credit to public acts, 
records, and judicial proceedings of any other entity.''.

SEC. 216. SUPPORT ORDERS OUTREACH AND DEMONSTRATIONS.

    (a) Sense of the Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that 
States should work with community-based organizations with ties to 
underserved populations to develop better methods to reach and work 
with such populations to encourage the filing of more support orders.
    (b) States Required To Conduct Surveys of Underserved 
Populations.--
            (1) In general.--Part D of title IV (42 U.S.C. 651-669) is 
        amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 470. STATE SURVEYS OF UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS.

    ``Each State, as a condition for having a State plan approved under 
this part, must conduct surveys to identify populations underserved by 
child support services, and develop outreach programs to serve such 
populations in places such as child care centers, parenting classes, 
prenatal classes, and unemployment offices.''.
            (2) Federal financial participation.--Section 455(a)(1) (42 
        U.S.C. 655(a)(1)) is amended--
                    (A) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in subparagraph (C) by adding ``and'' at the 
                end; and
                    (C) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the 
                following:
            ``(D) equal to 90 percent of so much of the sums expended 
        during such quarter as are attributable to operating programs 
        described in section 470,''.
    (c) Materials To Assist Persons With Low Literacy Levels.--The 
Secretary of Health and Human Services shall fund demonstration 
projects and technical assistance grants to States to develop 
applications and informational materials directed to individuals with 
low literacy levels or difficulties reading English.
    (d) Review of Written Materials.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
Services shall review all written materials provided to persons served 
by the Office of Child Support Enforcement to ensure that any 
requirement contained in the materials is presented clearly and in a 
manner that is easily understandable by such persons.
    (e) Demonstration Projects To Improve Coordination Between Certain 
State Public Assistance Agencies.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
Services shall make grants to States to conduct demonstration projects 
to test various methods for improving the coordination of services and 
case processing between the State agency referred to in section 
402(a)(3) of the Social Security Act and the State agency referred to 
in section 454(3) of such Act.
    (f) Referral of Custodial Parents to Community Resources To Combat 
Domestic Violence.--Section 454 (42 U.S.C. 654), as amended by section 
203 of this Act, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (24);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (25) and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (25) the following:
            ``(26) provide that the agency administering the plan--
                    ``(A) may represent custodial parents in custody 
                cases; and
                    ``(B) must refer to appropriate community resources 
                custodial parents against whom or whose children 
                violence has been threatened as a result of cooperation 
                with a State agency in establishing or enforcing a 
                child support order, in accordance with procedures 
                developed by the State to reduce the risk of violence, 
                such as exempting the custodial parent from any 
                requirement of face-to-face meetings with persons other 
                than from the agency.''.

                          TITLE III--PARENTAGE

SEC. 301. PARENTAGE.

    (a) State Plan.--
            (1) In general.--Section 454 (42 U.S.C. 654), as amended by 
        section 216(f) of this Act, is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph 
                (25);
                    (B) by striking the period at the end of paragraph 
                (26) and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (26) the 
                following:
            ``(27) in order to encourage voluntary paternity 
        acknowledgement, provide for--
                    ``(A) the development and distribution of material 
                at schools, hospitals (not later than 2 years after the 
                effective date of this paragraph), agencies 
                administering the programs under part A of this title 
                and title XIX, prenatal health care providers, WIC 
                programs, health departments, clinics, and other 
                appropriate locations that describe the benefits and 
                responsibilities of paternity establishment and the 
                process by which paternity services may be obtained; 
                and
                    ``(B) the use of consent procedures.''.
            (2) Enhanced federal match.--Section 455(a)(1) (42 U.S.C. 
        655(a)(1)) is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph 
                (B);
                    (B) by inserting ``and'' at the end of subparagraph 
                (C); and
                    (C) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the 
                following:
                    ``(D) equal to 90 percent (rather than the 
                percentage specified in subparagraph (A)) of so much of 
                the sums expended during such quarter as are 
                attributable to costs incurred in carrying out section 
                454(27) and the 2nd sentence of section 
                466(a)(5)(C);''.
    (b) State Law.--Section 466(a) (42 U.S.C. 666(a)), as amended by 
section 214 of this Act, is amended by inserting after paragraph (23) 
the following:
            ``(24) Procedures under which--
                    ``(A) in a parentage case, an individual who signs 
                the signature line provided for a father on a State 
                birth certificate is rebuttably presumed to be a parent 
                of the child, and a birth certificate so signed is 
                admissible as evidence of such parentage;
                    ``(B) a simple, civil consent procedure is 
                available for individuals who agree to acknowledge 
                parentage of a child;
                    ``(C) an acknowledgment of parentage of a child--
                            ``(i) may be incorporated in a witnessed, 
                        written statement which includes a statement 
                        that the individual--
                                    ``(I) understands the consequences 
                                of paternity acknowledgment;
                                    ``(II) is signing the statement 
                                voluntarily; and
                                    ``(III) does not object to a court 
                                entering an order for parentage of the 
                                child based on the acknowledgment, 
                                without notice before the order is 
                                issued and without the requirement of 
                                pleadings, service, summons, testimony, 
                                or a hearing;
                            ``(ii) is registered as part of the process 
                        of registering the birth certificate of the 
                        child; and
                            ``(iii) is admissible in court as evidence 
                        of the individual's parentage of the child;
                    ``(D) collection of information for purposes of 
                establishing a child support obligation may be done 
                during the parentage acknowledgment process, to the 
                maximum extent consistent with the State constitution;
                    ``(E) a civil procedure (and not a criminal 
                procedure) is used in parentage determination cases;
                    ``(F) parentage is determined by a preponderance of 
                the evidence;
                    ``(G) a party may bring a parentage case without 
                joinder of the named child, and State law regarding 
                privity of the parties shall govern the res judicata 
                effect of nonjoinder;
                    ``(H) the results of a parentage test are 
                rebuttably presumed to be accurate in a parentage case, 
                if the test results are admitted as evidence of the 
                matter tested and are uncontroverted, and the test has 
                an accuracy rate of at least 98 percent;
                    ``(I) a determination of parentage may be made 
                against a noncooperative party who refuses to submit to 
                a court order to submit to parentage testing;
                    ``(J) an objection to parentage testing or to the 
                results of a parentage test must be made in writing at 
                least 21 days before trial, and if no such objection is 
                made, the test results are admissible as evidence of 
                the matter tested, without any requirement for the 
                attendance of a representative of the hospital, clinic, 
                or parentage laboratory that conducted the test;
                    ``(K) prenatal and post-natal parentage-testing 
                bills are admissible as evidence of parentage, without 
                any requirement of third-party foundation testimony, 
                and any such bill is prima facie evidence of the 
                expenses incurred on behalf of the child for the 
                procedures included in the bill;
                    ``(L) a default order is entered in a parentage 
                case on a proper showing of evidence of parentage and 
                of service of process on the defendant, without regard 
                to the personal presence of the plaintiff;
                    ``(M) a temporary child support order is entered 
                against an individual if--
                            ``(i) the individual is presumed to be the 
                        parent of the child by reason of the results of 
                        a parentage test;
                            ``(ii) the individual has signed a 
                        statement acknowledging parentage of the child; 
                        or
                            ``(iii) there is other clear and convincing 
                        evidence that the individual is a parent of the 
                        child;
                    ``(N) an individual determined by law to be the 
                parent of a child is precluded from claiming 
                nonparentage of the child as a defense in a child 
                support case;
                    ``(O) a single action may be brought to determine 
                the parentage of a child and to establish a child 
                support obligation with respect to the child; and
                    ``(P)(i) an action to determine the parentage of a 
                child may be brought only in the county in which the 
                child resides; and
                    ``(ii) if the child who is the subject of a 
                parentage determination action moves to another county, 
                the action is to be transferred to the other county, on 
                request of the custodial parent of the child.''.
    (c) Sense of the Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that, 
in a proceeding to establish paternity, once paternity is alleged, the 
burden of proof should shift to the alleged father.

                         TITLE IV--ENFORCEMENT

SEC. 401. DIRECT WAGE WITHHOLDING.

    (a) State Law.--Section 466(b) (42 U.S.C. 666(b)) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
            ``(11) Upon the issuance or modification by a State court 
        or administrative agency of an order imposing a child support 
        obligation on an individual, the State shall transmit to any 
        employer of the individual a wage withholding order developed 
        under section 452(a)(14) directing the employer to withhold 
        amounts from the wages of the individual pursuant to the order, 
        subject to the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act adopted by 
        the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws 
        in August 1992.''.
    (b) Uniform Withholding Order.--Section 452(a) (42 U.S.C. 652(a)), 
as amended by sections 210(a), 102(c), and 208(a) of this Act, is 
amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (12);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (13) and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (13) the following:
            ``(14) develop a uniform order to be used in all cases in 
        which income is to be withheld for the payment of child 
        support, which shall contain the name of the individual whose 
        income is to be withheld, the number of children covered by the 
        order, and the individual or State to whom the withheld income 
        is to be paid, and be generic to allow for the service of the 
        order on all sources of income.''.

SEC. 402. PRIORITIES IN APPLICATION OF WITHHELD WAGES.

    Section 466(b) (42 U.S.C. 666(a)), as amended by section 401(a) of 
this Act, is amended by inserting after paragraph (11) the following:
            ``(12) Procedures under which the amounts withheld pursuant 
        to a child support or wage withholding order are to be applied 
        in the following order:
                    ``(A) To payments of support due during the month 
                of withholding.
                    ``(B) To payments of premiums for health care 
                insurance coverage for dependent children.
                    ``(C) To payments of support due before the month 
                of withholding, and of unreimbursed health care 
                expenses.''.

SEC. 403. ADDITIONAL BENEFITS SUBJECT TO GARNISHMENT.

    (a) Federal Death Benefits, Black Lung Benefits, and Veterans 
Benefits.--Section 462(f)(2) (42 U.S.C. 662(f)(2)) is amended by 
striking ``(not including'' and all that follows through 
``compensation)''.
    (b) Workers' Compensation.--Section 462(f) (42 U.S.C. 662(f)) is 
amended--
            (1) by striking ``or'' at the end of paragraph (1);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (2) and 
        inserting ``, or''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) workers' compensation benefits.''.

SEC. 404. CONSUMER CREDIT PROTECTION ACT AMENDMENTS.

    (a) Preemption of State Laws.--Section 307 of the Consumer Credit 
Protection Act (15 U.S.C. 1677) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``This'' and inserting ``(a) In General.--
        Subject to subsection (b), this'';
            (2) by striking ``or'' at the end of paragraph (1);
            (3) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (2) and 
        inserting ``, or''; and
            (4) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) providing a cause of action, either by the State or a 
        private individual, to enforce a Federal or State law related 
        to garnishment for the purpose of securing child support.
    ``(b) Exception.--Subsection (a)(1) shall not apply to the laws of 
any State that prohibit or restrict garnishments for the purpose of 
securing support for any person.''.
    (b) Other Forms of Income.--Title III of such Act (15 U.S.C. 1671 
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 308. OTHER FORMS OF INCOME.

    ``This title does not apply to forms of income that are not 
earnings within the definition contained in section 302(a).''.
    (c) Priority of Debts.--Title III of such Act (15 U.S.C. 1671 et 
seq.), as amended by subsection (b) of this section, is further amended 
by adding after section 308 the following:

``SEC. 309. PRIORITY OF DEBTS.

    ``If an individual's disposable earnings are not sufficient to 
pay--
            ``(1) a garnishment intended to satisfy a Federal debt; and
            ``(2) a garnishment intended to satisfy a debt related to 
        the support of any child,
the Federal debt shall be satisfied through garnishment only after the 
debt related to child support has first been satisfied.''.
    (d) Additional Indebtedness in Anti-Discharge Section.--Section 304 
of such Act (16 U.S.C. 1674) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
    ``(c) The prohibition contained in subsection (a) shall apply to 
any employee whose earnings are subject to garnishment for more than 
one indebtedness, if the additional indebtedness arises from an order 
for the support of a child.''.

SEC. 405. PROHIBITION AGAINST USE OF ELECTION OF REMEDIES DOCTRINE TO 
              PREVENT COLLECTION OF CHILD SUPPORT.

    Section 466(a) (42 U.S.C. 666(a)), as amended by section 301(b) of 
this Act, is amended by inserting after paragraph (24) the following:
            ``(25) Procedures which prohibit any State court from 
        applying the doctrine of election of remedies to prevent a 
        custodial parent from collecting or seeking to collect child 
        support from a noncustodial parent.''.

SEC. 406. HOLD ON OCCUPATIONAL, PROFESSIONAL, AND BUSINESS LICENSES.

    (a) State Hold Based on Warrant or Support Delinquency.--Section 
466(a) (42 U.S.C. 666(a)), as amended by section 405 of this Act, is 
amended by inserting after paragraph (25) the following:
            ``(26) Procedures under which the State occupational 
        licensing and regulating departments and agencies may not issue 
        or renew any occupational, professional, or business license 
        of--
                    ``(A) a noncustodial parent who is the subject of 
                an outstanding failure to appear warrant, capias, or 
                bench warrant related to a child support proceeding 
                that appears on the State's crime information system, 
                until removed from the system; and
                    ``(B) an individual who is delinquent in the 
                payment of child support, until the obligee or a State 
                prosecutor responsible for child support enforcement 
                consents to, or a court that is responsible for the 
                order's enforcement orders, the release of the hold on 
                the license, or an expedited inquiry and review is 
                completed while the individual is granted a 60-day 
                temporary license.''.
    (b) Federal Hold Based on Support Delinquency.--A Federal agency 
may not issue or renew any occupational, professional, or business 
license of an individual who is delinquent in the payment of child 
support, until the obligee, the obligee's attorney or a State 
prosecutor responsible for child support enforcement consents to, or a 
court that is responsible for the order's enforcement orders, the 
release of the hold on the license, or an expedited inquiry and review 
is completed while the individual is granted a 60-day temporary 
license.

SEC. 407. DRIVER'S LICENSES AND VEHICLE REGISTRATIONS DENIED TO PERSONS 
              FAILING TO APPEAR IN CHILD SUPPORT CASES.

    Section 466(a) (42 U.S.C. 666(a)), as amended by section 406(a) of 
this Act, is amended by inserting after paragraph (26) the following:
            ``(27) Procedures under which the State motor vehicle 
        department--
                    ``(A) may not issue or renew the driver's license 
                or any vehicle registration (other than temporary) of 
                any noncustodial parent who is the subject of an 
                outstanding failure to appear warrant, capias, or bench 
                warrant related to a child support proceeding that 
                appears on the State's crime information system, until 
                removed from the system;
                    ``(B) upon receiving notice that an individual to 
                whom a State driver's license or vehicle registration 
                has been issued is the subject of a warrant related to 
                a child support proceeding, shall issue a show cause 
                order to the individual requesting the individual to 
                demonstrate why the individual's driver's license or 
                vehicle registration should not be suspended until the 
                warrant is removed by the State responsible for issuing 
                the warrant; and
                    ``(C) in any case in which a show cause order has 
                been issued as described in subparagraph (B), may grant 
                a temporary license or vehicle registration to the 
                individual pending the show cause hearing or the 
                removal of the warrant, whichever occurs first.''.

SEC. 408. LIENS ON CERTIFICATES OF VEHICLE TITLE.

    Section 466(a) (42 U.S.C. 666(a)), as amended by section 407 of 
this Act, is amended by inserting after paragraph (27) the following:
            ``(28) Procedures under which the State shall 
        systematically place liens on vehicle titles for child support 
        arrearages determined under a court order or an order of an 
        administrative process established under State law, using a 
        method for updating the value of the lien on a regular basis or 
        allowing for an expedited inquiry to and response from a 
        governmental payee for proof of the amount of arrears, with an 
        expedited method for the titleholder or the individual owing 
        the arrearage to contest the arrearage or to request a release 
        upon fulfilling the support obligation, and under which such a 
        lien has precedence over all other encumbrances on a vehicle 
        title other than a purchase money security interest, and that 
        the individual owed the arrearage may execute on, seize, and 
        sell the property in accordance with State law.''.

SEC. 409. ATTACHMENT OF BANK ACCOUNTS.

    Section 466(a) (42 U.S.C. 666(a)), as amended by section 408 of 
this Act, is amended by inserting after paragraph (28) the following:
            ``(29) Procedures under which--
                    ``(A) amounts on deposit in a bank account may be 
                seized to satisfy child support arrearages determined 
                under a court order or an order of an administrative 
                process established under State law, solely through an 
                administrative process, pending notice to and an 
                expedited opportunity to be heard from the account 
                holder or holders; and
                    ``(B) if the account holder or holders fail to 
                successfully challenge the seizure (as determined under 
                State law), the bank may be required to pay from the 
                account to the entity with the right to collect the 
                arrearage the lesser of--
                            ``(i) the amount of the arrearage; or
                            ``(ii) the amount on deposit in the 
                        account.''.

SEC. 410. SEIZURE OF LOTTERY WINNINGS, SETTLEMENTS, PAYOUTS, AWARDS, 
              AND BEQUESTS, AND SALE OF FORFEITED PROPERTY, TO PAY 
              CHILD SUPPORT ARREARAGES.

    Section 466(a) (42 U.S.C. 666(a)), as amended by section 409 of 
this Act, is amended by inserting after paragraph (29) the following:
            ``(30) Procedures, in addition to other income withholding 
        procedures, under which a lien is imposed against property with 
        the following effect:
                    ``(A) The distributor of the winnings from a State 
                lottery or State-sanctioned or tribal-sanctioned 
                gambling house or casino shall--
                            ``(i) suspend payment of the winnings from 
                        the person otherwise entitled to the payment 
                        until an inquiry is made to and a response is 
                        received from the State child support 
                        enforcement agency as to whether the person 
                        owes a child support arrearage; and
                            ``(ii) if there is such an arrearage, 
                        withhold from the payment the lesser of the 
                        amount of the payment or the amount of the 
                        arrearage, and pay the amount withheld to the 
                        agency for distribution.
                    ``(B) The person required to make a payment under a 
                policy of insurance or a settlement of a claim made 
                with respect to the policy shall--
                            ``(i) suspend the payment until an inquiry 
                        is made to and a response received from the 
                        agency as to whether the person otherwise 
                        entitled to the payment owes a child support 
                        arrearage; and
                            ``(ii) if there is such an arrearage, 
                        withhold from the payment the lesser of the 
                        amount of the payment or the amount of the 
                        arrearage, and pay the amount withheld to the 
                        agency for distribution.
                    ``(C) The payor of any amount pursuant to an award, 
                judgment, or settlement in any action brought in 
                Federal or State court shall--
                            ``(i) suspend the payment of the amount 
                        until an inquiry is made to and a response is 
                        received from the agency as to whether the 
                        person otherwise entitled to the payment owes a 
                        child support arrearage; and
                            ``(ii) if there is such an arrearage, 
                        withhold from the payment the lesser of the 
                        amount of the payment or the amount of the 
                        arrearage, and pay the amount withheld to the 
                        agency for distribution.
                    ``(D) If the State seizes property forfeited to the 
                State by an individual by reason of a criminal 
                conviction, the State shall--
                            ``(i) hold the property until an inquiry is 
                        made to and a response is received from the 
                        agency as to whether the individual owes a 
                        child support arrearage; and
                            ``(ii) if there is such an arrearage, sell 
                        the property and, after satisfying the claims 
                        of all other private or public claimants to the 
                        property and deducting from the proceeds of the 
                        sale the attendant costs (such as for towing, 
                        storage, and the sale), pay the lesser of the 
                        remaining proceeds or the amount of the 
                        arrearage directly to the agency for 
                        distribution.
                    ``(E) Any person required to make a payment in 
                respect of a decedent shall--
                            ``(i) suspend the payment until an inquiry 
                        is made to and a response received from the 
                        agency as to whether the person otherwise 
                        entitled to the payment owes a child support 
                        arrearage; and
                            ``(ii) if there is such an arrearage, 
                        withhold from the payment the lesser of the 
                        amount of the payment or the amount of the 
                        arrearage, and pay the amount withheld to the 
                        agency for distribution.''.

SEC. 411. FRAUDULENT TRANSFER PURSUIT.

    Section 466(a) (42 U.S.C. 666(a)), as amended by section 410 of 
this Act, is amended by inserting after paragraph (30) the following:
            ``(31) Procedures requiring that, in any case related to 
        child support, any transfer of property by an individual who 
        owes a child support arrearage shall be presumed to be made 
        with the intent to avoid payment of the arrearage, and may be 
        rebutted by evidence to the contrary.''.

SEC. 412. FULL IRS COLLECTION.

    (a) Sense of the Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that 
the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service should instruct the 
field offices and agents of the Internal Revenue Service to give a high 
priority to requests for the use of full collection in delinquent child 
support cases, and to set uniform standards for full collection to 
ensure its expeditious and effective implementation.
    (b) Simplified Procedure.--The Secretary of the Treasury, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall by 
regulation simplify the full collection process under section 6305 of 
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and reduce the amount of child 
support arrearage needed before an individual may apply for collection 
under such section.

SEC. 413. TAX REFUND OFFSET PROGRAM EXPANDED TO COVER NON-AFDC POST-
              MINOR CHILDREN.

    Section 464(c) (42 U.S.C. 664(c)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), 
        as'' and inserting ``As'';
            (2) by inserting ``(whether or not a minor)'' after ``a 
        child'' each place such term appears; and
            (3) by striking paragraphs (2) and (3).

SEC. 414. ATTACHMENT OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE RETIREMENT FUNDS.

    Section 466(a) (42 U.S.C. 666(a)), as amended by section 411 of 
this Act, is amended by inserting after paragraph (31) the following:
            ``(32) Procedures under which an individual owed a child 
        support arrearage (determined under a court order or an order 
        of an administrative process established under State law) may, 
        notwithstanding section 401(a)(13) of the Internal Revenue Code 
        of 1986, attach any interest in any public or private 
        retirement plan of the individual who owes the support, without 
        the requirement of a separate court order, and with notice and 
        an expedited hearing provided if requested by the individual 
        who owes the support.''.

SEC. 415. STATUTES OF LIMITATION.

    (a) In General.--Section 466(a) (42 U.S.C. 666(a)), as amended by 
section 414 of this Act, is amended by inserting after paragraph (32) 
the following:
            ``(33) Procedures which permit the enforcement of any child 
        support order until the child attains at least 30 years of 
        age.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by this section shall apply 
to orders entered before, on, and after the date of the enactment of 
this Act.

SEC. 416. INTEREST.

    Section 466(a) (42 U.S.C. 666(a)), as amended by section 415(a) of 
this Act, is amended by inserting after paragraph (33) the following:
            ``(34) Procedures under which the State child support 
        enforcement agency must assess and collect interest on all 
        child support judgments, at the rate determined for interest on 
        money judgments, in addition to any late payment fee imposed by 
        the State under section 454(21).''.

SEC. 417. ARMED FORCES COOPERATION IN ENFORCEMENT OF SUPPORT 
              OBLIGATIONS OF MEMBERS AND FORMER MEMBERS OF THE ARMED 
              FORCES.

    (a) Enforcement of Support Obligations.--(1) Chapter 40 of title 
10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following 
new section:
``Sec. 709. Leave for attendance at child support or related hearings; 
              availability of personnel locator service information
    ``(a) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            ``(1) The term `authorized person' has the meaning given 
        that term in section 453(c) of the Social Security Act (42 
        U.S.C. 653(c)).
            ``(2) The term `child support' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 462(b) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
        662).
            ``(3) The term `court' has the meaning given that term in 
        section 1408(a)(1) of this title.
    ``(b) Facilitating the Granting of Leave for Attendance at 
Hearings.--
            ``(1) Regulations required.--The Secretary concerned shall 
        prescribe regulations to facilitate the granting of a leave of 
        absence to a member of the armed forces under the jurisdiction 
        of that Secretary when necessary for the member to attend a 
        hearing of a court that is conducted in connection with a civil 
        action--
                    ``(A) to determine whether the member is a natural 
                parent of a child; or
                    ``(B) to determine an obligation of the member to 
                provide child support.
            ``(2) Waiver authority.--The regulations prescribed under 
        paragraph (1) may authorize a waiver of the applicability of 
        the regulations to a member of the armed forces when--
                    ``(A) the member is serving in an area of combat 
                operations; or
                    ``(B) such a waiver is otherwise necessary in the 
                national security interest of the United States.
    ``(c) Availability of Current Locator Information.--
            ``(1) Maintenance of address information.--Each worldwide 
        personnel locator service of the armed forces and each 
        personnel locator service of the armed forces maintained for a 
        military installation shall include the residential address of 
        each member of the armed forces listed in such service. Within 
        30 days after a change of duty station or residential address 
        of a member listed in a locator service, the Secretary 
        concerned shall update the locator service to indicate the new 
        residential address of the member.
            ``(2) Availability of information.--The Secretary of 
        Defense shall prescribe regulations to make information 
        regarding the residential address of a member of the armed 
        forces available, on request, to any authorized person for the 
        purposes of part D of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 
        U.S.C. 651 et seq.).''.
    (2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is 
amended by adding at the end the following new item:

``709. Leave for attendance at child support or related hearings; 
                            availability of personnel locator service 
                            information.''.
    (b) Payment of Military Retired Pay in Compliance With Court 
Orders.--
            (1) Date of certification of court order.--Section 1408 of 
        title 10, United States Code, is amended--
                    (A) by redesignating subsection (i) as subsection 
                (j); and
                    (B) by inserting after subsection (h) the following 
                new subsection:
    ``(i) Certification Date.--It is not necessary that the date of a 
certification of the authenticity or completeness of a copy of a court 
order for child support received by the Secretary concerned for the 
purposes of this section be recent in relation to the date of 
receipt.''.
            (2) Payments consistent with assignments of rights to 
        states.--Subsection (d)(1) of such section is amended by 
        inserting after the first sentence the following: ``In the case 
        of a spouse or former spouse who, pursuant to section 
        402(a)(26) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 602(26)), 
        assigns to a State the rights of the spouse or former spouse to 
        receive support, the Secretary concerned may make the child 
        support payments referred to in the preceding sentence to that 
        State in amounts consistent with the assignment of rights.''.
            (3) Rule of construction.--Subsection (c)(2) of such 
        section is amended--
                    (A) by inserting after the first sentence the 
                following: ``The second sentence of subsection (d)(1) 
                shall not be construed to create any such right, title, 
                or interest.'';
                    (B) by inserting ``(A)'' after ``(2)''; and
                    (C) by designating the last sentence as 
                subparagraph (B) and conforming the margins 
                accordingly.
    (c) Arrearages owed by members of the uniformed services.--Part D 
of title IV (42 U.S.C. 651-669) is amended by inserting after section 
465 the following:

``SEC. 465A. PAYMENT OF CHILD SUPPORT ARREARAGES OWED BY MEMBERS OF THE 
              UNIFORMED SERVICES.

    ``Any authority, requirement, or procedure provided in this part or 
section 1408 of title 10, United States Code, that applies to the 
payment of child support owed by a member of the uniformed services (as 
defined in section 101 of title 37, United States Code) shall apply to 
the payment of child support arrearages as well as to amounts of child 
support that are currently due.''.

SEC. 418. STATES REQUIRED TO ENACT THE UNIFORM INTERSTATE FAMILY 
              SUPPORT ACT.

    (a) In General.--Section 466 (42 U.S.C. 666) is amended by adding 
at the end the following:
    ``(f) In order to satisfy section 454(20)(A), each State must have 
in effect laws which--
            ``(1) adopt verbatim the officially approved version of the 
        Uniform Interstate Family Support Act adopted by the National 
        Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws in August 
        1992; and
            ``(2) require the courts of the State to recognize 
        according to its terms an order issued by a court of any other 
        State adjudicating parentage of an individual over whom the 
        court of such other State has exercised personal 
        jurisdiction.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
apply to payments under part D of title IV of the Social Security Act 
for calendar quarters ending 2 or more years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.

SEC. 419. IRS RECONCILIATION PROCESS.

    (a) In General.--The Comptroller General and the Secretary of the 
Treasury shall jointly conduct a study of the feasibility of a 
procedure under which--
            (1) past-due child support is collected from the taxpayer 
        owing such support by increasing the taxpayer's tax liability 
        for a taxable year by the past-due child support for such 
        taxable year, and
            (2) the Internal Revenue Service remits the collected past-
        due child support to the individual or governmental agency 
        entitled to receive it.
    (b) Form.--As part of the study, the Secretary of the Treasury 
shall develop an appropriate form which could be filed with a 
taxpayer's income tax return and which shows--
            (1) the child support required to be paid by the taxpayer 
        during the taxable year,
            (2) the unpaid amount of such support as of the time of 
        filing the taxpayer's income tax return for such taxable year, 
        and
            (3) the name and address of the individual or governmental 
        agency entitled to receive any payment of such unpaid amount.
    (c) Report.--The report of such study shall be submitted to 
Congress not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.

SEC. 420. DENIAL OF PASSPORTS TO NONCUSTODIAL PARENTS SUBJECT TO STATE 
              ARREST WARRANTS IN CASES OF NONPAYMENT OF CHILD SUPPORT.

    The Secretary of State is authorized to refuse a passport or 
revoke, restrict, or limit a passport in any case in which the 
Secretary of State determines or is informed by competent authority 
that the applicant or passport holder is a noncustodial parent who is 
the subject of an outstanding State warrant of arrest for nonpayment of 
child support, where the amount in controversy is not less than 
$10,000.

SEC. 421. DENIAL OF FEDERAL BENEFITS, LOANS, GUARANTEES, AND EMPLOYMENT 
              TO CERTAIN PERSONS WITH LARGE CHILD SUPPORT ARREARAGES.

    (a) Benefits, Loans, and Guarantees.--Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, each agency or instrumentality of the Federal 
Government may not, under any program that the agency or 
instrumentality supervises or administers, provide a benefit to, make a 
loan to, or provide any guarantee for the benefit of, any person--
            (1) whose child support arrearages, determined under a 
        court order or an order of an administrative process 
        established under State law, exceed $1,000; and
            (2) who is not in compliance with a plan or an agreement to 
        repay the arrearages.
    (b) Employment.--
            (1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
        law, an individual shall be considered ineligible to accept 
        employment in a position in the Federal Government if--
                    (A) such individual has child support arrearages, 
                determined under a court order or an order of an 
                administrative process established under State law, 
                exceeding $1,000; and
                    (B) such individual is not in compliance with a 
                plan or agreement to repay the arrearages.
            (2) Regulations.--Regulations to carry out paragraph (1) 
        shall--
                    (A) with respect to positions in the executive 
                branch, be prescribed by the President (or his 
                designee);
                    (B) with respect to positions in the legislative 
                branch, be prescribed jointly by the President pro 
                tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of 
                Representatives (or their designees); and
                    (C) with respect to positions in the judicial 
                branch, be prescribed by the Chief Justice of the 
                United States (or his designee).
            (3) Child support defined.--For purposes of this 
        subsection, the term ``child support'' has the meaning given 
        such term in section 462(b) of the Social Security Act.

SEC. 422. STATES REQUIRED TO ORDER COURTS TO ALLOW ASSIGNMENT OF LIFE 
              INSURANCE BENEFITS TO SATISFY CHILD SUPPORT ARREARAGES.

    Section 466(a) (42 U.S.C. 666(a)), as amended by section 416 of 
this Act, is amended by inserting after paragraph (34) the following:
            ``(35) Procedures allowing State courts to--
                    ``(A) order the issuer of a life insurance policy 
                to change the beneficiary provisions of the policy to 
                effect an assignment of the benefits payable to a 
                beneficiary under the policy, in whole or in part, to a 
                child to satisfy a child support arrearage, determined 
                under a court order or an order of an administrative 
                process established under State law, owed by the 
                beneficiary with respect to the child; and
                    ``(B) prohibit the sale, assignment, or pledge as 
                collateral of the policy, in whole or in part, by the 
                beneficiary of the policy.''.

SEC. 423. INTERESTS IN JOINTLY HELD PROPERTY SUBJECT TO ASSIGNMENT TO 
              SATISFY CHILD SUPPORT ARREARAGES.

    Section 466(a) (42 U.S.C. 666(a)), as amended by section 422 of 
this Act, is amended by inserting after paragraph (35) the following:
            ``(36) Procedures allowing State courts to order the 
        assignment of an interest in jointly held property to an 
        individual owed a child support arrearage (determined under a 
        court order or an order of an administrative process 
        established under State law) by a holder of an interest in the 
        property, to the extent of the arrearage.''.

SEC. 424. INTERNATIONAL CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT.

    (a) Sense of the Congress That the United States Should Ratify the 
United Nations Convention of 1956.--It is the sense of the Congress 
that the United States should ratify the United Nations Convention of 
1956.
    (b) Treatment of International Child Support Cases as Interstate 
Cases.--Section 454 (42 U.S.C. 654), as amended by section 301(a)(1) of 
this Act, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (26);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (27) and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (27) the following:
            ``(28) provide that the State must treat international 
        child support cases in the same manner as the State treats 
        interstate child support cases.''.

                  TITLE V--COLLECTION AND DISTRIBUTION

SEC. 501. PRIORITIES IN DISTRIBUTION OF COLLECTED CHILD SUPPORT.

    (a) State Distribution Plan.--Section 457 (42 U.S.C. 657) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(e) The amounts that a State collects as child support (including 
interest) pursuant to a plan approved under this part, other than 
amounts so collected through a tax refund offset, shall (subject to 
subsection (d)) be paid--
            ``(1) first to the individual owed the support or (if the 
        individual assigned to the State the payment of the support) to 
        the State, to the extent necessary to satisfy the current 
        month's support obligation;
            ``(2) then to the individual owed the support, to the 
        extent necessary to satisfy any arrearage that accrued after 
        assistance with respect to the child under this title ended;
            ``(3) then, at the option of the State--
                    ``(A) to the individual owed the support, to the 
                extent necessary to satisfy any arrearage that accrued 
                before assistance was provided with respect to the 
                child under this title; or
                    ``(B) to the State, to the extent necessary to 
                reimburse the State for assistance provided with 
                respect to the child under this title (without 
                interest); and
            ``(4) then to other States, to the extent necessary to 
        reimburse such other States for assistance provided with 
        respect to the child under this title (without interest), in 
        the order in which such assistance was provided.''.
    (b) Study and Pilot Projects.--
            (1) In general.--The Comptroller General of the United 
        States shall conduct studies and pilot projects of systems 
        under which States would be required to pay the child support 
        collected pursuant to a State plan approved under part D of 
        title IV of the Social Security Act to the individuals to whom 
        the support is owed before making any payment to reimburse any 
        State for assistance provided with respect to the child under 
        part A of such title.
            (2) Report to the congress.--Within 3 years after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall 
submit to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate a report on 
each study and pilot project conducted pursuant to paragraph (1), 
including a cost-benefit analysis and an analysis of the costs that 
would be avoided under the program of aid to families with dependent 
children under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act, the 
program of medical assistance under title XIX of such Act, and the food 
stamp program under the Food Stamp Act of 1977, if the various systems 
studied were implemented.
            (3) Sense of the congress.--It is the sense of the Congress 
        that, if the report submitted pursuant to paragraph (2) 
        demonstrates that there would be a net benefit to society if a 
        system described in paragraph (1) were implemented, then 
        Federal law should provide that States implement the system.
    (c) Revision of Federal Income Tax Refund Offset.--Section 6402 of 
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to authority to make 
credits or refunds) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (c), by striking ``after any other 
        reductions allowed by law (but before'' and inserting ``before 
        any other reductions allowed by law (and before''; and
            (2) in subsection (d), by striking ``with respect to past-
        due support collected pursuant to an assignment under section 
        402(a)(26) of the Social Security Act''.
    (d) $50 Disregarded for All Means-Tested Programs.--Section 
457(b)(1) (42 U.S.C. 657(b)(1)) is amended by inserting ``under this 
part or under any other Federal program which determines eligibility 
for or the amount of assistance based on the income or assets of the 
applicant for or recipient of the assistance'' after ``during such 
month''.
    (e) Fill-The-Gap Policies Allowed.--Section 402(a)(28) (42 U.S.C. 
602(a)(28)) is amended by striking the open parenthesis and all that 
follows through the close parenthesis.

SEC. 502. STATE CLAIMS AGAINST NONCUSTODIAL PARENT LIMITED TO 
              ASSISTANCE PROVIDED TO THE CHILD.

    Section 466(a) (42 U.S.C. 666(a)), as amended by section 423 of 
this Act, is amended by inserting after paragraph (36) the following:
            ``(37)(A) Procedures under which any claims the State may 
        have against a noncustodial parent for a child's portion of the 
        assistance provided under a State plan approved under part A 
        shall not exceed the amount specified as child support under a 
        court or administrative order.
            ``(B) As used in subparagraph (A), the term `child's 
        portion' means the assistance that would have been provided 
        with respect to the child if the needs of the caretaker 
        relative of the child had not been taken into account in making 
        the determination with respect to the child's family under 
        section 402(a)(7).''.

SEC. 503. FEES FOR NON-AFDC CLIENTS.

    (a) In General.--Section 454(6) (42 U.S.C. 654(6)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``or recovered'' and 
        all that follows through ``program)'';
            (2) in subparagraph (C), by inserting ``on the parent who 
        owes the child or spousal support obligation involved'' after 
        ``imposed'';
            (3) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``individual who'' and 
        inserting ``the noncustodial parent if the child whose 
        parentage is to be determined through the tests''; and
            (4) in subparagraph (E), by striking all that follows ``may 
        be collected'' and inserting ``from the parent who owes the 
        child or spousal support obligation involved, but only after 
        all current and past-due support and interest charges have been 
        collected''.
    (b) Publication of Fee Schedules.--Section 454(10) (42 U.S.C. 
654(10)) is amended by inserting ``, and shall publish guidelines and 
schedules of fees which may be imposed under paragraph (6), and which 
shall be reasonable'' before the semicolon.

SEC. 504. COLLECTION AND DISBURSEMENT POINTS FOR CHILD SUPPORT.

    Section 454 (42 U.S.C. 654), as amended by section 424(b) of this 
Act, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (27);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (28) and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (28) the following:
            ``(29) provide for only 1 location, or several local or 
        regional locations for the collection of, accounting for, and 
        disbursement of child support in cases enforced under the State 
        plan under this part.''.

SEC. 505. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS THAT STATES SHOULD ENCOURAGE PARENTS TO 
              USE THE STATE CHILD SUPPORT AGENCY TO COLLECT AND PROCESS 
              CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENTS.

    It is the sense of the Congress that States should encourage all 
parents to use the state child support agency to process and distribute 
child support payments in order to establish an official record of such 
payments.

                         TITLE VI--FEDERAL ROLE

SEC. 601. PLACEMENT AND ROLE OF THE OFFICE OF CHILD SUPPORT 
              ENFORCEMENT.

    Section 452(a) (42 U.S.C. 652(a)), as amended by section 401(b) of 
this Act, is amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ``, 
        under the direction'' and all that follows through ``and who'' 
        and inserting ``which shall be known as the Office of Child 
        Support Enforcement, shall be under the direction of an 
        Assistant Secretary appointed by the President with the advice 
        and consent of the Senate, and shall have its own legal 
        counsel. The Assistant Secretary shall report directly to the 
        Secretary and'';
            (2) in paragraph (10)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``using a 
                methodology that reflects cost-avoidance as well as 
                cost-recovery'' after ``the States and the Federal 
                Government'';
                    (B) by redesignating subparagraphs (H) and (I) as 
                subparagraphs (I) and (J), respectively; and
                    (C) by inserting after subparagraph (G) the 
                following:
                    ``(H) the budgetary allocation of the $50 pass 
                through equally between part A and this part;'';
            (3) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (13);
            (4) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (14) and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (5) by inserting after paragraph (14) the following:
            ``(15) initiate and actively pursue with other Federal 
        agencies, such as the Department of Defense, coordinated 
        efforts on Federal legislation.''.

SEC. 602. TRAINING.

    (a) Federal Training Assistance.--Section 452(a)(7) (42 U.S.C. 
652(a)(7)) is amended by inserting ``and training'' after ``technical 
assistance''.
    (b) State Training Program.--Section 454 (42 U.S.C. 654), as 
amended by section 504 of this Act, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (28);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (29) and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (29) the following:
            ``(30) provide that the State will develop and implement a 
        training program under which training is to be provided not 
        less frequently than annually to all personnel performing 
        functions under the State plan.''.
    (c) Report.--Section 452(a)(10) (42 U.S.C. 652(a)(10)), as amended 
by section 601(2) of this Act, is amended by redesignating 
subparagraphs (I) and (J) as subparagraphs (J) and (K), respectively, 
and by inserting after subparagraph (H) the following:
                    ``(I) the training activities at the Federal and 
                State levels, the training audit, and the amounts 
                expended on training;''.

SEC. 603. STAFFING.

    (a) Studies.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
conduct and, not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, complete staffing studies for each State child support 
enforcement program, including each agency and court involved in the 
child support process.
    (b) Report to the Congress.--Within 90 days after the end of the 1-
year period described in subsection (a), the Secretary shall report to 
the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Finance of the Senate, and to each State, the results of 
the studies required by subsection (a).
    (c) Implementation.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
shall reduce by 2 percent the amount otherwise payable to a State 
pursuant to section 455(a)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act for any 
calendar quarter ending 2 or more years after the State receives a 
report transmitted pursuant to subsection (b), if the Secretary 
determines that, during the quarter, the State has not implemented the 
staffing levels recommended in the report.

SEC. 604. DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS TO TEST ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO 
              INCENTIVE FUNDING FOR STATE CHILD SUPPORT PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
authorize 3 States to carry out demonstration projects under which--
            (1) the State is to implement the State plan approved under 
        part D of title IV of the Social Security Act so as to promote 
        quality control and provide incentives for enforcement of 
        health care support;
            (2) in lieu of applying subsections (b) and (c) of section 
        458 of such Act to the States, the incentive payment to a State 
        for a fiscal year shall be--
                    (A) not less than 65 percent of the total amount 
                expended to carry out the plan during the fiscal year 
                if the performance of the State in implementing the 
                plan meets such minimum performance standards as the 
                Secretary shall prescribe by regulation; and
                    (B) not more than 90 percent of such total amount 
                if the performance significantly exceeds the standards; 
                and
            (3) a payment to a State under this subsection is deemed a 
        payment to the State under such section 458.
    (b) Report.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services and the 
Comptroller General of the United States shall evaluate each 
demonstration project carried out under subsection (a) and report to 
the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Finance of the Senate the results and their 
recommendations.
    (c) Health Care Support Included in Incentive Payment Formula.--
Section 458 (42 U.S.C. 658) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
    ``(f) For purposes of this section, the term `support' includes 
premiums paid for health insurance coverage pursuant to a support 
order.''.
    (d) Minimum State Funding of Child Support Activities.--The 
Secretary of Health and Human Services shall reduce by 2 percent the 
amount otherwise payable to a State pursuant to section 455(a)(1)(A) of 
the Social Security Act for any of the 5 fiscal years that begin after 
the date of the enactment of this Act (in this subsection referred to 
as ``investment years''), if the Secretary determines that, during the 
investment year, the State has not expended on the program under the 
State plan approved under part D of title IV of such an amount equal to 
the sum of--
            (1) the amount the State expends on the program during the 
        fiscal year in which this Act becomes law (in this subsection 
        referred to as the ``base year''); plus
            (2)(A) in the case of the 1st investment year, 60 percent 
        of the amount paid to the State under section 458 of such Act 
        for the base year;
            (B) in the case of the 2nd investment year, 70 percent of 
        the amount so paid to the State;
            (C) in the case of the 3rd investment year, 80 percent of 
        the amount so paid to the State;
            (D) in the case of the 4th investment year, 90 percent of 
        the amount so paid to the State; and
            (E) in the case of the 5th investment year, 100 percent of 
        the amount so paid to the State.
    (e) Sense of the Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that 
States should not use amounts paid to the States pursuant to part D of 
title IV of the Social Security Act, which are reinvested in child 
support activities, to supplant State funding of such activities.

SEC. 605. CHILD SUPPORT DEFINITION.

    (a) In General.--Section 452 (42 U.S.C. 652) is amended by adding 
at the end the following:
    ``(j) For purposes of this part, the term `child support' shall 
have the meaning given such term in section 462(b).''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 462(b) (42 U.S.C. 662(b)) is 
amended--
            (1) by inserting ``and lump sum'' after ``periodic'', and
            (2) by inserting ``child care,'' after ``clothing,''.

SEC. 606. AUDITS.

    (a) Study.--
            (1) Contract authority.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services shall enter into a contract for a study of the audit 
        process of the Office of Child Support Enforcement to develop 
        criteria and methodology for auditing the activities of State 
        child support enforcement agencies pursuant to part D of title 
        IV of the Social Security Act.
            (2) Design of study.--The study shall be designed to--
                    (A) identify ways to improve the auditing process, 
                including by--
                            (i) reducing the resources required to 
                        perform the audit;
                            (ii) simplifying procedures for States to 
                        follow in obtaining samples;
                            (iii) studying the feasibility of sampling 
                        cases for needed action rather than requiring 
                        sampling plans for each audit criterion; and
                            (iv) a more timely audit period of review; 
                        and
                    (B) develop a penalty process which--
                            (i) focuses on improving the delivery of 
                        child support services and not harming 
                        families;
                            (ii) uses a penalty not tied to any 
                        reduction of funds payable to States under part 
                        A of title IV of the Social Security Act; and
                            (iii) should include the escrowing of funds 
                        withheld as penalties for use by States to 
                        improve their child support programs in a 
                        manner approved by the Secretary of Health and 
                        Human Services.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 90 days after completion of the study 
required by subsection (a), the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
shall submit to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate a report on 
the results of the study.
    (c) Limitation on Cases Included in Audits.--Section 452(a)(4) (42 
U.S.C. 652(a)(4)) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(A)'' after ``(4)'';
            (2) by adding ``and'' at the end; and
            (3) by adding after and below the end the following:
            ``(B) notwithstanding subparagraph (A), each audit under 
        subparagraph (A) shall be limited to cases open on the date the 
        audit begins and cases closed within 180 days before such date, 
        unless the Secretary has determined, in accordance with 
        regulations, that there is a need for a longitudinal review of 
        case handling that includes cases that have been closed for 
        more than 180 days;''.

SEC. 607. CHILD SUPPORT ASSURANCE DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.

    (a) Sense of the Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that 
children should have a consistent source of income to meet their 
education and medical needs.
    (b) Sense of the Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that 
the provision of public assistance to a custodial parent for the 
support of a child with respect to whom a noncustodial parent owes 
child support does not absolve the noncustodial parent of the 
obligation to provide such support.
    (c) Sense of the Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that 
the States must continue to vigorously pursue efforts to establish 
parentage, and establish and enforce child support obligations.
    (d) Child Support Assurance Demonstration Projects.--
            (1) Purpose.--The purpose of this subsection is to test the 
        feasibility and utility of ensuring that custodial parents owed 
        child support have a consistent source of income for the 
        support of their children, by authorizing States to conduct 
        projects demonstrating various methods for doing so.
            (2) Consideration of applications.--
                    (A) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
                Services (in this section referred to as the 
                ``Secretary'') shall consider applications to conduct 
                demonstration projects under this subsection received 
                only from eligible States.
                    (B) Eligible state defined.--For purposes of 
                subparagraph (A), a State is an eligible State if--
                            (i) the child support collection ratio for 
                        the State for the most recent fiscal year for 
                        which such information is available exceeds the 
                        child support collection ratio for the United 
                        States for the fiscal year; or
                            (ii) AFDC support collection ratio for the 
                        State for the most recent fiscal year for which 
                        such information is available exceeds the AFDC 
                        support collection ratio for the United States 
                        for the fiscal year.
                    (C) Child support collection ratio.--As used in 
                subparagraph (B), the term ``child support collection 
                ratio'' means, with respect to a fiscal year--
                            (i) for a State--
                                    (I) the total amount expended by 
                                the State during the fiscal year for 
                                the operation of the plan approved 
                                under section 454 of the Social 
                                Security Act; divided by
                                    (II) the total amount of support 
                                collected by the State during the 
                                fiscal year in all cases under part D 
                                of title IV of such Act; and
                            (ii) for the United States--
                                    (I) the total amount expended by 
                                the States during the fiscal year for 
                                the operation of the plans approved 
                                under such section; divided by
                                    (II) the total amount of support 
                                collected by the States during the 
                                fiscal year in all cases under such 
                                part.
                    (D) AFDC support collection ratio.--As used in 
                subparagraph (B), the term ``AFDC support collection 
                ratio'' means, with respect to a fiscal year--
                            (i) for a State--
                                    (I) the total amount expended by 
                                the State during the fiscal year for 
                                the operation of the plan approved 
                                under section 454 of the Social 
                                Security Act; divided by
                                    (II) the total amount of support 
                                collected by the State under the plan 
                                during the fiscal year in cases in 
                                which the support obligation involved 
                                is assigned to the State pursuant to 
                                section 402(a)(26) or section 
                                471(a)(17) of such Act; and
                            (ii) for the United States--
                                    (I) the total amount expended by 
                                the States during the fiscal year for 
                                the operation of the plans approved 
                                under such section 454; divided by
                                    (II) the total amount of support 
                                collected by the States under the plans 
                                during the fiscal year in cases in 
                                which the support obligation involved 
                                is assigned to a State pursuant to 
                                section 402(a)(26) or section 
                                471(a)(17) of such Act.
            (3) Application requirements.--Each application of a State 
        to conduct a demonstration project under this subsection must 
        describe a demonstration project that meets the following 
        requirements:
                    (A) Project beneficiaries.--A child support 
                assurance benefit is payable under the project to the 
                caretaker of a child if--
                            (i) the child is an eligible child; and
                            (ii) the caretaker has applied for services 
                        under the State plan approved under part D of 
                        title IV of the Social Security Act.
                    (B) Eligible children.--A child is an eligible 
                child if--
                            (i) the child resides in the State;
                            (ii) the child has a living noncustodial 
                        parent;
                            (iii) a good faith effort has been made to 
                        seek or enforce an order for such parent to 
                        provide support for the child, or there is good 
                        cause for not seeking or enforcing such an 
                        order; and
                            (iv) any rights to support owed the child 
                        have been assigned to the State, to the extent 
                        of the child support assurance benefits 
                        received with respect to the child under the 
                        project.
                    (C) Amount of child support assurance benefit.--The 
                amount of the child support assurance benefit payable 
                under the project to the caretaker of 1 or more 
                eligible children is the amount by which--
                            (i) the child support assurance threshold; 
                        exceeds
                            (ii) the dollar value of the child support 
                        (if any) received during the month by the 
                        caretaker from the noncustodial parent for the 
                        support of any eligible child.
                    (D) Child support assurance threshold.--The child 
                support assurance threshold is \1/12\ of--
                            (i) $2,000 for the 1st eligible child; plus
                            (ii) $1,000 for the 2nd eligible child (if 
                        any); plus
                            (iii) $500 for each subsequent eligible 
                        child (if any).
            (4) Methods to be tested.--In approving applications to 
        conduct demonstration projects under this subsection, the 
        Secretary shall ensure that the applications approved under 
        this subsection describe projects which, in the aggregate, are 
        designed to test the following:
                    (A) Administrative versus other processing.--The 
                feasibility of implementing a statewide child support 
                assurance benefit in a State which processes child 
                support and parentage cases administratively, as 
                opposed to the feasibility of implementing such a 
                benefit in a State which processes such cases only 
                judicially or quasi-judicially.
                    (B) Allowance of good cause exceptions.--The 
                effects of prohibiting the provision of a child support 
                assurance benefit with respect to a child unless an 
                order for the support of the child has been established 
                and the caretaker of the child has made a good faith 
                effort to enforce the order, as opposed to allowing 
                good cause exceptions to the prohibition.
                    (C) Timing of benefits.--The effects of providing 
                child support assurance benefits immediately upon the 
                establishment of a child support order, as opposed to 
                providing such benefits only after a period (determined 
                by the Secretary) of nonreceipt of child support. The 
                Secretary may select 1 or more such periods to be 
                tested in different demonstration projects.
                    (D) Relationship of benefits to other income and 
                benefits.--The effects of reducing the amount payable 
                with respect to a child under the State plan approved 
                under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act by 
                a portion (determined by the Secretary) of the child 
                support assurance benefit provided by the State with 
                respect to the child, as opposed to reducing the child 
                support assurance benefit provided by the State with 
                respect to the child by a portion (determined by the 
                Secretary) of the earned income of the family of the 
                child. The Secretary may select 1 or more such portions 
                of benefits or of earned income to be tested in 
                different demonstration projects.
            (5) Priority to be given to projects that include work 
        incentives.--In approving applications to conduct demonstration 
        projects under this subsection, the Secretary shall give 
        priority among otherwise equivalent applications to 
        applications that describe projects that include work 
        incentives for participants.
            (6) Approval of certain applications.--The Secretary shall 
        approve not more than 5 applications to conduct demonstration 
        projects under this subsection which appear likely to 
        contribute significantly to the achievement of the purpose of 
        this subsection.
            (7) Other requirements.--Each State whose application to 
        conduct a demonstration project under this subsection has been 
        approved by the Secretary shall conduct the project in 
        accordance with such regulations as the Secretary may 
        prescribe.
            (8) Funding.--From the sums appropriated to carry out this 
        subsection, the Secretary shall pay to each State whose 
        application to conduct a demonstration project under this 
        subsection has been approved by the Secretary, for each month, 
        an amount equal to--
                    (A) 90 percent of the aggregate amount of the child 
                support assurance benefits paid by the State during the 
                month if, during the month, the project has met such 
                performance goals as the Secretary has established for 
                the project; or
                    (B) 80 percent of such aggregate amount, otherwise.
            (9) Modified priority of distribution of child support 
        collected for children with respect to whom child support 
        assurance benefit is paid.--In lieu of paragraph (1) of section 
        457(e) of the Social Security Act, child support collected from 
        a noncustodial parent of a child with respect to whom a child 
        support assurance benefit is paid under a demonstration project 
        conducted under this subsection shall (subject to section 
        457(d) of such Act) be paid--
                    (A) first to the State, to the extent necessary to 
                reimburse the State for the portion of the benefit not 
                paid from funds provided under paragraph (8) of this 
                subsection; and
                    (B) then to the Federal Government, to the extent 
                necessary to reimburse the Federal Government for the 
                portion of the benefit paid from funds provided under 
                paragraph (8) of this subsection.
            (10) Duration of projects.--
                    (A) In general.--Each State whose application to 
                conduct a demonstration project under this subsection 
                has been approved by the Secretary shall conduct the 
                project for not less than 3 years and not more than 5 
                years.
                    (B) Authority to terminate projects.--The Secretary 
                may terminate a demonstration project conducted under 
                this subsection if the Secretary determines that the 
                project is not being conducted consistent with or 
                satisfactorily under this subsection.
            (11) Evaluations.--Each State which conducts a 
        demonstration project under this subsection shall prepare and 
        submit to the Secretary an interim and a final evaluation of 
        the project with respect to the impact of the project on--
                    (A) the economic and noneconomic well-being of the 
                participants in the project and of the work force 
                generally; and
                    (B) participation in and expenditures under the 
                program of the State under the State plan approved 
                under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act.
            (12) Report to the congress.--Within 1 year after the 
        completion of all demonstration projects conducted under this 
        subsection, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Ways 
        and Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
        Finance of the Senate a report that contains a consolidated 
        evaluation of the projects.

SEC. 608. CHILDREN'S TRUST FUND.

    (a) Designation of Contributions.--
            (1) In general.--Subchapter A of chapter 61 of the Internal 
        Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to returns and records) is 
        amended by adding at the end thereof the following new part:

           ``PART IX--CONTRIBUTIONS TO CHILDREN'S TRUST FUND

                              ``Sec. 6097. Amounts for Children's Trust 
                                        Fund.

``SEC. 6097. AMOUNTS FOR CHILDREN'S TRUST FUND.

    ``Each taxpayer may include with such taxpayer's return of tax 
imposed by chapter 1 for any taxable year a contribution by the 
taxpayer to the Children's Trust Fund.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of parts for subchapter 
        A of chapter 61 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended 
        by adding at the end thereof the following new item:

                              ``Part IX--Contributions for Children's 
                                        Trust Fund.''.
            (3) Effective date.--The amendments made by this subsection 
        shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 1994.
    (b) Establishment of Children's Trust Fund.--
            (1) In general.--Subchapter A of chapter 98 of the Internal 
        Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to the trust fund code) is 
        amended by adding at the end thereof the following new section:

``SEC. 9512. CHILDREN'S TRUST FUND.

    ``(a) Creation of Trust Fund.--There is established in the Treasury 
of the United States a trust fund to be known as the `Children's Trust 
Fund', consisting of such amounts as may be appropriated or credited to 
the Trust Fund as provided in this section or section 9602(b).
    ``(b) Transfer to Children's Trust Fund of Amounts Designated.--
There is hereby appropriated to the Children's Trust Fund amounts 
equivalent to the amounts contributed to such Trust Fund under section 
6097.
    ``(c) Expenditures From Trust Fund.--
            ``(1) In general.--Amounts in the Children's Trust Fund 
        shall be available for making expenditures for programs 
        regarding child support and the specific mandates described in 
        part D of title IV of the Social Security Act, especially such 
        mandates established by the amendments made by the Interstate 
        Child Support Act of 1995.
            ``(2) Administrative expenses.--Amounts in the Children's 
        Trust Fund shall be available to pay the administrative 
        expenses of the Department of the Treasury directly allocable 
        to--
                    ``(A) modifying the individual income tax return 
                forms to carry out section 6097,
                    ``(B) carrying out this chapter with respect to 
                such Trust Fund, and
                    ``(C) processing amounts received under section 
                6097 and transferring such amounts to such Trust 
                Fund.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections for 
        subchapter A of chapter 98 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
        is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new item:

                              ``Sec. 9512. Children's Trust Fund.''.

SEC. 609. STUDY OF REASONS FOR NONPAYMENT OF CHILD SUPPORT; REPORT.

    (a) Study.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall--
            (1) conduct a study of the causes of delinquency in the 
        payment of child support, including the nonpayment of child 
        support by noncustodial parents and failure of custodial 
        parents to cooperate in the collection of child support; and
            (2) if a sufficient number of studies of this matter are 
        available, review the studies.
    (b) Report to the Congress.--Within 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to the 
Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Finance of the Senate, and to the Office of Child Support 
Enforcement, a report that contains the results of the study required 
by subsection (a), and a consolidated summary of the studies described 
in subsection (a)(2).

SEC. 610. STUDY OF EFFECTIVENESS OF ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSES; REPORT.

    (a) Study.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall 
conduct a study of the effectiveness of the processing of child support 
and parentage cases in States that use administrative processes as 
compared with States that use judicial or quasi-judicial processes.
    (b) Report to the Congress.--Within 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to the 
Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Finance of the Senate a report that contains the results 
of the study required by subsection (a).

SEC. 611. PUBLICATION OF BEST CHILD SUPPORT PRACTICES.

    (a) Sense of the Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that 
the Office of Child Support Enforcement should develop a mechanism to 
publicize the best practices of States in the area of child support.
    (b) Compendium of State Child Support Statutes.--The Office of 
Child Support Enforcement shall produce and update the compendium 
entitled ``A Guide To State Child Support And Paternity Laws'', 
published by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

SEC. 612. ESTABLISHMENT OF PERMANENT CHILD SUPPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    (a) In General.--The Office of Child Support Enforcement shall 
establish an advisory committee on child support matters composed of 
Federal and State legislators, State child support officials, and 
representatives of custodial and noncustodial parents.
    (b) Functions.--The advisory committee established pursuant to 
subsection (a) shall--
            (1) provide oversight of the implementation of Federal laws 
        and regulations affecting child support, and the operation of 
        Federal, State, and local child support programs; and
            (2) provide a forum through which child support problems 
        experienced by parents, State agencies, the courts, and the 
        private bar may be identified, and from which recommendations 
        on how to solve such problems may be reported to the Secretary 
        of Health and Human Services and to the Congress.
    (c) Permanency.--Section 14 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act 
(5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the advisory committee established 
pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.

                         TITLE VII--STATE ROLE

SEC. 701. ADVOCATION OF CHILDREN'S ECONOMIC SECURITY.

    Section 454 (42 U.S.C. 654), as amended by section 602(b) of this 
Act, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (29);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (30) and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (30) the following:
            ``(31) provide that the agency administering the plan shall 
        advocate to promote the greatest economic security possible for 
        children, consistent with the ability of any individual who 
        owes child support with respect to the child to provide the 
        support.''.

SEC. 702. DUTIES OF STATE CHILD SUPPORT AGENCIES.

    Section 454 (42 U.S.C. 654), as amended by section 701 of this Act, 
is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (30);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (31) and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (31) the following:
            ``(32) provide that the agency administering the plan shall 
        provide to each custodial parent--
                    ``(A) a written description of the services 
                available under the plan, and a statement describing 
                the priorities applied in distributing collected child 
                support and the rules governing confidentiality of 
                information in child support matters;
                    ``(B) a statement that at least 30 days before the 
                agency consents to the dismissal of a child support 
                case with prejudice or a reduction of arrearages, the 
                agency must provide notice to the custodial parent at 
                the last known address of the custodial parent;
                    ``(C) written quarterly reports on the status of 
                any case involving the custodial parent;
                    ``(D) a statement that the State is required to 
                provide services under the plan to any custodial parent 
                who is eligible for aid under the State plan approved 
                under part A; and
                    ``(E) a statement that any custodial parent who 
                applies for services under the plan is eligible for 
                such services, and that any application fee for such 
                services is deferred pending determination of the 
                eligibility of the custodial parent for aid under the 
                State plan approved under part A.''.

SEC. 703. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS REGARDING QUALITY OF AND ACCESSIBILITY 
              TO CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES.

    It is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) States should work closely with parents to improve the 
        quality of child support services; and
            (2) State and local child support enforcement agencies 
        should have--
                    (A) offices in easily accessible locations near 
                public transportation;
                    (B) office hours that allow parents to meet with 
                attorneys and caseworkers without having to take time 
                off from work; and
                    (C) office environments conducive to private 
                discussion of legal and personal matters, such as in 
                individual interview rooms and child care facilities.

SEC. 704. ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS FOR CHANGE OF PAYEE IN IV-D CASES.

    Section 466(a) (42 U.S.C. 666(a)), as amended by section 502 of 
this Act, is amended by inserting after paragraph (37) the following:
            ``(38) Procedures under which only administrative 
        procedures are required to change the payee under a child 
        support order in a case under this part, if a statement by an 
        official of the State child support enforcement agency is 
        included in the court or administrative file documenting the 
        change.''.

SEC. 705. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS SUPPORTING USE OF ADMINISTRATIVE 
              PROCEDURES IN CHILD SUPPORT CASES.

    It is the sense of the Congress that each State should establish 
administrative procedures to process child support cases.

SEC. 706. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS SUPPORTING ESTABLISHMENT OF STATE CHILD 
              SUPPORT COUNCILS.

    It is the sense of the Congress that each State should establish a 
child support council, composed of members from all over the State, 
to--
            (1) review State laws on child support and paternity;
            (2) recommend improvements in child support and paternity 
        programs and in such laws; and
            (3) serve as a public forum for custodial and noncustodial 
        parents on matters related to child support and paternity.

          TITLE VIII--JOBS FOR UNEMPLOYED NONCUSTODIAL PARENTS

SEC. 801. PARENTS FAIR SHARE DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.

    (a) Sense of the Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that 
any program established by the Federal Government to provide jobs for 
noncustodial parents should be administered so as not to adversely 
affect any Federal program for custodial parents, either directly or 
through competition for available funds.
    (b) Evaluation of Projects; Report to the Congress; Conditional 
Authority to Conduct Additional and More Extensive Projects.--Upon 
receiving the evaluations required to be provided pursuant to section 
482(d)(3) of the Social Security Act, the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services shall transmit the evaluations to the Secretary of Labor who 
shall--
            (1) study the evaluations;
            (2) within 12 months after receipt of the evaluations, 
        submit to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of 
        Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate a 
        consolidated report on the activities evaluated; and
            (3)(A) if the evaluations are sufficient to permit the 
        Secretary to make recommendations with respect to the 
        activities evaluated, include such recommendations in the 
        report required by paragraph (2) of this subsection; or
            (B) if the evaluations are inconclusive, authorize States 
        to provide services, under programs established under section 
        402(a)(19) and part F of title IV of such Act, on a voluntary 
        or mandatory basis, to noncustodial parents who are unemployed 
        and unable to meet their child support obligations, of greater 
        scope and for a greater duration than the services provided 
        under section 482(d)(3) of such Act, in accordance with 
        regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Labor.

                        TITLE IX--EFFECTIVE DATE

SEC. 901. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    Except as otherwise provided in this Act, this Act and the 
amendments made by this Act shall take effect on January 1, 1996.
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