[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4998 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4998

To amend part D of title IV of the Social Security Act to allow States 
   to receive Federal matching payments for mandatory work activity 
       programs for noncustodial parents, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 10, 2020

  Mr. Cotton introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
                  referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend part D of title IV of the Social Security Act to allow States 
   to receive Federal matching payments for mandatory work activity 
       programs for noncustodial parents, 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.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Child Support Works Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. STATE OPTION FOR MANDATORY WORK ACTIVITY PROGRAMS FOR 
              NONCUSTODIAL PARENTS.

    (a) State Plan Option.--Section 454(13) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 654(13)) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(A)'' after ``(13)'';
            (2) by adding ``and'' after the semicolon; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(B) provide, at the option of the State and subject to 
        subsection (g) of section 455, mandatory work activity programs 
        for noncustodial parents described in paragraph (2) of that 
        subsection who are ordered to participate in work activities in 
        accordance with procedures required under section 
        466(a)(15);''.
    (b) Payment Requirements.--Section 455 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 655) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(g) In the case of a State that elects under section 454(13)(B) 
to provide mandatory work activity programs for noncustodial parents in 
cases subject to enforcement under the State plan who are ordered to 
participate in work activities in accordance with procedures required 
under section 466(a)(15), amounts expended by the State for such 
programs shall be included in the total amounts expended by the State 
during a quarter for purposes of payments under subsection (a)(1)(A) 
subject to the following:
            ``(1) The total amount paid under subsection (a)(1) to a 
        State for amounts expended on such programs in any quarter 
        shall not exceed an amount equal to 2 percent of the total 
        amount expended by the State during the quarter for the 
        operation of the plan approved under section 454 (excluding any 
        amounts expended on such programs).
            ``(2) The programs are provided only for noncustodial 
        parents who--
                    ``(A) have a current child support order;
                    ``(B) are unemployed, underemployed, or not making 
                regular child support payments; and
                    ``(C) meet such other eligibility criteria as the 
                State may establish.''.
    (c) Option To Require TANF or SNAP Work Activities.--Section 
466(a)(15) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 666(a)(15)) is amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting 
        ``(and, if the State has elected under section 454(13)(B) to 
        provide mandatory work activity programs for noncustodial 
        parents described in section 455(g)(2), in any case subject to 
        enforcement under the State plan that involves such a 
        noncustodial parent)''after ``with respect to a child receiving 
        assistance under a State program funded under part A''; and
            (2) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``(or, in the case of 
        a noncustodial parent described in section 455(g)(2), to 
        participate in such work activities (as so defined) or in 
        activities that would satisfy the work requirements that would 
        apply to the noncustodial parent under subsection (d) or (o) of 
        section 6 of the Food and Nutrition Act if the noncustodial 
        parent were eligible for benefits under the supplemental 
        nutrition assistance program established under that Act and 
        were required to satisfy such work requirements)'' after ``(as 
        defined in section 407(d))''.

SEC. 3. EVALUATION OF EFFECTIVENESS OF WORK ACTIVITY PROGRAMS FOR 
              NONCUSTODIAL PARENTS.

    (a) In General.--Section 413 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 613) is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (h) as subsection (i); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (g), the following:
    ``(h) Evaluation of Work Activity Programs for Noncustodial 
Parents.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall conduct research to 
        determine the effects of work activity programs for 
        noncustodial parents funded under section 455(g) and required 
        in accordance with section 466(a)(15) on child support 
        payments, employment, earnings, and other factors, as 
        determined by the Secretary.
            ``(2) Methodology.--The research conducted under paragraph 
        (1) shall employ random assignment when feasible, or, when 
        random assignment is not feasible, other research methods that 
        allow for the strongest possible causal inferences.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Section 403(a)(1)(B) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
        603(a)(1)(B)) is amended by striking ``413(h)(1)'' and 
        inserting ``413(i)(1)''.
            (2) Paragraph (3) of subsection (i) of section 413 of such 
        Act (as redesignated by paragraph (1)(A)) is amended by 
        striking ``section 413(h) of this Act'' and inserting ``this 
        subsection''.
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