[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 144 (Thursday, October 6, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 6, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
              CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT REFORM ACT OF 1994

                                 ______


                         HON. ROBERT E. ANDREWS

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 5, 1994

  Mr. ANDREWS of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing a bill 
to maximize child support payment collections on behalf of poor 
children in America. This bill, the Child Support Enforcement Reform 
Act of 1994, will provide States more tools to use in establishing and 
enforcing child support orders. In turn, it will hold States more 
accountable for their performance in collecting on these orders.
  Specifically, this bill will: establish a national network for 
registering child support awards; increase payment collectors' access 
to State and Federal databases for locating and tracking absent 
parents; require States to honor and enforce out-of-State child support 
orders; permit States to require that AFDC applicants cooperate in 
establishing paternity as a condition of AFDC eligibility; require 
States to meet a national minimum collection rate on child support 
orders; and reward States that exceed minimum collection requirements.
  Our current child support enforcement system is grossly inefficient 
and ineffective. Less than 20 percent of the 17 million families 
relying on this system had collections made on their behalf in fiscal 
year 1993. The administration estimates that the total amount of child 
support payments that could be collected annually is $47 billion. To 
ensure the future of millions of American children, it is imperative 
that we do a better job collecting this money.
  I believe that this bill will substantially increase the amount of 
money collected on behalf of poor children, and I look forward to 
working with you and my colleagues on this issue in the future.

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