[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 167 (Thursday, November 21, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S8462]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. ROCKEFELLER:
  S. 1763. A bill to increase the effectiveness of child support 
enforcement and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, I am proud today to introduce the 
Child Support Enforcement Effectiveness Act of 2013. This legislation 
will set the stage for improving child support enforcement across our 
country, and will provide states with more funds to allow them to do 
so. Through these crucial investments in this important child welfare 
program, we can improve the lives of thousands of children across our 
country.
  Child support enforcement is a State-Federal partnership that works. 
For every dollar agencies and departments spend on child support 
enforcement, states collect an average of $5.19 in child support due. 
For that reason alone, this is an extraordinary use of taxpayer 
dollars. In 2010, the child support enforcement program a11owed States 
to collect more than $26 billion on behalf of the children and families 
to whom that money is owed. There is no question that these children 
benefit because they receive support from both their parents.
  In addition to being an effective use of taxpayer dollars, child 
support enforcement is one of our most important investments in child 
welfare. Experts have repeatedly found that it is one of the most 
effective programs in reducing poverty rates among working families. 
For single parents below the poverty line, child support often 
represents as much as half of their family's income, and makes the 
difference between whether children's basic needs are met or not.
  Because of the tremendous success of the child support enforcement 
program, we should work to improve it even further. One way we can 
improve it is by identifying best practices at the state level, so 
every state can maximize their return. West Virginia recovers about 
$4.99 for each dollar it spends on child support enforcement. Some 
states recover substantially more for each dollar they spend. By arming 
every State with information about what works and what doesn't, we can 
help States maximize the return on their investment and recover the 
largest possible amount on behalf of children.
  This legislation would also permanently restore full funding for 
child support enforcement by reinstating the Federal match for 
incentive payments that States reinvest in their child support 
enforcement programs. By providing the resources for States to have 
robust child support enforcement programs, we can profoundly improve 
the lives of so many children across our Nation.
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