[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 73 (Monday, April 27, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H3113-H3114]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ENSURING CHILDREN RECEIVE SUPPORT ACT
Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 6903) to require the Secretary of State to revoke
any United States passport issued to an individual, on receipt of a
certification by the Secretary of Health and Human Services that the
individual has a child support arrearage exceeding $2,500, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
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 ``Ensuring Children Receive
Support Act''.
SEC. 2. REVOCATION OF PASSPORTS ISSUED TO INDIVIDUALS WITH A
CHILD SUPPORT ARREARAGE EXCEEDING $2,500.
(a) In General.--Section 452(k) of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 652(k)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``, revocation, or
limitation'' and inserting ``or revocation''; and
(2) in paragraph (2)--
(A) by striking ``may revoke, restrict, or limit'' and
inserting ``revoke''; and
(B) by inserting ``, and notify such individual of the
intent to take such action'' before the period.
(b) Exception.--Notwithstanding the amendments made by
subsection (a), if an individual is abroad and needs to
return to the United States on an emergency basis, the
Department of State is authorized to issue a temporary
passport for that purpose. That passport will be good only
for the return to the United States of the individuals and
will be limited in duration.
SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendments made by this Act shall take effect on
October 1, 2026.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Missouri (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Panetta)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.
General Leave
Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
submit extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Missouri?
There was no objection.
Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6903,
the Ensuring Children Receive Support Act, bipartisan legislation
introduced by Representatives Beth Van Duyne and Jimmy Panetta.
This legislation has a simple premise: Parents must meet their
obligations to care for their kids, period. It is pretty simple.
To ensure that is happening, State-level child support agencies rely
in part on the Passport Denial Program, which is run out of the State
Department and, as its name suggests, is used to deny the ability of
delinquent parents to obtain a passport to leave the country when they
owe back child support.
The State Department has authority under current law to deny, limit,
or revoke a passport of an individual, but as we have discovered, quite
often the bureaucracy does not act with the level of urgency that is
needed. This bill makes it clear that the State Department must revoke
an individual's passport, both at the time of initial application for a
passport and at the time of renewal.
Research indicates that child support is a significant portion of
income for low-income families, making up 41 percent of total income
when received and can help reduce poverty and reliance on welfare.
Among all families served, 24 percent have income below the Federal
poverty level.
Representatives Van Duyne and Panetta are doing tremendous work here
to ensure that States have the enforcement tools that they need and
children receive the support that they need and are owed without delay.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Ensuring Children Receive
Support Act, which I am proud to co-lead with Representative Van Duyne.
I thank her for her leadership and thank the chairman for pushing this
bill forward with overwhelming support out of the Ways and Means
Committee onto the House floor for this vote.
This bill would expand the existing bipartisan legislation and the
universal commonsense values of taking care of our children.
{time} 1640
It addresses the somber issue when it comes to the services and
protections that we can provide for children.
We all know that parenthood is a privilege, but it is also a serious
responsibility. Unfortunately, nationwide, there is more than $115
billion owed in child support arrears. As of fiscal year 2024, there
were more than 8.7 million parents who hadn't made a payment in over 5
years.
In 1996, Congress, in a bipartisan fashion, gave the State Department
the authority to withhold passports and passport renewals from someone
with unpaid child support. That is called the passport denial program.
That program collects about $30 million a year in outstanding child
support debt, but this is out of about $30 billion that we collect each
year in total child support payments.
That means that the vast majority of child support goes uncollected,
single parents struggle, and, unfortunately, that means that, at times,
children can go hungry.
I believe we should be doing everything we can to close this gap and
ensure child support is making it to the children who need it the most.
The Ensuring Children Receive Support Act is part of that effort.
It is legislation that builds on the existing law that I talked about
by rescinding passports when someone is more than $2,500 in arrears for
child support. When you don't pay, you must stay.
Under this bill, people would get a notice that their case is being
referred to the State Department. However, if necessary, there would be
emergency passports if they urgently need to travel while in arrears.
Moreover, they would also be eligible to have their passports
reinstated once they pay their child support.
With this bill, we are ensuring that the Federal Government plays its
part to meet the urgency that so many single parents feel and finds
practical solutions to ensure that child support gets paid. That is why
I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may
consume to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Van Duyne), the sponsor of
this legislation and someone who is standing up for children across
this country to ensure that they get the support that they need.
Ms. VAN DUYNE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding, and I
thank my colleague Congressman Panetta from California for also helping
to introduce this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 6903, the Ensuring
Children Receive Support Act.
Nearly 2 weeks ago, families experienced one of the largest tax
refund seasons on record, with an estimated $91 billion already issued
as part of an expected $370 billion refund season. On average, families
can look forward to nearly $4,000 back in their pockets compared to
last year, and families with two children earning $73,000 will have no
Federal income tax liability.
Supporting working families is more important than ever, especially
now that the working families tax cuts have been signed into law. By
claiming the standard deduction and the child tax credit, families keep
more of their hard-earned money to be able to provide for their
families by putting food on the table, covering rent, or keeping
[[Page H3114]]
up with everyday expenses, giving them immediate relief when it matters
most.
However, ensuring children are taken care of should not be
negotiable, particularly in joint custody households where both parents
share responsibility. When child support obligations go unmet, that
responsibility breaks down, leaving children without the consistent
support they deserve.
In 2024 alone, there were over 8 million unpaid child support cases--
at the direct expense of our children. That is why stronger enforcement
tools are necessary to hold delinquent parents accountable.
Mr. Speaker, just weeks after the Ways and Means Committee marked up
my legislation, we have seen reports that the administration is moving
to proactively revoke passports for individuals who owe significant
child support. That reinforces exactly what this bill is about: making
sure the tools we already have are used both effectively and
consistently.
The passport denial program administered by the State Department
currently allows for the denial or revocation of a passport when an
individual owes more than $2,500 in past-due child support and seeks
consular services.
My bill strengthens this program by requiring the State Department to
revoke an individual's passport and notify them of the intent to take
such action. If an individual is abroad when their passport is revoked,
the State Department may make an emergency exception to allow that
individual to return to the United States.
Since its implementation, this program has successfully collected
over $600 million in past-due child support, including $30 million in
2024 alone. This legislation builds on that success by strengthening
enforcement and ensuring accountability for those who deliberately
evade their obligations as parents.
When parents meet their responsibilities, children have greater
stability. Families are stronger, and taxpayers are not left picking up
the tab.
Mr. Speaker, this is a commonsense, bipartisan step forward and a
clear win for children and families. I urge my colleagues to support
this bill.
Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I urge the House to pass this commonsense, bipartisan
legislation. The majority of child support, as we have heard, goes
uncollected. Today, we have a chance to do something about it.
The Ensuring Children Receive Support Act would expand existing
bipartisan policy to ensure the law is enforced and children receive
the support that they need.
Representative Van Duyne understands that. I thank her for her
leadership on this bill because a vote for this legislation is a vote
to support children, and ultimately, it supports families.
Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of
my time.
Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my
time.
Mr. Speaker, this legislation strengthens the federal child support
enforcement program, which is meant to ensure parents pay the support
that they owe to their children.
This program is one of the most effective Federal programs we have.
In 2024, States reported nearly $30 million in collections through the
passport denial program, and over 5,000 payments were made to custodial
families.
The bill closes a loophole in current law that can let parents with
large unpaid child support debts receive a passport renewal without
consequence. This bill makes sure that the State Department uses its
authority to revoke passports, both at the time of the application and
renewal. We should use every opportunity to make sure children get the
support that they need to thrive.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 6903, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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