[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 9397-9400]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      INTERNATIONAL CHILD SUPPORT RECOVERY IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2013

  Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1896) to amend part D of title IV of the Social Security Act 
to ensure that the United States can comply fully with the obligations 
of the Hague Convention of 23 November 2007 on the International 
Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance, and 
for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1896

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; REFERENCES.

       (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the 
     ``International Child Support Recovery Improvement Act of 
     2013''.
       (b) References.--Except as otherwise expressly provided in 
     this Act, wherever in this Act an amendment is expressed in 
     terms of an amendment to a section or other provision, the 
     amendment shall be considered to be made to a section or 
     other provision of the Social Security Act.

     SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO ENSURE ACCESS TO CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES 
                   FOR INTERNATIONAL CHILD SUPPORT CASES.

       (a) Authority of the Secretary of HHS To Ensure Compliance 
     With Multilateral Child Support Conventions.--
       (1) In general.--Section 452 (42 U.S.C. 652) is amended--
       (A) by redesignating the second subsection (l) (as added by 
     section 7306 of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005) as 
     subsection (m); and
       (B) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(n) The Secretary shall use the authorities otherwise 
     provided by law to ensure the compliance of the United States 
     with any multilateral child support convention to which the 
     United States is a party.''.
       (2) Conforming amendment.--Section 453(k)(3) (42 U.S.C. 
     653(k)(3)) is amended by striking ``452(l)'' and inserting 
     ``452(m)''.
       (b) Access to the Federal Parent Locator Service.--Section 
     453(c) (42 U.S.C. 653(c)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (3);
       (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (4) and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(5) an entity designated as a Central Authority for child 
     support enforcement in a foreign reciprocating country or a 
     foreign treaty country for purposes specified in section 
     459A(c)(2).''.
       (c) State Option To Require Individuals in Foreign 
     Countries To Apply Through Their Country's Appropriate 
     Central Authority.--Section 454 (42 U.S.C. 654) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (4)(A)(ii), by inserting before the 
     semicolon ``(except that, if the individual applying for the 
     services resides in a foreign reciprocating country or 
     foreign treaty country, the State may opt to require the 
     individual to request the services through the Central 
     Authority for child support enforcement in the foreign 
     reciprocating country or the foreign treaty country, and if 
     the individual resides in a foreign country that is not a 
     foreign reciprocating country or a foreign treaty country, a 
     State may accept or reject the application)''; and
       (2) in paragraph (32)--
       (A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``, a foreign treaty 
     country,'' after ``a foreign reciprocating country''; and
       (B) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``or foreign obligee'' 
     and inserting ``, foreign treaty country, or foreign 
     individual''.
       (d) Amendments to International Support Enforcement 
     Provisions.--Section 459A (42 U.S.C. 659a) is amended--
       (1) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(e) References.--In this part:
       ``(1) Foreign reciprocating country.--The term `foreign 
     reciprocating country' means a foreign country (or political 
     subdivision thereof) with respect to which the Secretary has 
     made a declaration pursuant to subsection (a).
       ``(2) Foreign treaty country.--The term `foreign treaty 
     country' means a foreign country for which the 2007 Family 
     Maintenance Convention is in force.
       ``(3) 2007 family maintenance convention.--The term `2007 
     Family Maintenance Convention' means the Hague Convention of 
     23 November 2007 on the International Recovery of Child 
     Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance.'';
       (2) in subsection (c)--
       (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
     ``foreign countries that are the subject of a declaration 
     under this section'' and inserting ``foreign reciprocating 
     countries or foreign treaty countries''; and
       (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``and foreign treaty 
     countries'' after ``foreign reciprocating countries''; and
       (3) in subsection (d), by striking ``the subject of a 
     declaration pursuant to subsection (a)'' and inserting 
     ``foreign reciprocating countries or foreign treaty 
     countries''.
       (e) Collection of Past-Due Support From Federal Tax 
     Refunds.--Section 464(a)(2)(A) (42 U.S.C. 664(a)(2)(A)) is 
     amended by striking ``under section 454(4)(A)(ii)'' and 
     inserting ``under paragraph (4)(A)(ii) or (32) of section 
     454''.
       (f) State Law Requirement Concerning the Uniform Interstate 
     Family Support Act (uifsa).--
       (1) In general.--Section 466(f) (42 U.S.C. 666(f)) is 
     amended--
       (A) by striking ``on and after January 1, 1998,'';
       (B) by striking ``and as in effect on August 22, 1996,''; 
     and
       (C) by striking ``adopted as of such date'' and inserting 
     ``adopted as of September 30, 2008''.
       (2) Conforming amendments to title 28, united states 
     code.--Section 1738B of title 28, United States Code, is 
     amended--
       (A) in subsection (d), by striking ``individual 
     contestant'' and inserting ``individual contestant or the 
     parties have consented in a record or open court that the 
     tribunal of the State may continue to exercise jurisdiction 
     to modify its order,'';
       (B) in subsection (e)(2)(A), by striking ``individual 
     contestant'' and inserting ``individual contestant and the 
     parties have not consented in a record or open court that the 
     tribunal of the other State may continue to exercise 
     jurisdiction to modify its order''; and
       (C) in subsection (b)--
       (i) by striking ```child' means'' and inserting ``(1) The 
     term `child' means'';
       (ii) by striking ```child's State' means'' and inserting 
     ``(2) The term `child's State' means'';
       (iii) by striking ```child's home State' means'' and 
     inserting ``(3) The term `child's home State' means'';
       (iv) by striking ```child support' means'' and inserting 
     ``(4) The term `child support' means'';
       (v) by striking ```child support order''' and inserting 
     ``(5) The term `child support order''';
       (vi) by striking ```contestant' means'' and inserting ``(6) 
     The term `contestant' means'';
       (vii) by striking ```court' means'' and inserting ``(7) The 
     term `court' means'';
       (viii) by striking ```modification' means'' and inserting 
     ``(8) The term `modification' means''; and
       (ix) by striking ```State' means'' and inserting ``(9) The 
     term `State' means''.
       (3) Effective date; grace period for state law changes.--
       (A) Paragraph (1).--(i) The amendments made by paragraph 
     (1) shall take effect with respect to a State no later than 
     the effective date of laws enacted by the legislature of the 
     State implementing such paragraph, but in no event later than 
     the first day of the first calendar quarter beginning after 
     the close of the first regular session of the State 
     legislature that begins after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act.
       (ii) For purposes of clause (i), in the case of a State 
     that has a 2-year legislative session, each year of the 
     session shall be deemed to be a separate regular session of 
     the State legislature.
       (B) Paragraph (2).--(i) The amendments made by 
     subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2) shall take effect 
     on the date on which the Hague Convention of 23 November 2007 
     on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other 
     Forms of Family Maintenance enters into force for the United 
     States.
       (ii) The amendments made by subparagraph (C) of paragraph 
     (2) shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this 
     Act.

     SEC. 3. DATA EXCHANGE STANDARDIZATION FOR IMPROVED 
                   INTEROPERABILITY.

       (a) In General.--Section 452 (42 U.S.C. 652), as amended by 
     section 2(a)(1) of this Act, is amended by adding at the end 
     the following:
       ``(o) Data Exchange Standards for Improved 
     Interoperability.--
       ``(1) Designation.--The Secretary shall, in consultation 
     with an interagency work group established by the Office of 
     Management and Budget and considering State government 
     perspectives, by rule, designate data exchange standards to 
     govern, under this part--
       ``(A) necessary categories of information that State 
     agencies operating programs under State plans approved under 
     this part are required under applicable law to electronically 
     exchange with another State agency; and
       ``(B) Federal reporting and data exchange required under 
     applicable law.
       ``(2) Requirements.--The data exchange standards required 
     by paragraph (1) shall, to the extent practicable--
       ``(A) incorporate a widely accepted, non-proprietary, 
     searchable, computer-readable format, such as the eXtensible 
     Markup Language;
       ``(B) contain interoperable standards developed and 
     maintained by intergovernmental partnerships, such as the 
     National Information Exchange Model;
       ``(C) incorporate interoperable standards developed and 
     maintained by Federal entities with authority over 
     contracting and financial assistance;
       ``(D) be consistent with and implement applicable 
     accounting principles;
       ``(E) be implemented in a manner that is cost-effective and 
     improves program efficiency and effectiveness; and

[[Page 9398]]

       ``(F) be capable of being continually upgraded as 
     necessary.
       ``(3) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection 
     shall be construed to require a change to existing data 
     exchange standards found to be effective and efficient.''.
       (b) Effective Date.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services shall issue a proposed rule within 24 months after 
     the date of the enactment of this section. The rule shall 
     identify federally-required data exchanges, include 
     specification and timing of exchanges to be standardized, and 
     address the factors used in determining whether and when to 
     standardize data exchanges. It should also specify State 
     implementation options and describe future milestones.

     SEC. 4. EFFICIENT USE OF THE NATIONAL DIRECTORY OF NEW HIRES 
                   DATABASE FOR FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
                   ASSESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF FEDERAL POLICIES 
                   AND PROGRAMS IN ACHIEVING POSITIVE LABOR MARKET 
                   OUTCOMES.

       Section 453 (42 U.S.C. 653) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (i)(2)(A), by striking ``24'' and 
     inserting ``48''; and
       (2) in subsection (j), by striking paragraph (5) and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(5) Research.--
       ``(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B) of this 
     paragraph, the Secretary may provide access to data in each 
     component of the Federal Parent Locator Service maintained 
     under this section and to information reported by employers 
     pursuant to section 453A(b), for--
       ``(i) research undertaken by a State or Federal agency 
     (including through grant or contract) for purposes found by 
     the Secretary to be likely to contribute to achieving the 
     purposes of part A or this part; or
       ``(ii) an evaluation or statistical analysis undertaken to 
     assess the effectiveness of a Federal program in achieving 
     positive labor market outcomes (including through grant or 
     contract), by--

       ``(I) the Department of Health and Human Services;
       ``(II) the Social Security Administration;
       ``(III) the Department of Labor;
       ``(IV) the Department of Education;
       ``(V) the Department of Housing and Urban Development;
       ``(VI) the Department of Justice;
       ``(VII) the Department of Veterans Affairs;
       ``(VIII) the Bureau of the Census;
       ``(IX) the Department of Agriculture; or
       ``(X) the National Science Foundation.

       ``(B) Personal identifiers.--Data or information provided 
     under this paragraph may include a personal identifier only 
     if, in addition to meeting the requirements of subsections 
     (l) and (m)--
       ``(i) the State or Federal agency conducting the research 
     described in subparagraph (A)(i), or the Federal department 
     or agency undertaking the evaluation or statistical analysis 
     described in subparagraph (A)(ii), as applicable, enters into 
     an agreement with the Secretary regarding the security and 
     use of the data or information;
       ``(ii) the agreement includes such restrictions or 
     conditions with respect to the use, safeguarding, disclosure, 
     or redisclosure of the data or information (including by 
     contractors or grantees) as the Secretary deems appropriate;
       ``(iii) the data or information is used exclusively for the 
     purposes defined in the agreement; and
       ``(iv) the Secretary determines that the provision of data 
     or information under this paragraph is the minimum amount 
     needed to conduct the research, evaluation, or statistical 
     analysis, as applicable, and will not interfere with the 
     effective operation of the program under this part.
       ``(C) Penalties for unauthorized disclosure of data.--Any 
     individual who willfully discloses a personal identifier 
     (such as a name or social security number) provided under 
     this paragraph, in any manner to an entity not entitled to 
     receive the data or information, shall be fined under title 
     18, United States Code, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or 
     both.''.

     SEC. 5. BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

       The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 
     complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall 
     be determined by reference to the latest statement titled 
     ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act, 
     submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the 
     Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, provided that such 
     statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. Reichert) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Washington.


                             General Leave

  Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include extraneous material on the subject of the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Washington?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleague from Texas (Mr. Doggett) 
to urge support of H.R. 1896, the International Child Support Recovery 
Improvement Act of 2013.
  This bill provides the implementing legislation for The Hague 
Convention on International Recovery of Child Support and other forms 
of family maintenance, ensuring that law enforcement authorities will 
be able to enforce child support orders even when a child or parent 
lives overseas.
  Mr. Speaker, as a former sheriff in King County, which is in Seattle, 
Washington--for those in the Chamber who may not know, I worked there 
for 33 years--I had the opportunity of putting together a unit that was 
devoted to finding parents who weren't taking on their financial 
responsibility for their children and providing those financial needs.
  What we learned was not only is it important for the parents to be a 
part of their child's life when they leave financially--to give them 
the health care benefits they need, the education that they might need, 
any other financial needs that the child might need--but it also 
provides a social benefit, a real benefit of involvement by that 
parent. Once that parent gets financially involved, that parent is 
intimately involved with that child's life.
  Usually it is the father--sad to say just a couple of days after 
Father's Day. Ninety-five to 98 percent of the parents who leave and 
don't continue to support their child financially, it is usually the 
father.
  When that father and that parent gets involved financially, they all 
of a sudden realize they've missed out on that child's life. They've 
missed soccer games, baseball games. They've missed their theatrical 
performances, their participation in every school support, and the rest 
of their lives.
  This also reduces crime in my experience--again, going back as the 
sheriff--if these kids have both parents involved. It keeps them 
involved with the family and not in other activities that we would 
really prefer them not to be involved in.
  Currently, States have the option to recognize child support orders 
from other countries--and many of them do. However, States have found 
that other countries are less cooperative in recognizing our orders.
  The Hague Convention seeks to address this issue by establishing a 
standardized process so more countries cooperate in collecting child 
support. Negotiation of this treaty began in 2003, and it was signed 
eventually in 2007. The Senate acted on this in 2010. They gave their 
consent. The treaty provides many protections for our children, but 
States cannot take advantage of the benefits until Congress moves 
forward.
  Enforcement of child support orders should not end at the water's 
edge. Children, regardless of where they or their parents live, should 
receive financial support from their parents.

                              {time}  1240

  The United States cannot ratify The Hague Convention until all States 
make the necessary changes, so the time to act is now.
  This bill also includes a continuation of our subcommittee's 
bipartisan efforts to standardize and improve the exchange of data 
within human services programs. While the child support system already 
relies heavily on data exchanges, it is important for those exchange 
efforts to be consistent with the provisions we've recently enacted in 
the child welfare, TANF, and unemployment programs. The goal is simple: 
improve government efficiency, provide benefits to those who are 
eligible, and drive out waste, fraud, and abuse.
  Finally, this bill expands researcher access to a database maintained 
by the Office of Child Support Enforcement. The National Directory of 
New Hires collects employment outcome information for individuals 
working in most jobs in the United States. Expanding access to earnings 
data in the Directory will improve our ability to determine whether 
Federal education, training, and social service programs help people 
find and keep their jobs.

[[Page 9399]]

  According to the administration, most Federal agencies do not 
currently have reliable access to data that can show the impact of 
their programs on participants' employment or their earnings. In an era 
of tighter resources, it is crucial that we have reliable data to 
conduct rigorous evaluations to make sure that Federal programs are 
getting results.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to insert into the Record letters of 
support for this legislation from MDRC and the National Child Support 
Enforcement Association.
  In addition, key parts of this legislation are supported by respected 
organizations like the Conference of State Court Administrators, the 
Conference of Chief Justices, the Department of Health and Human 
Services, the Department of Labor, the Office of Management and Budget, 
and from the research community, Abt Associates, Mathematica Policy 
Research, RAND, Social Policy Research, and the Urban Institute.
  I want to thank the subcommittee's ranking member, Mr. Doggett, who 
joins me on the floor today, and other members of the subcommittee for 
their support as original cosponsors.
  I invite all Members to join us in supporting this important 
bipartisan legislation. It will move us a step closer to ratifying The 
Hague Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and 
will ensure that more children living in the U.S. receive the financial 
support they deserve.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.

                                            National Child Support


                                      Enforcement Association,

                                                      May 3, 2013.
     Hon. David G. Reichert, Chairman,
     Hon. Lloyd Doggett, Ranking Member,
     Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources, Longworth 
         House Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Reichert and Ranking Member Doggett: The 
     National Child Support Enforcement Association (NCSEA) 
     supports the bipartisan International Child Support Recovery 
     Improvement Act of 2013 (H.R. 1896) and urges the Committee 
     to consider it as soon as possible.
       NCSEA members helped craft the language in the 2007 Hague 
     Convention Treaty on the International Recovery of Child 
     Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance. The provisions 
     in Section 2 of the bill provide the language necessary to 
     implement it. The Treaty contains procedures for processing 
     international child support cases that are uniform, simple, 
     efficient, accessible, and cost-free to U.S. citizens seeking 
     support in other countries. It is founded on the agreement of 
     countries ratifying the Convention to recognize and enforce 
     each other's support orders.
       This bill will assist state and county child support staff 
     who encounter challenging and time-consuming international 
     cases. Presently, there are no agreed upon standards of 
     proof, forms or methods of communication. As more parents 
     cross international borders leaving children behind, 
     international child support enforcement is more important 
     than ever. Ratification of the Convention by the United 
     States will mean that more children will receive financial 
     support from their parents residing in countries that are 
     also signatories to the Convention.
       NCSEA has long sought congressional action on this issue, 
     and welcomed last year's bipartisan action by the full House 
     which adopted a nearly identical bill. This measure will help 
     to ensure our nation's children receive the financial support 
     to which they are entitled.
       Thank you again for your leadership on this bill.
           Sincerely,
                                          Colleen Delaney Eubanks,
     Executive Director.
                                  ____

                                                             MDRC,
                                      New York, NY, June 11, 2013.
     Hon. David Reichert,
     Longworth House Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Lloyd Doggett,
     Cannon House Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressmen Reichert and Doggett, I am writing to 
     congratulate you on advancing H.R. 1896, The International 
     Child Support Recovery Improvement Act of 2013, to the House 
     floor.
       Last year, I was invited to testify before the Subcommittee 
     on Human Resources regarding this bill. During my testimony, 
     I pointed out that the bill includes an important technical 
     provision that enables researchers to more easily access the 
     National Directory of New Hires (NDNH) database, which 
     contains earnings and employment data collected by states 
     from employers. Removing this barrier in the law will result 
     in more accurate, cost-effective assessments of the 
     employment effects of federal programs.
       Independent research firms like MDRC are contracted by the 
     government to evaluate the extent to which federal programs 
     work; in many cases, a key measure of effectiveness is the 
     programs' long-term impact on participants' employment and 
     earnings. The NDNH database, maintained by the federal Office 
     of Child Support Enforcement, houses employment and earnings 
     data reported by the states for child support enforcement 
     purposes. However, research contractors are generally unable 
     to access this essential database. Instead they are forced to 
     get the very same data directly from the states, at great 
     cost to the federal government and at considerable burden in 
     duplicative reporting for the states.
       In this time of severe budget constraints, Congress must 
     have credible, nonpartisan information to understand whether 
     federally supported programs actually help people find work 
     and increase their earnings. The technical provision in this 
     bill would ensure the availability of data necessary for 
     researchers to examine the effectiveness of these programs.
       This provision expands researchers' access to NDNH data and 
     also maintains strong privacy protections. Since personally 
     identifiable information is contained in the NDNH database, 
     the provision requires research firms to continue to uphold 
     strict rules governing the data's confidentiality and 
     provides severe penalties for unauthorized disclosure of this 
     data.
       Thank you for recognizing the importance of giving 
     researchers greater access to NDNH data. Attached is my 
     testimony from last year for further reference.
           Sincerely,
     Gordon L. Berlin.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                      Committee on the Budget,

                                     Washington, DC, May 24, 2013.
     Discharge Statement.

     Hon. John a. Boehner,
     Speaker, Office of the Speaker, U.S. Capitol,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Speaker: I am writing to request that the 
     Committee on the Budget be discharged from the consideration 
     of H.R. 1896, the International Child Support Recovery 
     Improvement Act of 2013. The bill was referred respectively 
     to the Committee on Ways and Means, the Committee on the 
     Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget.
       The bill contains provisions that fall within the exclusive 
     jurisdiction of the Committee on the Budget. In order to 
     expedite the passage of this Act, the Committee requests that 
     it be discharged from consideration of the bill, but continue 
     to receive referrals in the future pertaining to legislation 
     that falls within its purview. The Committee on the Budget 
     does not intend to mark up this bill.
           Sincerely,
                                                        Paul Ryan,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                  Committee on Ways and Means,

                                    Washington, DC, June 17, 2013.
     Hon. Bob Goodlatte,
     Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, Rayburn House Office 
         Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Goodlatte, Thank you for your letter 
     regarding H.R. 1896, the ``International Child Support 
     Recovery Improvement Act of 2013,'' which the Committee on 
     Ways and Means anticipates may soon receive consideration by 
     the full House.
       As introduced, H.R. 1896 contained two provisions (sections 
     2 and 4) that formed the basis of an additional referral of 
     the bill to your committee. I am most appreciative of your 
     decision to discharge the Committee on the Judiciary from 
     further consideration of H.R. 1896 so that it may proceed to 
     the House floor. I acknowledge that although you are waiving 
     formal consideration of the bill, the Committee on the 
     Judiciary is by no way waiving its jurisdiction over the 
     subject matter contained in those provisions of the bill, 
     including sections 2 and 4 of the bill, which fall within 
     your Rule X jurisdiction. In addition, if a conference is 
     necessary on this legislation, I will support any request 
     that your committee be represented therein.
       Finally, I will be pleased to include this letter and your 
     letter dated June 10, 2013 in the Congressional Record during 
     floor consideration of H.R. 1896.
           Sincerely,
                                                        Dave Camp,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                   Committee on the Judiciary,

                                    Washington, DC, June 10, 2013.
     Hon. Dave Camp,
     Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, Longworth House Office 
         Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Camp, I write regarding H.R. 1896, the 
     ``International Child Support Recovery Improvement Act of 
     2013,'' on which the Committee on the Judiciary received a 
     referral. I understand that the bill may soon proceed to 
     consideration by the full House. As a result of your having 
     consulted with the Judiciary Committee concerning provisions 
     of the bill that fall within

[[Page 9400]]

     our Rule X jurisdiction, I agree to discharge the Committee 
     on the Judiciary from further consideration of the bill so 
     that the bill may proceed expeditiously to the House Floor.
       The Judiciary Committee takes this action with our mutual 
     understanding that, by foregoing consideration of H.R. 1896 
     at this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over the 
     subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and 
     that our committee will be appropriately consulted and 
     involved as the bill or similar legislation moves forward so 
     that we may address any remaining issues that fall within our 
     Rule X jurisdiction. Our committee also reserves the right to 
     seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees to any 
     House-Senate conference involving this or similar 
     legislation, and requests your support for any such request.
       Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter 
     confirming this understanding with respect to H.R. 1896, and 
     would ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this 
     matter be included in the Congressional Record during floor 
     consideration thereof.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Bob Goodlatte,
                                                         Chairman.


CBO on the International Child Support Recovery Improvement Act of 2013 
                              (H.R. 1896)

       The Congressional Budget Office has reviewed H.R. 1896, the 
     International Child Support Recovery Improvement Act of 2013. 
     According to a preliminary estimate of the introduced 
     legislation with amendment, the bill has insignificant direct 
     savings each year and slightly significant savings 
     (approximately $500,000) over 10 years.

  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I am pleased to join the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Reichert) in 
support of the International Child Support Recovery Improvement Act.
  We tried to do this just about a year ago. In the last Congress, I 
coauthored very similar legislation that was bipartisan here on the 
floor. Though we acted here, the Senate was slow to act, and we are 
hopeful that now, with the leadership of Chairman Reichert and, again, 
with broad bipartisan support, we can get this measure passed not only 
here in the House but see prompt action in the Senate.
  International borders should never be barriers to children receiving 
the financial support that their parents are obligated to provide nor 
should a parent be able to shirk his responsibility to his child by 
just leaving America, but the complexity and difficulty in enforcing 
child support obligations when a child and the noncustodial parent live 
in one country and when the other parent lives in another sometimes 
lets a parent off the hook.
  The bill before us today would reduce many of the challenges in 
collecting child support across international borders by fully 
implementing The Hague Convention on the International Recovery of 
Child Support. The Senate adopted that Hague Convention as a treaty in 
2010, and this legislation will bring us into full compliance and will 
encourage the State child support agencies to have uniform methods for 
processing international child support orders.
  Here in the United States, many of our State child support agencies 
already recognize and enforce foreign child support obligations. 
Whether or not the United States has a reciprocal agreement, this just 
ensures that all 50 States do. Many foreign nations are not enforcing a 
U.S. child support order in the absence of a treaty or other agreement. 
While our Nation does have reciprocal child support agreements with 
some countries, it does not have arrangements with many of those around 
the globe, hence the need for this single treaty that establishes a 
uniform, efficient, and accessible procedure for processing 
international child support cases.
  Some desperate families are today asking for help through the Federal 
Office of Child Support Enforcement, and that office is not able to 
provide the help. We have an estimated 160,000 international child 
support cases that currently involve children or parents here in the 
United States, and with the very nature of our global economy--with 
more goods and services and people moving across national boundaries--
this number is likely to only grow.
  As with other effective child support measures, it's taxpayers who 
benefit by not being saddled with the costs of supporting children when 
a parent should be doing that. The Congressional Budget Office 
concludes that this bill would result in some modest debt savings to 
the child support program.
  In addition to improving the international collection of child 
support, the legislation includes a provision that is new, under Mr. 
Reichert's leadership, concerning data standardization within the child 
support enforcement system. We've worked diligently to incorporate the 
same requirement into other human resources programs to improve the 
ability to share data--a step that will make them more efficient, less 
susceptible to fraud, and better able to reach those who really need 
assistance.
  Finally, this measure would also allow certain researchers access to 
wage information in a child support database, known as the National 
Directory of New Hires, in order to determine the effectiveness of 
employment-related programs.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill is truly bipartisan, and it doesn't cost 
taxpayers money. In fact, it will save taxpayers money. Most 
importantly, it will help more children get the financial help that 
they deserve. The House passed nearly identical legislation last year 
at about this time. After we pass the bill today, I urge my Senate 
colleagues to act promptly to ensure that leaving the country doesn't 
mean leaving your child support obligation behind.
  I thank the gentleman from Washington for his leadership, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I think it's very clear that 
this is a very bipartisan piece of legislation which is really focused 
on strengthening the family, protecting children, and, for parents who 
have left their homes, reengaging them with their families, getting 
them involved in their children's activities and providing for them 
financially.
  One statistic that I recall when I first became sheriff in 1997 is 
that we began this program at the State level. Since 72 percent of 
juvenile males were without fathers, 72 percent of those committed 
homicide. It's just a stark figure, a stark statistic, that really 
highlights the need for parents to be involved in their children's 
lives.
  So, Mr. Speaker, once again, I wholeheartedly, of course, endorse 
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 Washington (Mr. Reichert) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1896.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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