Rep. Kevin Hern
The U.S. House Ways and Means Committee on July 24 voted 37-0 to approve a bipartisan bill led by U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK) that would improve the effectiveness and available tools of state and tribal child support enforcement agencies.
The committee passed the Strengthening State and Tribal Child Support Enforcement Act, H.R. 7906, which Rep. Hern sponsored on April 9 alongside five original cosponsors, including U.S. Reps. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), Darin LaHood (R-IL), Troy Balderson (R-OH), and Suzan DelBene (D-WA).
If enacted, H.R. 7906 would prevent changes in an Internal Revenue Service enforcement action that would block state child support agencies from utilizing contractors for the Child Support Enforcement (CSE) program, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Hern’s staff.
“Were they to take effect, these changes would greatly disrupt states’ ability to administer child support payments through the CSE program, which serves nearly 13 million families and 18 percent of all children in the U.S.,” the summary says.
H.R. 7906 also would provide parity for tribes operating child support enforcement programs, states the summary.
The measure now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives for action.