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1 1 (January 7, 2021)

handle is hein.crs/govebpc0001 and id is 1 raw text is: The Child Support Enforcement (CSE) Program Introduction The Child Support Enforcement (CSE) programwas enactedinto law on January 4, 1975 (P.L. 93-647). When the programwas first established, its goals were to reimburse the states and the federal government for the welfare payments they provided families, and to help other families remain self-sufficient and s tay off welfare by obtaining consistent and ongoing child supportpayments from the noncustodial parent. Over time, the CSE program has evolvedfroma welfare cost-recoveryprograminto a family-first programthat seeks to enhance the well-being of families by making child support a more reliable source of income. This federal-stateprogramhas the potentialto impact more children and for longer periods of time than most other federal programs. It may interact with mothers, fathers, and children for 18 years and in some cases longer, such as if the noncustodialparent owes past-due child support. In recent years, it served about 20% of children in the United States. (All FY2019 figures in this report are drawn from the FY2019 Preliminary Data Report released on June 23, 2020, by the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) in the Department of Health and Human Services.) Scope of CSE Program Families who are required to enroll in the CSE programare those receiving cash as sistance under the Temporary Assistance forNeedyFamilies (TANF) program, Medicaid coverage, or, at state option, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program(SNAP) food assistance. The program is also available to nonassistance families if they choose to enroll. Families who are not required to enroll must pay a one-time $25 fee when they apply for services, and an annual $35 user fee if the CSE agency collects at least $550 per year for them. The programis available in all 50 states; the District of Columbia; the territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands; and 60 tribal nations. It is generally operated at the county level ofgovernment. The CSE programis administered at the federal levelby OCSE, which helps CSE agencies develop, manage, and operate their programs effectively and according to federal law. Specifically, OCSE administers federal matching funds and awards grants to states, provides policy guidance and technical assistance, conducts programaudits, and supports research through demonstration grants. OCSEis also responsible for the FederalParent Locator Service, which includes theNationalDirectoryofNewHires. Program Components The CSE programincreases thereliability of child support paid by noncustodialparents by Updated January 7, 2021 locating noncustodialparents, establishing paternity, establishing child support orders, reviewing and modifying child support orders, collecting child support payments fromnoncustodial parents, establishing and enforcing medical child support, and distributing child support payments to custodialp arents. CSE Collections and Methods In FY2019, the CSE programcollected $28.8 billion on behalf of families. More than two-thirds ofCSEcollections were for families that had never received cashpayments from the TANF program. Table I. CSE Collections by Family Type, FY20 19 Collections Family Type (billions) Percentage TANF Families $0.7 2% Former TANF $8.3 29% Never TANF $19.8 69% Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on datafrom the OCSE FY2019 PreliminaryData Report. The majority of the collected payments in FY2019 (96%) went to families and the remainder went to the states and federal government, primarily as reimbursement forpublic assistance dollars thatwent tofamilies. Most child support payments are collectedfrom noncustodial parents through income withholding. In FY2019, 72% of collections were obtained through income withholding. Other methods of enforcement include intercepting federal and state income taxrefunds; intercepting unemployment compensation; filing liens againstproperty; sending insurance settlement information to CSE agencies; intercepting lottery winnings,judgments,or settlements; seizing debtor parent assets held by public orprivate retirement funds and financialinstitutions; withholding, suspending, orrestricting driver's licenses, professional or occupationallicenses, and recreationalor sporting licenses; and https://crs rept

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