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![handle is hein.crs/govepnc0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Overview of Tribal Child Support
Enforcement (CSE) Program Financing
Updated May 30, 2024
All 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and certain tribal
nations operate Child Support Enforcement (CSE) programs pursuant to Title IV-D of the Social Security
Act (SSA). The program is federally administered by the Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) in the
Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS). Program services include parent location and the establishment, modification, and enforcement of
child support orders. CSE is estimated to handle the majority of all child support cases; the remaining
cases are handled by private attorneys, by collection agencies, or through mutual agreements between
parents.
CSE programs generally receive federal funding from several different sources. However, tribal CSE
programs are funded differently from non-tribal programs run by states, territories, and the District of
Columbia (DC). In order to qualify for federal funding, these tribal CSE programs have until recently
been required to contribute nonfederal funding to pay for a percentage of approved program costs.
However, on February 12, 2024, OCSS issued a final rule that eliminates this requirement. This Insight
provides background on Title IV-D tribal CSE programs, the original funding requirements for these
programs, and recent developments.
Background on Tribal CSE Programs
Originally, Title IV-D of the SSA placed authority to administer the delivery of CSE services solely with
the states. However, on many types of tribal lands the authority of state and local governments was (and
continues to be) limited, constraining their ability to provide CSE services on tribal lands. Similarly, some
Indian families had difficulty obtaining CSE services from the state CSE programs.
To further the goal of tribal self-governance, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity
Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA; P.L. 104-193) authorized the HHS Secretary to provide direct
federal funding to Indian tribes with approved CSE programs (SSA §455(f)). (PRWORA also permitted
states to enter into cooperative agreements with Indian tribes and tribal organizations [SSA §454(33)]).
Most tribal IV-D CSE programs were established between 2008 and 2014; however, only one such
program has been established since 2018. As of the date of this report, 60 tribal nations operate
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
IN12164
CRS INSIGHT
Prepared for Members and
Committees of Congress](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.crs/govepnc0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)