Child Support Enforcement Amendments of 1984

enactedUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

8 November 1983

Last action

16 August 1984 · President

Status

Became Public Law No: 98-378.

Summary

Child Support Enforcement Amendments of 1983 - Amends part D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) of title IV of the Social Security Act to revise the purposes of such part to provide that assistance in obtaining support will be available under part D to all children (whether or not eligible for aid under the Aid to Families With Dependent Children program) for whom such assistance is requested. Requires a State, under part D, to have enacted laws establishing, embodying, or requiring the use of the following procedures to increase the effectiveness of its part D program: (1) procedures for the withholding from income of support amounts; (2) procedures assuring the State will improve the enforcement of support obligations; (3) procedures to collect support from a State tax refund; (4) procedures under which liens are imposed against real and personal property for amounts of past-due support owed by an absent parent; (5) procedures for establishing a child's paternity; (6) procedures requiring an individual to give security or post a bond to secure payment of past-due support if the individual is an absent parent who has demonstrated a pattern of not making payments; (7) procedures by which information regarding the amount of past-due support owed by an absent parent residing in the State will be made available to any consumer credit bureau organization upon the request of such organization, subject to certain conditions; and (8) procedures under which support payments will be made under part D through the State agency administering the State's income withholding system at the request of either parent, even though no arrearages are involved. Sets forth the procedures (referred to in clause one above) for the withholding from income of support payments. Provides that under such procedures: (1) amounts withheld must comply with the support order; (2) withholding must be initiated without application in the case of a child who is already receiving services under part D, and will be initiated with an application in the case of any other child; (3) withholding must be carried out in full compliance with all procedural due process requirements and must begin as soon as feasible; (4) withholding must be administered by a public agency (or a publicly accountable agency) designated by the State, and amounts withheld must be expeditiously distributed; (5) the State must provide advance notice to each individual who will have payments withheld and information as to how to contest the withholding; (6) State law must give priority to support collection over any other legal process against the same wages; (7) there will be withholding from all forms of income; (8) provisions must be made for terminating withholding; and (9) arrangements will be made with other States providing for reciprocal withholding. Requires, in addition, under such procedures that: (1) an employer withhold ordered payments (which shall include a fee to be paid to the employer) when provided with written notice; (2) an employer be held liable to the State for failure to withhold; and (3) a fine be imposed on any employer who refuses to employ or takes disciplinary action against any individual subject to wage withholding because of the existence of the withholding and additional obligations imposed on the employer. Requires a State's laws to require withholding whenever arrearages occur, even if an application for services under part D is not filed. Provides exemptions from the requirements of this paragraph, subject to the Secretary of Health and Human Services' continuing review, for States demonstrating that the enactment of any of this paragraph's requirements will not improve the State's support enforcement program. Authorizes a State to use the funds available under part D for automated management systems to facilitate the development and improvement of income withholding procedures. Requires a State, whenever a family for whom support payments have been collected and distributed under part D ceases to receive assistance under part A (Aid to Families With Dependent Children) of title IV, to: (1) continue collecting support for up to three months; and (2) continue collection and payment to the family (without requiring reapplication) at the end of the three-month period on the same basis as in the case of individuals not receiving assistance under part A. Repeals the current 12 percent incentive payment which is based on collections made on behalf of AFDC families. Provides, under the new incentive payment provisions, that the basis incentive payment will be four percent of the State's AFDC collections plus four percent of the State's non-AFDC collections. Provides that to the extent that AFDC or non-AFDC collections exceed the State's combined AFDC and non-AFDC administrative costs, higher incentives will be paid on a graduated scale of up to ten percent of AFDC and ten percent of non-AFDC collections. Provides that the amount of incentive payments to be made to a State for any fiscal year shall be estimated by the Secretary before the beginning of such year and that the Secretary shall make such payments for such year on a quarterly basis, with the payments being reduced or increased to compensate for any prior overpayments or underpayments. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants, in order to encourage and promote the development and use of more effective methods of enforcing support obligations under part D in cases where either the children on whose behalf the support is sought or their absent parents do not reside in the State where such cases are filed, to States proposing to undertake new or innovative methods of support collection in such cases. Authorizes appropriations for such grants. Requires: (1) review of a State's part D program at least once every three years; and (2) the operation by a State of a child support program (under part A) which is substantial compliance with the State's part D plan. Replaces current penalty provisions under part A with graduated penalties of two, three, and five percent in cases where a State's part D program does not meet applicable requirements. Amends part A (General Provisions) of title XI of the Social Security Act to require any demonstration project undertaken which assists in promoting the objectives of part D of title IV to: (1) be designed to improve the financial well-being of children, and prohibit modifications in the child support program which would have the effect of disadvantaging children in need of support; and (2) not result in increased costs to the Federal Government under part A of title IV. Provides, under part D, that amounts collected by a State as child support on behalf of a child for whom a public agency is making foster care maintenance payments under part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV: (1) shall be retained by the State to the extent necessary to reimburse it for foster care maintenance payments made; (2) shall be paid to the public agency responsible for supervising the placement of a child to the extent that amounts collected exceed foster care maintenance payments made with respect to the child but not amounts required by a court order to be paid on behalf of the child; and (3) shall be retained by the State if any portion of the amounts collected remains after making the payments required above, to the extent that such portion is necessary to reimburse the State for any foster care maintenance payments made for a child. Requires any balance to be paid to the State agency responsible for supervising child care placement. Requires a State, under part E, where appropriate, to take all steps to secure an assignment to the State of any rights to support on behalf of each child receiving foster care maintenance payments. Requires collection by a State of spousal support under part D. (Current law permits such collection.) Requires the Secretary's annual report under part D to include the payment status of all active child support cases in each State, with specific information concerning: (1) interstate cases; and (2) the number of cases in certain defined categories. Requires a State, under part D, to regularly publicize the availability of child support enforcement services, including a telephone number or address where further information can be obtained. Requires a State, as a condition of eligibility for Federal payments under part A or D of title IV, to establish a State Commission on Child Support to examine, investigate, and study the operation of the State's child support system so as to determine the extent to which the system has been successful in securing support and parental involvement for both AFDC and non-AFDC children. Requires a report from the Commission. Permits waivers of the requirement for a Commission in a State if the State already has its own commission, which is making satisfactory progress towards effective child support enforcement, or has in effect objective standards for child support obligations. Directs the Secretary to approve a request from the State of Wisconsin to waive any requirement of part A or D of title IV so as to permit modifications of such State's programs under parts A and D in order to enable such State to make an adequate test of its Child Support Initiative, provided certain conditions are met.

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Timeline

8 November 1983
Introduced
Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means.
Source: IntroReferral
8 November 1983
Introduced
Introduced in House
Source: IntroReferral
8 November 1983
Introduced
Introduced in House
Source: IntroReferral
9 November 1983
Reported
Ordered to be Reported (Amended).
Source: Committee
9 November 1983
Committee
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Source: Committee
10 November 1983
Calendars
Placed on Union Calendar No: 300.
Source: Calendars
10 November 1983
Reported
Reported to House (Amended) by House Committee on Ways and Means. Report No: 98-527.
Source: Committee
10 November 1983
Reported
Reported to House (Amended) by House Committee on Ways and Means. Report No: 98-527.
Source: Committee
16 November 1983
Introduced
Received in the Senate and read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Source: IntroReferral
16 November 1983
Vote
Passed House (Amended) by Yea-Nay Vote: 422 - 0 (Record Vote No: 511).
Source: Floor
16 November 1983
Vote
Passed/agreed to in House: Passed House (Amended) by Yea-Nay Vote: 422 - 0 (Record Vote No: 511).
Source: Floor
16 November 1983
Floor
Called up by House Under Suspension of Rules.
Source: Floor
22 November 1983
Committee
Committee on Finance requested executive comment from OMB, Treasury Department, Health and Human Services Department.
Source: Committee
24 January 1984
Committee
Committee on Finance. Hearings held.
Source: Committee
26 January 1984
Committee
Committee on Finance. Hearings held.
Source: Committee
23 March 1984
Reported
Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Source: Committee
9 April 1984
Calendars
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 761.
Source: Calendars
9 April 1984
Reported
Committee on Finance. Reported to Senate by Senator Dole with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 98-387.
Source: Committee
9 April 1984
Reported
Committee on Finance. Reported to Senate by Senator Dole with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 98-387.
Source: Committee
25 April 1984
Floor
Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
Source: Floor
25 April 1984
Vote
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 94-0. Record Vote No: 79.
Source: Floor
11 June 1984
ResolvingDifferences
House Requested a Conference and Speaker Appointed Conferees: Rostenkowski, Ford (TN), Stark, Pease, Matsui, Fowler, Kennelly, Conable, Campbell, Moore, Thomas (CA).
Source: ResolvingDifferences
11 June 1984
Passed
House Disagreed to Senate Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
Source: ResolvingDifferences
11 June 1984
Passed
Resolving differences -- House actions: House Disagreed to Senate Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
Source: NotUsed
15 June 1984
Passed
Senate agreed to request for conference. Appointed conferees. Dole; Packwood; Armstrong; Grassley; Long; Moynihan; Bradley.
Source: ResolvingDifferences
15 June 1984
Floor
Senate insists on its amendments by Voice Vote.
Source: Floor
28 June 1984
ResolvingDifferences
Conference held.
Source: ResolvingDifferences
28 June 1984
ResolvingDifferences
Conference committee actions: Conference held.
Source: ResolvingDifferences
26 July 1984
Passed
Conferees agreed to file conference report.
Source: ResolvingDifferences
26 July 1984
Passed
Conference committee actions: Conferees agreed to file conference report.
Source: ResolvingDifferences
1 August 1984
Vote
Senate agreed to conference report by Yea-Nay Vote. 99-0. Record Vote No: 210.
Source: ResolvingDifferences
1 August 1984
Vote
Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report by Yea-Nay Vote. 99-0. Record Vote No: 210.
Source: ResolvingDifferences
1 August 1984
ResolvingDifferences
Conference Report 98-925 Filed in House.
Source: ResolvingDifferences
1 August 1984
ResolvingDifferences
Conference report filed: Conference Report 98-925 Filed in House.
Source: ResolvingDifferences
8 August 1984
Vote
House Agreed to Conference Report by Yea-Nay Vote: 413 - 0 (Record Vote No: 357).
Source: ResolvingDifferences
8 August 1984
Vote
Conference report agreed to in House: House Agreed to Conference Report by Yea-Nay Vote: 413 - 0 (Record Vote No: 357).
Source: ResolvingDifferences
9 August 1984
Floor
Measure Signed in Senate.
Source: Floor
10 August 1984
Floor
Presented to President.
Source: Floor
10 August 1984
President
Presented to President.
Source: President
16 August 1984
Became law
Became Public Law No: 98-378.
Source: President
16 August 1984
Became law
Signed by President.
Source: BecameLaw
16 August 1984
President
Signed by President.
Source: President

Votes

· Official source

Yes 0 · No 0 · Abstain — · Absent/not voting 0

· Official source

Yes 0 · No 0 · Abstain — · Absent/not voting 0

Versions

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Documents

7 official files

Public Law (PDF)

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Public Law (PDF)
Public Law · EN · 17 August 1984
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Conference report filed in House
summary · EN · 1 August 1984
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Passed Senate amended
summary · EN · 25 April 1984
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Reported to Senate with amendment(s)
summary · EN · 9 April 1984
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Passed House amended
summary · EN · 16 November 1983
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Reported to House with amendment(s)
summary · EN · 10 November 1983
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Introduced in House
summary · EN · 8 November 1983
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Related records

related to → Child Support Enforcement Improvements Act of 1983
related to → National Child Support Enforcement Act
related to ← Child Support Enforcement Act of 1983
related to ← Child Support Enforcement Amendments of 1983
related to ← Immediate Child-Support Enforcement Act

Related across the Repo ecosystem

Direct relationships are identifier-backed. Topic context means shared TopicMembership — not a citation and not causation.

Direct relationships

Legal framework · Child Support Enforcement Amendments of 1984 · H.R. 4325 (98th) · US

Identifier matchPROJECTS_FROM
Same us record 98-hr-4325 projected from PoliticalRepo US row.
Child Support Enforcement Amendments of 1984

Sources

PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.

Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/98th-congress/house-bill/4325
Open data entity: https://api.congress.gov/v3/bill/98/hr/4325
us · 98-hr-4325 · source updated 23 January 2026