Sen. Cornyn Co-Sponsors Bill To Protect Child Support Collection Efforts

Sen. Cornyn Co-Sponsors Bill To Protect Child Support Collection Efforts

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, Vice Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, joined a bipartisan group of Senators in introducing the Child Support Protection Act of 2007, S. 803. This bill will provide state agencies with the assistance needed to help them build upon improvements over the past decade in collecting child support payments.

The legislation builds on Sen. Cornyn's strong record on behalf of children and families. As Texas Attorney General, prior to be elected to the Senate, Cornyn's office annually collected a record amount of child support dollars.

"The Texas child support program has made significant strides over the past seven years in collections, performance, and efficiency, all of which will be seriously undermined without this vital legislation," Sen. Cornyn said. "The Child Support Protection Act of 2007 will allow state child support enforcement agencies to continue the extraordinary progress and cost-effectiveness they have developed in child support collections in recent years."

The Child Support Protection Act of 2007 will restore child support incentive funds by allowing states to receive federal matching dollars when they reinvest those resources into their child support systems. Without the legislation, child support collections are expected to decrease by $8.4 billion over the next decade. The bill was introduced by U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.).

"Because the Texas program has performed so well in the past few years, prohibiting the state from using incentive payments to receive matching federal funds would effectively punish that success," Sen. Cornyn added. "Unless we pass this legislation, the Child Support Division in the Office of the Texas Attorney General will face a dramatic reduction in federal support, and may be forced to close many offices throughout the state."

Cornyn noted that child support enforcement helps to reduce reliance on Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and other social service programs. Effective enforcement enables hard-working families who receive this important source of supplemental income to become self-sufficient.

Sen. Cornyn backed legislation previously, with Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), to fundamentally reform the child support collection system. As Texas Attorney General, Cornyn collected more than $4 billion in child support for more than one million Texas children.

-- Below is Sen. Cornyn's statement submitted for the Senate Record on the child support bill--

Mr. President, I am proud to cosponsor the Child Support Protection Act of 2007 so state child support enforcement agencies may continue the extraordinary progress and cost-effectiveness they have developed in child support collections in recent years.

This legislation is necessary to avoid a reversal in the dramatic improvements in the child support program's performance over the past decade. Without it, many families may be forced back into the welfare caseload.

Child support enforcement reduces reliance on Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and other social service programs. Effective enforcement enables former welfare families, and working families with modest incomes, to receive this important source of supplemental income and gain the self-sufficiency to avoid having to draw on government resources through public assistance programs. In fact, over one million Americans were lifted out of poverty through the child support program in 2002.

In 2004, collections nationwide totaled $21.9 billion, while total program costs were $5.3 billion. For every $1 spent in child support enforcement, $4.38 is collected for children who need it. Because of this rate of return, the President's budget continually rates the program as "one of the highest rated block/formula grants of all reviewed programs government-wide. This high rating is due to its strong mission, effective management, and demonstration of measurable progress toward meeting annual and long term performance measures."

In particular, the Texas child support program has made significant strides over the past seven years in collections, performance, and efficiency, all of which will be seriously undermined without this vital legislation.

I speak with authority on this matter. During my tenure as Attorney General of Texas, the Child Support Division made dramatic increases in collections from deadbeat parents, and the office continues to bring in record collections each year. Texas now ranks second in the nation in total collections—with collections in FY2006 surpassing $2 billion—a figure that number has doubled since FY2000.

This outstanding performance has earned the program the second highest federal performance incentive award for the past three years. Because the Texas program has achieved that level of performance, the prohibition on using incentive payments to draw down matching federal funds for program expenditures will have a much greater impact on Texas than on the 48 other states ranked below it. The loss of the match on incentive payments effectively punishes Texas' success. Unless we pass this legislation, the Child Support Division in the Office of the Texas Attorney General will face a dramatic reduction in federal financial participation, and may be forced to close many offices throughout the state.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to include in the record the following letter from the National Child Support Enforcement Association supporting this legislation.

Thank you. I look forward to this bill's consideration in the future.

http://cornyn.senate.gov/index.asp?f=record&lid=1&yid=1&rid=237344&pg=1