Overview

Title

To improve the effectiveness and available tools of State and tribal child support enforcement agencies, and for other purposes.

ELI5 AI

The bill wants to give more help to groups that make sure moms and dads pay for their kids, especially for Native American tribes, by letting them use some tax information like the states do. This way, they can do a better job of collecting money that parents owe for taking care of their children.

Summary AI

The bill H.R. 7906, known as the “Strengthening State and Tribal Child Support Enforcement Act,” aims to enhance the tools and effectiveness of child support enforcement agencies at the state and tribal levels. It proposes amendments to the Social Security Act and the Internal Revenue Code to allow tribal child support enforcement agencies to utilize tax data similarly to state agencies, which should help them collect past-due payments more effectively. Additionally, the bill includes provisions for reimbursing tribes for reporting activities and makes technical corrections to existing laws.

Published

2024-04-09
Congress: 118
Session: 2
Chamber: HOUSE
Status: Introduced in House
Date: 2024-04-09
Package ID: BILLS-118hr7906ih

Bill Statistics

Size

Sections:
2
Words:
1,429
Pages:
7
Sentences:
18

Language

Nouns: 346
Verbs: 93
Adjectives: 72
Adverbs: 3
Numbers: 79
Entities: 65

Complexity

Average Token Length:
3.65
Average Sentence Length:
79.39
Token Entropy:
4.65
Readability (ARI):
38.50

AnalysisAI

General Summary of the Bill

House Resolution 7906, introduced in the 118th Congress, seeks to enhance the capabilities and tools available to State and tribal child support enforcement agencies. Officially titled the "Strengthening State and Tribal Child Support Enforcement Act," the bill is primarily focused on improving the efficiency of tribal child support enforcement agencies by enabling them to access and utilize tax information similarly to state agencies. The aim is to streamline efforts in collecting overdue child support.

Summary of Significant Issues

One of the core components of the bill involves amendments to both the Social Security Act and the Internal Revenue Code. These legal changes would grant tribal child support enforcement agencies similar access to sensitive tax data as state agencies. However, these changes are not without complexity and potential pitfalls, particularly in terms of understanding and implementing the legal stipulations. The technical nature of these amendments poses significant challenges that could lead to inefficiencies and possible non-compliance.

There are also privacy concerns regarding the handling of tax information. Tribal organizations' access to this sensitive data raises questions about the adequacy of their infrastructure to protect such information.

Further, there seems to be a possible issue of inequality, as tribal organizations must qualify for specific grants under section 455(f) of the Social Security Act to benefit from these new provisions. The financial implications of these amendments are not explicitly addressed, which could lead to resource allocation concerns for both state and tribal budgets.

Impact on the Public

Broadly, the bill aims to improve the collection of overdue child support, which could positively affect families reliant on these payments. By facilitating effective enforcement mechanisms, the bill could lead to better financial support for children whose parents are delinquent on child support payments.

However, the potential for inefficiencies and privacy issues may cause public concern. If tribal child support agencies struggle to implement the changes effectively, or if there are data breaches involving tax information, public confidence in these institutions could be undermined.

Impact on Specific Stakeholders

For tribal child support enforcement agencies, the bill could provide substantial benefits by equating them with state agencies in terms of access to federal tax data, potentially leading to more effective child support collection. However, the complexity of the amendments could strain these agencies' resources and capabilities, highlighting a need for additional training and infrastructure support.

Families and children awaiting owed child support stand to benefit from more efficient enforcement processes. Yet, the uneven application or barriers to grant access for some tribes could create disparities in service effectiveness.

From a governmental perspective, the bill may place additional demands on both federal and tribal monitoring and regulatory frameworks to ensure compliance and safeguard sensitive data, necessitating potential advancements or restructuring in these areas.

In conclusion, while H.R. 7906 proposes worthwhile improvements in child support enforcement, it also introduces significant legislative and logistical challenges that require careful consideration and management.

Issues

  • The amendments to the Internal Revenue Code and the Social Security Act introduced in Section 2 involve complex legal changes that may present difficulties for tribal child support enforcement agencies in interpretation and implementation, particularly regarding the sharing and handling of sensitive tax information. This could lead to inefficiencies or non-compliance, which is significant for both legal and operational reasons.

  • Section 2 raises potential privacy concerns due to the expanded access tribal organizations would have to sensitive tax data. This poses a risk if these organizations lack the appropriate infrastructure to secure this information, a matter of ethical and legal significance.

  • There is concern that the changes made in Section 2 might lead to inequalities if certain tribal organizations do not receive necessary grants, thereby excluding them from the benefits of the new provisions. This raises ethical and political issues regarding fairness and equal access.

  • The lack of clarity on financing the provisions for tribal agencies in Section 2 might have financial implications, affecting both state and tribal budgets and possibly leading to resource allocation concerns.

  • The inclusion of tribal organizations, in a manner similar to states, for receiving tax data access in Section 2 could cause jurisdictional and regulatory issues due to different organizational capabilities and legal frameworks, affecting legal and operational stability.

Sections

Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.

1. Short title Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The act is officially named the "Strengthening State and Tribal Child Support Enforcement Act".

2. Improving the effectiveness of tribal child support enforcement agencies Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The section focuses on enhancing the effectiveness of tribal child support enforcement agencies by making amendments to existing laws. It allows tribal agencies the same use of tax information as state agencies for collecting overdue child support and includes provisions for reimbursement for reports and updates to technical language.