2016-29598: Flexibility, Efficiency, and Modernization in Child Support Enforcement Programs

Summary

This rule is intended to carry out the President's directives in Executive Order 13563: Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review. The final rule will make Child Support Enforcement program operations and enforcement procedures more flexible, more effective, and more efficient by recognizing the strength of existing State enforcement programs, advancements in technology that can enable improved collection rates, and the move toward electronic communication and document management. This final rule will improve and simplify program operations, and remove outmoded limitations to program innovations to better serve families. In addition, the final rule clarifies and corrects technical provisions in existing regulations. The rule makes significant changes to the regulations on case closure, child support guidelines, and medical support enforcement. It will improve child support collection rates because support orders will reflect the noncustodial parent's ability to pay support, and more noncustodial parents will support their children.

The agency’s own summary, as published.

What this changes

Amends 9 parts of the Code of Federal Regulations — the standing rules this notice rewrites.

• 42 CFR 433 State Fiscal Administration
• 45 CFR 301 State Plan Approval and Grant Procedures
• 45 CFR 302 State Plan Requirements
• 45 CFR 303 Standards for Program Operations
• 45 CFR 304 Federal Financial Participation
• 45 CFR 305 Program Performance Measures, Standards, Financial Incentives, and Penalties
• 45 CFR 307 Computerized Support Enforcement Systems
• 45 CFR 308 Annual State Self-Assessment Review and Report
• 45 CFR 309 Tribal Child Support Enforcement (IV-D) Program