Dianne Feinstein: “I am introducing today the Child Support Performance Act of 1998. This legislation decreases penalties for those 14…”

“I am introducing today the Child Support Performance Act of 1998. This legislation decreases penalties for those 14 states who did not make the child support enforcement system deadline last October. This legislation decreases the overall penalties to 4% of the child support administrative funds in the first year, and increases the penalties by 4% each year up to 20%. However, if the state meets the benchmark goals it set out with HHS at the beginning of the year, 75% of the penalties would be forgiven each year. This provision encourages states to set realistic goals for the year and recognizes their progress each year instead of the all or nothing approach under current law. The current penalties for not having the child support enforcement system up and running are enormous. States would be penalized all their TANF (AFDC) funding and their child support administration funds for the year. The total loss in TANF funds and child support administrative funds from the 14 states amount to over $8 billion per year. More specifically, California would lose $4 billion. Illinois would lose $654 million. Michigan would lose $857 million. Pennsylvania would lose $794 million. There is enough blame to go around for the states' failures to meet the child support enforcement systems deadline.”