Washington, DC – Committee on Ways and Means Human Resources Subcommittee Chairman Davis (R-KY), Human Resources Subcommittee Member Congressman Berg (R-ND), and Human Resources Subcommittee Ranking Member Doggett (D-TX) issued the following statements today upon passage of H.R. 4282 in the House of Representatives.  Known as the “International Child Support Recovery Improvement Act of 2012,” the legislation makes no-cost improvements to the State-administered child support enforcement program.  This bipartisan measure provides the legislation needed to allow the United States to implement the 2007 Hague Convention on International Recovery of Child Support.  It also promotes data standardization within the child support enforcement program and expands researcher access to the National Directory of New Hires for use in evaluating the employment outcomes of Federal programs.  In addition, this legislation will save valuable taxpayer dollars.

Chairman Davis: “The passage of H.R. 4282 is the next step in promoting no-cost improvements to the child support program and continuing the subcommittee’s important, bipartisan efforts to promote data standardization.  The child support system is already data heavy, but it is important for those efforts to be consistent across programs, thereby increasing the efficiency of taxpayer dollars and services provided.”

Congressman Berg: “By passing this bill, we are empowering states, which operate the child support enforcement program, to do more to help families, and most importantly, children.  It is my hope that the Senate will also act to pass this important legislation and complete the Federal legislative process of ratifying the Hague Convention.  States will then be able to better assist families and children by ensuring they have the same access to financial support even when one parent lives outside the country.”

Ranking Member Doggett: “International borders should not be barriers to children receiving the financial support their parents are obligated to provide.  This legislation does right by children and saves taxpayers’ dollars.”

Additional information on the bill can be found here.