Federal legislation championed by Gov. Evers to support over 12 million kids nationwide enacted by President Biden

MADISON - Gov. Tony Evers today released a statement celebrating the enactment of the bipartisan Supporting America’s Children and Families Act (H.R.9076), which was signed by President Joe Biden over the weekend. In July 2024, Gov. Evers led a coalition of 26 bipartisan governors from across the nation in sending a letter to congressional leaders urging them to pass a bill to improve the ability of state, Tribal, and local child support agencies to serve families and their kids and prevent the suspension of child support payments to thousands of Wisconsin families.  

“Millions of families across our nation, many of whom already live below the federal poverty line, depend on child support payments to make ends meet and provide for our kids,” said Gov. Evers. “I’m grateful to President Biden for signing the Supporting America’s Children and Families Act into law and making this legislative fix so we can make sure kids and families here in Wisconsin and across our nation have the support they need and deserve.”

“I am proud to have led efforts in the United States Congress to ensure access to child support payments that are ordered to be paid out of federal tax refunds,” said U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wisconsin). “This legislation is especially meaningful in that it upholds Tribal sovereignty by allowing Tribes to fully operate their own child support enforcement programs. Passage of this important legislation shows how Congress can work together in a bipartisan manner to meet the needs of the American people.”

In more than 40 states, contractors are essential in assisting state and Tribal child support agencies in establishing and enforcing child support obligations. Up until 2023, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the federal Office of Child Support Services allowed contractors access to federal tax information (FTI) beyond what was in the Internal Revenue Code, as long as contractors adhered to strict measures to ensure that confidential information remained protected. The IRS then reversed its interpretation and put states and Tribes across the nation in a dire position.

In Wisconsin, contractors access FTI to support the Federal Tax Offset Refund program, which allows states to intercept tax refunds of parents who are behind on their child support payments. In federal fiscal year 2023, more than $1.6 billion in child support obligations was collected via federal tax offset, with $32.5 million of it going to Wisconsin families.

The Supporting America’s Children and Families Act, cosponsored by U.S. Rep. Moore, provides the needed statutory fix for states to use contractors to administer their child support enforcement programs without being in violation of IRS rules. The act also expands direct access to FTI to Tribes and Tribal child support agencies, ensuring they can provide much-needed resources for the families they serve. The legislation was also supported by the four national associations representing state and Tribal child support agencies.  

An online version of this release is available here.