Bill Overview
Title: Ensuring Children Receive Support Act
Description: This bill requires the Department of State to revoke passports for certain individuals who fail to make child support payments. Under current law, if the Department of Health and Human Services certifies that an individual owes more than $2,500 in child support, the Department of State must refuse to issue the individual a passport and may revoke a previously issued passport. Under the bill, State must revoke the previously issued passport.
Sponsors: Rep. Van Duyne, Beth [R-TX-24]
Target Audience
Population: People, primarily within families, who rely on or owe child support
Estimated Size: 5000000
- The bill targets individuals who owe more than $2,500 in child support.
- Those affected are primarily non-custodial parents who are behind on child support payments.
- Child support laws are applicable to a large number of children whose custodial parents rely on such support.
- In the United States, there are about 13 million parents who have primary custody and a significant portion receive or are owed child support.
- Globally, the situation varies widely in terms of child support enforcement, with the highest impacts in countries with similar laws to the US.
Reasoning
- The policy targets individuals who owe more than $2,500 in child support, which is a subset of the broader population of parents involved in child support cases.
- The US has over 13 million custodial parents, and many cases involve unpaid child support. However, not all unpaid amounts exceed $2,500, meaning the actual number impacted may be smaller.
- The policy impacts both those who owe child support and indirectly those who rely on it, especially custodial parents and their children.
- The budget limitations might restrict the policy's enforcement scale, potentially prioritizing certain cases over others based on severity or logistics.
Simulated Interviews
Accountant (Texas)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I understand the importance of child support but confiscating my passport seems harsh.
- It might motivate me to pay faster; however, there should be more flexibility in handling arrears.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Teacher (New York)
Age: 40 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- If revoking passports helps me receive consistent payments, it's worth trying.
- My concern is whether this will actually improve the child support collection process.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Software developer (California)
Age: 28 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's unfair to penalize my ability to work abroad just because I'm slightly behind due to my past job loss.
- I would prefer restructuring the payments instead of losing my passport.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Truck driver (Illinois)
Age: 55 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I work hard to meet my obligations, but unexpected expenses sometimes make me fall behind.
- Passport revocation seems extreme and may affect my out-of-state job opportunities.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Entrepreneur (Florida)
Age: 42 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've been on the receiving end of erratic payments, and something needs to change.
- I worry if his passport is revoked, it might make things worse.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Chef (Ohio)
Age: 30 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 13/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The threat of losing my passport adds more stress.
- I worry more about making payments than traveling, but it feels disproportionate.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Nurse (North Carolina)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 16/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I just want what's fair for my kids; if this helps enforce payment, I'm for it.
- It seems harsh but necessary because other measures have failed.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
College student (Georgia)
Age: 23 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Falling behind is a real concern, and passport restrictions add pressure.
- Balancing school and my financial obligations is hard enough.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
IT manager (Michigan)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 17/20
Statement of Opinion:
- If this somehow works, then I support it because my kids need that support.
- I remain skeptical until I see actual enforcement.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Construction worker (Nevada)
Age: 37 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I try my best, and the thought of losing my passport is scary as I just got back on my feet.
- Understanding, flexible policies would be more effective.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $1000000 (Low: $800000, High: $1200000)
Year 2: $900000 (Low: $700000, High: $1100000)
Year 3: $950000 (Low: $800000, High: $1150000)
Year 5: $1000000 (Low: $850000, High: $1200000)
Year 10: $1100000 (Low: $900000, High: $1300000)
Year 100: $1500000 (Low: $1200000, High: $1800000)
Key Considerations
- The policy will primarily affect individuals who owe significant child support debt and currently have active passports.
- Coordination between multiple agencies (State Department, Health and Human Services) is critical for effective implementation.
- Resistance or legal challenges from affected individuals could arise, affecting the efficacy of the policy.