S. 534 – Tribal Child Support Enforcement Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated February 7, 2026 at 11:35 PM UTC

The Tribal Child Support Enforcement Act aims to strengthen tribal child support enforcement agencies by giving them the same tools and funding mechanisms that states use. It expands definitions in the Social Security Act and the Internal Revenue Code so tribes receiving federal grants can access tax information, receive reimbursements, and be treated like states for child support purposes. The changes affect tribal child support agencies, the families they serve, and the federal agencies that oversee child support programs.

Key Provisions

Amends the Social Security Act to apply certain child support provisions to Indian tribes and tribal organizations that receive federal grants, just as they apply to states
Updates the Internal Revenue Code to include tribal child support agencies in definitions that allow access to tax information and disclosure for locating and collecting child support
Expands reimbursement eligibility under the Social Security Act to include tribal agencies alongside states
Makes technical adjustments to reference numbers and definitions to ensure tribal agencies are covered by existing child support enforcement rules

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

7 earlier actions

HouseFloor Latest Action

Held at the desk.

July 16, 2021 • 9:59 AM

View full timeline

SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

March 2, 2021

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Finance Committee

March 2, 2021

SenateCommittee

Senate Committee on Finance discharged by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S4860)

Finance Committee

July 13, 2021

SenateDischarge

Senate Committee on Finance discharged by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S4860)

Finance Committee

July 13, 2021

SenateFloor

Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR S4860)

July 13, 2021

SenateFloor

Message on Senate action sent to the House.

July 14, 2021

HouseFloor

Received in the House.

July 16, 2021 • 9:02 AM

HouseFloor

Held at the desk.

July 16, 2021 • 9:59 AM

Floor Debate

3 members

What members said about S. 534 on the floor

1 Republican2 Democrats

Sen. Tim KaineD-VA · Mar 2, 2021

Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce the Cost of Police Misconduct Act. This legislation strives to increase transparency and accountability, saving taxpayer dollars and potentially lives by…

Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce the Cost of Police Misconduct Act. This legislation strives to increase transparency and accountability, saving taxpayer dollars and potentially lives by requiring Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies to report police misconduct allegations and related judgments or settlements to the Department of Justice.

Last year, the horrific murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery made it clear that systemic reform in policing is needed now more than ever. On top of having to bear the loss of friends and loved ones, these very communities who suffer from this misconduct have to foot its bill, yet they are often in the dark on the full size of that bill. Citizens deserve to know what they are paying for unjust policing practices.

In the last 10 years, 31 of 50 cities in the Nation with the highest police-to-civilian ratio spent more than $3 billion to settle police misconduct lawsuits. These large judgments and settlements paid by State and local governments are typically paid from liability insurance, from a general or dedicated municipal fund, or from issuing bonds. In particular, municipal bonds have become increasingly more commonplace to cover the cost of large judgments and settlements that exceed insurer liability coverage or the capacity of dedicated municipal funds. This often results in passing costs to taxpayers, who must pay nearly double the cost of the judgment or settlement because the city or county must pay fees to financial institutions and interest to investors. This is unacceptable.

Specifically, the Cost of Police Misconduct Act seeks to remedy this costly and pervasive issue by ensuring the Department of Justice maintains a comprehensive public database of misconduct data and trends that have gone largely unreported by Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies. Furthermore, this legislation makes certain important data--such as the type of alleged misconduct, the total amount of the settlement, and the source of funds used to cover the cost of any one judgment or settlement--is properly preserved in an easily accessible manner. Additionally, this legislation directs the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study of the information reported to determine the leading cause of judgments and settlements related to allegations of misconduct and what interventions are necessary to prevent them.

Police misconduct takes lives, erodes trust, and sparks fear. I am hopeful the Senate will act upon my legislation this year to shine a light on the price of police misconduct, ending the secrecy and hopefully spurring agencies to put a stop to it.

Sen. Sheldon WhitehouseD-RI · Jul 13, 2021

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be discharged from further consideration of S. 534 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration. I ask unanimous consent…

Sen. John ThuneR-SD · Mar 2, 2021

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Sen. John ThuneR-SD · Mar 2, 2021

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Bill Text

2 versions available

Reading Mode

Raw Text PDF XML

Engrossed in SenateIssued July 13, 2021

117th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 534

AN ACT

To improve the effectiveness of tribal child support enforcement agencies, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Tribal Child Support Enforcement Act.

2.

Improving the effectiveness of tribal child support enforcement agencies

(a)

Improving the collection of past-Due child support through State and tribal parity in the allowable use of tax information

(1)

Amendment to the Social Security Act

Section 464 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 664) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(d)

Applicability to Indian tribes and tribal organizations receiving a grant under this part

This section, except for the requirement to distribute amounts in accordance with section 457, shall apply to an Indian tribe or tribal organization receiving a grant under section 455(f) in the same manner in which this section applies to a State with a plan approved under this part.

.

(2)

Amendments to the Internal Revenue Code

(A)

Section 6103(a)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking any local child support enforcement agency and inserting any tribal or local child support enforcement agency.

(B)

Section 6103(a)(3) of such Code is amended by inserting , (8) after (6).

(C)

Section 6103(l) of such Code is amended—

(i)

in paragraph (6)—

(I)

by striking or local in subparagraph (A) and inserting tribal, or local;

(II)

by striking and local in the heading thereof and inserting tribal, and local;

(III)

by striking The following in subparagraph (B) and inserting The;

(IV)

by striking the colon and all that follows in subparagraph (B) and inserting a period; and

(V)

by adding at the end the following:

(D)

State, tribal, or local child support enforcement agency

For purposes of this paragraph, the following shall be treated as a State, tribal, or local child support enforcement agency:

(i)

Any agency of a State or political subdivision thereof operating pursuant to a plan described in section 454 of the Social Security Act which has been approved by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under part D of title IV of such Act.

(ii)

Any child support enforcement agency of an Indian tribe or tribal organization receiving a grant under section 455(f) of the Social Security Act.

;

(ii)

in paragraph (8)—

(I)

in subparagraph (A), by striking or State or local and inserting State, tribal, or local;

(II)

by adding the following at the end of subparagraph (B): The information disclosed to any child support enforcement agency under subparagraph (A) with respect to any individual with respect to whom child support obligations are sought to be established or enforced may be disclosed by such agency to any agent of such agency which is under contract with such agency for purposes of, and to the extent necessary in, establishing and collecting child support obligations from, and locating, individuals owing such obligations.;

(III)

by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the following:

(C)

State, tribal, or local child support enforcement agency

For purposes of this paragraph, the term State, tribal, or local child support enforcement agency has the same meaning as when used in paragraph (6)(D).

; and

(IV)

by striking and local in the heading thereof and inserting tribal, and local; and

(iii)

in paragraph (10)(B), by adding at the end the following new clause:

(iii)

The information disclosed to any child support enforcement agency under subparagraph (A) with respect to any individual with respect to whom child support obligations are sought to be established or enforced may be disclosed by such agency to any agent of such agency which is under contract with such agency for purposes of, and to the extent necessary in, establishing and collecting child support obligations from, and locating, individuals owing such obligations.

.

(D)

Subsection (c) of section 6402 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following: For purposes of this subsection, any reference to a State shall include a reference to any Indian tribe or tribal organization receiving a grant under section 455(f) of the Social Security Act..

(b)

Reimbursement for reports

Section 453(g) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 653(g)) is amended—

(1)

in the subsection heading, by striking State; and

(2)

by striking and State and inserting , State, and tribal.

(c)

Technical amendments

Paragraphs (7) and (33) of section 454 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 654) are each amended by striking 450b and inserting 5304.

Passed the Senate July 13, 2021.

Secretary