{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-introduces-bill-to-increase-child-support-payments-", "Cotton Introduces Bill to Increase Child Support Payments", "2020-12-10", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Caroline Tabler orJames Arnold (202) 734-0430\n\nDecember 10, 2020\n\nCotton Introduces Bill to Increase Child Support Payments\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) introduced the Child Support Works Act, a bill that would increase child-support payments to custodial parents and children. The Child Support Works Act would allow state child-support agencies to be reimbursed for operating mandatory work programs for non-custodial parents. These programs have proven effective at helping non-custodial parents develop positive work ethics and fulfill the requirements of their child-support orders.\n\nBill text may be found here. This bill is supported by the National Child-Support Enforcement Association.\n\n\u201cFathers have an obligation to care for their children. Child-support orders can help parents fulfill this obligation by requiring them to work. This bill would provide additional resources to state child-support agencies so they can help parents get back on their feet and provide for their family,\u201d said Cotton.\n\nBackground:\n\nChild-support enforcement is one of the most effective anti-poverty programs in the country, lifting more than one million families over the poverty line each year. However, approximately one-quarter of child-support cases aren\u2019t paid, often because the non-custodial parent doesn\u2019t have a job.\n\nAt least 30 states and the District of Columbia operate some form of program to help or require non-custodial parents to find work if they are underemployed, unemployed, or delinquent on their child-support order. These programs have proven effective at increasing child-support payments and employment among non-custodial parents. Court-ordered programs have proven especially effective.\n\nThe federal government partially reimburses states for expenses they incur through their child-support enforcement programs, but currently child-support work programs are not eligible for reimbursement. The Child Support Works Act would allow states to be reimbursed at the normal, 66% matching rate for expenditures on mandatory work programs for non-custodial parents who are underemployed, unemployed, or behind on their child-support payments.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:42:23Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-introduces-bill-to-increase-child-support-payments-"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.9245180301368237, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}