{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/newsroom/press/menendez-cornyn-bill-to-boost-child-support-system-clears-the-senate", "Menendez, Cornyn Bill to Boost Child Support System Clears the SenateRead More", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON,\r\nD.C.  U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) today\r\napplauded Senate passage of their Providing Adequate Resources to Enhance\r\nNeeded Time with Sons and Daughters (PARENTS) Act, which will ensure children\r\nof separated or divorced parents have a set schedule that will allow them to\r\nspend frequent quality time with both of their parents. The bill would allow\r\nstates to use federal child support incentive funds to create a parenting time\r\nagreement upon the establishment of child support orders. It's important\r\nfor children of divorced parents to have a set visitation schedule, which will\r\nprovide them with the stability they need for an easier and smoother\r\ntransition, said Sen. Menendez. The PARENTS Act will allow states to\r\nautomatically create a parenting time agreement by cutting the bureaucratic red\r\ntape. I urge the House to pass this bill swiftly.The Child\r\nSupport Enforcement Program helps provide necessary resources to those raising\r\nchildren, but we need to remove bureaucratic barriers making it difficult for\r\nwilling parents to spend more time with their kids, said Sen. Cornyn. This legislation will help children receive the\r\nfinancial support they need while rewarding parents who spend quality time with\r\ntheir child, and I am grateful to my colleagues for recognizing the urgent need\r\nfor this legislation during the pandemic. Research shows that children benefit from spending time with both parents\r\nafter a divorce or separation, but according to the Department of Health and Human Services\r\n(HHS), nearly seven of ten parents involved with the public\r\nchild support program do not have an official parenting time agreement. Currently,\r\nstates wishing to use child support incentive funds to create a parenting time\r\nagreement must apply for a waiver from HHS. Since HHS has yet to deny any of\r\nthese waiver requests, it has become an unnecessary and cost-consuming burden\r\nfor states. The PARENTS Act would eliminate the need for a waiver, freeing up\r\nresources and yielding administrative savings for states. The bill is\r\nsupported by the National Child Support Enforcement Association and the National\r\nAssociation of Counties.  ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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.menendez.senate.gov/newsroom/press/menendez-cornyn-bill-to-boost-child-support-system-clears-the-senate"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.247194992378354, "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"}