Summary

GAO reviewed the Department of Health and Human Service's Administration for Children and Families (ACF) new rule on the Child Support Enforcement Program. GAO found that (1) the final rule amends the regulations concerning the federal tax refund offset program to collect past-due child support; extends the program to children who are not minors, mandates state review, and adjustment of child support order for families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; reduces the federal matching rate from 90 percent to 66 percent for paternity tests; gives the states the option to pay more child support collections to former assistance families; and requires the states to impose a mandatory annual $25 fee in certain child support enforcement cases; and (2) ACF complied with the applicable requirements in promulgating the rule.