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Executive Order 13019

Supporting Families: Collecting Delinquent Child Support Obligations

This executive order directs federal agencies to use administrative offsets—deducting from federal payments—to collect past-due child support obligations. It also requires agencies to deny certain federal financial assistance (loans, guarantees, insurance) to individuals delinquent on child support, with due-process protections established by the Attorney General.

Federal Register Open PDF 61 FR 51763

Impact dates

  1. Agency heads submit exemption requests for new payment classes established after order date

  2. HHS implements reporting procedures for past-due child support claims

  3. Agency heads submit exemption requests for non-means-tested program payment classes

Key directives

  • Treasury Secretary to develop and implement administrative offset procedures for past-due child support
  • Treasury may enter reciprocal agreements with states for collection assistance
  • HHS must implement procedures to report past-due child support claims to Treasury within 120 days
  • Agency heads must submit exemption requests for means-tested programs within 30 days of order
  • Agency heads must submit exemption requests for non-means-tested programs within 30 days of Treasury establishing standards under 31 U.S.C. 3716(c)(3)
  • Agency heads must implement Treasury-issued rules and conduct payment matching and offsets
  • Treasury must share delinquent payer information with HHS
  • Agencies must deny federal financial assistance (loans, guarantees, insurance) to delinquent individuals
  • Attorney General must issue due-process guidelines for denial procedures
  • Agencies must review laws and recommend statutory changes to OMB where denial is not permitted
  • Agencies must conform implementing rules to this order
  • Treasury must report annually to President on implementation

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

  • HHS must begin implementing procedures to report past-due child support claims to Treasury
  • Agency heads must review payment classes for offset exemptions
  • Treasury Secretary to develop administrative offset procedures

Near term (90d)

  • HHS must complete implementation of reporting procedures within 120 days
  • Agency heads must submit exemption requests for means-tested programs within 30 days
  • Attorney General to issue due-process guidelines

Long term

  • Annual reporting to President on implementation
  • Ongoing administrative offset operations
  • Potential statutory changes recommended to OMB
  • Reciprocal agreements with states for collection assistance

Risks & tensions

  • Non-means-tested program exemption deadline is contingent on Treasury first establishing standards under 31 U.S.C. 3716(c)(3), creating sequencing uncertainty
  • Due-process protections required but guidelines not yet issued; tension between enforcement speed and procedural fairness
  • Exemption for 'best interests of the child' (sec. 2(e)(1)(B)) introduces subjective standard that may create inconsistent agency applications
  • Computer privacy matching laws (sec. 1(e)(1)) create compliance boundary that may limit effectiveness
  • Sec. 4 explicitly bars judicial enforcement, limiting recourse for affected individuals
Executive Order 13019: Supporting Families: Collecting Delinquent Child Support Obligations · Executive Orders