Tulsa Standard

Recently, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 9076, a legislative package that includes key priorities from Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) aimed at strengthening tribal child welfare systems.

"Without this fix, millions of families could lose their child support overnight," said Rep. Hern. "My bill protects those families, keeps the program running for the 13 million families it serves, levels the playing field for Tribes, and saves taxpayers $777 million. I look forward to seeing it signed into law."

The legislation seeks to alleviate regulatory burdens on states by allowing them to continue utilizing contractors for the Child Support Enforcement program. This measure is designed to prevent potential disruptions affecting 13 million families nationwide.

Additionally, H.R. 9076 incorporates the Tribal Child Welfare Support Act. This component aims to modernize funding structures by providing direct Title IV-B child welfare funding to Indian tribes without reducing state funds. Currently, under Title IV-B of the Social Security Act, child welfare funding for Indian tribes is divided into two allocations; one allocation passes through states rather than being directed straight to tribal grantees.