Sec. 302. State assessments of barriers to employment and financial support of children
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/bill/116/hr/3507/ih/section-302A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
As a condition of the continued approval of a State plan under part D of title IV of the Social Security Act, each State with such an approved plan, acting through the appropriate State agencies, shall assess the State policies with respect to the issues described in subsection
(b)that affect the ability of parents to pay child support, and shall submit a report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services on the results of the assessment not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this section. The issues described in this subsection are the following: The effect of State criminal laws and law enforcement practices on the employment acquisition, retention, and advancement prospects of an individual who is a parent of a minor child following arrest, conviction, or imprisonment, including— any efforts, including counseling or employment support, to assist individuals released from custody with reentry to a community and successful reunification with their families; and an assessment of any efforts to seal or expunge arrest and conviction records and any efforts to grant certificates or other acknowledgments of rehabilitation to parents returning from incarceration, and to examine State occupational licensing and certification procedures. An assessment of State practices related to the collection of debts owed by individuals to the State, including criminal justice fees and fines and child support debt. An assessment of State practices related to providing parents returning from incarceration with valid identification documents upon release from prison. Identification of any other barriers to healthy family formation, family reunification, coparenting, or sustainable economic opportunity for custodial and noncustodial parents that are created or exacerbated by Federal or State laws, policies, or procedures, including an examination of the rules of Federal and State means-tested programs, the operation of the State workforce system, the availability of financial education services, and the availability of domestic violence services and child support procedures to help victims of domestic violence stay safe and obtain the child support they are owed.