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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. James E. Casorio, Jr. |
  
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Casorio bill would collect federal child support fee from parent paying support
Current state law subtracts $25 fee from custodial parent
HARRISBURG, Sept. 10 – State Rep. James E. Casorio Jr., D-Westmoreland, said he will introduce legislation to change a state law that requires custodial parents to cover the cost of a federal fee for collecting child support.
The federal government requires the states to collect an annual $25 fee in most child support cases to help cover some of the costs of child support enforcement activities. The fee must be collected in cases where more than $500 in child support is collected by the custodial parent.
In Pennsylvania, the state covers the $25 fee in cases where the custodial parent collects less than $2,000. However, in cases where more than $2,000 in support is collected, the state collects the fee from the parent receiving child support.
Casorio's legislation would instead require the parent responsible for paying support to pay the $25 federal fee.
"Parents who are collecting child support – often after months or even years of not seeing any payments at all – should not be penalized with a fee when they do collect," Casorio said. "In many cases, these parents are struggling just to get by, even when they are receiving child support.
"Every single dollar that they and their child are owed in support should go toward the child, and not to the federal government," he said.
Casorio said he will introduce his legislation when the General Assembly returns to session.
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