Legal Definitions - Child Support Recovery Act of 1994

The Child Support Recovery Act of 1994 is a law that made it a federal crime for a person to intentionally not pay child support for a child who lives in another state. However, this law has been replaced by the Deadbeat Parents Punishment Act.

The Deadbeat Parents Punishment Act is a federal law that was passed in 1998. It makes it a felony, which is a serious crime, for a parent to not pay child support if they have crossed state lines to avoid paying. This law is meant to punish parents who try to avoid their financial responsibilities to their children.

For example, if a father owes $10,000 in child support for his child who lives in another state and he intentionally does not pay for more than two years, he could be charged with a felony under this law.

Another example is if a mother travels to another state to avoid paying child support for her child, who lives in a different state. If she owes more than $5,000 in child support and intentionally tries to avoid paying, she could also be charged with a felony under this law.

These examples illustrate how the Deadbeat Parents Punishment Act is used to hold parents accountable for paying child support, even if they try to avoid their responsibilities by crossing state lines.