Clinton Signs Deadbeat Parents Punishment Act President Bill Clinton Wednesday signed a new law that will make it a federal crime to cross state lines in order to avoid child support payments.
The Deadbeat Parents Punishment Act entails felony punishment for a parent who moves to another state, or country, with the intention of evading child support payments if the debt has remained unpaid for over a year or is greater than $5,000.
Parents who owe $10,000 or more, or who fail to pay for two years, could face up to two years in prison. Parents could also face fines and would be responsible for making restitution for unpaid child support.
Current law makes it merely a misdemeanor to cross state lines to avoid payments.
Clinton said that too many parents were still walking away from their family obligations and failed to pay child support.
"That threatens the education and health of our children and the future of our country," he said during the signing ceremony at the Oval Office.
http://edition.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/06/24/deadbeat.parents.bill/