Federal Family Support Act
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on Judiciary.
Federal Family Support Act - Permits the registration of a support order by the obligee of that support order in the State or district in which the obligor of the order resides, in those cases where such State or District is outside the State in which the support order was made. Provides for contempt proceedings against an obligor failing to comply with the support order so registered. Provides that such proceedings shall not be subject to any limitation with respect to amount in controversy. Provides that an obligor who leaves the State in which the support order was issued or in which related proceedings have been instituted shall be punished by a fine of not more than $2,500 or by imprisonment for not more than three years, or both. Creates a rebuttable presumption that one who leaves the State wherein a support order has been served upon him shall be deemed to have left the State with intent to avoid compliance with such order. Provides that in all criminal proceedings under this Act a wife may testify against her husband without his consent.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on February 7, 1973. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on February 7, 1973: Referred to House Committee on Judiciary.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 93rd Congress (1973-74), 651 of the 23,396 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.8 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
HAROLD FROEHLICH (R-WI) introduced it on February 7, 1973. No cosponsors are recorded.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on February 7, 1973, 19573 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 19573 days ago, on February 7, 1973.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 93rd Congress has not finished by January 3, 1975 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers