PA Imposes Fee to Collect Child Support

The Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare is now charging a 25-dollar annual fee to some families that depend on the Commonwealth to collect child support.
State Representative Kate Harper calls the fee a child support tax, and gathered parents at the Capitol to oppose the law.
Louise Marshall is a mom from Bucks County.

"When you are counting pennies, literally counting pennies, that 25 dollars is a huge, huge amount. The food stamps, the women's shelter, the food pantry all those things that are supporting me right now, that 25 dollars is a lot."


Harper, a Republican from Montgomery County, wants a do-over. She's proposing legislation to repeal the law.

The spokeswoman for House Appropriations Chair Dwight Evans says Pennsylvania could have lost hundreds of millions of federal dollars if the Legislature didn't act quickly this summer to levy the fee and meet a federal mandate. Johnna Pro says the final bill received bi-partisan support and was sponsored by a senior GOP senator.


"If Representative Harper would like a do over it's probably best that she sits down with her Republican leaders."

Pro says Harper's bill deserves discussion but it won't be a priority in the short legislative session that begins September 15th.