Legal Definitions - DPPA

DPPA stands for the Deadbeat Parents Punishment Act.

This is a United States federal law designed to address situations where a parent intentionally avoids paying court-ordered child support, particularly when their actions involve crossing state lines. The Act makes it a federal crime for a parent to willfully fail to pay a past-due child support obligation for a child residing in another state, or to travel in interstate or foreign commerce with the intent to avoid paying such an obligation. It provides for criminal penalties, including fines and imprisonment, for those found guilty of violating its provisions, thereby strengthening the enforcement of child support orders across state boundaries.

• Example 1: Interstate Evasion of Payments

  A father in Oregon is legally obligated by a court order to pay child support to his ex-spouse for their child. After losing his job, he moves to Washington state, changes his phone number, and deliberately stops making any payments, believing it will be more difficult for the mother in Oregon to enforce the order across state lines.

  This scenario illustrates the DPPA because the father has willfully failed to pay a past-due child support obligation for a child residing in another state (Oregon), and he traveled across state lines (to Washington) with the clear intent to avoid his financial responsibility.

• Example 2: Hiding Assets Across State Lines

  A mother in Colorado has a significant amount of unpaid child support. To prevent collection, she transfers all her accessible funds from her Colorado bank accounts to a new account opened under a relative's name in Arizona, and then claims she has no assets or income to meet her child support obligations.

  This situation falls under the DPPA because the mother is willfully failing to pay a child support obligation, and she used interstate commerce (transferring assets to Arizona) as a means to conceal funds and evade her payment responsibilities.

• Example 3: Active Flight to Avoid Enforcement

  A parent in Georgia has accumulated substantial child support arrears. Upon receiving notice that enforcement actions, such as wage garnishment, are imminent, they quickly sell their property, quit their job, and move to Florida, actively avoiding contact and using only cash transactions to prevent being located and compelled to pay.

  This demonstrates the DPPA as the parent is willfully failing to pay a past-due child support obligation and has traveled in interstate commerce (from Georgia to Florida) with the explicit intent to avoid their court-ordered financial responsibility.