AGE-IN Act

Summary: Assistance in Gaining Experience, Independence, and Navigation Act of 2014 or the AGE-IN Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award a grant to: (1) analyze existing research on youth and young adults with an autism spectrum disorder or other developmental disabilities as they transition out of the school-based support system; (2) research existing infrastructure for transitioning youth, including access to health care, continuing education programs, and community integration programs; and (3) develop a strategic plan for a Transition Navigator Grant Program to provide transitioning youth with support services. Requires the Secretary to establish a Transition Navigator Grant Program to award grants to provide services based on the strategic plan. Directs the Secretary to contract a third party to evaluate the effectiveness of grantees in meeting the goals of the strategic plan.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Assistance in Gaining Experience, 
Independence, and Navigation Act of 2014'' or the ``AGE-IN Act''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT.

    Part R of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
280i et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 399CC the 
following:

``SEC. 399CC-1. GRANTS FOR RESEARCH, TRAINING, AND NAVIGATOR SERVICES 
              FOR YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS.

    ``(a) Research Grant.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation with the 
        Coordinating Committee established under section 399CC and the 
        Administrator of the Administration for Community Living, shall 
        award a grant to a research organization to--
                    ``(A) conduct a comprehensive meta-analysis on the 
                existing empirical, peer-reviewed research on the topic 
                of youth and young adults with an autism spectrum 
                disorder or other developmental disabilities as such 
                individuals age-out of the school-based support system 
                (referred to in this section as `transitioning youth');
                    ``(B) conduct research on the existing 
                infrastructure for transitioning youth, including 
                access to health care, continuing education and 
                vocational training programs, supportive and community-
                based integrated housing, accessible transportation 
                services, and public safety and community integration 
                programs (including first responder training); and
                    ``(C) develop a comprehensive strategic plan (in 
                accordance with paragraph (2)) for the establishment of 
                a Transition Navigator grant program to provide 
                transitioning youth with a comprehensive and 
                interdisciplinary set of support services.
            ``(2) Strategic plan.--The strategic plan developed under 
        paragraph (1)(C) shall include--
                    ``(A) proposals on establishing best practices 
                guidelines to ensure interdisciplinary coordination 
                between all relevant service providers (including first 
                responders), the transitioning youth, and their family, 
                and in conjunction with the transitioning youth's 
                Individualized Education Plan as prescribed in section 
                614 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 
                (20 U.S.C. 1414), to maximize the transitioning youth's 
                self-determination;
                    ``(B) comprehensive approaches to transitioning, 
                including--
                            ``(i) services to increase access to, and 
                        the successful integration and completion of, 
                        postsecondary education, peer support, 
                        vocational training (as defined in section 103 
                        of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 
                        723)), self-advocacy skills, and competitive, 
                        integrated employment;
                            ``(ii) community-based behavioral supports 
                        and interventions;
                            ``(iii) community-based integrated 
                        residential services, housing, and 
                        transportation;
                            ``(iv) nutrition, health and wellness, 
                        recreational, and social activities; and
                            ``(v) personal safety services that 
                        consider the specific needs of transitioning 
                        youth who are at risk of becoming involved with 
                        public safety agencies or the criminal justice 
                        system;
                    ``(C) culturally and linguistically competent and 
                sensitive service delivery models; and
                    ``(D) proposals which seek to--
                            ``(i) increase the effectiveness of such 
                        practices to provide successful transition 
                        services;
                            ``(ii) increase the ability of the entity 
                        to provide supports and services to underserved 
                        populations and regions;
                            ``(iii) increase the efficiency of service 
                        delivery to maximize resources and outcomes; 
                        and
                            ``(iv) ensure access to all services 
                        identified as necessary to transitioning youth 
                        of all capabilities.
            ``(3) Grant period.--Grants awarded under this subsection 
        shall be for a period of 2 years.
    ``(b) Transition Navigator Training Grants.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation with the 
        Coordinating Committee established under section 399CC and the 
        Administrator of the Administration for Community Living, shall 
        establish a Transition Navigator Grant Program to award 
        multiyear training initiative grants to establish and carry out 
        a collaborative, interdisciplinary training and services 
        initiative, that is based on the data and best practice 
        guidelines developed under subsection (a), to train transition 
        navigators to provide transitioning youth with the services and 
        skills necessary to lead an independent, integrated life.
            ``(2) Eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant under this 
        subsection, an entity shall--
                    ``(A) be a University Center for Excellence in 
                Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and 
                Service or a comparable interdisciplinary entity 
                capable of fulfilling the scope of activities described 
                in section 153 of the Developmental Disabilities 
                Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 
                15063); and
                    ``(B) prepare and submit an application to the 
                Secretary in accordance with paragraph (3).
            ``(3) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
        this subsection, an entity shall submit to the Secretary an 
        application demonstrating the capacity to successfully train an 
        interdisciplinary group of service providers on the best 
        practice guidelines contained in strategic plan under 
        subsection (a). The application shall include additional 
        information, including--
                    ``(A) the number of trainees, students, or 
                providers expected to be trained under the grant, and 
                in what timeframe;
                    ``(B) the interdisciplinary scope of faculty, 
                staff, mentors, and community-based trainers affiliated 
                with the applicant;
                    ``(C) the ability to provide training services to a 
                culturally diverse set of students and in a culturally 
                competent, culturally sensitive manner; and
                    ``(D) the ability to train providers in underserved 
                areas and to serve underserved populations.
            ``(4) Grant period and annual evaluation.--
                    ``(A) Grant period.--Navigator training grants 
                awarded under this subsection shall be for a period of 
                3 years. The Secretary may renew a grant for an 
                additional 3-year period based on the results of the 
                evaluations submitted under subparagraph (B).
                    ``(B) Annual evaluation.--A grantee under this 
                subsection shall submit to the Secretary an evaluation 
                of progress made during each grant year in achieving 
                the purposes for which the grant was awarded. Such 
                evaluation shall include an analysis of--
                            ``(i) any performance metrics required by 
                        the Secretary;
                            ``(ii) the grantees recruitment of students 
                        into the program; and
                            ``(iii) the recruits' cultural diversity 
                        and the interdisciplinary nature of their 
                        interests or background.
            ``(5) Longitudinal evaluation.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall enter into a 
                contract with a third-party organization with expertise 
                in program evaluation for the conduct of an evaluation 
                of the success of grantees under this subsection in 
                meeting the goals of the strategic plan submitted under 
                subsection (a)(2) and their grant application.
                    ``(B) Procedure.--A third-party organization that 
                enters into a contract under subparagraph (A) shall 
                monitor grantees under this subsection and report back 
                to the Secretary with a longitudinal analysis of the 
                effectiveness of the program carried out by the 
                grantee. Such analysis shall include an examination 
                of--
                            ``(i) whether and to what extent the 
                        training regime sufficiently met the goals of 
                        the strategic plan under subsection (a)(2);
                            ``(ii) whether and to what extent graduates 
                        of the training program are successfully 
                        working to provide services to transitional 
                        youth in an effective, comprehensive, and 
                        appropriate manner; and
                            ``(iii) the long-term efficacy of the 
                        program and the strategic plan on increasing 
                        and sustaining transitional youth's--
                                    ``(I) enrollment in, and completion 
                                of, postsecondary education or 
                                vocational training programs;
                                    ``(II) participation in integrated, 
                                competitive employment;
                                    ``(III) continued access to peer 
                                support;
                                    ``(IV) continued access to, and 
                                benefitting from, community-based 
                                behavioral supports and interventions;
                                    ``(V) consistent access to 
                                community-based integrated residential 
                                services, housing, and transportation; 
                                and
                                    ``(VI) continued access to 
                                nutrition, health and wellness, 
                                recreational, and social activities.
            ``(6) Supplement.--Activities carried out under a grant 
        under this subsection shall supplement, not supplant, existing 
        programs and activities designed to provide interdisciplinary 
        training to services providers aimed at serving transitional 
        youth.''.