I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3913 

To amend title XXIX of the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the 

program under such title relating to lifespan respite care. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 3, 2015 

Mr. LANGEVIN (for himself and Mr. HARPER) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To amend title XXIX of the Public Health Service Act 

to reauthorize the program under such title relating to 

lifespan respite care. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Lifespan Respite Care 

5 Reauthorization Act of 2015’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) There are an estimated 43,000,000 family 

9 caregivers nationwide that provide care for loved 


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1 ones with chronic, disabling health conditions across 

2 the lifespan. 

3 (2) The economic value of uncompensated fam4 ily caregiving to the United States economy was esti5 mated at $470,000,000,000 in 2013, more than 

6 total Medicaid spending of $449,000,000,000, in7 cluding both Federal and State contributions for 

8 medical and long-term care in the same year. 

9 (3) While caring for the aging population re10 mains a growing concern, more than half of care re11 cipients are under age 75, and almost one-third are 

12 under age 50. 

13 (4) Respite provides temporary relief to care14 givers from the ongoing responsibility of caring for 

15 individuals of all ages with special needs. 

16 (5) Respite care is one of the most commonly 

17 requested caregiver support services. 

18 (6) Respite has been shown to provide family 

19 caregivers with the relief necessary to maintain their 

20 own health, balance work and family, bolster family 

21 stability, keep marriages intact, and avoid or delay 

22 more costly nursing home or foster care placements. 

23 (7) Delaying nursing home, institutional, or fos24 ter care placement of just one individual for several 


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1 months can save Medicaid, child welfare, or other 

2 government programs tens of thousands of dollars. 

3 (8) The Lifespan Respite Care Act of 2006 was 

4 originally enacted to improve the delivery and qual5 ity of respite care services available to families 

6 across all age and disability groups by establishing 

7 coordinated lifespan respite systems. 

8 (9) Thirty-three States and the District of Co9 lumbia have received grants under the Lifespan Res10 pite Care Act of 2006 to improve the availability and 

11 quality of respite services across the lifespan. 

12 (10) For the Nation’s wounded servicemembers 

13 and veterans with traumatic brain injuries and other 

14 conditions, respite systems could be an integral life15 line for families in their new roles as lifelong family 

16 caregivers. 

17 (11) The Department of Veterans Affairs and 

18 Congress have both acknowledged the unique chal19 lenges facing caregivers of returning servicemembers 

20 and veterans, as well as the need for increased care21 giver services. 

22 (12) The increased utilization of, and costs to, 

23 long-term care systems requires the continued devel24 opment of coordinated family support services like 

25 lifespan respite care. 


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1 SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION OF LIFESPAN RESPITE CARE 

2 PROGRAM. 

3 (a) DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING.—Section 

4 2904 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290ii– 

5 3) is amended to read as follows: 

6 ‘‘SEC. 2904. DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING. 

7 ‘‘Each eligible State agency awarded a grant or coop8 erative agreement under section 2902 shall collect, main9 tain, and report such data and records at such times, in 

10 such form, and in such manner as the Secretary may re11 quire to enable the Secretary— 

12 ‘‘(1) to monitor State administration of pro13 grams and activities funded pursuant to such grant 

14 or cooperative agreement; and 

15 ‘‘(2) to evaluate, and to compare effectiveness 

16 on a State-by-State basis, of programs and activities 

17 funded pursuant to section 2902.’’. 

18 (b) FUNDING.—Section 2905 of the Public Health 

19 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300ii–4) is amended by striking 

20 ‘‘to carry out this title’’ and all that follows and inserting 

21 ‘‘to carry out this title $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 

22 2016 through 2020.’’. 

Æ 


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