II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 5336 

To reauthorize child welfare programs under part B of title IV of the Social 

Security Act, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 18, 2024 

Mr. CORNYN (for himself and Mr. BENNET) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

To reauthorize child welfare programs under part B of title 

IV of the Social Security Act, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Protecting America’s 

5 Children by Strengthening Families Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. REFERENCES. 

7 Except as otherwise expressly provided, wherever in 

8 this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms 

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1 sion, the reference shall be considered to be made to that 

2 section or other provision of the Social Security Act. 

3 SEC. 3. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

4 The table of contents of this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title. 

Sec. 2. References. 

Sec. 3. Table of contents. 

Sec. 4. Reauthorization of child welfare programs. 

Sec. 5. Enhancements to the court improvement program. 

Sec. 6. Expanding regional partnership grants to address parental substance 

use disorder as cause of child removal. 

Sec. 7. Modernization; reducing administrative burden. 

Sec. 8. Streamlining funding for Indian tribes. 

Sec. 9. Accelerating access to Family First prevention services. 

Sec. 10. Strengthening support for youth aging out of foster care. 

Sec. 11. Recognizing the importance of relative and kinship caregivers. 

Sec. 12. Avoiding neglect by addressing poverty. 

Sec. 13. Strengthening support for caseworkers. 

Sec. 14. Demonstration projects for improving relationships between incarcerated parents and children in foster care. 

Sec. 15. Guidance to States on improving data collection and reporting for 

youth in residential treatment programs. 

Sec. 16. Streamlining research, training, and technical assistance funding. 

Sec. 17. Report on post adoption and subsidized guardianship services. 

Sec. 18. Effective date. 

5 SEC. 4. REAUTHORIZATION OF CHILD WELFARE PRO6 GRAMS. 

7 (a) REAUTHORIZATION OF SUBPART 1; DISCRE8 TIONARY FUNDING.—Section 425 (42 U.S.C. 625) is 

9 amended by striking ‘‘2017 through 2023’’ and inserting 

10 ‘‘2025 through 2029’’. 

11 (b) REAUTHORIZATION OF SUBPART 2; ENHANCED

12 SUPPORT.—Section 436(a) (42 U.S.C. 629f(a)) is amend13 ed by striking ‘‘each of fiscal years 2017 through 2023’’ 

14 and inserting ‘‘fiscal year 2025 and $420,000,000 for 

15 each of fiscal years 2026 through 2029’’. 


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1 (c) REAUTHORIZATION OF SUBPART 2; DISCRE2 TIONARY FUNDING.—Section 437(a) (42 U.S.C. 629g(a)) 

3 is amended by striking ‘‘2017 through 2023’’ and insert4 ing ‘‘2025 through 2029’’. 

5 (d) FUNDING LIMITATION.—Section 423(a)(2)(A) 

6 (42 U.S.C. 623(a)(2)(A)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, not 

7 to exceed $10,000,000’’ before the semicolon. 

8 SEC. 5. ENHANCEMENTS TO THE COURT IMPROVEMENT 

9 PROGRAM. 

10 (a) INCREASE IN RESERVATION OF FUNDS.—Section 

11 436(b)(2) (42 U.S.C. 629f(b)(2)) is amended by inserting 

12 ‘‘for fiscal year 2025 and $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2026 

13 and each succeeding fiscal year’’ before ‘‘for grants’’. 

14 (b) EXTENSION OF STATE MATCH REQUIREMENT.— 

15 Section 438(d) (42 U.S.C. 629h(d)) is amended by strik16 ing ‘‘2017 through 2023’’ and inserting ‘‘2025 through 

17 2029’’. 

18 (c) PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS.—Section 438(a) (42 

19 U.S.C. 629h(a)) is amended— 

20 (1) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the 

21 following: 

22 ‘‘(F) that determine the appropriateness 

23 and best practices for use of technology to con24 duct remote hearings, subject to participant 

25 consent, including to ensure maximum particiVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:51 Nov 19, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S5336.IS S5336

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1 pation of individuals involved in proceedings 

2 and to enable courts to maintain operations in 

3 times of public health or other emergencies;’’; 

4 (2) in paragraph (2)(C), by striking ‘‘per5 sonnel.’’ and inserting ‘‘personnel and supporting 

6 optimal use of remote hearing technology; and’’; and 

7 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

8 ‘‘(3) to ensure continuity of needed court serv9 ices, prevent disruption of the services, and enable 

10 their recovery from threats such as public health cri11 ses, natural disasters or cyberattacks, including 

12 through— 

13 ‘‘(A) support for technology that allows 

14 court proceedings to occur remotely subject to 

15 participant consent, including hearings and 

16 legal representation; 

17 ‘‘(B) the development of guidance and pro18 tocols for responding to the occurrences and co19 ordinating with other agencies; and 

20 ‘‘(C) other activities carried out to ensure 

21 backup systems are in place.’’. 

22 (d) IMPLEMENTATION GUIDANCE ON SHARING BEST

23 PRACTICES FOR TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES NEEDED FOR

24 REMOTE COURT PROCEEDINGS FOR FOSTER CARE OR


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1 ADOPTION.—Section 438 (42 U.S.C. 629h) is amended by 

2 adding at the end the following: 

3 ‘‘(e) GUIDANCE.— 

4 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Every 5 years, the Sec5 retary shall issue implementation guidance for shar6 ing information on best practices for— 

7 ‘‘(A) technological changes needed for 

8 court proceedings for foster care, guardianship, 

9 or adoption to be conducted remotely in a way 

10 that maximizes engagement and protects the 

11 privacy of participants; and 

12 ‘‘(B) the manner in which the proceedings 

13 should be conducted. 

14 ‘‘(2) INITIAL ISSUANCE.—The Secretary shall 

15 issue initial guidance required by paragraph (1) with 

16 preliminary information on best practices not later 

17 than October 1, 2025. 

18 ‘‘(3) ADDITIONAL CONSULTATION.—The Sec19 retary shall consult with Indian tribes on the devel20 opment of appropriate guidelines for State court 

21 proceedings involving Indian children to maximize 

22 engagement of Indian tribes and provide appropriate 

23 guidelines on conducting State court proceedings 

24 subject to the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (25 

25 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.).’’. 


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1 SEC. 6. EXPANDING REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP GRANTS TO 

2 ADDRESS PARENTAL SUBSTANCE USE DIS3 ORDER AS CAUSE OF CHILD REMOVAL. 

4 (a) INCREASE IN RESERVATION OF FUNDS.—Section 

5 436(b)(5) (42 U.S.C. 629f(b)(5)) is amended by striking 

6 ‘‘each of fiscal years 2017 through 2023’’ and inserting 

7 ‘‘fiscal year 2025 and $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2026 

8 and each succeeding fiscal year’’. 

9 (b) REAUTHORIZATION.—Section 437(f) (42 U.S.C. 

10 629g(f)) is amended— 

11 (1) in paragraph (3)(A)— 

12 (A) by striking ‘‘In addition to amounts 

13 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 

14 section, the’’ and inserting ‘‘The’’; and 

15 (B) by striking ‘‘2017 through 2023’’ and 

16 inserting ‘‘2025 through 2029’’; and 

17 (2) in paragraph (10), by striking ‘‘for each of 

18 fiscal years 2017 through 2023’’. 

19 (c) AUTHORITY TO WAIVE PLANNING PHASE.—Sec20 tion 437(f)(3)(B)(iii) (42 U.S.C. 629g(f)(3)(B)(iii)) is 

21 amended— 

22 (1) by striking all that precedes ‘‘grant award23 ed’’ and inserting the following: 

24 ‘‘(iii) SUFFICIENT PLANNING.— 

25 ‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—A’’; and 


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1 (2) by striking ‘‘may not exceed $250,000, 

2 and’’; and 

3 (3) by adding after and below the end the fol4 lowing: 

5 ‘‘(II) EXCEPTION.—The Sec6 retary, on a case-by-case basis, may 

7 waive the planning phase for a part8 nership that demonstrates that the 

9 partnership has engaged in sufficient 

10 planning before submitting an appli11 cation for a grant under this sub12 section.’’. 

13 (d) EXPANDING AVAILABILITY OF EVIDENCE-BASED

14 SERVICES.— 

15 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 437(f)(1) (42 U.S.C. 

16 629g(f)(1)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, and expand 

17 the scope of the evidence-based services that may be 

18 approved by the clearinghouse established under sec19 tion 476(d)’’ before the period. 

20 (2) CONSIDERATIONS FOR AWARDING

21 GRANTS.—Section 437(f)(7) (42 U.S.C. 629g(f)(7)) 

22 is amended— 

23 (A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of sub24 paragraph (D); 


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1 (B) by striking the period at the end of 

2 subparagraph (E) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

3 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

4 ‘‘(F) have submitted information pursuant 

5 to paragraph (4)(F) that demonstrates the ca6 pability to participate in rigorous evaluation of 

7 program effectiveness.’’. 

8 (e) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON USING REGIONAL

9 PARTNERSHIP GRANT FUNDS IN COORDINATION WITH

10 OTHER FEDERAL FUNDS TO BETTER SERVE FAMILIES

11 AFFECTED BY A SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER.—Section 

12 435(d) (42 U.S.C. 629e(d)) is amended— 

13 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 

14 (4); 

15 (2) by striking the period at the end of para16 graph (5) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

17 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

18 ‘‘(6) use grants under section 437(f) in coordi19 nation with other Federal funds to better serve fami20 lies in the child welfare system that are affected by 

21 a substance use disorder.’’. 

22 (f) PERFORMANCE INDICATORS.—Section 

23 437(f)(8)(A) (42 U.S.C. 629g(f)(8)(A)) is amended in the 

24 1st sentence— 


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1 (1) by striking ‘‘this subsection’’ the 1st place 

2 it appears and inserting ‘‘the Protecting America’s 

3 Children by Strengthening Families Act’’; 

4 (2) by inserting ‘‘child permanency, reunifica5 tion, re-entry into care,’’ before ‘‘parental recovery’’; 

6 and 

7 (3) by inserting ‘‘, and access to services for 

8 families with substance use disorder, including those 

9 with children who are overrepresented in foster care, 

10 difficult to place, or have disproportionately low per11 manency rates’’ before the period. 

12 (g) PERFORMANCE INDICATOR CONSULTATION RE13 QUIRED.—Section 437(f)(8)(B) (42 U.S.C. 

14 629g(f)(8)(B)) is amended by redesignating clause (iii) as 

15 clause (iv) and inserting after clause (ii) the following: 

16 ‘‘(iii) The Administrator of the Na17 tional Institute on Drug Abuse.’’. 

18 (h) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Section 437(f)(9)(B) 

19 (42 U.S.C. 629g(f)(9)(B)) is amended— 

20 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of clause (ii); 

21 (2) by striking the period at the end of clause 

22 (iii) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

23 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

24 ‘‘(iv) whether any programs funded by 

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1 house established under section 476(d) for 

2 review and the results of any such re3 view.’’. 

4 (i) PRIORITY FOR STATEWIDE SERVICE GROWTH.— 

5 Section 437(f)(7) (42 U.S.C. 629g(f)(7)), as amended by 

6 subsection (d)(2) of this section, is amended— 

7 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara8 graph (E); 

9 (2) by striking the period at the end of sub10 paragraph (F) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

11 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

12 ‘‘(G) are a State or public agency, or out13 line a plan to increase the availability of serv14 ices funded under the grant statewide.’’. 

15 (j) ADDITION OF JUVENILE COURT AS REQUIRED

16 PARTNER.—Section 437(f)(2)(A) (42 U.S.C. 

17 629g(f)(2)(A)) is amended by adding at the end the fol18 lowing: 

19 ‘‘(iii) The most appropriate adminis20 trative office of the juvenile court or State 

21 court overseeing court proceedings involv22 ing families who come to the attention of 

23 the court due to child abuse or neglect.’’. 

24 (k) ADDITIONAL OPTIONAL PARTNER.—Section 

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1 designating clause (ix) as clause (x) and inserting after 

2 clause (viii) the following: 

3 ‘‘(ix) State or local agencies that ad4 minister Federal health care, housing, fam5 ily support, or other related programs.’’. 

6 (l) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

7 (1) Section 437(f)(2)(D) (42 U.S.C. 

8 629g(f)(2)(D)) is amended— 

9 (A) by adding ‘‘and’’ at the end of clause 

10 (i); 

11 (B) by striking ‘‘; and’’ at the end of 

12 clause (ii) and inserting a period; and 

13 (C) by striking clause (iii). 

14 (2) Section 437(f)(2) (42 U.S.C. 629g(f)(2)) is 

15 amended by striking subparagraph (B) and redesig16 nating subparagraphs (C) and (D) as subparagraphs 

17 (B) and (C), respectively. 

18 SEC. 7. MODERNIZATION; REDUCING ADMINISTRATIVE 

19 BURDEN. 

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 431 (42 U.S.C. 629a) is 

21 amended by adding at the end the following: 

22 ‘‘(c) USE OF TECHNOLOGY.— 

23 ‘‘(1) USE OF PORTAL.—The services referred to 

24 in subsection (a) may include the means of access to 

25 and use of an electronic or digital portal to facilitate 


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1 the provision of community support to care for and 

2 meet specific needs of families and children. 

3 ‘‘(2) LIMITATION.—Such a portal shall not re4 tain or share personally identifiable information 

5 about a beneficiary without consent or for any pur6 pose other than referral.’’. 

7 (b) ALLOWING SUPPORT FOR FAMILY RESOURCE

8 CENTERS.—Section 431(a) (42 U.S.C. 629a(a)) is amend9 ed— 

10 (1) in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting ‘‘, includ11 ing services provided by family resource centers,’’ 

12 before ‘‘designed’’; and 

13 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

14 ‘‘(10) FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER.— 

15 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘family re16 source center’ means a community or school17 based hub of support services for families 

18 that— 

19 ‘‘(i) utilizes an approach that is multi20 generational, strengths-based, and family21 centered; 

22 ‘‘(ii) reflects, and is responsive to, 

23 community needs and interests; 

24 ‘‘(iii) provides support at no or low 

25 cost for participants; and 


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1 ‘‘(iv) builds communities of peer sup2 port for families, including kinship fami3 lies, to develop social connections that re4 duce isolation and stress. 

5 ‘‘(B) SPECIAL RULE.—For purposes of 

6 this subpart, an expenditure for a service pro7 vided by a family resource center may be treat8 ed as an expenditure for any 1 or more of fam9 ily support services, family preservation serv10 ices, family reunification services, or adoption 

11 promotion and support services as long as the 

12 expenditure is related to serving the children 

13 and families in the specified category and con14 sistent with the overall purpose of the cat15 egory.’’. 

16 (c) UPDATING STATE PLAN REQUIREMENT.—Sec17 tion 422(b)(1) (42 U.S.C. 622(b)(1)) is amended to read 

18 as follows: 

19 ‘‘(1) provide that a State agency will administer 

20 or supervise the administration of the plan under 

21 this subpart;’’. 

22 (d) ACCESS TO LEGAL REPRESENTATION.—Section 

23 422(b)(4) (42 U.S.C. 622(b)(4)) is amended— 

24 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara25 graph (A); 


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1 (2) by adding ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara2 graph (B); and 

3 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

4 ‘‘(C) the steps that the State will take to 

5 ensure that, with respect to any judicial pro6 ceeding involving a child and in which there is 

7 an allegation of child abuse or neglect, includ8 ing a proceeding on dependency, adoption, 

9 guardianship, or termination of parental rights, 

10 information about available independent legal 

11 representation is provided to— 

12 ‘‘(i) the child, as appropriate; and 

13 ‘‘(ii) any individual who is a parent or 

14 guardian, or has legal custody, of the 

15 child;’’. 

16 (e) SUPPORTING MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL17 BEING OF CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE.—Section 

18 422(b)(15)(A) (42 U.S.C. 622(b)(15) is amended— 

19 (1) in the matter preceding clause (i)— 

20 (A) by inserting ‘‘and, if applicable, the 

21 State agency responsible for mental health serv22 ices,’’ before ‘‘and in consultation’’; and 

23 (B) by inserting ‘‘mental health pro24 viders,’’ before ‘‘other experts’’; 


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1 (2) in clause (ii), by inserting ‘‘a list of services 

2 provided to support the physical and’’ before ‘‘emo3 tional’’; 

4 (3) in clause (iv), by inserting ‘‘and mental 

5 health’’ before ‘‘services’’; 

6 (4) in clause (v), by inserting ‘‘, informed con7 sent of youth, and compliance with professional 

8 practice guidelines’’ before the semicolon; and 

9 (5) in clause (vi), by inserting ‘‘, licensed men10 tal health providers,’’ before ‘‘or other’’. 

11 (f) REDUCTION OF ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subpart 3 of part B of title 

13 IV (42 U.S.C. 629m) is amended by redesignating 

14 section 440 as section 443 and inserting before such 

15 section the following: 

16 ‘‘SEC. 441. REDUCTION OF ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN. 

17 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall reduce the 

18 burden of administering this part imposed on the recipi19 ents of funds under this part, by— 

20 ‘‘(1) reviewing and revising administrative data 

21 collection instruments and forms to eliminate dupli22 cation and streamline reporting requirements for the 

23 recipients while collecting all data required under 

24 this part; 


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1 ‘‘(2) in coordination with activities required 

2 under the Paperwork Reduction Act, conducting an 

3 analysis of the total number of hours reported by 

4 the recipients to comply with paperwork require5 ments and exploring, in consultation with the recipi6 ents, how to reduce the number of hours required 

7 for the compliance by at least 15 percent; 

8 ‘‘(3) collecting input from the recipients with 

9 respect to fiscal and oversight requirements and 

10 making changes to ensure consistency with stand11 ards and guidelines for other Federal formula grant 

12 programs based on the input; and 

13 ‘‘(4) respecting the sovereignty of Indian tribes 

14 when complying with this subsection. 

15 ‘‘(b) LIMITATION ON APPLICABILITY.—Subsection 

16 (a) of this section shall not apply to any reporting or data 

17 collection otherwise required by law that would affect the 

18 ability of the Secretary to monitor and ensure compliance 

19 with State plans approved under this part or ensure that 

20 funds are expended consistent with this part. 

21 ‘‘SEC. 442. PUBLIC ACCESS TO STATE PLANS. 

22 ‘‘The Secretary shall— 

23 ‘‘(1) create a standardized format for State 

24 plans required under sections 422 and 432 used to 

25 monitor compliance with those sections; 


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1 ‘‘(2) produce comparisons and analyses of 

2 trends in State plans to inform future technical as3 sistance and policy development; 

4 ‘‘(3) make the State plans available on a public 

5 website; and 

6 ‘‘(4) include on the website aggregated national 

7 summaries of State submissions as the Secretary 

8 deems appropriate.’’. 

9 (2) IMPLEMENTATION.—Within 2 years after 

10 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

11 of Health and Human Services shall— 

12 (A) comply with section 441 of the Social 

13 Security Act, as added by the amendment made 

14 by paragraph (1); and 

15 (B) notify each recipient of funds under 

16 part B of title IV of the Social Security Act of 

17 any change made by the Secretary pursuant to 

18 such section affecting the recipient. 

19 (3) REPORT.—Within 3 years after the date of 

20 the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health 

21 and Human Services shall submit to the Committee 

22 on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives 

23 and the Committee on Finance of the Senate a re24 port describing the efforts of the Secretary to com25 ply with section 441 of the Social Security Act, as 


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1 added by the amendment made by paragraph (1), in2 cluding the specific actions to comply with each 

3 paragraph of such section. 

4 (g) PRIMARY PREVENTION PARTNERS.—Section 

5 435(a)(2)(B) (42 U.S.C. 429e(a)(2)(B)) is amended by in6 serting ‘‘including community-based partners with exper7 tise in preventing unnecessary child welfare system in8 volvement’’ before the semicolon. 

9 SEC. 8. STREAMLINING FUNDING FOR INDIAN TRIBES. 

10 (a) SUBPART 1.— 

11 (1) TRIBAL SET-ASIDE; DIRECT PAYMENTS TO

12 TRIBES; EXEMPTIVE AUTHORITY.— 

13 (A) IN GENERAL.—Section 428 (42 U.S.C. 

14 628) is amended by striking subsections (a) and 

15 (b) and inserting the following: 

16 ‘‘(a) RESERVATION OF FUNDS; DIRECT PAY17 MENTS.—Out of any amount appropriated pursuant to 

18 section 425 for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve 

19 3 percent for grants to Indian tribes and tribal organiza20 tions, which shall be paid directly to Indian tribes and 

21 tribal organizations with a plan approved under this sub22 part, in accordance with section 433(a).’’. 

23 (B) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 

24 423(a) (42 U.S.C. 623(a)) is amended by strik25 ing ‘‘the sum appropriated pursuant to section 


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1 425 for each fiscal year’’ and inserting ‘‘for 

2 each fiscal year, the sum appropriated pursuant 

3 to section 425 remaining after applying section 

4 428(a)’’. 

5 (C) TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.—Section 

6 428(c) (42 U.S.C. 628(c)) is amended by strik7 ing ‘‘450b’’ and inserting ‘‘5304’’. 

8 (2) IMPROVING COMPLIANCE WITH THE INDIAN

9 CHILD WELFARE ACT.— 

10 (A) STATE PLAN REQUIREMENT.—Section 

11 422(b)(9) (42 U.S.C. 622(b)(9)) is amended by 

12 striking ‘‘Act;’’ and inserting ‘‘Act of 1978, in13 cluding how the State will ensure timely notice 

14 to Indian tribes of State custody proceedings 

15 involving Indian children, foster care or adop16 tive placements of Indian children, and case 

17 recordkeeping as such matters relate to trans18 fers of jurisdiction, termination of parental 

19 rights, and active efforts;’’. 

20 (B) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—Subpart 1 

21 of part B of title IV (42 U.S.C. 621 et seq.) is 

22 amended by adding at the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘SEC. 429B. EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INDIAN 

2 CHILD WELFARE ACT OF 1978. 

3 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than October 1, 2025, 

4 the Secretary, in consultation with Indian tribal organiza5 tions and States, shall develop a plan and provide tech6 nical assistance supporting effective implementation of the 

7 Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978, including specific meas8 ures identified in State plans as required by section 

9 422(b)(9) of this Act. The technical assistance plan shall 

10 be based on data sufficient to assess State strengths and 

11 areas for improvement in implementing Federal standards 

12 established under the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978, 

13 including, at a minimum, the following: 

14 ‘‘(1) Timely identification of Indian children 

15 and extended family members. 

16 ‘‘(2) Timely tribal notice of State child custody 

17 proceedings involving an Indian child. 

18 ‘‘(3) Reports of cases in which a transfer of ju19 risdiction (as defined under the Indian Child Wel20 fare Act of 1978) was granted or was not granted, 

21 and reasons specified for denial in cases where 

22 transfer was denied. 

23 ‘‘(4) In cases in which a State court orders a 

24 foster care placement of an Indian child, whether re25 quirements for active efforts to prevent the breakup 


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1 of the Indian family, testimony of a qualified expert 

2 witness, and evidentiary standards were met. 

3 ‘‘(5) Whether an Indian child was placed in a 

4 placement that is required to be preferred under the 

5 Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978, and if not, the 

6 reasons specified. 

7 ‘‘(6) In cases in which a State court orders the 

8 termination of parental rights to an Indian child, 

9 whether requirements for active efforts to prevent 

10 the breakup of the Indian family, testimony of a 

11 qualified expert witness, and evidentiary standards 

12 were met. 

13 ‘‘(b) INTERAGENCY COORDINATION.—On request of 

14 the Secretary, the Secretary of the Interior shall provide 

15 the Secretary with such guidance and assistance as may 

16 be necessary to facilitate informing States and public child 

17 welfare agencies on how to comply with the Indian Child 

18 Welfare Act of 1978, including specific measures identi19 fied in State plans as required by section 422(b)(9) of this 

20 Act. 

21 ‘‘(c) BIENNIAL REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—The Sec22 retary shall biennially submit to the Committee on Ways 

23 and Means of the House of Representatives and the Com24 mittee on Finance of the Senate a written report on how— 


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1 ‘‘(1) the States are complying with the Indian 

2 Child Welfare Act of 1978 and section 422(b)(9) of 

3 this Act, as informed by data collected under this 

4 section; and 

5 ‘‘(2) the Secretary is assisting States and In6 dian tribes to improve implementation of Federal 

7 standards established under the Indian Child Wel8 fare Act of 1978.’’. 

9 (3) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS; ADMINISTRA10 TIVE COSTS.— 

11 (A) IN GENERAL.—Section 428 (42 U.S.C. 

12 628) is amended by redesignating subsection (c) 

13 as subsection (d) and inserting before such sub14 section the following: 

15 ‘‘(b) AUTHORITY TO STREAMLINE REPORTING RE16 QUIREMENTS.—The Secretary shall, in consultation with 

17 the affected Indian tribes, modify any reporting require18 ment imposed by or under this part on an Indian tribe, 

19 tribal organization, or tribal consortium if the total of the 

20 amounts allotted to the Indian tribe, tribal organization, 

21 or tribal consortium under this part for the fiscal year is 

22 not more than $50,000, and in a manner that limits the 

23 administrative burden on any tribe to which not more than 

24 $50,000 is allotted under this subpart for the fiscal year. 


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1 ‘‘(c) TRIBAL AUTHORITY TO SUBSTITUTE THE FED2 ERAL NEGOTIATED INDIRECT COST RATE FOR ADMINIS3 TRATIVE COSTS CAP.—For purposes of sections 

4 422(b)(14) and 424(e), an Indian tribal organization may 

5 elect to have the weighted average of the indirect cost 

6 rates in effect under part 220 of title 2, Code of Federal 

7 Regulations with respect to the administrative costs of the 

8 Indian tribal organization apply in lieu of the percentage 

9 specified in each such section.’’. 

10 (B) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 

11 431(a) (42 U.S.C. 629a(a)) is amended in each 

12 of paragraphs (5) and (6) by striking ‘‘428(c)’’ 

13 and inserting ‘‘428(d)’’. 

14 (b) SUBPART 2.— 

15 (1) TRIBAL PLAN EXEMPTION.—Section 

16 432(b)(2)(B) (42 U.S.C. 629b(b)(2)(B)) is amend17 ed— 

18 (A) by striking ‘‘section 433(a)’’ the 1st 

19 place it appears and inserting ‘‘sections 433(a) 

20 and 437(c)(1) combined’’; and 

21 (B) by striking ‘‘section 433(a)’’ the 2nd 

22 place it appears and inserting ‘‘such sections’’. 

23 (2) APPLICATION OF TRIBAL SET-ASIDE BE24 FORE OTHER SET-ASIDES.—Section 436(b)(3) (42 

25 U.S.C. 429f(b)(3)) is amended by striking ‘‘After 


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1 applying paragraphs (4) and (5) (but before apply2 ing paragraphs (1) or (2)), the’’ and inserting 

3 ‘‘The’’. 

4 (3) INCREASE IN FUNDING FOR TRIBAL COURT

5 IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.—Section 438(c)(3) (42 

6 U.S.C. 629h(c)(3)) is amended by inserting ‘‘for fis7 cal year 2025, and $2,000,000 for each of fiscal 

8 years 2026 through 2029,’’ before ‘‘for grants’’. 

9 SEC. 9. ACCELERATING ACCESS TO FAMILY FIRST PREVEN10 TION SERVICES. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 435 (42 U.S.C. 629e) is 

12 amended by adding at the end the following: 

13 ‘‘(f) PREVENTION SERVICES EVALUATION PARTNER14 SHIPS.— 

15 ‘‘(1) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this subsection 

16 is to authorize the Secretary to make competitive 

17 grants to support the timely evaluation of— 

18 ‘‘(A) services and programs described in 

19 section 471(e); or 

20 ‘‘(B) kinship navigator programs described 

21 in section 474(a)(7). 

22 ‘‘(2) GRANTS.—In accordance with applications 

23 approved under this subsection, the Secretary may 

24 make grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible enti25 ties to carry out projects designed to evaluate a servVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:51 Nov 19, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00024 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S5336.IS S5336

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1 ice or program provided by the eligible entity, or an 

2 entity in partnership with the eligible entity, with re3 spect to the requirements for a promising practice, 

4 supported practice, or well-supported practice de5 scribed in section 471(e)(4)(C). 

6 ‘‘(3) APPLICATIONS.— 

7 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity may 

8 apply to the Secretary for a grant under this 

9 subsection to carry out a project that meets the 

10 following requirements: 

11 ‘‘(i) The project is designed in accord12 ance with paragraph (2). 

13 ‘‘(ii) The project is to be carried out 

14 by the applicant in partnership with— 

15 ‘‘(I) a State agency that admin16 isters, or supervises the administra17 tion of, the State plan approved under 

18 part E, or an agency administering 

19 the plan under the supervision of the 

20 State agency; and 

21 ‘‘(II) if the applicant is unable or 

22 unwilling to do so, at least 1 external 

23 evaluator to carry out the evaluation 

24 of the service or program provided by 

25 the applicant. 


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1 ‘‘(B) CONTENTS.—The application shall 

2 contain the following: 

3 ‘‘(i) A description of the project, in4 cluding— 

5 ‘‘(I) a statement explaining why 

6 a grant is necessary to carry out the 

7 project; and 

8 ‘‘(II) the amount of grant funds 

9 that would be disbursed to each entity 

10 described in subparagraph (A)(ii) in 

11 partnership with the applicant. 

12 ‘‘(ii) A certification from each entity 

13 described in subparagraph (A)(ii) that pro14 vides assurances that the individual or en15 tity is in partnership with the applicant 

16 and will fulfill the responsibilities of the 

17 entity specified in the description provided 

18 pursuant to clause (i) of this subpara19 graph. 

20 ‘‘(iii) A certification from the appli21 cant that provides assurances that the ap22 plicant intends to comply with subpara23 graph (A)(ii)(II), if applicable. 

24 ‘‘(iv) At the option of the eligible enti25 ty, a certification from the applicant that 


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1 the applicant requires an external eval2 uator secured by the Secretary pursuant to 

3 paragraph (5), if applicable. 

4 ‘‘(4) PRIORITIES.—In approving applications 

5 under this subsection, the Secretary shall prioritize 

6 the following: 

7 ‘‘(A) Addressing, with respect to the clear8 inghouse of practices described in section 

9 476(d)(2), deficiencies or gaps identified by the 

10 Secretary in consultation with— 

11 ‘‘(i) States, political subdivisions of a 

12 State, and tribal communities carrying out, 

13 or receiving the benefits of, a service or 

14 program; and 

15 ‘‘(ii) child welfare experts, including 

16 individuals with lived experience. 

17 ‘‘(B) Maximizing the number of evidence18 based services or programs to be included in the 

19 clearinghouse of practices described in section 

20 476(d)(2). 

21 ‘‘(C) Timely completion of evaluations and 

22 the production of evidence. 

23 ‘‘(D) Supporting services or programs that 

24 are based on, or are adaptations to new popu25 lation settings of, a service or program with reVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:51 Nov 19, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S5336.IS S5336

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1 liable evidence about the benefits and risks of 

2 the service or program. 

3 ‘‘(5) AVAILABILITY OF EXTERNAL EVAL4 UATORS.— 

5 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Before accepting ap6 plications under this subsection, the Secretary 

7 shall make reasonable efforts to identify at least 

8 1 entity to serve as an external evaluator for 

9 any eligible entity that includes a certification 

10 under paragraph (3)(B)(iv) with an application 

11 under this subsection. 

12 ‘‘(B) NO EFFECT ON CONSIDERATION OF

13 APPLICATION.—The Secretary may not consider 

14 whether an eligible entity is in partnership with 

15 an external evaluator described in paragraph 

16 (A) in approving an application under this sub17 section submitted by the eligible entity. 

18 ‘‘(6) REPORTS.— 

19 ‘‘(A) BY GRANT RECIPIENTS.—Within 1 

20 year after receiving a grant under this sub21 section, and every year thereafter for the next 

22 5 years, the grant recipient shall submit to the 

23 Secretary a written report on— 

24 ‘‘(i) the use of grant funds; 


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1 ‘‘(ii) whether the program or service 

2 evaluated by the project meets a require3 ment specified in section 471(e)(4)(C), in4 cluding information about— 

5 ‘‘(I) how the program or service 

6 is being carried out in accordance 

7 with standards specified in the re8 quirement; 

9 ‘‘(II) any outcomes of the pro10 gram or service; and 

11 ‘‘(III) any outcome with respect 

12 to which the service or program com13 pares favorably to a comparison prac14 tice; and 

15 ‘‘(iii) whether the Secretary has in16 cluded the program or service in an update 

17 to the clearinghouse of practices described 

18 in section 476(d)(2). 

19 ‘‘(B) BY THE SECRETARY.—The Secretary 

20 shall submit to the Committee on Ways and 

21 Means of the House of Representatives and to 

22 the Committee on Finance of the Senate an an23 nual written report on— 

24 ‘‘(i) the grants awarded under this 

25 subsection; 


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1 ‘‘(ii) the programs funded by the 

2 grants; 

3 ‘‘(iii) any technical assistance pro4 vided by the Secretary in carrying out this 

5 subsection, including with respect to the 

6 efforts to secure external evaluators pursu7 ant to paragraph (5); and 

8 ‘‘(iv) any efforts by the Secretary to 

9 support program evaluation and review 

10 pursuant to section 471(e) and inclusion of 

11 programs in the pre-approved list of serv12 ices and programs described in section 

13 471(e)(4)(D) or the clearinghouse of prac14 tices described in section 476(d)(2). 

15 ‘‘(7) FUNDING.— 

16 ‘‘(A) LIMITATIONS.—Of the amounts avail17 able to carry out this subsection, the Secretary 

18 may use not more than 5 percent to provide 

19 technical assistance. 

20 ‘‘(B) CARRYOVER.—Amounts made avail21 able to carry out this subsection shall remain 

22 available until expended. 

23 ‘‘(8) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 

24 ‘‘(A) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligi25 ble entity’ means any of the following providing 


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1 a service or program or, in the sole determina2 tion of the Secretary, able to provide a service 

3 or program if awarded a grant under this sub4 section: 

5 ‘‘(i) A State, a political subdivision of 

6 a State, or an agency or department of a 

7 State or political subdivision of a State. 

8 ‘‘(ii) An entity described in subpara9 graph (A) or (B) of section 426(a)(1). 

10 ‘‘(iii) An Indian tribe or tribal organi11 zation. 

12 ‘‘(B) EXTERNAL EVALUATOR.—The term 

13 ‘external evaluator’ means an entity with the 

14 ability and willingness to evaluate a service or 

15 program pursuant to paragraph (2) that is not 

16 provided by the entity. 

17 ‘‘(C) SERVICE OR PROGRAM.—The term 

18 ‘service or program’— 

19 ‘‘(i) means a service or program de20 scribed in section 471(e); and 

21 ‘‘(ii) includes a kinship navigator pro22 gram described in section 474(a)(7).’’. 

23 (b) FUNDING.—Section 437(b) (42 U.S.C. 629g(b)) 

24 is amended by adding at the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘(5) PREVENTIVE SERVICES EVALUATION

2 PARTNERSHIPS.—The Secretary shall reserve 

3 $5,000,000 for grants under section 435(f) for each 

4 of fiscal years 2026 through 2029.’’. 

5 SEC. 10. STRENGTHENING SUPPORT FOR YOUTH AGING 

6 OUT OF FOSTER CARE. 

7 (a) CASEWORKER VISITS.—Section 422(b)(17) (42 

8 U.S.C. 622(b)(17)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, and include 

9 a description of how the State may offer virtual case10 worker visits to youth in care who have attained the age 

11 of 18 years and provided informed consent for virtual vis12 its’’ before the semicolon. 

13 (b) YOUTH AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT IN CHILD

14 WELFARE PROGRAM PLANNING.—Section 432(b)(1) (42 

15 U.S.C. 629b(b)(1)) is amended to read as follows: 

16 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall ap17 prove a plan that meets the requirements of sub18 section (a) only if— 

19 ‘‘(A) the plan was developed jointly by the 

20 Secretary and the State, and the State, in de21 veloping the plan, consulted with— 

22 ‘‘(i) appropriate public and nonprofit 

23 private agencies; 

24 ‘‘(ii) community-based organizations 

25 involved in providing services for children 


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1 and families in the areas of family preser2 vation, family support, family reunifica3 tion, foster care, kinship, and adoption 

4 promotion and support; 

5 ‘‘(iii) parents with child welfare expe6 rience, foster parents, adoptive parents, 

7 and kinship caregivers; and 

8 ‘‘(iv) children, youth, and young 

9 adults with experience in the child welfare 

10 system, including State boards and coun11 cils comprised of youth with lived experi12 ence who represent the diversity of chil13 dren in the State to whom the plan would 

14 apply; and 

15 ‘‘(B) the State has made publicly acces16 sible on a website of the State agency a report 

17 that outlines how the State has implemented 

18 the suggestions of the children and youth re19 ferred to in subparagraph (A)(iv).’’. 

20 SEC. 11. RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF RELATIVE 

21 AND KINSHIP CAREGIVERS. 

22 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 431(a) (42 U.S.C. 

23 629a(a)), as amended by section 7(b)(2) of this Act, is 

24 amended— 

25 (1) in paragraph (1)— 


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1 (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph 

2 (A)— 

3 (i) by striking ‘‘children’’ and insert4 ing ‘‘children, youth,’’; and 

5 (ii) by striking ‘‘adoptive and ex6 tended’’ and inserting ‘‘kinship and adop7 tive’’; 

8 (B) in subparagraph (D), by striking ‘‘par9 ents and other caregivers (including foster par10 ents)’’ and inserting ‘‘parents, kinship care11 givers, and foster parents’’; 

12 (C) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of sub13 paragraph (E); 

14 (D) by striking the period at the end of 

15 subparagraph (F) and inserting ‘‘ ; and’’; and 

16 (E) by adding at the end the following: 

17 ‘‘(G)(i) peer-to-peer mentoring and support 

18 programs with demonstrated experience fos19 tering constructive relationships between chil20 dren and families and mentors with relevant 

21 lived experience or interactions with the child 

22 welfare system; and 

23 ‘‘(ii) for purposes of this subpart, an ex24 penditure for a service described in clause (i) 

25 may be treated as an expenditure for any 1 or 


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1 more of family support services, family preser2 vation services, family reunification services, or 

3 adoption promotion and support services, as 

4 long as the expenditure is related to serving the 

5 children and families in the specified category 

6 and consistent with the overall purpose of the 

7 category.’’; 

8 (2) in paragraph (2)(B)— 

9 (A) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘children’’ 

10 and inserting ‘‘children, youth,’’; and 

11 (B) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘extended’’ 

12 and inserting ‘‘kinship’’; 

13 (3) in paragraph (7)(A), by inserting ‘‘with kin14 ship caregivers or’’ before ‘‘in a foster family home’’; 

15 and 

16 (4) by adding at the end the following: 

17 ‘‘(11) YOUTH.—The term ‘youth’ means an in18 dividual who has not attained 26 years of age.’’. 

19 (b) KINSHIP NAVIGATORS.— 

20 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 427 (42 U.S.C. 627) 

21 is amended— 

22 (A) in the section heading, by striking 

23 ‘‘FAMILY CONNECTION GRANTS’’ and insert24 ing ‘‘KINSHIP NAVIGATORS’’; 

25 (B) in subsection (a)— 


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1 (i) in the matter preceding paragraph 

2 (1), by striking ‘‘helping’’ and inserting 

3 ‘‘administering programs to help’’; 

4 (ii) by striking ‘‘of—’’ and all that 

5 follows through ‘‘a kinship’’ and inserting 

6 ‘‘of a kinship’’; 

7 (iii) in paragraph (1)(C)— 

8 (I) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end 

9 of clause (iii); 

10 (II) by adding ‘‘and’’ at the end 

11 of clause (iv); and 

12 (III) by adding at the end the 

13 following: 

14 ‘‘(v) connections to individualized as15 sistance, as needed;’’; 

16 (iv) by striking paragraphs (2) 

17 through (4); 

18 (v) by redesignating subparagraphs 

19 (A) through (G) of paragraph (1) as para20 graphs (1) through (7), respectively; 

21 (vi) by redesignating clauses (i) 

22 through (iv) and clause (v) (as added by 

23 clause (iii)(III) of this subparagraph) as 

24 subparagraphs (A) through (E), respec25 tively; 


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1 (vii) by moving each provision so re2 designated 2 ems to the left; and 

3 (viii) by striking ‘‘caregiving;’’ and in4 serting ‘‘caregiving.’’; 

5 (C) in subsection (b)— 

6 (i) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘1 or 

7 more of’’; 

8 (ii) by redesignating paragraphs (3) 

9 and (4) as paragraphs (4) and (5), respec10 tively, and inserting after paragraph (2) 

11 the following: 

12 ‘‘(3) a description of how the entity will directly 

13 fund, or provide data to the Secretary for, an eval14 uation which will publish and submit information to 

15 the clearinghouse described in section 476(d)(2) and 

16 which is designed to meet the requirements of sec17 tion 471(e)(4)(C), or a description of how the funds 

18 will be used to help the State transition to a pro19 gram for which the State will seek reimbursement 

20 under section 474(a)(7);’’; 

21 (iii) in paragraph (4) (as so redesig22 nated), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

23 (iv) in paragraph (5) (as so redesig24 nated), by striking the period and inserting 

25 ‘‘; and’’; and 


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1 (v) by adding at the end the following: 

2 ‘‘(6) if the entity is a State, local or tribal child 

3 welfare agency— 

4 ‘‘(A) documentation of support from a rel5 evant community-based organization with expe6 rience serving kinship families when applicable; 

7 or 

8 ‘‘(B) a description of how the organization 

9 plans to coordinate its services and activities 

10 with those offered by the relevant community11 based organizations.’’; 

12 (D) by striking subsection (d) and insert13 ing the following: 

14 ‘‘(d) FEDERAL SHARE.—An entity to which a grant 

15 is made under this section may use the grant to pay not 

16 more than 75 percent of the cost of the activities to be 

17 carried out by the entity pursuant to this section.’’; 

18 (E) in subsection (g)— 

19 (i) by striking all that precedes ‘‘2 

20 percent’’ and inserting the following: 

21 ‘‘(g) RESERVATION OF FUNDS FOR TECHNICAL AS22 SISTANCE.—The Secretary may reserve’’; and 

23 (ii) by striking ‘‘subsection (h)’’ the 

24 2nd place it appears and inserting ‘‘section 

25 437(b)(6)’’; and 


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1 (F) by striking subsection (h). 

2 (2) RESERVATION OF DISCRETIONARY

3 FUNDS.—Section 437(b) (42 U.S.C. 629g(b)), as 

4 amended by section 9(b) of this Act, is amended by 

5 adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘(6) KINSHIP NAVIGATORS.—The Secretary 

7 shall reserve $10,000,000 for grants under section 

8 427 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2029.’’. 

9 (3) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 

10 474(a)(7) (42 U.S.C. 674(a)(7)) is amended by 

11 striking ‘‘427(a)(1)’’ and inserting ‘‘427(a)’’. 

12 SEC. 12. AVOIDING NEGLECT BY ADDRESSING POVERTY. 

13 (a) FAMILY PRESERVATION SERVICES.—Section 

14 431(a)(1) (42 U.S.C. 629a(a)(1)), as amended by section 

15 11(a)(1) of this Act, is amended— 

16 (1) in subparagraph (F), by striking ‘‘and’’ 

17 after the semicolon; 

18 (2) in subparagraph (G), by striking the period 

19 and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

20 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

21 ‘‘(H)(i) services providing nonrecurring 

22 short term benefits (including supports related 

23 to housing instability, utilities, transportation, 

24 and food assistance, among other basic needs) 

25 that address immediate needs related to a speVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:51 Nov 19, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00039 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S5336.IS S5336

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1 cific crisis, situation, or event affecting the abil2 ity of a child to remain in a home established 

3 for the child that is not intended to meet an on4 going need; and 

5 ‘‘(ii) for purposes of this subpart, an ex6 penditure for a service described in clause (i) 

7 may be treated as an expenditure for any 1 or 

8 more of family support services, family preser9 vation services, family reunification services, or 

10 adoption promotion and support services as 

11 long as the expenditure is related to serving the 

12 children and families in the specified category 

13 and consistent with the overall purpose of the 

14 category.’’. 

15 (b) STATE PLAN REQUIREMENTS.—Section 432(a) 

16 (42 U.S.C. 629b(a)) is amended— 

17 (1) in paragraph (9), by striking ‘‘and’’ after 

18 the semicolon; 

19 (2) in paragraph (10), by striking the period 

20 and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

21 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

22 ‘‘(11) provides a description of policies in place, 

23 including training for employees, to address child 

24 welfare reports and investigations of neglect con25 cerning the living arrangements or subsistence needs 


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1 of a child with the goal to prevent the separation of 

2 a child from a parent of the child solely due to pov3 erty, to ensure access to services described in section 

4 431(a)(1)(H).’’. 

5 SEC. 13. STRENGTHENING SUPPORT FOR CASEWORKERS. 

6 (a) REAUTHORIZATION OF, AND INCREASE IN FUND7 ING FOR, CASEWORKER VISITS.—Section 436(b)(4)(A) 

8 (42 U.S.C. 629f(b)(4)(A)) is amended by striking ‘‘each 

9 of fiscal years 2017 through 2023’’ and inserting ‘‘fiscal 

10 year 2025 and $26,000,000 for fiscal year 2026 and each 

11 succeeding fiscal year’’. 

12 (b) MINIMUM GRANT AMOUNT.—Section 433(e) (42 

13 U.S.C. 629c(e)) is amended by striking paragraphs (1) 

14 and (2) and inserting the following: 

15 ‘‘(1) BASE ALLOTMENT.—From the amount re16 served pursuant to section 436(b)(4)(A) for any fis17 cal year, the Secretary shall first allot to each State 

18 (other than an Indian tribe) that has provided to the 

19 Secretary such documentation as may be necessary 

20 to verify that the jurisdiction has complied with sec21 tion 436(b)(4)(B)(ii) during the fiscal year, a base 

22 allotment of $100,000, and shall then allot to each 

23 of those States an amount determined in paragraph 

24 (2) or (3) of this subsection, as applicable. 


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1 ‘‘(2) TERRITORIES.—From the amount reserved 

2 pursuant to section 436(b)(4)(A) for any fiscal year 

3 that remains after applying paragraph (1) of this 

4 subsection for the fiscal year, the Secretary shall 

5 allot to each jurisdiction specified in subsection (b) 

6 of this section to which a base allotment is made 

7 under such paragraph (1) an amount determined in 

8 the same manner as the allotment to each of such 

9 jurisdictions is determined under section 423 (with10 out regard to the initial allotment of $70,000 to 

11 each State). 

12 ‘‘(3) OTHER STATES.—From the amount re13 served pursuant to section 436(b)(4)(A) for any fis14 cal year that remains after applying paragraphs (1) 

15 and (2) of this subsection for the fiscal year, the 

16 Secretary shall allot to each State (other than an In17 dian tribe) not specified in subsection (b) of this sec18 tion to which a base allotment was made under 

19 paragraph (1) of this subsection an amount equal to 

20 such remaining amount multiplied by the supple21 mental nutrition assistance program benefits per22 centage of the State (as defined in subsection (c)(2) 

23 of this section) for the fiscal year, except that in ap24 plying subsection (c)(2)(A) of this section, ‘subVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:51 Nov 19, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00042 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S5336.IS S5336

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•S 5336 IS

1 section (e)(3)’ shall be substituted for ‘such para2 graph (1)’.’’. 

3 (c) REQUIREMENT TO USE FUNDS TO IMPROVE

4 QUALITY OF CASEWORKER VISITS WITH FOSTER CHIL5 DREN.—Section 436(b)(4)(B)(i) (42 U.S.C. 

6 629f(b)(4)(B)(i)) is amended to read as follows: 

7 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—A State to which 

8 an amount is paid from amounts reserved 

9 under subparagraph (A) shall use the 

10 amount to improve the quality of monthly 

11 caseworker visits with children who are in 

12 foster care under the responsibility of the 

13 State, with an emphasis on— 

14 ‘‘(I) reducing caseload ratios and 

15 the administrative burden on case16 workers, to improve caseworker deci17 sion making on the safety, perma18 nency, and well-being of foster chil19 dren and on activities designed to in20 crease retention, recruitment, and 

21 training of caseworkers; 

22 ‘‘(II) implementing technology 

23 solutions to streamline caseworker du24 ties and modernize systems, ensuring 


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1 improved efficiency and effectiveness 

2 in child welfare services; 

3 ‘‘(III) improving caseworker safe4 ty; 

5 ‘‘(IV) mental health resources to 

6 support caseworker well-being, includ7 ing peer-to-peer support programs; 

8 and 

9 ‘‘(V) recruitment campaigns 

10 aimed at attracting qualified case11 worker candidates.’’. 

12 (d) ELIMINATION OF COST-SHARE PENALTY TIED

13 TO MONTHLY CASEWORKER VISIT STANDARD.—Section 

14 424(f) (42 U.S.C. 624(f)) is amended— 

15 (1) by striking ‘‘(1)(A)’’; and 

16 (2) by striking paragraphs (1)(B) and (2). 

17 SEC. 14. DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS FOR IMPROVING RE18 LATIONSHIPS BETWEEN INCARCERATED 

19 PARENTS AND CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE. 

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 439 (42 U.S.C. 629i) is 

21 amended to read as follows: 


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1 ‘‘SEC. 439. STATE PARTNERSHIP PLANNING AND DEM2 ONSTRATION GRANTS TO SUPPORT MEAN3 INGFUL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN FOSTER 

4 CHILDREN AND THE INCARCERATED PAR5 ENTS OF THE CHILDREN. 

6 ‘‘(a) AUTHORITY.— 

7 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may make 

8 demonstration grants to eligible State partnerships 

9 to develop, implement, and provide support for pro10 grams that enable and sustain meaningful relation11 ships between covered foster children and the incar12 cerated parents of the children. 

13 ‘‘(2) PAYMENT OF ANNUAL INSTALLMENTS.— 

14 The Secretary shall pay each demonstration grant in 

15 5 annual installments. 

16 ‘‘(3) 1-YEAR PLANNING GRANTS.—The Sec17 retary may make a planning grant to a recipient of 

18 a demonstration grant, to be paid to the recipient 1 

19 year before payment of the 1st annual installment of 

20 the demonstration grant and in an amount not 

21 greater than any installment of the demonstration 

22 grant, if— 

23 ‘‘(A) the recipient includes a request for a 

24 planning grant in the application under sub25 section (c); and 


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1 ‘‘(B) the Secretary determines that a plan2 ning grant would assist the recipient and im3 prove the effectiveness of the demonstration 

4 grant. 

5 ‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE STATE PARTNERSHIP DEFINED.— 

6 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In this section, the term 

7 ‘eligible State partnership’ means an agreement en8 tered into by, at a minimum, the following: 

9 ‘‘(A) The State child welfare agency re10 sponsible for the administration of the State 

11 plans under this part. 

12 ‘‘(B) The State agency responsible for 

13 adult corrections. 

14 ‘‘(2) ADDITIONAL PARTNERS.—For purposes of 

15 this section, an eligible State partnership may in16 clude any entity with experience in serving incarcer17 ated parents and their children. 

18 ‘‘(3) PARTNERSHIPS ENTERED INTO BY INDIAN

19 TRIBES OR TRIBAL CONSORTIA.—Notwithstanding 

20 paragraph (1), if an Indian tribe or tribal consor21 tium enters into a partnership pursuant to this sec22 tion that does not consist solely of tribal child wel23 fare agencies (or a consortium of the agencies), the 

24 partnership shall be considered an eligible State 

25 partnership for purposes of this section. 


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1 ‘‘(c) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.—An eligible 

2 State partnership seeking a demonstration grant under 

3 this section to carry out a program described in subsection 

4 (a)(1) shall submit an application to the Secretary at such 

5 time, in such manner, and containing such information as 

6 the Secretary may require. The application shall include 

7 the following: 

8 ‘‘(1) A summary of the program, including how 

9 the program will support a meaningful relationship 

10 between a covered foster child and an incarcerated 

11 parent of the child. 

12 ‘‘(2) A description of the activities to be carried 

13 out by the program, which must include all of the 

14 activities described in subsection (d) that are in the 

15 best interest of the covered foster child. 

16 ‘‘(3) A framework for identifying— 

17 ‘‘(A) each covered foster child eligible for 

18 services under the program, including, to the 

19 extent practicable, coordination of data between 

20 relevant State child welfare agencies and court 

21 systems; and 

22 ‘‘(B) the roles and responsibilities of the 

23 entities in the partnership. 

24 ‘‘(4) Documentation that the applicant is an eli25 gible State partnership. 


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1 ‘‘(5) Assurances that the applicant will partici2 pate fully in the evaluation described in subsection 

3 (f)(2) and shall maintain records for the program, 

4 including demographic information disaggregated by 

5 relevant characteristics with respect to covered foster 

6 children and incarcerated parents who participate in 

7 the program. 

8 ‘‘(d) PROGRAM ACTIVITIES.—To the extent that the 

9 activities are in the best interest of the covered foster 

10 child, the activities referred to in subsection (c)(2) shall 

11 include the following: 

12 ‘‘(1) REVISION OF POLICIES.—Through con13 sultation with incarcerated parents and their fami14 lies, grantees shall promote organizational policies of 

15 participating child welfare entities and collaborating 

16 correctional facilities to promote meaningful rela17 tionships through regular and developmentally ap18 propriate communication and visitation between cov19 ered foster children and the incarcerated parents, in20 cluding, when appropriate, the following: 

21 ‘‘(A) For child welfare entities— 

22 ‘‘(i) inclusion of parents in case plan23 ning and decision making for children; 

24 ‘‘(ii) regular sharing of information 

25 and responses to requests for information 


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1 between caseworkers and incarcerated par2 ents with respect to the case information 

3 of a child, any changes to a case, perma4 nency plans, requirements to maintain pa5 rental rights, and any efforts to terminate 

6 parental rights; 

7 ‘‘(iii) appropriate opportunities for in8 carcerated parents to demonstrate their re9 lationship with a covered foster child given 

10 their incarceration, including training and 

11 courses required for a service plan; and 

12 ‘‘(iv) the enhanced visitation described 

13 in paragraph (2). 

14 ‘‘(B) For correctional facilities, fostering 

15 visitation and communication that is develop16 mentally appropriate in terms of— 

17 ‘‘(i) the nature of communication and 

18 visitation, including— 

19 ‘‘(I) the ability to physically 

20 touch parents; 

21 ‘‘(II) engaging with parents in lo22 cations that are appropriate for the 

23 age and development of the child; 

24 ‘‘(III) exchanging items that are 

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1 ment of the child, include expectations 

2 that are appropriate for the age and 

3 development of the child related to be4 havior, attire, and wait times; and 

5 ‘‘(IV) allowing appropriate adults 

6 to bring children if legal guardians 

7 are not available to promote regular 

8 contact; 

9 ‘‘(ii) reasonable inclusion of all chil10 dren of the parent; 

11 ‘‘(iii) communication and visitation at 

12 times when the children are available; 

13 ‘‘(iv) security procedures to comfort 

14 children and be minimally invasive; and 

15 ‘‘(v) promoting parent-child relation16 ships regardless of the sentence imposed 

17 on the parent. 

18 ‘‘(2) ENHANCED VISITATION.— 

19 ‘‘(A) Grantees shall facilitate weekly com20 munication and, for at least 9 days each year, 

21 in-person visitation between a covered foster 

22 child and any incarcerated parent of the child. 

23 ‘‘(B) Electronic visitation (such as live 

24 video visits, phone calls, and recorded books) 

25 may be used but shall not be the sole method 


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1 to promote a meaningful relationship for pur2 poses of the grant. 

3 ‘‘(C) Enhanced visitation programs shall— 

4 ‘‘(i) integrate best practices for visita5 tion programs with incarcerated parents 

6 and their children; 

7 ‘‘(ii) adopt developmentally appro8 priate visitation policies and procedures 

9 such as those described in paragraph 

10 (1)(B); 

11 ‘‘(iii) reduce or eliminate the cost of 

12 developmentally appropriate communica13 tion and visitation for the covered foster 

14 child, which may include the purchase of 

15 communication technology, covering trans16 portation, insurance, and lodging costs, 

17 costs related to providing appropriate visi18 tation spaces and activities, and other rel19 evant costs; 

20 ‘‘(iv) to the extent practicable, inte21 grate appropriate parenting education to 

22 help prepare and process visits; and 

23 ‘‘(v) avoid restricting visitation and 

24 communication as a punishment for the in25 carcerated parents. 


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1 ‘‘(3) TRAINING.—Grantees shall incorporate on2 going training for child welfare workers, correctional 

3 facility staff, and other program providers to under4 stand the importance of promoting meaningful rela5 tionships between children and incarcerated parents. 

6 ‘‘(4) CASE MANAGEMENT.—Grantees shall pro7 vide case management services for the incarcerated 

8 parents of a covered foster child to promote the rela9 tionship, access to services, and coordination with 

10 the caseworkers of the covered foster child to 

11 strengthen the relationship. 

12 ‘‘(5) LEGAL ASSISTANCE.—Grantees shall facili13 tate access to necessary legal services and may use 

14 grant funds for services that are not reimbursable 

15 under other Federal programs. 

16 ‘‘(e) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of the 

17 cost of any activity carried out using a grant made under 

18 this section shall be not greater than 75 percent. 

19 ‘‘(f) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, EVALUATIONS, AND

20 REPORTS.— 

21 ‘‘(1) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary 

22 shall provide technical assistance with respect to 

23 grants under this section, including by— 

24 ‘‘(A) assisting grantees in understanding 

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1 ships between incarcerated parents and their 

2 children as well as consulting with appropriate 

3 stakeholders when developing their programs; 

4 ‘‘(B) assisting grantees with establishing 

5 and analyzing implementation and performance 

6 indicators; and 

7 ‘‘(C) conducting an annual technical assist8 ance and training meeting and an annual grant9 ee meeting so that grantees can learn from the 

10 experiences of other grantees. 

11 ‘‘(2) EVALUATIONS.—The Secretary shall con12 duct an evaluation of program outcomes, including 

13 with respect to parent and child well-being, parent14 child interactions, parental involvement, awareness 

15 of child development and parenting practices, place16 ment stability, and termination of parental rights 

17 with respect to covered foster children and incarcer18 ated parents, to measure program effectiveness, as 

19 determined by the Secretary, and identify opportuni20 ties for improved program practices and implemen21 tation. 

22 ‘‘(3) REPORTS TO THE CONGRESS.— 

23 ‘‘(A) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than 3 

24 years after the date of the enactment of this 

25 section, the Secretary shall submit to the ComVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:51 Nov 19, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00053 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S5336.IS S5336

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1 mittee on Ways and Means of the House of 

2 Representatives and the Committee on Finance 

3 of the Senate a report that includes— 

4 ‘‘(i) the number of applications for 

5 grants under this section; 

6 ‘‘(ii) the number of grants awarded, 

7 and the amounts for each grant; and 

8 ‘‘(iii) information on the grants, in9 cluding— 

10 ‘‘(I) interim results of the evalua11 tion described in paragraph (2); 

12 ‘‘(II) disaggregated data on cov13 ered foster children and incarcerated 

14 parents; 

15 ‘‘(III) information on the com16 position of eligible State partnerships; 

17 ‘‘(IV) best practices for facili18 tating meaningful relationships be19 tween covered foster children and in20 carcerated parents; and 

21 ‘‘(V) barriers to implementation 

22 or expansion of programs funded 

23 under this section. 

24 ‘‘(B) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 6 

25 years after the date of the enactment of this 


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1 section, the Secretary shall submit to the Com2 mittee on Ways and Means of the House of 

3 Representatives and the Committee on Finance 

4 of the Senate a report that includes— 

5 ‘‘(i) the final results of the evaluation 

6 described in paragraph (2); and 

7 ‘‘(ii) recommendations for refinements 

8 to grant requirements to improve program 

9 outcomes. 

10 ‘‘(g) AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY WITH RESPECT TO

11 INDIAN TRIBES AND TRIBAL ORGANIZATIONS.— 

12 ‘‘(1) WAIVER OR MODIFICATION OF REQUIRE13 MENTS.—In making a grant to an Indian tribe or 

14 tribal organization under this section, the Secretary 

15 may waive the matching requirement of subsection 

16 (e) or modify an application requirement imposed by 

17 or under subsection (c) if the Secretary determines 

18 that the waiver or modification is appropriate to the 

19 needs, culture, and circumstances of the Indian tribe 

20 or tribal organization. 

21 ‘‘(2) EVALUATION.—The Secretary shall use 

22 tribally relevant data in carrying out the evaluation 

23 under subsection (f)(2) with respect to an Indian 

24 tribe or tribal organization. 


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1 ‘‘(h) LIMITATIONS ON AUTHORIZATION OF APPRO2 PRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the 

3 Secretary not more than $35,000,000 for each of fiscal 

4 years 2026 through 2029 to carry out this section. 

5 ‘‘(i) DEFINITION OF COVERED FOSTER CHILD.—In 

6 this section, the term ‘covered foster child’ means a child 

7 that— 

8 ‘‘(1) is in foster care; and 

9 ‘‘(2) has at least 1 parent incarcerated in a 

10 Federal, State, or local correctional facility.’’. 

11 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

12 (1) Section 431(a)(2)(B)(vii) (42 U.S.C. 

13 629a(a)(2)(B)(vii)) is amended by striking ‘‘(as de14 fined in section 439(b)(2))’’. 

15 (2) Section 431(a) (42 U.S.C. 629a(a)), as 

16 amended by sections 7(b)(2) and 11(a)(4) of this 

17 Act, is amended by adding at the end the following: 

18 ‘‘(12) MENTORING.—The term ‘mentoring’ 

19 means a structured, managed program in which chil20 dren are appropriately matched with screened and 

21 trained adult volunteers for one on-one relationships, 

22 involving meetings and activities on a regular basis, 

23 intended to meet, in part, the child’s need for in24 volvement with a caring and supportive adult who 

25 provides a positive role model.’’. 


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1 SEC. 15. GUIDANCE TO STATES ON IMPROVING DATA COL2 LECTION AND REPORTING FOR YOUTH IN 

3 RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT PROGRAMS. 

4 Within 2 years after the date of the enactment of this 

5 Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in con6 sultation with the Department of Education, the Adminis7 tration for Children and Families, the Centers for Medi8 care and Medicaid Services, the Administration for Com9 munity Living, the Department of Justice, and other rel10 evant policy experts, as determined by the Secretary, shall 

11 issue and disseminate, or update and revise, as applicable, 

12 guidance to State agencies in administering State plans 

13 approved under parts B and E of title IV of the Social 

14 Security Act on the following: 

15 (1) Best practices for Federal and State agen16 cies to collect data and share information related to 

17 the well-being of youth residing in residential treat18 ment facilities, including those facilities operating in 

19 multiple States or serving out-of-state youth. 

20 (2) Best practices on improving State collection 

21 and sharing of data related to incidences of mal22 treatment of youth residing in residential treatment 

23 facilities, including with respect to meeting the re24 quirement of section 471(a)(9)(A) of such Act for 

25 such youth in foster care. 


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1 (3) Best practices on improving oversight of 

2 youth residential programs receiving Federal fund3 ing, and research-based strategies for risk assess4 ment related to the health, safety, and well-being of 

5 youth in the facilities. 

6 SEC. 16. STREAMLINING RESEARCH, TRAINING, AND TECH7 NICAL ASSISTANCE FUNDING. 

8 (a) REPURPOSING DISCRETIONARY RESEARCH SET9 ASIDE.—Section 435(c) (42 U.S.C. 629e(c)) is amended 

10 to read as follows: 

11 ‘‘(c) EVALUATION, RESEARCH, AND TECHNICAL AS12 SISTANCE WITH RESPECT TO TARGETED PROGRAM RE13 SOURCES.—Of the amount reserved under section 

14 437(b)(1) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall use not less 

15 than— 

16 ‘‘(1) $1,000,000 for technical assistance to 

17 grantees under section 437(f) and to support design 

18 of local site evaluations with the goal of publishing 

19 and submitting evaluation findings to the clearing20 house established under section 476(d), or to award 

21 grants to allow current or former grantees under 

22 section 437(f) to analyze, publish, and submit to the 

23 clearinghouse data collected during past grants; and 

24 ‘‘(2) $1,000,000 for technical assistance re25 quired under section 429B of this Act to support efVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:51 Nov 19, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00058 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S5336.IS S5336

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1 fective implementation of the Indian Child Welfare 

2 Act of 1978 and to support development of associ3 ated State plan measures described pursuant to sec4 tion 422(b)(9) of this Act.’’. 

5 (b) ELIMINATION OF RESEARCH SET-ASIDE FROM

6 MANDATORY FUNDS.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 436(b) (42 U.S.C. 

8 629f(b)), as amended by the preceding provisions of 

9 this Act, is amended by striking paragraph (1) and 

10 redesignating paragraphs (2) through (5) as para11 graphs (1) through (4), respectively. 

12 (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

13 (A) Section 433(a) (42 U.S.C. 629c(a)) is 

14 amended by striking ‘‘436(b)(3)’’ and inserting 

15 ‘‘436(b)(2)’’. 

16 (B) Section 433(e) (42 U.S.C. 629c(e)), as 

17 amended by section 13(b) of this Act, is amend18 ed by striking ‘‘436(b)(4)(A)’’ and inserting 

19 ‘‘436(b)(3)(A)’’ each place it appears. 

20 (C) Section 434(a)(2)(A) (42 U.S.C. 

21 629d(a)(2)(A)) is amended by striking 

22 ‘‘436(b)(4)(B)’’ and inserting ‘‘436(b)(3)(B)’’. 

23 (D) Section 437(b)(1) (42 U.S.C. 

24 629g(b)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘436(b)(1)’’ 

25 and inserting ‘‘435’’. 


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1 (E) Section 437(f)(3) (42 U.S.C. 

2 629g(f)(3)) is amended by striking ‘‘436(b)(5)’’ 

3 and inserting ‘‘436(b)(4)’’. 

4 (F) Section 438(c) (42 U.S.C. 629g(c)) is 

5 amended in each of paragraphs (1) through (3) 

6 is amended by striking ‘‘436(b)(2)’’ and insert7 ing ‘‘436(b)(1)’’. 

8 SEC. 17. REPORT ON POST ADOPTION AND SUBSIDIZED 

9 GUARDIANSHIP SERVICES. 

10 (a) IN GENERAL.—Within 2 years after the date of 

11 the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and 

12 Human Services shall prepare and submit to the Com13 mittee on Ways and Means of the House of Representa14 tives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate a report 

15 on children who enter into foster care under the super16 vision of a State administering a plan approved under part 

17 B or E of title IV of the Social Security Act after finaliza18 tion of an adoption or legal guardianship. 

19 (b) INFORMATION.—The Secretary shall include in 

20 the report information, to the extent available through the 

21 Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System 

22 and other data sources, regarding the incidence of adop23 tion disruption and dissolution affecting children described 

24 in subsection (a) and factors associated with such cir25 cumstances, including— 


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1 (1) whether affected individuals received pre- or 

2 post-legal adoption services; and 

3 (2) other relevant information, such as the age 

4 of the child involved. 

5 (c) POST-ADOPTION SERVICES AND GUARDIAN6 SHIP.—The Secretary shall include in the report— 

7 (1) a summary of post-adoption services and 

8 guardianship in each State that are available to fam9 ilies that adopted children from foster care and the 

10 extent to which the services are evidence-based or 

11 evidence-informed; and 

12 (2) a summary of funding and funding sources 

13 for the services in each State, including set-asides 

14 under the Promoting Safe and Stable Families pro15 gram. 

16 SEC. 18. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

17 (a) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by this 

18 Act shall take effect on October 1, 2025, and shall apply 

19 to payments under part B of title IV of the Social Security 

20 Act for calendar quarters beginning on or after such date. 

21 (b) DELAY PERMITTED IF STATE LEGISLATION RE22 QUIRED.—If the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

23 determines that State legislation (other than legislation 

24 appropriating funds) is required in order for a State plan 

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1 curity Act to meet the additional requirements imposed 

2 by the amendments made by this Act, the plan shall not 

3 be regarded as failing to meet any of the additional re4 quirements before the 1st day of the 1st calendar quarter 

5 beginning after the first regular session of the State legis6 lature that begins after the date of the enactment of this 

7 Act. For purposes of the preceding sentence, if the State 

8 has a 2-year legislative session, each year of the session 

9 is deemed to be a separate regular session of the State 

10 legislature. 

11 (c) APPLICATION TO PROGRAMS OPERATED BY IN12 DIAN TRIBAL ORGANIZATIONS.—In the case of an Indian 

13 tribe, tribal organization, or tribal consortium that the 

14 Secretary of Health and Human Services determines re15 quires time to take action necessary to comply with the 

16 additional requirements imposed by the amendments made 

17 by this Act (whether the tribe, organization, or tribal con18 sortium has a plan under section 479B of the Social Secu19 rity Act or a cooperative agreement or contract entered 

20 into with a State), the Secretary shall provide the tribe, 

21 organization, or tribal consortium with such additional 

22 time as the Secretary determines is necessary for the tribe, 

23 organization, or tribal consortium to take the action to 


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1 comply with the additional requirements before being re2 garded as failing to comply with the requirements. 

Æ 


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