II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1091 

To establish a Federal Task Force to Support Grandparents Raising 

Grandchildren. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 10, 2017 

Ms. COLLINS (for herself and Mr. CASEY) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 

Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To establish a Federal Task Force to Support Grandparents 

Raising Grandchildren. 

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 ‘‘Supporting Grand5 parents Raising Grandchildren Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) More than 80 percent of Americans over the 

9 age of 65 are grandparents and more than 

10 2,500,000 grandparents in the United States are the 


lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 1091 IS

1 primary caretaker of their grandchildren. Experts 

2 report that such numbers are increasing as the 

3 opioid epidemic expands. 

4 (2) Grandparents’ lives are enhanced by caring 

5 for their grandchildren; the overwhelming majority 

6 of grandparents report experiencing significant bene7 fits in serving as their grandchildren’s primary care8 givers. 

9 (3) Providing full-time care to their grand10 children may increase grandparents’ likelihood of ex11 periencing physical illness and mental health prob12 lems and decrease their ability to save for retire13 ment. 

14 (4) Grandparents raising grandchildren may 

15 face difficulty enrolling their grandchildren in school, 

16 medical care, and Federal assistance services. 

17 (5) The Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 

18 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.) includes services that support 

19 grandfamilies, including the National Family Care20 giver Support Program. 

21 (6) Grandparents would benefit from better co22 ordination and information about resources available 

23 to support them in their caregiving responsibilities. 


lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 1091 IS

1 SEC. 3. FEDERAL TASK FORCE TO SUPPORT GRAND2 PARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN. 

3 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a Fed4 eral Task Force to Support Grandparents Raising Grand5 children (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Task Force’’). 

6 (b) MEMBERSHIP.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Task Force shall be 

8 composed of the following members, or their des9 ignee: 

10 (A) The Secretary of Health and Human 

11 Services. 

12 (B) The Attorney General. 

13 (C) The Administrator of the Administra14 tion for Community Living. 

15 (D) The Director of the Centers for Dis16 ease Control and Prevention. 

17 (E) The Assistant Secretary for Mental 

18 Health and Substance Use. 

19 (F) The Assistant Secretary for the Ad20 ministration for Children and Families. 

21 (G) The head of each Federal department, 

22 agency, or other governmental entity identified 

23 by the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

24 as having responsibilities, or administering pro25 grams, relating to current issues affecting 


lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 1091 IS

1 grandparents or other relatives raising children 

2 in their care. 

3 (2) LEAD AGENCY.—The Department of Health 

4 and Human Services shall be the lead agency for the 

5 Task Force. 

6 (3) REQUIREMENT.—Each member of the Task 

7 Force shall be an officer or employee of the Federal 

8 Government. 

9 (c) DUTIES.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.— 

11 (A) INFORMATION.—The Task Force shall 

12 identify, promote, coordinate, and disseminate 

13 information publicly about Federal information, 

14 resources, and best practices available, on the 

15 date of the determination, to help grandparents 

16 or other relatives raising children in their care 

17 meet the health, educational, nutritional, and 

18 other needs of the children in their care as well 

19 as maintain their own physical and mental 

20 health and emotional well-being, including those 

21 raising children in their care as a result of the 

22 opioid epidemic. 

23 (B) NATIVE AMERICANS.—In carrying out 

24 the duties described in subparagraph (A), the 


lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 1091 IS

1 Task Force shall ensure that the needs of mem2 bers of Native American tribes are addressed. 

3 (2) REPORT.— 

4 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 

5 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 

6 the Task Force shall submit a report to the 

7 Special Committee on Aging and the Committee 

8 on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of 

9 the Senate that includes— 

10 (i) best practices, resources, and other 

11 useful information for grandparents and 

12 other relatives raising children in their 

13 care; and 

14 (ii) an identification of the gaps in 

15 needs of grandparents and other relatives 

16 raising children in their care. 

17 (B) FOLLOW-UP REPORT.—Not later than 

18 the date that is 2 years after the date the re19 port under subparagraph (A) is submitted, the 

20 Task Force shall submit a follow-up report to 

21 the Special Committee on Aging and the Com22 mittee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pen23 sions of the Senate that includes the informa24 tion described in subparagraph (A). 


lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
6 

•S 1091 IS

1 (3) PROCESS FOR PUBLIC INPUT.—The Task 

2 Force shall establish a process for public input to in3 form the development of, and updates to, the best 

4 practices, resources, and other useful information 

5 and the gaps in needs described in paragraph (2), 

6 including a process for the public to submit rec7 ommendations to the Task Force and an opportunity 

8 for public comment. 

9 (d) SUNSET.—The Task Force shall terminate on the 

10 date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this 

11 Act. 

Æ 


lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS