II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3769 

To amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to provide for 

alternative pathways of addressing child abuse and neglect. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 8 (legislative day, FEBRUARY 7), 2024 

Mr. LUJA ́N introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act 

to provide for alternative pathways of addressing child 

abuse and neglect. 

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 ‘‘Alternative Pathways 

5 to Child Abuse Prevention Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Section 2 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treat8 ment Act (42 U.S.C. 5101 note) is amended— 

9 (1) in paragraph (11), by inserting ‘‘trauma-in10 formed,’’ after ‘‘child-centered,’’; 


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1 (2) in paragraphs (12) and (14), by inserting ‘‘, 

2 Indian Tribes,’’ after ‘‘States’’ each place such term 

3 appears; and 

4 (3) in subparagraphs (C) and (D) of paragraph 

5 (15), by inserting ‘‘and Indian Tribes’’ after 

6 ‘‘States’’ each place such term appears. 

7 SEC. 3. ADVISORY BOARD ON CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT. 

8 Section 102 of the Child Abuse Prevention and 

9 Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5102) is amended— 

10 (1) in subsection (c)— 

11 (A) in paragraph (13), by striking ‘‘and’’; 

12 (B) in paragraph (14), by striking the pe13 riod and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

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

15 ‘‘(15) domestic violence advocates and ex16 perts.’’; and 

17 (2) in subsection (f)— 

18 (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘; and’’; 

19 (B) in paragraph (3), by striking the pe20 riod and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

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

22 ‘‘(4) recommendations for actions Federal, 

23 State, Tribal, and local public agencies can take to 

24 safely reduce the number of families referred to 

25 child protective services and direct such families to 


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1 alternative pathways of preventive, family-centered 

2 services for support.’’. 

3 SEC. 4. NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE FOR INFORMATION 

4 RELATING TO CHILD ABUSE. 

5 Section 103 of the Child Abuse Prevention and 

6 Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5104) is amended— 

7 (1) in subsection (b)— 

8 (A) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘relating 

9 to differential response;’’ and inserting ‘‘relat10 ing to— 

11 ‘‘(A) differential response; and 

12 ‘‘(B) the use of alternative pathways that 

13 connect families experiencing difficulty meeting 

14 basic needs or other risk factors associated with 

15 child abuse and neglect, such as parental stress, 

16 family violence, and isolation, to community17 based systems and programs that strengthen 

18 families seeking support instead of to the child 

19 protection system, such as— 

20 ‘‘(i) State, Tribal, or local helplines 

21 that provide information or assistance and 

22 connect families to voluntary community23 based support services; and 

24 ‘‘(ii) alternative pathways for man25 dated reporters and other concerned adults 


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1 to use to refer families for voluntary sup2 ports outside of the child protection sys3 tem;’’; 

4 (B) in paragraph (8), by striking subpara5 graph (B) and inserting the following: 

6 ‘‘(B) appropriate State, Tribal, and local 

7 officials to assist in training law enforcement, 

8 legal, judicial, medical, physical, behavioral and 

9 mental health, education, child welfare, sub10 stance use disorder treatment services, and do11 mestic violence services personnel, including 

12 training on— 

13 ‘‘(i) the role of the child protective 

14 services system to identify children at risk 

15 of serious harm; and 

16 ‘‘(ii) how to direct families in need to 

17 alternative pathways to community-based 

18 systems and programs that strengthen 

19 such families in order to safely reduce the 

20 number of families unnecessarily referred 

21 to child protective services; and’’; and 

22 (C) in paragraph (9), by inserting ‘‘for 

23 both victims and people who use violence’’ be24 fore the period; and 

25 (2) in subsection (c)(1)(C)— 


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1 (A) in clause (iii), by striking ‘‘; and’’ and 

2 inserting a semicolon; 

3 (B) in clause (iv), by inserting ‘‘and’’ after 

4 the semicolon; and 

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

6 ‘‘(v) information on the presence of 

7 domestic violence in advance of a child 

8 death;’’. 

9 SEC. 5. RESEARCH AND ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES. 

10 Section 104 of the Child Abuse Prevention and 

11 Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5105) is amended— 

12 (1) in subsection (a)(1)— 

13 (A) in subparagraph (L), by inserting 

14 ‘‘and the use of alternative pathways that con15 nect families to community-based prevention 

16 services where possible instead of system in17 volvement’’ after ‘‘differential response’’; and 

18 (B) in subparagraph (O)— 

19 (i) in clause (ix), by inserting ‘‘pres20 ence of domestic violence,’’ after ‘‘size),’’; 

21 (ii) in clause (x), by striking ‘‘; and’’ 

22 and inserting a semicolon; 

23 (iii) in clause (xi), by striking the pe24 riod and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 


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1 (iv) by adding at the end the fol2 lowing: 

3 ‘‘(xii) the prevalence of domestic vio4 lence in child abuse and neglect reports 

5 and open cases.’’; 

6 (2) in subsection (b)(2)— 

7 (A) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘; 

8 and’’ and inserting a semicolon; 

9 (B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the 

10 period and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

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

12 ‘‘(E) ways to safely decrease the number of 

13 families being referred to child protective serv14 ices and instead provide them with alternative 

15 pathways to community-based child abuse pre16 vention services that strengthen families.’’; and 

17 (3) in subsection (e)(3), by inserting ‘‘and for 

18 demonstration projects that focus on building re19 search-based protective factors in community organi20 zations, health care, and schools for adult and child 

21 survivors of domestic violence as a strategy for keep22 ing children out of the child protective services sys23 tem’’ before the period. 


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1 SEC. 6. GRANTS TO STATES, INDIAN TRIBES OR TRIBAL OR2 GANIZATIONS, AND PUBLIC OR PRIVATE 

3 AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS. 

4 Section 105(a) of the Child Abuse Prevention and 

5 Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106(a)) is amended— 

6 (1) in paragraph (2)(B), by inserting ‘‘and case 

7 management’’ after ‘‘through referral’’; 

8 (2) in paragraph (5), by inserting ‘‘for survivors 

9 or people who use violence’’ after ‘‘violence service 

10 agencies’’; 

11 (3) in paragraph (6), by inserting ‘‘account12 ability and meaningful pathways to change for the 

13 person using violence,’’ after ‘‘parent involved and 

14 children,’’; and 

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

16 ‘‘(8) ALTERNATIVE PATHWAYS TO COMMUNITY17 BASED FAMILY-STRENGTHENING SERVICES AND

18 PROGRAMS.—The Secretary may award grants to 

19 collaborations of State, Tribal, and local child wel20 fare agencies with community-based providers to 

21 support the development and implementation of al22 ternative pathways and systems and supports that 

23 connect families experiencing difficulty meeting basic 

24 needs or risk factors associated with child abuse and 

25 neglect to community-based systems and programs 


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1 that assist families seeking support as an alternative 

2 to the child protection system, such as supporting— 

3 ‘‘(A) the development and implementation 

4 of— 

5 ‘‘(i) local or State helplines, websites, 

6 or mobile applications that provide infor7 mation or assistance and connect families 

8 to voluntary community-based support 

9 services, including local programs sup10 ported under title II; 

11 ‘‘(ii) a continuum of preventive serv12 ices that strengthen families and promote 

13 child, parent, and family well-being; and 

14 ‘‘(iii) alternative pathways for manda15 tory reporters and other concerned adults 

16 to use to connect families to voluntary sup17 ports outside of child protection systems 

18 and educating adults about such pathways; 

19 and 

20 ‘‘(B) the hiring of personnel to help con21 nect families to voluntary supports outside of 

22 child protection systems, navigate barriers to 

23 accessing these services, and ensure services 

24 exist where families live and work.’’. 


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1 SEC. 7. GRANTS TO STATES FOR CHILD ABUSE OR NE2 GLECT PREVENTION AND TREATMENT PRO3 GRAMS. 

4 Section 106 of the Child Abuse Prevention and 

5 Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106a) is amended— 

6 (1) in subsection (a)— 

7 (A) in paragraph (13)(B), by striking ‘‘; 

8 or’’ and inserting a semicolon; 

9 (B) in paragraph (14)(B), by striking the 

10 period and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 

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

12 ‘‘(15) improving the child protective system to 

13 focus on children at most serious risk of harm and 

14 safely reduce the number of families investigated for 

15 child abuse and neglect by increasing the number of 

16 families connected to voluntary, community-based 

17 systems and programs that assist families in need of 

18 supports and services, including by developing, im19 plementing, and expanding— 

20 ‘‘(A) local or State helplines, websites, and 

21 mobile applications that connect families to vol22 untary community-based resources, including 

23 local programs funded under title II; 

24 ‘‘(B) a continuum of preventive services 

25 that strengthen families and promote child, par26 ent, and family well-being; 


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1 ‘‘(C) alternative pathways for mandatory 

2 reporters and other concerned adults to use to 

3 refer families for voluntary supports outside of 

4 child protection systems and educating adults 

5 about such systems; and 

6 ‘‘(D) personnel to help connect families to 

7 voluntary supports outside of child protection 

8 systems, navigate barriers to accessing these 

9 services, and ensure services exist where fami10 lies live and work.’’; and 

11 (2) in subsection (b)(2)(D)— 

12 (A) in clause (v), by striking ‘‘; and’’ and 

13 inserting a semicolon; 

14 (B) in clause (vi), by adding ‘‘and’’ after 

15 the semicolon; and 

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

17 ‘‘(vii) changes in policies and proce18 dures of State and local child welfare agen19 cies that— 

20 ‘‘(I) reduce the number of fami21 lies referred to such agencies for inci22 dents that are not child abuse or ne23 glect, such as families referred to the 

24 child protective system solely based on 

25 circumstances related to poverty; 


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1 ‘‘(II) develop, implement, and 

2 scale systems of alternative pathways 

3 (in coordination with the lead entity 

4 and local programs supported by title 

5 II) that connect such families to vol6 untary community-based support to 

7 build protective factors that reduce 

8 the likelihood of child abuse and ne9 glect, or that reduce harm as a result 

10 of domestic violence, including efforts 

11 to educate mandatory reporters and 

12 other concerned adults about such 

13 systems to refer families for voluntary 

14 supports outside of child protection 

15 systems; and 

16 ‘‘(III) increase supports for fami17 lies in navigating and accessing vol18 untary community-based support to 

19 reduce the likelihood of child abuse 

20 and neglect or that reduce harm as a 

21 result of domestic violence, including 

22 personnel and casework.’’. 


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1 SEC. 8. GRANTS TO STATES FOR PROGRAMS RELATING TO 

2 THE INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF 

3 CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT CASES. 

4 Section 107(c)(1) of the Child Abuse Prevention and 

5 Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106c(c)(1)) is amended— 

6 (1) in subparagraph (I), by striking ‘‘; and’’ 

7 and inserting a semicolon; 

8 (2) in subparagraph (J), by striking the period 

9 and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

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

11 ‘‘(K) domestic violence and sexual violence 

12 prevention and treatment advocates.’’. 

13 SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

14 (a) TITLE I.—Section 112(a)(1) of the Child Abuse 

15 Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106h(a)(1)) 

16 is amended by striking ‘‘$120,000,000 for fiscal year 2010 

17 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal 

18 years 2011 through 2015’’ and inserting ‘‘$500,000,000 

19 for fiscal year 2024 and such sums as may be necessary 

20 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029’’. 

21 (b) TITLE II.—Section 209 of the Child Abuse Pre22 vention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5116i) is amended 

23 by striking ‘‘$80,000,000 for fiscal year 2010 and such 

24 sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2011 

25 through 2015’’ and inserting ‘‘$1,000,000,000 for fiscal 


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1 year 2024 and such sums as may be necessary for each 

2 of fiscal years 2025 through 2029’’. 

Æ 


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