I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1484 

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants 

to States to provide safety measures to social workers and other similar 

professionals who work with at-risk populations, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 9, 2017 

Ms. SINEMA (for herself and Ms. STEFANIK) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

to award grants to States to provide safety measures 

to social workers and other similar professionals who 

work with at-risk populations, 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 ‘‘Social Worker Safety 

5 Act of 2017’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SOCIAL WORKER SAFETY GRANT PROGRAM. 

7 (a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary of Health 

8 and Human Services may award grants to States to proVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:44 Mar 16, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1484.IH H1484

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1 vide safety measures to social workers and other similar 

2 professionals (as designated by the Secretary) working 

3 with violent, illicit drug-using, or other at-risk populations. 

4 (b) USE OF FUNDS.—Grants awarded pursuant to 

5 subsection (a) may be used to provide or support the fol6 lowing safety measures: 

7 (1)(A) The procurement and installation of 

8 safety equipment, including communications or re9 cording systems, such as cell phones, wearable track10 ing devices with GPS/Bluetooth locator, or panic 

11 buttons used for supervised foster care visits and 

12 other client visits to assist agencies in locating staff. 

13 (B) Technical assistance and training for safety 

14 communications. 

15 (2) Training sessions and exercises for self-de16 fense and crisis, together with such organizations as 

17 local law enforcement. 

18 (3) Facility safety improvements. 

19 (4) Training in cultural competency, including 

20 linguistic training, and training on strategies for de21 escalating a situation that could turn volatile. 

22 (5) Training to help work with clients who— 

23 (A) have serious mental and substance use 

24 disorders; or 


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1 (B) have behavioral problems and need 

2 help coping. 

3 (6) Educational resources and materials to 

4 train staff on safety and awareness measures. 

5 (7) Support services, counseling, and additional 

6 resources for social workers who have experienced 

7 safety issues or trauma-related incidents in the 

8 workplace. 

9 (8) Installation of a local data incident tracking 

10 system to monitor, prevent, and mitigate future of11 fenses against social workers. 

12 (9) Other policy developments and implementa13 tion activities determined by the Secretary for social 

14 work safety training, resources, and support. 

15 (c) APPLICATION.— 

16 (1) IN GENERAL.—A State seeking a grant 

17 under subsection (a) shall submit an application to 

18 the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and ac19 companied by such additional information as the 

20 Secretary may require. 

21 (2) CONTENTS.—Each application submitted 

22 pursuant to paragraph (1) shall— 

23 (A) describe the type of agencies that will 

24 receive funding through the grant and type of 

25 work to be done by such agencies; 


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1 (B) describe the specific activities for 

2 which the grant is sought and include a pro3 gram budget; and 

4 (C) contain an assurance that the appli5 cant will evaluate the effectiveness of the safety 

6 measures provided through the grant. 

7 (d) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under subsection 

8 (a), the Secretary shall give priority to applicants that— 

9 (1) demonstrate the greatest need based on 

10 documented incidents; and 

11 (2) seek to provide assistance to multiple agen12 cies. 

13 (e) QUALITY ASSURANCE AND COST EFFECTIVE14 NESS.—The Secretary shall establish guidelines for ensur15 ing the quality and cost effectiveness of the safety meas16 ures funded under this section. 

17 (f) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary may 

18 provide technical assistance to recipients of a grant under 

19 this section with respect to planning, developing, imple20 menting, and sustaining safety measures through the 

21 grant. 

22 (g) REPORT REQUIREMENT.—States receiving a 

23 grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary, not 

24 later than 2 years after such receipt, a report that in25 cludes— 


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1 (1) an assessment of the activities funded in 

2 whole or in part with the grant; 

3 (2) the range and scope of training opportuni4 ties provided through training programs funded in 

5 whole or in part through a grant under this section, 

6 including the numbers and percentages of social 

7 workers engaged in such training programs; and 

8 (3) the incidence of threats to social workers, if 

9 any, and the strategies used to address their safety. 

10 (h) NON-FEDERAL SHARE.—With respect to the 

11 costs of safety measures to be provided pursuant to a 

12 grant under subsection (a), the State receiving the grant 

13 shall agree to make available (directly or through dona14 tions from public or private entities) non-Federal contribu15 tions toward such costs in an amount that is $1 for each 

16 $1 of Federal funds awarded through the grant. 

17 (i) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

18 (1) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 

19 of Health and Human Services. 

20 (2) The term ‘‘social work’’ means— 

21 (A) the professional activity of helping in22 dividuals, groups, or communities to enhance or 

23 restore capacity for social and psychosocial 

24 functioning, and to create societal conditions fa25 vorable to such enhancement or restoration; and 


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1 (B) the professional application of values, 

2 principles, and techniques related to the activi3 ties described in subparagraph (A), including— 

4 (i) diagnosing mental and emotional 

5 disorders and treating individuals, families, 

6 or groups for such disorders; and 

7 (ii) helping individuals, families, or 

8 groups to obtain tangible services, includ9 ing personal, protective, informational, ad10 visory, community, or maintenance services 

11 in order to improve the overall well-being 

12 of individuals. 

13 (3) The term ‘‘social worker’’ means an indi14 vidual with a baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral de15 gree in social work from an institution of higher 

16 education who uses knowledge and skills to provide 

17 social work services for individuals, families, groups, 

18 communities, organizations, or society in general. 

19 (j) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 

20 out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated 

21 $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022. 

Æ 


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