II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 237 

To provide funds through the Social Services Block Grant program for diaper 

assistance. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 4, 2021 

Mr. MURPHY (for himself, Ms. ERNST, Ms. DUCKWORTH, Mr. CASEY, Mr. 

TILLIS, Ms. COLLINS, and Mrs. GILLIBRAND) introduced the following 

bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

To provide funds through the Social Services Block Grant 

program for diaper assistance. 

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 ‘‘COVID–19 Diaper As5 sistance Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) Infants need between 6 to 12 diapers a day. 

9 Infants and toddlers lacking access to clean diapers 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 237 IS

1 have a greater risk for health complications, which 

2 require costly and difficult to access medical care. 

3 (2) Prior to the COVID–19 pandemic, surveys 

4 indicated that 1 in 3 families in the United States 

5 with young children could not afford an adequate 

6 supply of diapers to keep their child clean, dry, and 

7 healthy. 

8 (3) Low-income families pay an even higher 

9 than average price for diapers because they do not 

10 have access to money saving alternatives such as 

11 bulk buying or online shopping that can reduce 

12 costs. Low-income families spend about 14 percent 

13 of their income on diapers. 

14 (4) Clean diaper access presents a financial and 

15 stressful burden on families’ dependent on child care 

16 services. Research indicates that when diaper need is 

17 a barrier to child care, parents miss an average of 

18 4 workdays a month. 

19 (5) The COVID–19 pandemic has further 

20 raised demand for diapers and strained diaper 

21 banks’ ability to meet low-income families’ needs. 

22 Prior to the COVID–19 pandemic, nonprofit diaper 

23 bank distribution only met 5 to 6 percent of diaper 

24 need. Since the start of the COVID–19 pandemic, 

25 diaper banks around the country have experienced 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 237 IS

1 double, triple, or greater increase in demand for dia2 pers due to the pandemic and economic shutdown. 

3 Nonprofits alone cannot fully address this public 

4 health crisis that impacts 1 in 3 families in the 

5 United States. 

6 SEC. 3. TARGETED FUNDING FOR STATES FOR DIAPER AS7 SISTANCE THROUGH THE SOCIAL SERVICES 

8 BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM. 

9 (a) INCREASE IN FUNDING FOR SOCIAL SERVICES

10 BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—The amount specified in 

12 subsection (c) of section 2003 of the Social Security 

13 Act (42 U.S.C. 1397b) for purposes of subsections 

14 (a) and (b) of such section is deemed to be 

15 $1,900,000,000 for fiscal year 2021, of which 

16 $200,000,000 shall be obligated by States in accord17 ance with subsection (b). 

18 (2) APPROPRIATION.—Out of any money in the 

19 Treasury of the United States not otherwise appro20 priated, there are appropriated $200,000,000, which 

21 shall be available for payments under section 2002 

22 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397a), which 

23 shall remain available for expenditure through De24 cember 31, 2022. 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 237 IS

1 (3) DEADLINE FOR DISTRIBUTION OF

2 FUNDS.—Within 45 days after the date of enact3 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and 

4 Human Services shall distribute the funds made 

5 available by this subsection, which shall be made 

6 available to States on an emergency basis for imme7 diate obligation and expenditure. 

8 (4) SUBMISSION OF REVISED PRE-EXPENDI9 TURE REPORT.—Within 90 days after a State re10 ceives funds made available by this subsection, the 

11 State shall submit to the Secretary of Health and 

12 Human Services a revised pre-expenditure report 

13 pursuant to subtitle A of title XX of the Social Se14 curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1397 et seq.) that describes 

15 how the State plans to administer the funds in ac16 cordance with subsection (b). 

17 (5) DEADLINE FOR OBLIGATION OF FUNDS BY

18 STATES.—A State to which funds made available by 

19 this subsection are distributed shall obligate the 

20 funds not later than December 31, 2021. 

21 (6) DEADLINE FOR EXPENDITURE OF

22 FUNDS.—A grantee to which a State provides funds 

23 made available by this subsection (or a subgrantee 

24 of such a grantee) shall expend the funds not later 

25 than December 31, 2022. 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 237 IS

1 (b) RULES GOVERNING USE OF ADDITIONAL

2 FUNDS.—Funds are used in accordance with this sub3 section if— 

4 (1) the funds are used to provide through social 

5 service agencies or other nonprofit organizations, 

6 diapers and diapering supplies (including diaper 

7 wipes and diaper cream, necessary to ensure that a 

8 child using a diaper is properly cleaned and pro9 tected from diaper rash) to families in need; 

10 (2) the funds are used subject to the limitations 

11 in section 2005 of the Social Security Act (42 

12 U.S.C. 1397d); 

13 (3) the funds are used to supplement, not sup14 plant, State general revenue funds provided for the 

15 purposes described in paragraph (1); and 

16 (4) the funds are not used for costs that are re17 imbursable by the Federal Emergency Management 

18 Agency, under a contract for insurance, or by self19 insurance. 

20 (c) REPORTS.— 

21 (1) GRANTEES AND SUBGRANTEES.—Not later 

22 than December 31, 2022, each grantee to which a 

23 State provides funds made available by subsection 

24 (a) (or a subgrantee of such a grantee) shall submit 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
6 

•S 237 IS

1 a report to the State on the use of the funds so pro2 vided. 

3 (2) SSBG ANNUAL REPORT.—A State shall in4 clude in the annual report required under section 

5 2006 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397e) 

6 covering fiscal year 2023, information detailing how 

7 grantees and subgrantees used funds made available 

8 under subsection (a) to distribute diapers and dia9 pering supplies to families in need. 

Æ 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS