H. R. 4980 

One Hundred Thirteenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE SECOND SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Friday, 

the third day of January, two thousand and fourteen 

An Act 

To prevent and address sex trafficking of children in foster care, to extend and 

improve adoption incentives, and to improve international child support recovery. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Preventing Sex Trafficking and 

Strengthening Families Act’’. 

SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

The table of contents of this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title. 

Sec. 2. Table of contents. 

Sec. 3. References. 

TITLE I—PROTECTING CHILDREN AND YOUTH AT RISK OF SEX 

TRAFFICKING 

Subtitle A—Identifying and Protecting Children and Youth at Risk of Sex 

Trafficking 

Sec. 101. Identifying, documenting, and determining services for children and 

youth at risk of sex trafficking. 

Sec. 102. Reporting instances of sex trafficking. 

Sec. 103. Including sex trafficking data in the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis 

and Reporting System. 

Sec. 104. Locating and responding to children who run away from foster care. 

Sec. 105. Increasing information on children in foster care to prevent sex trafficking. 

Subtitle B—Improving Opportunities for Children in Foster Care and Supporting 

Permanency 

Sec. 111. Supporting normalcy for children in foster care. 

Sec. 112. Improving another planned permanent living arrangement as a permanency option. 

Sec. 113. Empowering foster children age 14 and older in the development of their 

own case plan and transition planning for a successful adulthood. 

Sec. 114. Ensuring foster children have a birth certificate, Social Security card, 

health insurance information, medical records, and a driver’s license or 

equivalent State-issued identification card. 

Sec. 115. Information on children in foster care in annual reports using AFCARS 

data; consultation. 

Subtitle C—National Advisory Committee 

Sec. 121. Establishment of a national advisory committee on the sex trafficking of 

children and youth in the United States. 

TITLE II—IMPROVING ADOPTION INCENTIVES AND EXTENDING FAMILY 

CONNECTION GRANTS 

Subtitle A—Improving Adoption Incentive Payments 

Sec. 201. Extension of program through fiscal year 2016. 
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Sec. 202. Improvements to award structure. 

Sec. 203. Renaming of program. 

Sec. 204. Limitation on use of incentive payments. 

Sec. 205. Increase in period for which incentive payments are available for expenditure. 

Sec. 206. State report on calculation and use of savings resulting from the phaseout of eligibility requirements for adoption assistance; requirement to 

spend 30 percent of savings on certain services. 

Sec. 207. Preservation of eligibility for kinship guardianship assistance payments 

with a successor guardian. 

Sec. 208. Data collection on adoption and legal guardianship disruption and dissolution. 

Sec. 209. Encouraging the placement of children in foster care with siblings. 

Sec. 210. Effective dates. 

Subtitle B—Extending the Family Connection Grant Program 

Sec. 221. Extension of family connection grant program. 

TITLE III—IMPROVING INTERNATIONAL CHILD SUPPORT RECOVERY 

Sec. 301. Amendments to ensure access to child support services for international 

child support cases. 

Sec. 302. Child support enforcement programs for Indian tribes. 

Sec. 303. Sense of the Congress regarding offering of voluntary parenting time arrangements. 

Sec. 304. Data exchange standardization for improved interoperability. 

Sec. 305. Report to Congress. 

Sec. 306. Required electronic processing of income withholding. 

TITLE IV—BUDGETARY EFFECTS 

Sec. 401. Determination of budgetary effects. 

SEC. 3. REFERENCES. 

Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Act, wherever 

in this Act an amendment is expressed in terms of an amendment 

to a section or other provision, the amendment shall be considered 

to be made to a section or other provision of the Social Security 

Act. 

TITLE I—PROTECTING CHILDREN AND 

YOUTH AT RISK OF SEX TRAFFICKING 

Subtitle A—Identifying and Protecting 

Children and Youth at Risk of Sex Trafficking 

SEC. 101. IDENTIFYING, DOCUMENTING, AND DETERMINING SERVICES 

FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH AT RISK OF SEX TRAFFICKING. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 471(a)(9) (42 U.S.C. 671(a)(9)) is 

amended— 

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

(2) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon; and 

(3) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(C) not later than— 

‘‘(i) 1 year after the date of enactment of this 

subparagraph, demonstrate to the Secretary that the 

State agency has developed, in consultation with State 

and local law enforcement, juvenile justice systems, 

health care providers, education agencies, and 

organizations with experience in dealing with at-risk 
H. R. 4980—3 

children and youth, policies and procedures (including 

relevant training for caseworkers) for identifying, documenting in agency records, and determining appropriate services with respect to— 

‘‘(I) any child or youth over whom the State 

agency has responsibility for placement, care, or 

supervision and who the State has reasonable 

cause to believe is, or is at risk of being, a sex 

trafficking victim (including children for whom a 

State child welfare agency has an open case file 

but who have not been removed from the home, 

children who have run away from foster care and 

who have not attained 18 years of age or such 

older age as the State has elected under section 

475(8) of this Act, and youth who are not in foster 

care but are receiving services under section 477 

of this Act); and 

‘‘(II) at the option of the State, any individual 

who has not attained 26 years of age, without 

regard to whether the individual is or was in foster 

care under the responsibility of the State; and 

‘‘(ii) 2 years after such date of enactment, demonstrate to the Secretary that the State agency is 

implementing the policies and procedures referred to 

in clause (i).’’. 

(b) DEFINITION OF SEX TRAFFICKING VICTIM.—Section 475 (42 

U.S.C. 675) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(9) The term ‘sex trafficking victim’ means a victim of— 

‘‘(A) sex trafficking (as defined in section 103(10) of 

the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000); or 

‘‘(B) a severe form of trafficking in persons described 

in section 103(9)(A) of such Act.’’. 

SEC. 102. REPORTING INSTANCES OF SEX TRAFFICKING. 

(a) STATE PLAN REQUIREMENTS.—Section 471(a) (42 U.S.C. 

671(a)) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph (32); 

(2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (33) 

and inserting a semicolon; and 

(3) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(34) provides that, for each child or youth described in 

paragraph (9)(C)(i)(I), the State agency shall— 

‘‘(A) not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this paragraph, report immediately, and in no 

case later than 24 hours after receiving information on 

children or youth who have been identified as being a 

sex trafficking victim, to the law enforcement authorities; 

and 

‘‘(B) not later than 3 years after such date of enactment 

and annually thereafter, report to the Secretary the total 

number of children and youth who are sex trafficking victims.’’. 

(b) DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY.—Section 471 (42 U.S.C. 671) 

is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(d) ANNUAL REPORTS BY THE SECRETARY ON NUMBER OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH REPORTED BY STATES TO BE SEX TRAFFICKING

VICTIMS.—Not later than 4 years after the date of the enactment 
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of this subsection and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall report 

to the Congress and make available to the public on the Internet 

website of the Department of Health and Human Services the 

number of children and youth reported in accordance with subsection (a)(34)(B) of this section to be sex trafficking victims (as 

defined in section 475(9)(A)).’’. 

SEC. 103. INCLUDING SEX TRAFFICKING DATA IN THE ADOPTION AND 

FOSTER CARE ANALYSIS AND REPORTING SYSTEM. 

Section 479(c)(3) (42 U.S.C. 679(c)(3)) is amended— 

(1) in subparagraph (C)(iii), by striking ‘‘and’’ after the 

comma; and 

(2) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(E) the annual number of children in foster care who 

are identified as sex trafficking victims— 

‘‘(i) who were such victims before entering foster 

care; and 

‘‘(ii) who were such victims while in foster care; 

and’’. 

SEC. 104. LOCATING AND RESPONDING TO CHILDREN WHO RUN AWAY 

FROM FOSTER CARE. 

Section 471(a) (42 U.S.C. 671(a)), as amended by section 102(a) 

of this Act, is amended— 

(1) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (34) 

and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(2) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(35) provides that— 

‘‘(A) not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this paragraph, the State shall develop and implement specific protocols for— 

‘‘(i) expeditiously locating any child missing from 

foster care; 

‘‘(ii) determining the primary factors that contributed to the child’s running away or otherwise being 

absent from care, and to the extent possible and appropriate, responding to those factors in current and subsequent placements; 

‘‘(iii) determining the child’s experiences while 

absent from care, including screening the child to determine if the child is a possible sex trafficking victim 

(as defined in section 475(9)(A)); and 

‘‘(iv) reporting such related information as required 

by the Secretary; and 

‘‘(B) not later than 2 years after such date of enactment, for each child and youth described in paragraph 

(9)(C)(i)(I) of this subsection, the State agency shall report 

immediately, and in no case later than 24 hours after 

receiving, information on missing or abducted children or 

youth to the law enforcement authorities for entry into 

the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database 

of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, established pursuant to section 534 of title 28, United States Code, and 

to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.’’. 
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SEC. 105. INCREASING INFORMATION ON CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE 

TO PREVENT SEX TRAFFICKING. 

Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of 

this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit 

to the Congress a written report which summarizes the following: 

(1) Information on children who run away from foster care 

and their risk of becoming sex trafficking victims, using data 

reported by States under section 479 of the Social Security 

Act and information collected by States related to section 

471(a)(35) of such Act, including— 

(A) characteristics of children who run away from foster 

care; 

(B) potential factors associated with children running 

away from foster care (such as reason for entry into care, 

length of stay in care, type of placement, and other factors 

that contributed to the child’s running away); 

(C) information on children’s experiences while absent 

from care; and 

(D) trends in the number of children reported as runaways in each fiscal year (including factors that may have 

contributed to changes in such trends). 

(2) Information on State efforts to provide specialized services, foster family homes, child care institutions, or other forms 

of placement for children who are sex trafficking victims. 

(3) Information on State efforts to ensure children in foster 

care form and maintain long-lasting connections to caring 

adults, even when a child in foster care must move to another 

foster family home or when the child is placed under the 

supervision of a new caseworker. 

Subtitle B—Improving Opportunities for 

Children in Foster Care and Supporting 

Permanency 

SEC. 111. SUPPORTING NORMALCY FOR CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE. 

(a) REASONABLE AND PRUDENT PARENT STANDARD.— (1) DEFINITIONS RELATING TO THE STANDARD.—Section 475 

(42 U.S.C. 675), as amended by section 101(b) of this Act, 

is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(10)(A) The term ‘reasonable and prudent parent standard’ 

means the standard characterized by careful and sensible 

parental decisions that maintain the health, safety, and best 

interests of a child while at the same time encouraging the 

emotional and developmental growth of the child, that a caregiver shall use when determining whether to allow a child 

in foster care under the responsibility of the State to participate 

in extracurricular, enrichment, cultural, and social activities. 

‘‘(B) For purposes of subparagraph (A), the term ‘caregiver’ 

means a foster parent with whom a child in foster care has 

been placed or a designated official for a child care institution 

in which a child in foster care has been placed. 

‘‘(11)(A) The term ‘age or developmentally-appropriate’ 

means— 

‘‘(i) activities or items that are generally accepted as 

suitable for children of the same chronological age or level 
H. R. 4980—6 

of maturity or that are determined to be developmentallyappropriate for a child, based on the development of cognitive, emotional, physical, and behavioral capacities that 

are typical for an age or age group; and 

‘‘(ii) in the case of a specific child, activities or items 

that are suitable for the child based on the developmental 

stages attained by the child with respect to the cognitive, 

emotional, physical, and behavioral capacities of the child. 

‘‘(B) In the event that any age-related activities have 

implications relative to the academic curriculum of a child, 

nothing in this part or part B shall be construed to authorize 

an officer or employee of the Federal Government to mandate, 

direct, or control a State or local educational agency, or the 

specific instructional content, academic achievement standards 

and assessments, curriculum, or program of instruction of a 

school.’’. 

(2) STATE PLAN REQUIREMENT.—Section 471(a)(24) (42 

U.S.C. 671(a)(24)) is amended— 

(A) by striking ‘‘include’’ and inserting ‘‘includes’’; 

(B) by striking ‘‘and that such preparation’’ and 

inserting ‘‘that the preparation’’; and 

(C) by inserting ‘‘, and that the preparation shall 

include knowledge and skills relating to the reasonable 

and prudent parent standard for the participation of the 

child in age or developmentally-appropriate activities, 

including knowledge and skills relating to the developmental stages of the cognitive, emotional, physical, and 

behavioral capacities of a child, and knowledge and skills 

relating to applying the standard to decisions such as 

whether to allow the child to engage in social, extracurricular, enrichment, cultural, and social activities, 

including sports, field trips, and overnight activities lasting 

1 or more days, and to decisions involving the signing 

of permission slips and arranging of transportation for 

the child to and from extracurricular, enrichment, and 

social activities’’ before the semicolon. 

(3) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary of Health and 

Human Services shall provide assistance to the States on best 

practices for devising strategies to assist foster parents in 

applying a reasonable and prudent parent standard in a 

manner that protects child safety, while also allowing children 

to experience normal and beneficial activities, including 

methods for appropriately considering the concerns of the 

biological parents of a child in decisions related to participation 

of the child in activities (with the understanding that those 

concerns should not necessarily determine the participation 

of the child in any activity). 

(b) NORMALCY FOR CHILDREN IN CHILD CARE INSTITUTIONS.— Section 471(a)(10) (42 U.S.C. 671(a)(10)) is amended to read as 

follows: 

‘‘(10) provides— 

‘‘(A) for the establishment or designation of a State 

authority or authorities that shall be responsible for establishing and maintaining standards for foster family homes 

and child care institutions which are reasonably in accord 

with recommended standards of national organizations concerned with standards for the institutions or homes, 
H. R. 4980—7 

including standards related to admission policies, safety, 

sanitation, and protection of civil rights, and which shall 

permit use of the reasonable and prudent parenting 

standard; 

‘‘(B) that the standards established pursuant to 

subparagraph (A) shall be applied by the State to any 

foster family home or child care institution receiving funds 

under this part or part B and shall require, as a condition 

of each contract entered into by a child care institution 

to provide foster care, the presence on-site of at least 1 

official who, with respect to any child placed at the child 

care institution, is designated to be the caregiver who 

is authorized to apply the reasonable and prudent parent 

standard to decisions involving the participation of the 

child in age or developmentally-appropriate activities, and 

who is provided with training in how to use and apply 

the reasonable and prudent parent standard in the same 

manner as prospective foster parents are provided the 

training pursuant to paragraph (24); 

‘‘(C) that the standards established pursuant to 

subparagraph (A) shall include policies related to the 

liability of foster parents and private entities under contract by the State involving the application of the reasonable and prudent parent standard, to ensure appropriate 

liability for caregivers when a child participates in an 

approved activity and the caregiver approving the activity 

acts in accordance with the reasonable and prudent parent 

standard; and 

‘‘(D) that a waiver of any standards established pursuant to subparagraph (A) may be made only on a caseby-case basis for nonsafety standards (as determined by 

the State) in relative foster family homes for specific children in care;’’. 

(c) SUPPORTING PARTICIPATION IN AGE-APPROPRIATE ACTIVI- TIES.— (1) Section 477(a) (42 U.S.C. 677(a)) is amended— 

(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph (6); 

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

(7) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(C) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(8) to ensure children who are likely to remain in foster 

care until 18 years of age have regular, ongoing opportunities 

to engage in age or developmentally-appropriate activities as 

defined in section 475(11).’’. 

(2) Section 477(h)(1) (42 U.S.C. 677(h)(1)) is amended by inserting ‘‘or, beginning in fiscal year 2020, $143,000,000’’ after 

‘‘$140,000,000’’. 

(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.— (1) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by this section 

shall take effect on the date that is 1 year after the date 

of the enactment of this Act. 

(2) DELAY PERMITTED IF STATE LEGISLATION REQUIRED.— If the Secretary of Health and Human Services determines 

that State legislation (other than legislation appropriating 

funds) is required in order for a State plan developed pursuant 

to part E of title IV of the Social Security Act to meet the 

additional requirements imposed by the amendments made by 
H. R. 4980—8 

this section, the plan shall not be regarded as failing to meet 

any of the additional requirements before the 1st day of the 

1st calendar quarter beginning after the 1st regular session 

of the State legislature that begins after the date of the enactment of this Act. If the State has a 2-year legislative session, 

each year of the session is deemed to be a separate regular 

session of the State legislature. 

SEC. 112. IMPROVING ANOTHER PLANNED PERMANENT LIVING 

ARRANGEMENT AS A PERMANENCY OPTION. 

(a) ELIMINATION OF ANOTHER PLANNED PERMANENT LIVING

ARRANGEMENT FOR CHILDREN UNDER AGE 16.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 475(5)(C)(i) (42 U.S.C. 

675(5)(C)(i)) is amended by inserting ‘‘only in the case of a 

child who has attained 16 years of age’’ before ‘‘(in cases where’’. 

(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 422(b)(8)(A)(iii)(II) 

(42 U.S.C. 622(b)(8)(A)(iii)(II)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, subject 

to the requirements of sections 475(5)(C) and 475A(a)’’ after 

‘‘arrangement’’. 

(3) DELAYED APPLICABILITY WITH RESPECT TO CERTAIN CHIL- DREN.—In the case of children in foster care under the responsibility of an Indian tribe, tribal organization, or tribal consortium 

(either directly or under supervision of a State), the amendments made by this subsection shall not apply until the date 

that is 3 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

(b) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Part E of title IV (42 U.S.C. 670 et 

seq.) is amended by inserting after section 475 the following: 

‘‘SEC. 475A. ADDITIONAL CASE PLAN AND CASE REVIEW SYSTEM 

REQUIREMENTS. 

‘‘(a) REQUIREMENTS FOR ANOTHER PLANNED PERMANENT LIVING

ARRANGEMENT.—In the case of any child for whom another planned 

permanent living arrangement is the permanency plan determined 

for the child under section 475(5)(C), the following requirements 

shall apply for purposes of approving the case plan for the child 

and the case system review procedure for the child: 

‘‘(1) DOCUMENTATION OF INTENSIVE, ONGOING, UNSUCCESS- FUL EFFORTS FOR FAMILY PLACEMENT.—At each permanency 

hearing held with respect to the child, the State agency documents the intensive, ongoing, and, as of the date of the hearing, 

unsuccessful efforts made by the State agency to return the 

child home or secure a placement for the child with a fit 

and willing relative (including adult siblings), a legal guardian, 

or an adoptive parent, including through efforts that utilize 

search technology (including social media) to find biological 

family members for the children. 

‘‘(2) REDETERMINATION OF APPROPRIATENESS OF PLACEMENT

AT EACH PERMANENCY HEARING.—The State agency shall implement procedures to ensure that, at each permanency hearing 

held with respect to the child, the court or administrative 

body appointed or approved by the court conducting the hearing 

on the permanency plan for the child does the following: 

‘‘(A) Ask the child about the desired permanency outcome for the child. 

‘‘(B) Make a judicial determination explaining why, 

as of the date of the hearing, another planned permanent 

living arrangement is the best permanency plan for the 
H. R. 4980—9 

child and provide compelling reasons why it continues to 

not be in the best interests of the child to— 

‘‘(i) return home; 

‘‘(ii) be placed for adoption; 

‘‘(iii) be placed with a legal guardian; or 

‘‘(iv) be placed with a fit and willing relative. 

‘‘(3) DEMONSTRATION OF SUPPORT FOR ENGAGING IN AGE

OR DEVELOPMENTALLY-APPROPRIATE ACTIVITIES AND SOCIAL

EVENTS.—At each permanency hearing held with respect to 

the child, the State agency shall document the steps the State 

agency is taking to ensure that— 

‘‘(A) the child’s foster family home or child care institution is following the reasonable and prudent parent 

standard; and 

‘‘(B) the child has regular, ongoing opportunities to 

engage in age or developmentally appropriate activities 

(including by consulting with the child in an age-appropriate manner about the opportunities of the child to 

participate in the activities).’’. 

(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

(A) STATE PLAN REQUIREMENTS.— 

(i) PART B.—Section 422(b)(8)(A)(ii) (42 U.S.C. 

622(b)(8)(A)(ii)) is amended by inserting ‘‘and in accordance with the requirements of section 475A’’ after ‘‘section 475(5)’’. 

(ii) PART E.—Section 471(a)(16) (42 U.S.C. 

671(a)(16)) is amended— 

(I) by inserting ‘‘and in accordance with the 

requirements of section 475A’’ after ‘‘section 

475(1)’’; and 

(II) by striking ‘‘section 475(5)(B)’’ and 

inserting ‘‘sections 475(5) and 475A’’. 

(B) DEFINITIONS.—Section 475 (42 U.S.C. 675) is 

amended— 

(i) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding 

subparagraph (A), by inserting ‘‘meets the requirements of section 475A and’’ after ‘‘written document 

which’’; and 

(ii) in paragraph (5)— 

(I) in subparagraph (B), by adding at the end 

the following ‘‘and, for a child for whom another 

planned permanent living arrangement has been 

determined as the permanency plan, the steps the 

State agency is taking to ensure the child’s foster 

family home or child care institution is following 

the reasonable and prudent parent standard and 

to ascertain whether the child has regular, ongoing 

opportunities to engage in age or developmentally 

appropriate activities (including by consulting with 

the child in an age-appropriate manner about the 

opportunities of the child to participate in the 

activities);’’; and 

(II) in subparagraph (C)— 

(aa) by inserting ‘‘, as of the date of the 

hearing,’’ after ‘‘compelling reason for determining’’; and 
H. R. 4980—10 

(bb) by inserting ‘‘subject to section 

475A(a),’’ after ‘‘another planned permanent 

living arrangement,’’. 

(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by this section 

shall take effect on the date that is 1 year after the date 

of the enactment of this Act. 

(2) DELAY PERMITTED IF STATE LEGISLATION REQUIRED.— 

If the Secretary of Health and Human Services determines 

that State legislation (other than legislation appropriating 

funds) is required in order for a State plan developed pursuant 

to part E of title IV of the Social Security Act to meet the 

additional requirements imposed by the amendments made by 

this section, the plan shall not be regarded as failing to meet 

any of the additional requirements before the 1st day of the 

1st calendar quarter beginning after the 1st regular session 

of the State legislature that begins after the date of the enactment of this Act. If the State has a 2-year legislative session, 

each year of the session is deemed to be a separate regular 

session of the State legislature. 

SEC. 113. EMPOWERING FOSTER CHILDREN AGE 14 AND OLDER IN 

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR OWN CASE PLAN AND 

TRANSITION PLANNING FOR A SUCCESSFUL ADULTHOOD. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 475(1)(B) (42 U.S.C. 675(1)(B)) is 

amended by adding at the end the following: ‘‘With respect to 

a child who has attained 14 years of age, the plan developed 

for the child in accordance with this paragraph, and any revision 

or addition to the plan, shall be developed in consultation with 

the child and, at the option of the child, with up to 2 members 

of the case planning team who are chosen by the child and who 

are not a foster parent of, or caseworker for, the child. A State 

may reject an individual selected by a child to be a member of 

the case planning team at any time if the State has good cause 

to believe that the individual would not act in the best interests 

of the child. One individual selected by a child to be a member 

of the child’s case planning team may be designated to be the 

child’s advisor and, as necessary, advocate, with respect to the 

application of the reasonable and prudent parent standard to the 

child.’’. 

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS TO INCLUDE CHILDREN 14 AND

OLDER IN TRANSITION PLANNING.—Section 475 (42 U.S.C. 675) is 

amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1)(D), by striking ‘‘Where appropriate, 

for a child age 16’’ and inserting ‘‘For a child who has attained 

14 years of age’’; and 

(2) in paragraph (5)— 

(A) in subparagraph (C)— 

(i) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘16’’ and inserting 

‘‘14’’; 

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

and 

(iii) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘and (iv) 

if a child has attained 14 years of age, the permanency 

plan developed for the child, and any revision or addition to the plan, shall be developed in consultation 

with the child and, at the option of the child, with 
H. R. 4980—11 

not more than 2 members of the permanency planning 

team who are selected by the child and who are not 

a foster parent of, or caseworker for, the child, except 

that the State may reject an individual so selected 

by the child if the State has good cause to believe 

that the individual would not act in the best interests 

of the child, and 1 individual so selected by the child 

may be designated to be the child’s advisor and, as 

necessary, advocate, with respect to the application 

of the reasonable and prudent standard to the child;’’; 

and 

(B) in subparagraph (I), by striking ‘‘16’’ and inserting 

‘‘14’’. 

(c) TRANSITION PLANNING FOR A SUCCESSFUL ADULTHOOD.— 

Paragraphs (1)(D), (5)(C)(i), and (5)(C)(iii) of section 475 (42 U.S.C. 

675) are each amended by striking ‘‘independent living’’ and 

inserting ‘‘a successful adulthood’’. 

(d) LIST OF RIGHTS.—Section 475A, as added by section 

112(b)(1) of this Act, is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(b) LIST OF RIGHTS.—The case plan for any child in foster 

care under the responsibility of the State who has attained 14 

years of age shall include— 

‘‘(1) a document that describes the rights of the child with 

respect to education, health, visitation, and court participation, 

the right to be provided with the documents specified in section 

475(5)(I) in accordance with that section, and the right to 

stay safe and avoid exploitation; and 

‘‘(2) a signed acknowledgment by the child that the child 

has been provided with a copy of the document and that the 

rights contained in the document have been explained to the 

child in an age-appropriate way.’’. 

(e) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date of the 

enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

shall submit a report to Congress regarding the implementation 

of the amendments made by this section. The report shall include— 

(1) an analysis of how States are administering the requirements of paragraphs (1)(B) and (5)(C) of section 475 of the 

Social Security Act, as amended by subsections (a) and (b) 

of this section, that a child in foster care who has attained 

14 years of age be permitted to select up to 2 members of 

the case planning team or permanency planning team for the 

child from individuals who are not a foster parent of, or caseworker for, the child; and 

(2) a description of best practices of States with respect 

to the administration of the requirements. 

(f) EFFECTIVE DATE.— (1) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by this section 

shall take effect on the date that is 1 year after the date 

of the enactment of this Act. 

(2) DELAY PERMITTED IF STATE LEGISLATION REQUIRED.— 

If the Secretary of Health and Human Services determines 

that State legislation (other than legislation appropriating 

funds) is required in order for a State plan developed pursuant 

to part E of title IV of the Social Security Act to meet the 

additional requirements imposed by the amendments made by 

this section, the plan shall not be regarded as failing to meet 

any of the additional requirements before the 1st day of the 
H. R. 4980—12 

1st calendar quarter beginning after the 1st regular session 

of the State legislature that begins after the date of the enactment of this Act. If the State has a 2-year legislative session, 

each year of the session is deemed to be a separate regular 

session of the State legislature. 

SEC. 114. ENSURING FOSTER CHILDREN HAVE A BIRTH CERTIFICATE, 

SOCIAL SECURITY CARD, HEALTH INSURANCE INFORMATION, MEDICAL RECORDS, AND A DRIVER’S LICENSE OR 

EQUIVALENT STATE-ISSUED IDENTIFICATION CARD. 

(a) CASE REVIEW SYSTEM REQUIREMENT.—Section 475(5)(I) (42 

U.S.C. 675(5)(I)) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘and receives assistance’’ and inserting 

‘‘receives assistance’’; and 

(2) by inserting ‘‘, and, if the child is leaving foster care 

by reason of having attained 18 years of age or such greater 

age as the State has elected under paragraph (8), unless the 

child has been in foster care for less than 6 months, is not 

discharged from care without being provided with (if the child 

is eligible to receive such document) an official or certified 

copy of the United States birth certificate of the child, a social 

security card issued by the Commissioner of Social Security, 

health insurance information, a copy of the child’s medical 

records, and a driver’s license or identification card issued 

by a State in accordance with the requirements of section 

202 of the REAL ID Act of 2005’’ before the period. 

(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by this section 

shall take effect 1 year after the date of enactment of this 

Act. 

(2) DELAY PERMITTED IF STATE LEGISLATION REQUIRED.— 

If the Secretary of Health and Human Services determines 

that State legislation (other than legislation appropriating 

funds) is required in order for a State plan developed pursuant 

to part E of title IV of the Social Security Act to meet the 

additional requirements imposed by the amendments made by 

this section, the plan shall not be regarded as failing to meet 

any of the additional requirements before the 1st day of the 

1st calendar quarter beginning after the 1st regular session 

of the State legislature that begins after the date of the enactment of this Act. If the State has a 2-year legislative session, 

each year of the session is deemed to be a separate regular 

session of the State legislature. 

SEC. 115. INFORMATION ON CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE IN ANNUAL 

REPORTS USING AFCARS DATA; CONSULTATION. 

Section 479A (42 U.S.C. 679b) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘The Secretary’’ and inserting the following: 

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary’’; 

(2) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon; 

(3) in paragraph (6)(C), by striking the period at the end 

and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(4) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(7) include in the report submitted pursuant to paragraph 

(5) for fiscal year 2016 or any succeeding fiscal year, Stateby-State data on— 
H. R. 4980—13 

‘‘(A) children in foster care who have been placed in 

a child care institution or other setting that is not a foster 

family home, including— 

‘‘(i) the number of children in the placements and 

their ages, including separately, the number and ages 

of children who have a permanency plan of another 

planned permanent living arrangement; 

‘‘(ii) the duration of the placement in the settings 

(including for children who have a permanency plan 

of another planned permanent living arrangement); 

‘‘(iii) the types of child care institutions used 

(including group homes, residential treatment, shelters, or other congregate care settings); 

‘‘(iv) with respect to each child care institution 

or other setting that is not a foster family home, the 

number of children in foster care residing in each 

such institution or non-foster family home; 

‘‘(v) any clinically diagnosed special need of such 

children; and 

‘‘(vi) the extent of any specialized education, treatment, counseling, or other services provided in the 

settings; and 

‘‘(B) children in foster care who are pregnant or parenting. 

‘‘(b) CONSULTATION ON OTHER ISSUES.—The Secretary shall 

consult with States and organizations with an interest in child 

welfare, including organizations that provide adoption and foster 

care services, and shall take into account requests from Members 

of Congress, in selecting other issues to be analyzed and reported 

on under this section using data available to the Secretary, 

including data reported by States through the Adoption and Foster 

Care Analysis and Reporting System and to the National Youth 

in Transition Database.’’. 

Subtitle C—National Advisory Committee 

SEC. 121. ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE 

ON THE SEX TRAFFICKING OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN 

THE UNITED STATES. 

Title XI (42 U.S.C. 1301 et seq.) is amended by inserting 

after section 1114 the following: 

‘‘NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON THE SEX TRAFFICKING OF

CHIILDREN AND YOUTH IN THE UNITED STATES

‘‘SEC. 1114A. (a) OFFICIAL DESIGNATION.—This section relates 

to the National Advisory Committee on the Sex Trafficking of 

Children and Youth in the United States (in this section referred 

to as the ‘Committee’). 

‘‘(b) AUTHORITY.—Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall establish and appoint 

all members of the Committee. 

‘‘(c) MEMBERSHIP.— 

‘‘(1) COMPOSITION.—The Committee shall be composed of 

not more than 21 members whose diverse experience and background enable them to provide balanced points of view with 

regard to carrying out the duties of the Committee. 
H. R. 4980—14 

‘‘(2) SELECTION.—The Secretary, in consultation with the 

Attorney General and National Governors Association, shall 

appoint the members to the Committee. At least 1 Committee 

member shall be a former sex trafficking victim. 2 Committee 

members shall be a Governor of a State, 1 of whom shall 

be a member of the Democratic Party and 1 of whom shall 

be a member of the Republican Party. 

‘‘(3) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT; VACANCIES.—Members shall 

be appointed for the life of the Committee. A vacancy in the 

Committee shall be filled in the manner in which the original 

appointment was made and shall not affect the powers or 

duties of the Committee. 

‘‘(4) COMPENSATION.—Committee members shall serve 

without compensation or per diem in lieu of subsistence. 

‘‘(d) DUTIES.— 

‘‘(1) NATIONAL RESPONSE.—The Committee shall advise the 

Secretary and the Attorney General on practical and general 

policies concerning improvements to the Nation’s response to 

the sex trafficking of children and youth in the United States. 

‘‘(2) POLICIES FOR COOPERATION.—The Committee shall 

advise the Secretary and the Attorney General on practical 

and general policies concerning the cooperation of Federal, 

State, local, and tribal governments, child welfare agencies, 

social service providers, physical health and mental health 

providers, victim service providers, State or local courts with 

responsibility for conducting or supervising proceedings relating 

to child welfare or social services for children and their families, 

Federal, State, and local police, juvenile detention centers, and 

runaway and homeless youth programs, schools, the gaming 

and entertainment industry, and businesses and organizations 

that provide services to youth, on responding to sex trafficking, 

including the development and implementation of— 

‘‘(A) successful interventions with children and youth 

who are exposed to conditions that make them vulnerable 

to, or victims of, sex trafficking; and 

‘‘(B) recommendations for administrative or legislative 

changes necessary to use programs, properties, or other 

resources owned, operated, or funded by the Federal 

Government to provide safe housing for children and youth 

who are sex trafficking victims and provide support to 

entities that provide housing or other assistance to the 

victims. 

‘‘(3) BEST PRACTICES AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STATES.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Within 2 years after the establishment of the Committee, the Committee shall develop 2 

tiers (referred to in this subparagraph as ‘Tier I’ and ‘Tier 

II’) of recommended best practices for States to follow in 

combating the sex trafficking of children and youth. Tier 

I shall provide States that have not yet substantively 

addressed the sex trafficking of children and youth with 

an idea of where to begin and what steps to take. Tier 

II shall provide States that are already working to address 

the sex trafficking of children and youth with examples 

of policies that are already being used effectively by other 

States to address sex trafficking. 

‘‘(B) DEVELOPMENT.—The best practices shall be based 

on multidisciplinary research and promising, evidence- 
H. R. 4980—15 

based models and programs as reflected in State efforts 

to meet the requirements of sections 101 and 102 of the 

Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families 

Act. 

‘‘(C) CONTENT.—The best practices shall be userfriendly, incorporate the most up-to-date technology, and 

include the following: 

‘‘(i) Sample training materials, protocols, and 

screening tools that, to the extent possible, accommodate for regional differences among the States, to prepare individuals who administer social services to identify and serve children and youth who are sex trafficking victims or at-risk of sex trafficking. 

‘‘(ii) Multidisciplinary strategies to identify victims, 

manage cases, and improve services for all children 

and youth who are at risk of sex trafficking, or are 

sex trafficking victims, in the United States. 

‘‘(iii) Sample protocols and recommendations based 

on current States’ efforts, accounting for regional differences between States that provide for effective, 

cross-system collaboration between Federal, State, 

local, and tribal governments, child welfare agencies, 

social service providers, physical health and mental 

health providers, victim service providers, State or local 

courts with responsibility for conducting or supervising 

proceedings relating to child welfare or social services 

for children and their families, the gaming and entertainment industry, Federal, State, and local police, 

juvenile detention centers and runaway and homeless 

youth programs, housing resources that are appropriate for housing child and youth victims of trafficking, schools, and businesses and organizations that 

provide services to children and youth. These protocols 

and recommendations should include strategies to identify victims and collect, document, and share data 

across systems and agencies, and should be designed 

to help agencies better understand the type of sex 

trafficking involved, the scope of the problem, the needs 

of the population to be served, ways to address the 

demand for trafficked children and youth and increase 

prosecutions of traffickers and purchasers of children 

and youth, and the degree of victim interaction with 

multiple systems. 

‘‘(iv) Developing the criteria and guidelines necessary for establishing safe residential placements for 

foster children who have been sex trafficked as well 

as victims of trafficking identified through interaction 

with law enforcement. 

‘‘(v) Developing training guidelines for caregivers 

that serve children and youth being cared for outside 

the home. 

‘‘(D) INFORMING STATES OF BEST PRACTICES.—The Committee, in coordination with the National Governors 

Association, Secretary and Attorney General, shall ensure 

that State Governors and child welfare agencies are notified 

and informed on a quarterly basis of the best practices 

and recommendations for States, and notified 6 months 
H. R. 4980—16 

in advance that the Committee will be evaluating the 

extent to which States adopt the Committee’s recommendations. 

‘‘(E) REPORT ON STATE IMPLEMENTATION.—Within 3 

years after the establishment of the Committee, the Committee shall submit to the Secretary and the Attorney 

General, as part of its final report as well as for online 

and publicly available publication, a description of what 

each State has done to implement the recommendations 

of the Committee. 

‘‘(e) REPORTS.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Committee shall submit an interim 

and a final report on the work of the Committee to— 

‘‘(A) the Secretary; 

‘‘(B) the Attorney General; 

‘‘(C) the Committee on Finance of the Senate; and 

‘‘(D) the Committee on Ways and Means of the House 

of Representatives. 

‘‘(2) REPORTING DATES.—The interim report shall be submitted not later than 3 years after the establishment of the 

Committee. The final report shall be submitted not later than 

4 years after the establishment of the Committee. 

‘‘(f) ADMINISTRATION.— 

‘‘(1) AGENCY SUPPORT.—The Secretary shall direct the head 

of the Administration for Children and Families of the Department of Health and Human Services to provide all necessary 

support for the Committee. 

‘‘(2) MEETINGS.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Committee will meet at the 

call of the Secretary at least twice each year to carry 

out this section, and more often as otherwise required. 

‘‘(B) ACCOMMODATION FOR COMMITTEE MEMBERS

UNABLE TO ATTEND IN PERSON.—The Secretary shall create 

a process through which Committee members who are 

unable to travel to a Committee meeting in person may 

participate remotely through the use of video conference, 

teleconference, online, or other means. 

‘‘(3) SUBCOMMITTEES.—The Committee may establish subcommittees or working groups, as necessary and consistent 

with the mission of the Committee. The subcommittees or 

working groups shall have no authority to make decisions on 

behalf of the Committee, nor shall they report directly to any 

official or entity listed in subsection (d). 

‘‘(4) RECORDKEEPING.—The records of the Committee and 

any subcommittees and working groups shall be maintained 

in accordance with appropriate Department of Health and 

Human Services policies and procedures and shall be available 

for public inspection and copying, subject to the Freedom of 

Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552). 

‘‘(g) TERMINATION.—The Committee shall terminate 5 years 

after the date of its establishment, but the Secretary shall continue 

to operate and update, as necessary, an Internet website displaying 

the State best practices, recommendations, and evaluation of Stateby-State implementation of the Secretary’s recommendations. 

‘‘(h) DEFINITION.—For the purpose of this section, the term 

‘sex trafficking’ includes the definition set forth in section 103(10) 

of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 
H. R. 4980—17 

7102(10)) and ‘severe form of trafficking in persons’ described in 

section 103(9)(A) of such Act.’’. 

TITLE II—IMPROVING ADOPTION INCENTIVES AND EXTENDING FAMILY 

CONNECTION GRANTS 

Subtitle A—Improving Adoption Incentive 

Payments 

SEC. 201. EXTENSION OF PROGRAM THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 2016. 

Section 473A (42 U.S.C. 673b) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (b)(5), by striking ‘‘2008 through 2012’’ 

and inserting ‘‘2013 through 2015’’; and 

(2) in each of paragraphs (1)(D) and (2) of subsection (h), 

by striking ‘‘2013’’ and inserting ‘‘2016’’. 

SEC. 202. IMPROVEMENTS TO AWARD STRUCTURE. 

(a) ELIGIBILITY FOR AWARD.—Section 473A(b) (42 U.S.C. 

673b(b)) is amended by striking paragraph (2) and redesignating 

paragraphs (3) through (5) as paragraphs (2) through (4), respectively. 

(b) DATA REQUIREMENTS.—Section 473A(c)(2) (42 U.S.C. 

673b(c)(2)) is amended— 

(1) in the paragraph heading, by striking ‘‘NUMBERS OF

ADOPTIONS’’ and inserting ‘‘RATES OF ADOPTIONS AND

GUARDIANSHIPS’’; 

(2) by striking ‘‘the numbers’’ and all that follows through 

‘‘section,’’ and inserting ‘‘each of the rates required to be determined under this section with respect to a State and a fiscal 

year,’’; and 

(3) by inserting before the period the following: ‘‘, and, 

with respect to the determination of the rates related to foster 

child guardianships, on the basis of information reported to 

the Secretary under paragraph (12) of subsection (g)’’. 

(c) AWARD AMOUNT.—Section 473A(d) (42 U.S.C. 673b(d)) is 

amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1), by striking subparagraphs (A) through 

(C) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(A) $5,000, multiplied by the amount (if any) by 

which— 

‘‘(i) the number of foster child adoptions in the 

State during the fiscal year; exceeds 

‘‘(ii) the product (rounded to the nearest whole 

number) of— 

‘‘(I) the base rate of foster child adoptions for 

the State for the fiscal year; and 

‘‘(II) the number of children in foster care 

under the supervision of the State on the last 

day of the preceding fiscal year; 

‘‘(B) $7,500, multiplied by the amount (if any) by 

which— 
H. R. 4980—18 

‘‘(i) the number of pre-adolescent child adoptions 

and pre-adolescent foster child guardianships in the 

State during the fiscal year; exceeds 

‘‘(ii) the product (rounded to the nearest whole 

number) of— 

‘‘(I) the base rate of pre-adolescent child adoptions and pre-adolescent foster child guardianships 

for the State for the fiscal year; and 

‘‘(II) the number of children in foster care 

under the supervision of the State on the last 

day of the preceding fiscal year who have attained 

9 years of age but not 14 years of age; and 

‘‘(C) $10,000, multiplied by the amount (if any) by 

which— 

‘‘(i) the number of older child adoptions and older 

foster child guardianships in the State during the fiscal 

year; exceeds 

‘‘(ii) the product (rounded to the nearest whole 

number) of— 

‘‘(I) the base rate of older child adoptions and 

older foster child guardianships for the State for 

the fiscal year; and 

‘‘(II) the number of children in foster care 

under the supervision of the State on the last 

day of the preceding fiscal year who have attained 

14 years of age; and ‘‘(D) $4,000, multiplied by the amount (if any) by 

which— 

‘‘(i) the number of foster child guardianships in 

the State during the fiscal year; exceeds 

‘‘(ii) the product (rounded to the nearest whole 

number) of— 

‘‘(I) the base rate of foster child guardianships 

for the State for the fiscal year; and 

‘‘(II) the number of children in foster care 

under the supervision of the State on the last 

day of the preceding fiscal year.’’; and 

(2) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(3) INCREASED ADOPTION AND LEGAL GUARDIANSHIP INCEN- TIVE PAYMENT FOR TIMELY ADOPTIONS.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—If for any of fiscal years 2013 

through 2015, the total amount of adoption and legal 

guardianship incentive payments payable under paragraph 

(1) of this subsection are less than the amount appropriated 

under subsection (h) for the fiscal year, then, from the 

remainder of the amount appropriated for the fiscal year 

that is not required for such payments (in this paragraph 

referred to as the ‘timely adoption award pool’), the Secretary shall increase the adoption incentive payment determined under paragraph (1) for each State that the Secretary determines is a timely adoption award State for 

the fiscal year by the award amount determined for the 

fiscal year under subparagraph (C). 

‘‘(B) TIMELY ADOPTION AWARD STATE DEFINED.—A State 

is a timely adoption award State for a fiscal year if the 

Secretary determines that, for children who were in foster 

care under the supervision of the State at the time of 
H. R. 4980—19 

adoptive placement, the average number of months from 

removal of children from their home to the placement of 

children in finalized adoptions is less than 24 months. 

‘‘(C) AWARD AMOUNT.—For purposes of subparagraph 

(A), the award amount determined under this subparagraph with respect to a fiscal year is the amount equal 

to the timely adoption award pool for the fiscal year divided 

by the number of timely adoption award States for the 

fiscal year.’’. 

(d) DEFINITIONS.—Section 473A(g) (42 U.S.C. 673b(g)) is 

amended by striking paragraphs (1) through (8) and inserting the 

following: 

‘‘(1) FOSTER CHILD ADOPTION RATE.—The term ‘foster child 

adoption rate’ means, with respect to a State and a fiscal 

year, the percentage determined by dividing— 

‘‘(A) the number of foster child adoptions finalized in 

the State during the fiscal year; by 

‘‘(B) the number of children in foster care under the 

supervision of the State on the last day of the preceding 

fiscal year. 

‘‘(2) BASE RATE OF FOSTER CHILD ADOPTIONS.—The term 

‘base rate of foster child adoptions’ means, with respect to 

a State and a fiscal year, the lesser of— 

‘‘(A) the foster child adoption rate for the State for 

the then immediately preceding fiscal year; or 

‘‘(B) the foster child adoption rate for the State for 

the average of the then immediately preceding 3 fiscal 

years. 

‘‘(3) FOSTER CHILD ADOPTION.—The term ‘foster child adoption’ means the final adoption of a child who, at the time 

of adoptive placement, was in foster care under the supervision 

of the State. 

‘‘(4) PRE-ADOLESCENT CHILD ADOPTION AND PRE-ADOLES- CENT FOSTER CHILD GUARDIANSHIP RATE.—The term ‘pre-adolescent child adoption and pre-adolescent foster child guardianship 

rate’ means, with respect to a State and a fiscal year, the 

percentage determined by dividing— 

‘‘(A) the number of pre-adolescent child adoptions and 

pre-adolescent foster child guardianships finalized in the 

State during the fiscal year; by 

‘‘(B) the number of children in foster care under the 

supervision of the State on the last day of the preceding 

fiscal year, who have attained 9 years of age but not 

14 years of age. 

‘‘(5) BASE RATE OF PRE-ADOLESCENT CHILD ADOPTIONS AND

PRE-ADOLESCENT FOSTER CHILD GUARDIANSHIPS.—The term 

‘base rate of pre-adolescent child adoptions and pre-adolescent 

foster child guardianships’ means, with respect to a State and 

a fiscal year, the lesser of— 

‘‘(A) the pre-adolescent child adoption and pre-adolescent foster child guardianship rate for the State for the 

then immediately preceding fiscal year; or 

‘‘(B) the pre-adolescent child adoption and pre-adolescent foster child guardianship rate for the State for the 

average of the then immediately preceding 3 fiscal years. 

‘‘(6) PRE-ADOLESCENT CHILD ADOPTION AND PRE-ADOLES- CENT FOSTER CHILD GUARDIANSHIP.—The term ‘pre-adolescent 
H. R. 4980—20 

child adoption and pre-adolescent foster child guardianship’ 

means the final adoption, or the placement into foster child 

guardianship (as defined in paragraph (12)) of a child who 

has attained 9 years of age but not 14 years of age if— 

‘‘(A) at the time of the adoptive or foster child guardianship placement, the child was in foster care under the 

supervision of the State; or 

‘‘(B) an adoption assistance agreement was in effect 

under section 473(a) with respect to the child. 

‘‘(7) OLDER CHILD ADOPTION AND OLDER FOSTER CHILD

GUARDIANSHIP RATE.—The term ‘older child adoption and older 

foster child guardianship rate’ means, with respect to a State 

and a fiscal year, the percentage determined by dividing— 

‘‘(A) the number of older child adoptions and older 

foster child guardianships finalized in the State during 

the fiscal year; by 

‘‘(B) the number of children in foster care under the 

supervision of the State on the last day of the preceding 

fiscal year, who have attained 14 years of age. 

‘‘(8) BASE RATE OF OLDER CHILD ADOPTIONS AND OLDER

FOSTER CHILD GUARDIANSHIPS.—The term ‘base rate of older 

child adoptions and older foster child guardianships’ means, 

with respect to a State and a fiscal year, the lesser of— 

‘‘(A) the older child adoption and older foster child 

guardianship rate for the State for the then immediately 

preceding fiscal year; or 

‘‘(B) the older child adoption and older foster child 

guardianship rate for the State for the average of the 

then immediately preceding 3 fiscal years. 

‘‘(9) OLDER CHILD ADOPTION AND OLDER FOSTER CHILD

GUARDIANSHIP.—The term ‘older child adoption and older foster 

child guardianship’ means the final adoption, or the placement 

into foster child guardianship (as defined in paragraph (12)) 

of a child who has attained 14 years of age if— 

‘‘(A) at the time of the adoptive or foster child guardianship placement, the child was in foster care under the 

supervision of the State; or 

‘‘(B) an adoption assistance agreement was in effect 

under section 473(a) with respect to the child. 

‘‘(10) FOSTER CHILD GUARDIANSHIP RATE.—The term ‘foster 

child guardianship rate’ means, with respect to a State and 

a fiscal year, the percentage determined by dividing— 

‘‘(A) the number of foster child guardianships occurring 

in the State during the fiscal year; by 

‘‘(B) the number of children in foster care under the 

supervision of the State on the last day of the preceding 

fiscal year. 

‘‘(11) BASE RATE OF FOSTER CHILD GUARDIANSHIPS.—The 

term ‘base rate of foster child guardianships’ means, with 

respect to a State and a fiscal year, the lesser of— 

‘‘(A) the foster child guardianship rate for the State 

for the then immediately preceding fiscal year; or 

‘‘(B) the foster child guardianship rate for the State 

for the average of the then immediately preceding 3 fiscal 

years. 

‘‘(12) FOSTER CHILD GUARDIANSHIP.—The term ‘foster child 

guardianship’ means, with respect to a State, the exit of a 
H. R. 4980—21 

child from foster care under the responsibility of the State 

to live with a legal guardian, if the State has reported to 

the Secretary— 

‘‘(A) that the State agency has determined that— 

‘‘(i) the child has been removed from his or her 

home pursuant to a voluntary placement agreement 

or as a result of a judicial determination to the effect 

that continuation in the home would be contrary to 

the welfare of the child; 

‘‘(ii) being returned home or adopted are not appropriate permanency options for the child; 

‘‘(iii) the child demonstrates a strong attachment 

to the prospective legal guardian, and the prospective 

legal guardian has a strong commitment to caring 

permanently for the child; and 

‘‘(iv) if the child has attained 14 years of age, 

the child has been consulted regarding the legal 

guardianship arrangement; or 

‘‘(B) the alternative procedures used by the State to 

determine that legal guardianship is the appropriate option 

for the child.’’. 

SEC. 203. RENAMING OF PROGRAM. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The section heading of section 473A (42 

U.S.C. 673b) is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘SEC. 473A. ADOPTION AND LEGAL GUARDIANSHIP INCENTIVE PAYMENTS.’’. 

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

(1) Section 473A is amended in each of subsections (a), 

(d)(1), (d)(2)(A), and (d)(2)(B) (42 U.S.C. 673b(a), (d)(1), (d)(2)(A), 

and (d)(2)(B)) by inserting ‘‘and legal guardianship’’ after ‘‘adoption’’ each place it appears. 

(2) The heading of section 473A(d) (42 U.S.C. 673b(d)) 

is amended by inserting ‘‘AND LEGAL GUARDIANSHIP’’ after 

‘‘ADOPTION’’. 

SEC. 204. LIMITATION ON USE OF INCENTIVE PAYMENTS. 

Section 473A(f) (42 U.S.C. 673b(f)) is amended in the 1st sentence by inserting ‘‘, and shall use the amount to supplement, 

and not supplant, any Federal or non-Federal funds used to provide 

any service under part B or E’’ before the period. 

SEC. 205. INCREASE IN PERIOD FOR WHICH INCENTIVE PAYMENTS 

ARE AVAILABLE FOR EXPENDITURE. 

Section 473A(e) (42 U.S.C. 673b(e)) is amended— 

(1) in the subsection heading, by striking ‘‘24-MONTH’’ and 

inserting ‘‘36-MONTH’’; and 

(2) by striking ‘‘24-month’’ and inserting ‘‘36-month’’. 

SEC. 206. STATE REPORT ON CALCULATION AND USE OF SAVINGS 

RESULTING FROM THE PHASE-OUT OF ELIGIBILITY 

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADOPTION ASSISTANCE; REQUIREMENT TO SPEND 30 PERCENT OF SAVINGS ON CERTAIN 

SERVICES. 

Section 473(a)(8) (42 U.S.C. 673(a)(8)) is amended to read as 

follows: 
H. R. 4980—22 

‘‘(8)(A) A State shall calculate the savings (if any) resulting 

from the application of paragraph (2)(A)(ii) to all applicable children 

for a fiscal year, using a methodology specified by the Secretary 

or an alternate methodology proposed by the State and approved 

by the Secretary. 

‘‘(B) A State shall annually report to the Secretary— 

‘‘(i) the methodology used to make the calculation described 

in subparagraph (A), without regard to whether any savings 

are found; 

‘‘(ii) the amount of any savings referred to in subparagraph 

(A); and 

‘‘(iii) how any such savings are spent, accounting for and 

reporting the spending separately from any other spending 

reported to the Secretary under part B or this part. 

‘‘(C) The Secretary shall make all information reported pursuant to subparagraph (B) available on the website of the Department 

of Health and Human Services in a location easily accessible to 

the public. 

‘‘(D)(i) A State shall spend an amount equal to the amount 

of the savings (if any) in State expenditures under this part 

resulting from the application of paragraph (2)(A)(ii) to all 

applicable children for a fiscal year, to provide to children of families 

any service that may be provided under part B or this part. A 

State shall spend not less than 30 percent of any such savings 

on post-adoption services, post-guardianship services, and services 

to support and sustain positive permanent outcomes for children 

who otherwise might enter into foster care under the responsibility 

of the State, with at least 2⁄3 of the spending by the State to 

comply with such 30 percent requirement being spent on postadoption and post-guardianship services. 

‘‘(ii) Any State spending required under clause (i) shall be 

used to supplement, and not supplant, any Federal or non-Federal 

funds used to provide any service under part B or this part.’’. 

SEC. 207. PRESERVATION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR KINSHIP GUARDIANSHIP ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS WITH A SUCCESSOR 

GUARDIAN. 

Section 473(d)(3) (42 U.S.C. 673(d)(3)) is amended by adding 

at the end the following: 

‘‘(C) ELIGIBILITY NOT AFFECTED BY REPLACEMENT OF

GUARDIAN WITH A SUCCESSOR GUARDIAN.—In the event of 

the death or incapacity of the relative guardian, the eligibility of a child for a kinship guardianship assistance payment under this subsection shall not be affected by reason 

of the replacement of the relative guardian with a successor 

legal guardian named in the kinship guardianship assistance agreement referred to in paragraph (1) (including 

in any amendment to the agreement), notwithstanding 

subparagraph (A) of this paragraph and section 

471(a)(28).’’. 

SEC. 208. DATA COLLECTION ON ADOPTION AND LEGAL GUARDIANSHIP DISRUPTION AND DISSOLUTION. 

Section 479 (42 U.S.C. 679) is amended by adding at the end 

the following: 
H. R. 4980—23 

‘‘(d) To promote improved knowledge on how best to ensure 

strong, permanent families for children, the Secretary shall promulgate regulations providing for the collection and analysis of information regarding children who enter into foster care under the supervision of a State after prior finalization of an adoption or legal 

guardianship. The regulations shall require each State with a State 

plan approved under this part to collect and report as part of 

such data collection system the number of children who enter 

foster care under supervision of the State after finalization of an 

adoption or legal guardianship and may include information concerning the length of the prior adoption or guardianship, the age 

of the child at the time of the prior adoption or guardianship, 

the age at which the child subsequently entered foster care under 

supervision of the State, the type of agency involved in making 

the prior adoptive or guardianship placement, and any other factors 

determined necessary to better understand factors associated with 

the child’s post-adoption or post-guardianship entry to foster care.’’. 

SEC. 209. ENCOURAGING THE PLACEMENT OF CHILDREN IN FOSTER 

CARE WITH SIBLINGS. 

(a) STATE PLAN AMENDMENT.— (1) NOTIFICATION OF PARENTS OF SIBLINGS.—Section 

471(a)(29) (42 U.S.C. 671(a)(29)) is amended by striking ‘‘all 

adult grandparents’’ and inserting ‘‘the following relatives: all 

adult grandparents, all parents of a sibling of the child, where 

such parent has legal custody of such sibling,’’. 

(2) SIBLING DEFINED.—Section 475 (42 U.S.C. 675), as 

amended by sections 101(b) and 111(a)(1) of this Act, is 

amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(12) The term ‘sibling’ means an individual who satisfies 

at least one of the following conditions with respect to a child: 

‘‘(A) The individual is considered by State law to be 

a sibling of the child. 

‘‘(B) The individual would have been considered a sibling of the child under State law but for a termination 

or other disruption of parental rights, such as the death 

of a parent.’’. 

(b) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section shall be 

construed as subordinating the rights of foster or adoptive parents 

of a child to the rights of the parents of a sibling of that child. 

SEC. 210. EFFECTIVE DATES. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise provided in this section, 

the amendments made by this subtitle shall take effect as if enacted 

on October 1, 2013. 

(b) RESTRUCTURING AND RENAMING OF PROGRAM.— (1) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by sections 202 

and 203 shall take effect on October 1, 2014, subject to paragraph (2). 

(2) TRANSITION RULE.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provision 

of law, the total amount payable to a State under section 

473A of the Social Security Act for fiscal year 2014 shall 

be an amount equal to 1⁄2 of the sum of— 

(i) the total amount that would be payable to the 

State under such section for fiscal year 2014 if the 

amendments made by section 202 of this Act had not 

taken effect; and 
H. R. 4980—24 

(ii) the total amount that would be payable to 

the State under such section for fiscal year 2014 in 

the absence of this paragraph. 

(B) PRO RATA ADJUSTMENT IF INSUFFICIENT FUNDS

AVAILABLE.—If the total amount otherwise payable under 

subparagraph (A) for fiscal year 2014 exceeds the amount 

appropriated pursuant to section 473A(h) of the Social 

Security Act (42 U.S.C. 673b(h)) for that fiscal year, the 

amount payable to each State under subparagraph (A) 

for fiscal year 2014 shall be— 

(i) the amount that would otherwise be payable 

to the State under subparagraph (A) for fiscal year 

2014; multiplied by 

(ii) the percentage represented by the amount so 

appropriated for fiscal year 2014, divided by the total 

amount otherwise payable under subparagraph (A) to 

all States for that fiscal year. 

(c) USE OF INCENTIVE PAYMENTS; ELIGIBILITY FOR KINSHIP

GUARDIANSHIP ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS WITH A SUCCESSOR

GUARDIAN; DATA COLLECTION.—The amendments made by sections 

204, 207, and 208 shall take effect on the date of enactment of 

this Act. 

(d) CALCULATION AND USE OF SAVINGS RESULTING FROM THE

PHASE-OUT OF ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR ADOPTION ASSIST- ANCE.—The amendment made by section 206 shall take effect on 

October 1, 2014. 

(e) NOTIFICATION OF PARENTS OF SIBLINGS.— (1) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by section 209 

shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act, subject 

to paragraph (2). 

(2) DELAY PERMITTED IF STATE LEGISLATION REQUIRED.— In the case of a State plan approved under part E of title 

IV of the Social Security Act which the Secretary of Health 

and Human Services determines requires State legislation 

(other than legislation appropriating funds) in order for the 

plan to meet the additional requirements imposed by section 

209, the State plan shall not be regarded as failing to comply 

with the requirements of such part solely on the basis of the 

failure of the plan to meet such additional requirements before 

the 1st day of the 1st calendar quarter beginning after the 

close of the 1st regular session of the State legislature that 

ends after the 1-year period beginning with the date of enactment of this Act. For purposes of the preceding sentence, in 

the case of a State that has a 2-year legislative session, each 

year of the session is deemed to be a separate regular session 

of the State legislature. 

Subtitle B—Extending the Family 

Connection Grant Program 

SEC. 221. EXTENSION OF FAMILY CONNECTION GRANT PROGRAM. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 427(h) (42 U.S.C. 627(h)) is amended 

by striking ‘‘2013’’ and inserting ‘‘2014’’. 

(b) ELIGIBILITY OF UNIVERSITIES FOR MATCHING GRANTS.—Section 427(a) (42 U.S.C. 627(a)) is amended, in the matter preceding 

paragraph (1)— 
H. R. 4980—25 

(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ before ‘‘private’’; and 

(2) by inserting ‘‘and institutions of higher education (as 

defined under section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 

(20 U.S.C. 1001)),’’ after ‘‘arrangements,’’. 

(c) FINDING FAMILIES FOR FOSTER CHILDREN WHO ARE PAR- ENTS.—Section 427(a)(1)(E) (42 U.S.C. 627(a)(1)(E)) is amended by 

inserting ‘‘and other individuals who are willing and able to be 

foster parents for children in foster care under the responsibility 

of the State who are themselves parents’’ after ‘‘kinship care families’’. 

(d) RESERVATION OF FUNDS.—Section 427(g) (42 U.S.C. 627(g)) 

is amended— 

(1) by striking paragraph (1); and 

(2) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs 

(1) and (2), respectively. 

(e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by this section 

shall take effect as if enacted on October 1, 2013. 

TITLE III—IMPROVING INTERNATIONAL 

CHILD SUPPORT RECOVERY 

SEC. 301. AMENDMENTS TO ENSURE ACCESS TO CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES FOR INTERNATIONAL CHILD SUPPORT CASES. 

(a) AUTHORITY OF THE SECRETARY OF HHS TO ENSURE COMPLI- ANCE WITH MULTILATERAL CHILD SUPPORT CONVENTIONS.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 452 (42 U.S.C. 652) is amended— 

(A) by redesignating the second subsection (l) (as added 

by section 7306 of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005) as 

subsection (m); and 

(B) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(n) The Secretary shall use the authorities otherwise provided 

by law to ensure the compliance of the United States with any 

multilateral child support convention to which the United States 

is a party.’’. 

(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 453(k)(3) (42 U.S.C. 

653(k)(3)) is amended by striking ‘‘452(l)’’ and inserting 

‘‘452(m)’’. 

(b) ACCESS TO THE FEDERAL PARENT LOCATOR SERVICE.—Section 453(c) (42 U.S.C. 653(c)) is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph (3); 

(2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (4) 

and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(3) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(5) an entity designated as a Central Authority for child 

support enforcement in a foreign reciprocating country or a 

foreign treaty country for purposes specified in section 

459A(c)(2).’’. 

(c) STATE OPTION TO REQUIRE INDIVIDUALS IN FOREIGN COUN- TRIES TO APPLY THROUGH THEIR COUNTRY’S APPROPRIATE CENTRAL

AUTHORITY.—Section 454 (42 U.S.C. 654) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (4)(A)(ii), by inserting before the semicolon 

‘‘(except that, if the individual applying for the services resides 

in a foreign reciprocating country or foreign treaty country, 

the State may opt to require the individual to request the 

services through the Central Authority for child support 

enforcement in the foreign reciprocating country or the foreign 
H. R. 4980—26 

treaty country, and if the individual resides in a foreign country 

that is not a foreign reciprocating country or a foreign treaty 

country, a State may accept or reject the application)’’; and 

(2) in paragraph (32)— 

(A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ‘‘, a foreign treaty 

country,’’ after ‘‘a foreign reciprocating country’’; and 

(B) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘or foreign obligee’’ 

and inserting ‘‘, foreign treaty country, or foreign individual’’. 

(d) AMENDMENTS TO INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT

PROVISIONS.—Section 459A (42 U.S.C. 659a) is amended— 

(1) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(e) REFERENCES.—In this part: 

‘‘(1) FOREIGN RECIPROCATING COUNTRY.—The term ‘foreign 

reciprocating country’ means a foreign country (or political subdivision thereof) with respect to which the Secretary has made 

a declaration pursuant to subsection (a). 

‘‘(2) FOREIGN TREATY COUNTRY.—The term ‘foreign treaty 

country’ means a foreign country for which the 2007 Family 

Maintenance Convention is in force. 

‘‘(3) 2007 FAMILY MAINTENANCE CONVENTION.—The term 

‘2007 Family Maintenance Convention’ means the Hague 

Convention of 23 November 2007 on the International Recovery 

of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance.’’; 

(2) in subsection (c)— 

(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 

‘‘foreign countries that are the subject of a declaration 

under this section’’ and inserting ‘‘foreign reciprocating 

countries or foreign treaty countries’’; and 

(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘and foreign treaty 

countries’’ after ‘‘foreign reciprocating countries’’; and 

(3) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘the subject of a declaration 

pursuant to subsection (a)’’ and inserting ‘‘foreign reciprocating 

countries or foreign treaty countries’’. 

(e) COLLECTION OF PAST-DUE SUPPORT FROM FEDERAL TAX

REFUNDS.—Section 464(a)(2)(A) (42 U.S.C. 664(a)(2)(A)) is amended 

by striking ‘‘under section 454(4)(A)(ii)’’ and inserting ‘‘under paragraph (4)(A)(ii) or (32) of section 454’’. 

(f) STATE LAW REQUIREMENT CONCERNING THE UNIFORM INTER- STATE FAMILY SUPPORT ACT (UIFSA).— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 466(f) (42 U.S.C. 666(f)) is 

amended— 

(A) by striking ‘‘on and after January 1, 1998,’’; 

(B) by striking ‘‘and as in effect on August 22, 1996,’’; 

and 

(C) by striking ‘‘adopted as of such date’’ and inserting 

‘‘adopted as of September 30, 2008’’. 

(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS TO TITLE 28, UNITED STATES

CODE.—Section 1738B of title 28, United States Code, is 

amended— 

(A) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘individual contestant’’ 

and inserting ‘‘individual contestant or the parties have 

consented in a record or open court that the tribunal of 

the State may continue to exercise jurisdiction to modify 

its order,’’; 

(B) in subsection (e)(2)(A), by striking ‘‘individual 

contestant’’ and inserting ‘‘individual contestant and the 
H. R. 4980—27 

parties have not consented in a record or open court that 

the tribunal of the other State may continue to exercise 

jurisdiction to modify its order’’; and 

(C) in subsection (b)— 

(i) by striking ‘‘ ‘child’ means’’ and inserting ‘‘(1) 

The term ‘child’ means’’; 

(ii) by striking ‘‘ ‘child’s State’ means’’ and inserting 

‘‘(2) The term ‘child’s State’ means’’; 

(iii) by striking ‘‘ ‘child’s home State’ means’’ and 

inserting ‘‘(3) The term ‘child’s home State’ means’’; 

(iv) by striking ‘‘ ‘child support’ means’’ and 

inserting ‘‘(4) The term ‘child support’ means’’; 

(v) by striking ‘‘ ‘child support order’ ’’ and inserting 

‘‘(5) The term ‘child support order’ ’’; 

(vi) by striking ‘‘ ‘contestant’ means’’ and inserting 

‘‘(6) The term ‘contestant’ means’’; 

(vii) by striking ‘‘ ‘court’ means’’ and inserting ‘‘(7) 

The term ‘court’ means’’; 

(viii) by striking ‘‘ ‘modification’ means’’ and 

inserting ‘‘(8) The term ‘modification’ means’’; and 

(ix) by striking ‘‘ ‘State’ means’’ and inserting ‘‘(9) 

The term ‘State’ means’’. 

(3) EFFECTIVE DATE; GRACE PERIOD FOR STATE LAW

CHANGES.— 

(A) PARAGRAPH (1).—(i) The amendments made by paragraph (1) shall take effect with respect to a State no later 

than the effective date of laws enacted by the legislature 

of the State implementing such paragraph, but in no event 

later than the first day of the first calendar quarter beginning after the close of the first regular session of the 

State legislature that begins after the date of the enactment 

of this Act. 

(ii) For purposes of clause (i), in the case of a State 

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

session shall be deemed to be a separate regular session 

of the State legislature. 

(B) PARAGRAPH (2).—(i) The amendments made by subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2) shall take effect 

on the date on which the Hague Convention of 23 November 

2007 on the International Recovery of Child Support and 

Other Forms of Family Maintenance enters into force for 

the United States. 

(ii) The amendments made by subparagraph (C) of 

paragraph (2) shall take effect on the date of the enactment 

of this Act. 

SEC. 302. CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT PROGRAMS FOR INDIAN 

TRIBES. 

(a) TRIBAL ACCESS TO THE FEDERAL PARENT LOCATOR

SERVICE.—Section 453(c)(1) (42 U.S.C. 653(c)(1)) is amended by 

inserting ‘‘or Indian tribe or tribal organization (as defined in subsections (e) and (l) of section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination 

and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b)),’’ after ‘‘any State’’. 

(b) WAIVER AUTHORITY FOR INDIAN TRIBES OR TRIBAL

ORGANIZATIONS OPERATING CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT PROGRAMS.—Section 1115(b) (42 U.S.C. 1315(b)) is amended— 
H. R. 4980—28 

(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (3) as subparagraphs (A) through (C), respectively, and realigning the left 

margin of subparagraph (C) so as to align with subparagraphs 

(A) and (B) (as so redesignated); 

(2) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ after ‘‘(b)’’; and 

(3) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(2) An Indian tribe or tribal organization operating a program 

under section 455(f) shall be considered a State for purposes of 

authority to conduct an experimental, pilot, or demonstration project 

under subsection (a) to assist in promoting the objectives of part 

D of title IV and receiving payments under the second sentence 

of that subsection. The Secretary may waive compliance with any 

requirements of section 455(f) or regulations promulgated under 

that section to the extent and for the period the Secretary finds 

necessary for an Indian tribe or tribal organization to carry out 

such project. Costs of the project which would not otherwise be 

included as expenditures of a program operating under section 

455(f) and which are not included as part of the costs of projects 

under section 1110, shall, to the extent and for the period prescribed 

by the Secretary, be regarded as expenditures under a tribal plan 

or plans approved under such section, or for the administration 

of such tribal plan or plans, as may be appropriate. An Indian 

tribe or tribal organization applying for or receiving start-up program development funding pursuant to section 309.16 of title 45, 

Code of Federal Regulations, shall not be considered to be an 

Indian tribe or tribal organization operating a program under section 455(f) for purposes of this paragraph.’’. 

(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 453(f) (42 U.S.C. 

653(f)) is amended by inserting ‘‘and tribal’’ after ‘‘State’’ each 

place it appears. 

SEC. 303. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS REGARDING OFFERING OF VOLUNTARY PARENTING TIME ARRANGEMENTS. 

(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds as follows: 

(1) The separation of a child from a parent does not end 

the financial or other responsibilities of the parent toward 

the child. 

(2) Increased parental access and visitation not only 

improve parent-child relationships and outcomes for children, 

but also have been demonstrated to result in improved child 

support collections, which creates a double win for children— 

a more engaged parent and improved financial security. 

(b) SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.—It is the sense of the Congress 

that— 

(1) establishing parenting time arrangements when 

obtaining child support orders is an important goal which 

should be accompanied by strong family violence safeguards; 

and 

(2) States should use existing funding sources to support 

the establishment of parenting time arrangements, including 

child support incentives, Access and Visitation Grants, and 

Healthy Marriage Promotion and Responsible Fatherhood 

Grants. 
H. R. 4980—29 

SEC. 304. DATA EXCHANGE STANDARDIZATION FOR IMPROVED INTEROPERABILITY. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 452 (42 U.S.C. 652), as amended 

by section 301(a)(1) of this Act, is amended by adding at the 

end the following: 

‘‘(o) DATA EXCHANGE STANDARDS FOR IMPROVED INTEROPERABILITY.— 

‘‘(1) DESIGNATION.—The Secretary shall, in consultation 

with an interagency work group established by the Office of 

Management and Budget and considering State government 

perspectives, by rule, designate data exchange standards to 

govern, under this part— 

‘‘(A) necessary categories of information that State 

agencies operating programs under State plans approved 

under this part are required under applicable Federal law 

to electronically exchange with another State agency; and 

‘‘(B) Federal reporting and data exchange required 

under applicable Federal law. 

‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The data exchange standards 

required by paragraph (1) shall, to the extent practicable— 

‘‘(A) incorporate a widely accepted, non-proprietary, 

searchable, computer-readable format, such as the eXtensible Markup Language; 

‘‘(B) contain interoperable standards developed and 

maintained by intergovernmental partnerships, such as the 

National Information Exchange Model; 

‘‘(C) incorporate interoperable standards developed and 

maintained by Federal entities with authority over contracting and financial assistance; 

‘‘(D) be consistent with and implement applicable 

accounting principles; 

‘‘(E) be implemented in a manner that is cost-effective 

and improves program efficiency and effectiveness; and 

‘‘(F) be capable of being continually upgraded as necessary. 

‘‘(3) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this subsection 

shall be construed to require a change to existing data exchange 

standards found to be effective and efficient.’’. 

(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The Secretary of Health and Human 

Services shall issue a proposed rule within 24 months after the 

date of the enactment of this section. The rule shall identify federally required data exchanges, include specification and timing of 

exchanges to be standardized, and address the factors used in 

determining whether and when to standardize data exchanges. 

It should also specify State implementation options and describe 

future milestones. 

SEC. 305. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 

The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall— 

(1) in conjunction with the strategic plan, review and provide recommendations for cost-effective improvements to the 

child support enforcement program under part D of title IV 

of the Social Security Act, and ensure that the plan addresses 

the effectiveness and performance of the program, analyzes 

program practices, identifies possible new collection tools and 

approaches, and identifies strategies for holding parents 

accountable for supporting their children and for building the 
H. R. 4980—30 

capacity of parents to pay child support, with specific attention 

given to matters including front-end services, on-going case 

management, collections, Tribal-State partnerships, interstate 

and intergovernmental interactions, program performance, data 

analytics, and information technology; 

(2) in carrying out paragraph (1), consult with and include 

input from— 

(A) State, tribal, and county child support directors; 

(B) judges who preside over family courts or other 

State or local courts with responsibility for conducting or 

supervising proceedings relating to child support enforcement, child welfare, or social services for children and 

their families, and organizations that represent the judges; 

(C) custodial parents and organizations that represent 

them; 

(D) noncustodial parents and organizations that represent them; and 

(E) organizations that represent fiduciary entities that 

are affected by child support enforcement policies; and 

(3) in developing the report required by paragraph (4), 

solicit public comment; 

(4) not later than June 30, 2015, submit to the Congress 

a report that sets forth policy options for improvements in 

child support enforcement, which report shall include the following: 

(A) A review of the effectiveness of State child support 

enforcement programs, and the collection practices 

employed by State agencies administering programs under 

such part, and an analysis of the extent to which the 

practices result in unintended consequences or performance 

issues associated with the programs and practices. 

(B) Recommendations for methods to enhance the 

effectiveness of child support enforcement programs and 

collection practices. 

(C) A review of State best practices in regards to establishing and operating State and multistate lien registries. 

(D) A compilation of State recovery and distribution 

policies. 

(E) Options, with analysis, for methods to engage noncustodial parents in the lives of their children through 

consideration of parental time and visitation with children. 

(F) An analysis of the role of alternative dispute resolution in making child support determinations. 

(G) Identification of best practices for— 

(i) determining which services and support programs available to custodial and noncustodial parents 

are non-duplicative, evidence-based, and produce 

quality outcomes, and connecting custodial and noncustodial parents to those services and support programs; 

(ii) providing employment support, job training, 

and job placement for custodial and noncustodial parents; and 

(iii) establishing services, supports, and child support payment tracking for noncustodial parents, 
H. R. 4980—31 

including options for the prevention of, and intervention on, uncollectible arrearages, such as retroactive 

obligations. 

(H) Options, with analysis, for methods for States to 

use to collect child support payments from individuals who 

owe excessive arrearages as determined under section 

454(31) of such Act. 

(I) A review of State practices under 454(31) of such 

Act used to determine which individuals are excluded from 

the requirements of section 452(k) of such Act, including 

the extent to which individuals are able to successfully 

contest or appeal decisions. 

(J) Options, with analysis, for actions as are determined to be appropriate for improvement in child support 

enforcement. 

SEC. 306. REQUIRED ELECTRONIC PROCESSING OF INCOME WITHHOLDING. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 454A(g)(1) (42 U.S.C. 654a(g)(1)(A)) 

is amended— 

(1) by striking ‘‘, to the maximum extent feasible,’’; and 

(2) in subparagraph (A)— 

(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of clause (i); 

(B) by adding ‘‘and’’ at the end of clause (ii); and 

(C) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(iii) at the option of the employer, using the electronic transmission methods prescribed by the Secretary;’’. 

(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by subsection 

(a) shall take effect on October 1, 2015. 

TITLE IV—BUDGETARY EFFECTS 

SEC. 401. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS. 

The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying 

with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined 

by reference to the latest statement titled ‘‘Budgetary Effects of 

PAYGO Legislation’’ for this Act, submitted for printing in the 
H. R. 4980—32 

Congressional Record by the Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, provided that such statement has been submitted prior 

to the vote on passage. 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.