Strong Families Act of 2017

To amend title V of the Social Security Act to extend the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Strong Families Act of 2017 2. Continuing evidence-based home visiting program Section 511(j)(1)(H) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 711(j)(1)(H) fiscal year 2017 each of fiscal years 2017 through 2022 3. Continuing to demonstrate results to help families (a) Require service delivery models To demonstrate improvement in applicable benchmark areas Section 511 of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 711 each of (b) Demonstration of improvements in subsequent years Section 511(d)(1) of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 711(d)(1) (D) Demonstration of improvements in subsequent years (i) Continued measurement of improvement in applicable benchmark areas The eligible entity, after demonstrating improvements for eligible families as specified in subparagraphs (A) and (B), shall continue to track and report, not later than 30 days after the end of fiscal year 2020 and every 3 years thereafter, information demonstrating that the program results in improvements for the eligible families participating in the program in at least 4 of the areas specified in subparagraph (A) that the service delivery model or models selected by the entity are intended to improve. (ii) Corrective action plan If the eligible entity fails to demonstrate improvement in at least 4 of the areas specified in subparagraph (A), as compared to eligible families who do not receive services under an early childhood home visitation program, the entity shall develop and implement a plan to improve outcomes in each of the areas specified in subparagraph (A) that the service delivery model or models selected by the entity are intended to improve, subject to approval by the Secretary. The plan shall include provisions for the Secretary to monitor implementation of the plan and conduct continued oversight of the program, including through submission by the entity of regular reports to the Secretary. (iii) Technical assistance The Secretary shall provide an eligible entity required to develop and implement an improvement plan under clause (ii) with technical assistance to develop and implement the plan. The Secretary may provide the technical assistance directly or through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements. (iv) No improvement or failure to submit report If the Secretary determines after a period of time specified by the Secretary that an eligible entity implementing an improvement plan under clause (ii) has failed to demonstrate any improvement in at least 4 of the areas specified in subparagraph (A), or if the Secretary determines that an eligible entity has failed to submit the report required by clause (i), the Secretary shall terminate the grant made to the entity under this section and may include any unexpended grant funds in grants made to nonprofit organizations under subsection (h)(2)(B). . (c) Including information on applicable benchmarks in application Section 511(e)(5) of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 711(e)(5) that the service delivery model or models selected by the entity are intended to improve 4. Reviewing statewide needs to target resources Section 511(b)(1) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 711(b)(1) Not later than section 505(a)) Each State shall, as a condition of receiving payments from an allotment for the State under section 502, conduct a statewide needs assessment (which may be separate from but in coordination with the statewide needs assessment required under section 505(a) and which shall be reviewed and updated by the State not later than October 1, 2020) 5. Improving the likelihood of success in high-risk communities Section 511(d)(4)(A) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 711(d)(4)(A) , taking into account the staffing, community resource, and other requirements to operate at least one approved model of home visiting and demonstrate improvements for eligible families 6. Option to fund evidence-based home visiting on a pay for outcome basis (a) In general Section 511(c) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 711(c) (3) Authority to use grant for a pay for outcomes initiative An eligible entity to which a grant is made under paragraph (1) may use up to 25 percent of the grant for outcomes or success payments related to a pay for outcomes initiative that will not result in a reduction of funding for services delivered by the entity under a childhood home visitation program under this section while the eligible entity develops or operates such an initiative. . (b) Definition of pay for outcomes initiative Section 511(k) of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 711(k) (4) Pay for outcomes initiative The term pay for outcomes initiative (A) a feasibility study that describes how the proposed intervention is based on evidence of effectiveness; (B) a rigorous, third-party evaluation that uses experimental or quasi-experimental design or other research methodologies that allow for the strongest possible causal inferences to determine whether the initiative has met its proposed outcomes; (C) an annual, publicly available report on the progress of the initiative; and (D) a requirement that payments are made to the recipient of a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement only when agreed upon outcomes are achieved, except that this requirement shall not apply with respect to payments to a third party conducting the evaluation described in subparagraph (B). . (c) Extended availability of funds Section 511(j)(3) of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 711(j)(3) (1) by striking (3) Availability.— (3) Availability (A) In general Except as provided in subparagraph (B), funds ; and (2) by adding at the end the following: (B) Funds for pay for outcomes initiatives Funds made available to an eligible entity under this section for a fiscal year (or portion of a fiscal year) for a pay for outcomes initiative shall remain available for expenditure by the eligible entity for not more than 10 years after the funds are so made available. . 7. Data exchange standards for improved interoperability (a) In general Section 511(h) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 711(h) (5) Data exchange standards for improved interoperability (A) Designation and use of data exchange standards (i) Designation The head of the department or agency responsible for administering a program funded under this section shall, in consultation with an interagency work group established by the Office of Management and Budget and considering State government perspectives, designate data exchange standards for necessary categories of information that a State agency operating the program is required to electronically exchange with another State agency under applicable Federal law. (ii) Data exchange standards must be nonproprietary and interoperable The data exchange standards designated under clause (i) shall, to the extent practicable, be nonproprietary and interoperable. (iii) Other requirements In designating data exchange standards under this paragraph, the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, incorporate— (I) interoperable standards developed and maintained by an international voluntary consensus standards body, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget; (II) interoperable standards developed and maintained by intergovernmental partnerships, such as the National Information Exchange Model; and (III) interoperable standards developed and maintained by Federal entities with authority over contracting and financial assistance. (B) Data exchange standards for federal reporting (i) Designation The head of the department or agency responsible for administering a program referred to in this section shall, in consultation with an interagency work group established by the Office of Management and Budget, and considering State government perspectives, designate data exchange standards to govern Federal reporting and exchange requirements under applicable Federal law. (ii) Requirements The data exchange reporting standards required by clause (i) shall, to the extent practicable— (I) incorporate a widely accepted, nonproprietary, searchable, computer-readable format; (II) be consistent with and implement applicable accounting principles; (III) be implemented in a manner that is cost-effective and improves program efficiency and effectiveness; and (IV) be capable of being continually upgraded as necessary. (iii) Incorporation of nonproprietary standards In designating data exchange standards under this paragraph, the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, incorporate existing nonproprietary standards, such as the eXtensible Mark up Language. (iv) Rule of construction Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to require a change to existing data exchange standards for Federal reporting about a program referred to in this section, if the head of the department or agency responsible for administering the program finds the standards to be effective and efficient. . (b) Effective date The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect on the date that is 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act.

Summary: Strong Families Act of 2017 This bill amends title V (Maternal and Child Health Services) of the Social Security Act to reauthorize through FY2022, and otherwise revise, the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program. Under current law, grantees were required, after three years of program implementation, to demonstrate improvement in specified benchmark areas. The bill requires grantees to continue to track and demonstrate, on a triennial basis, improvement in applicable benchmark areas. A grantee that fails to do so must develop and implement a corrective action plan, subject to approval by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). HHS shall terminate a program grant made to a grantee that implements such a plan but continues to fail to demonstrate improvement. As a condition for receiving grant funds under the program, a state must review and update its statewide needs assessment by October 1, 2020. A grantee may use a portion of program grant funds to support a "pay-for-outcomes initiative" (a performance-based grant, contract, or cooperative agreement, awarded by a public entity, in which a commitment is made to pay for improved outcomes that result in social benefit and public-sector cost savings). HHS must designate data-exchange standards applicable to the program.