(e) SERVICE DELIVERY AND TRAINING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A covered entity shall pro-
vide service delivery to children and youth involved 
with child welfare services, families, and adults, and 
staff training, that— 
(A) comprehensively addresses the indi-
vidual strengths and needs of children and 
youth involved with child welfare services; and 
(B) is language-appropriate, gender-appro-
priate, and culturally sensitive and respectful of 
the complex social identities of the children and 
youth, families, and adults currently or prospec-
tively participating in or receiving child welfare 
services. 
(2) SOCIAL IDENTITY.—In this subsection, the 
term ‘‘social identity’’ includes an individual’s race, 
ethnicity, nationality, age, religion (including spiritu-
ality), sex (including gender identity and sexual ori-
entation), socioeconomic status, physical or cognitive 
ability, language, beliefs, values, behavior patterns, 
and customs. 
(f) DATA COLLECTION.—Using developmentally ap-
propriate best practices, the Secretary shall collect data 
through the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Re-
porting System on— 
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(1) the sexual orientation and gender identity of 
children and youth involved with child welfare serv-
ices and foster and adoptive parents; and 
(2) whether family conflict related to the sexual 
orientation or gender identity of a child or youth 
was a factor in the removal of the child or youth 
from the family. 
(g) NATIONAL RESOURCE CENTER
ON SAFETY, 
WELL-BEING, PLACEMENT
STABILITY, AND
PERMA-
NENCY FOR LGBTQ CHILDREN AND YOUTH INVOLVED 
WITH CHILD WELFARE SERVICES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish 
and maintain the National Resource Center on Safe-
ty, Well-Being, Placement Stability, and Perma-
nency for LGBTQ Children and Youth Involved with 
Child Welfare Services (referred to in this Act as the 
‘‘National Resource Center’’) that will promote well- 
being, safety, permanency, stability, and family 
placement for LGBTQ children and youth involved 
with child welfare services, through training, tech-
nical assistance, actions, and guidance that— 
(A) increase LGBTQ cultural competency 
among the staff of covered entities, and foster, 
adoptive, and relative parents, guardians, and 
caregivers; 
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(B) promote the provision of child welfare 
services that address the specific needs of 
LGBTQ children and youth involved with child 
welfare services and their families; 
(C) promote effective and responsible col-
lection and management of data on the sexual 
orientation and gender identity of children and 
youth in the child welfare system, with appro-
priate safeguards to protect the data; 
(D) identify and promote promising prac-
tices and evidence-based models of engagement 
and appropriate collective and individual serv-
ices and interventions that can be linked to im-
proved outcomes for LGBTQ children and 
youth in the child welfare system; 
(E) endorse best practices for human re-
source activities of covered entities, including in 
hiring, staff development, and implementing a 
system of accountability to carry out those best 
practices; and 
(F) initiate other actions that improve 
safety, well-being, placement stability, and per-
manency outcomes for LGBTQ children and 
youth involved with child welfare services at the 
State and local level. 
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(2) ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary shall carry out 
the collection and analysis of data and the dissemi-
nation of research to carry out this subsection. 
(3) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary such sums as may be necessary to establish 
and maintain the National Resource Center and 
carry out the activities described in this subsection. 
(h) DEADLINE FOR COMPLIANCE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), a covered entity shall comply with this 
section not later than 6 months after publication of 
the guidance referred to in subsection (c), or 1 year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, which-
ever occurs first. 
(2) AUTHORITY TO EXTEND DEADLINE.—If a 
State demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Sec-
retary that it is necessary to amend State law in 
order to change a particular practice that is incon-
sistent with this Act, the Secretary may extend the 
compliance date for the State and any covered enti-
ties in the State a reasonable number of days after 
the close of the first State legislative session begin-
ning after the date the guidance referred to in sub-
section (c) is published. 
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(3) AUTHORITY TO WITHHOLD FUNDS.—If the 
Secretary finds that a covered entity has failed to 
comply with this Act, the Secretary may withhold 
payment to the State of amounts otherwise payable 
to the State under part B or E of title IV of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 621 et seq.; 42 
U.S.C. 670 et seq.), to the extent determined by the 
Secretary. 
(i) GAO STUDY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller 
General of the United States shall conduct a study 
to determine whether the States have substantially 
complied with this Act, including specifically whether 
the States have— 
(A) eliminated all policies, practices, or 
laws that permit a covered entity to violate sub-
section (a); 
(B) provided necessary training and tech-
nical support to covered entities to ensure all 
services to children and youth involved with 
child welfare services are carried out in a non- 
discriminatory, affirming, safe, and culturally 
competent manner; 
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(C) collected data necessary to accom-
plishing the purposes of this Act, and ensured 
that the data is appropriately safeguarded, in-
cluding data related to— 
(i) the sexual orientation and gender 
identity of children and youth involved 
with child welfare services; 
(ii) the permanency and placement 
outcomes and rates for those children and 
youth, as compared to their non-LGBTQ 
peers; 
(iii) the rates at which those children 
and youth are placed in family homes as 
compared to congregate or group homes; 
and 
(iv) the sexual orientation, gender 
identity, and marital status of foster and 
adoptive parents, as well as the placement 
rates and wait periods for those foster and 
adoptive parents; and 
(D) ensured that covered entities— 
(i) are in compliance with this Act; 
and 
(ii) have implemented procedures for 
children and youth involved with child wel-
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fare services, or individuals or families par-
ticipating in, or seeking to participate in, 
child welfare services, to report violations 
of this Act. 
(2) REPORT
TO
THE
CONGRESS.—Not later 
than 6 months after completing the study required 
by paragraph (1), the Comptroller General shall sub-
mit to the Committee on Ways and Means of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Fi-
nance of the Senate a written report that contains 
the results of the study. 
(j) RELATION TO OTHER LAWS.— 
(1) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this 
Act shall be construed to invalidate or limit rights, 
remedies, or legal standards under title VI of the 
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.). 
(2) CERTAIN CLAIMS.—The Religious Freedom 
Restoration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq.) 
shall not provide a claim concerning, or a defense to 
a claim under, this Act, or provide a basis for chal-
lenging the application or enforcement of this Act. 
(k) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) CHILD OR YOUTH INVOLVED WITH CHILD 
WELFARE SERVICES.—The term ‘‘child or youth in-
volved with child welfare services’’ means an indi-
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vidual, aged 23 or younger, who participates in child 
welfare programs or services that receive Federal fi-
nancial assistance under part A, B, or E of title IV 
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.; 
42 U.S.C. 621 et seq.; 42 U.S.C. 670 et seq.), title 
XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et 
seq.), or title XX of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1397 et seq.). 
(2) CONVERSION THERAPY.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘conversion 
therapy’’ means a form of discrimination that 
includes any practice or treatment which seeks 
to change the sexual orientation or gender iden-
tity of an individual, including efforts to change 
behaviors or gender expressions or to eliminate 
or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feel-
ings toward individuals of the same gender. 
(B) EXCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘conversion 
therapy’’ does not include counseling that pro-
vides assistance to an individual undergoing 
gender transition, or counseling that provides 
acceptance, support, and understanding of an 
individual or facilitates an individual with cop-
ing, social support, and identity exploration and 
development, including sexual orientation-neu-
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tral interventions to prevent or address unlaw-
ful conduct or unsafe sexual practices. 
(3) COVERED ENTITY.—The term ‘‘covered en-
tity’’ means an entity that— 
(A) receives Federal financial assistance 
under part A, B, or E of title IV of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.; 42 U.S.C. 
621 et seq.; 42 U.S.C. 670 et seq.), title XIX 
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et 
seq.), or title XX of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1397 et seq.); and 
(B) is involved in the administration or 
provision of child welfare programs or services. 
(4) GENDER
IDENTITY.—The term ‘‘gender 
identity’’ means the gender-related identity, appear-
ance, mannerisms, or other gender-related character-
istics of an individual, regardless of the designated 
sex of the individual at birth. 
(5) RELIGION; SEX (INCLUDING SEXUAL ORI-
ENTATION
AND
GENDER
IDENTITY), OR
MARITAL 
STATUS.—The term ‘‘religion, sex (including sexual 
orientation and gender identity), or marital status’’, 
used with respect to an individual, includes— 
(A) the religion, sex (including sexual ori-
entation and gender identity), or marital status, 
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respectively, of another person with whom the 
individual is or has been associated; and 
(B) a perception or belief, even if inac-
curate, concerning the religion, sex (including 
sexual orientation and gender identity), or mar-
ital status, respectively, of the individual. 
(6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services. 
(7) SEX.—The term ‘‘sex’’ includes— 
(A) a sex stereotype; 
(B) pregnancy, childbirth, or a related 
medical condition; 
(C) sexual orientation or gender identity; 
and 
(D) sex characteristics, including intersex 
traits. 
(8) SEXUAL ORIENTATION.—The term ‘‘sexual 
orientation’’ means homosexuality, heterosexuality, 
or bisexuality. 
(9) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of 
the 50 States of the United States, the District of 
Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the 
United States Virgin Islands, Guam, the Common-
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wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Amer-
ican Samoa. 
Æ 
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