I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3105 
To establish a Federal Task Force to Support Grandparents Raising 
Grandchildren. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 29, 2017 
Mr. MCGOVERN (for himself and Mr. KING of New York) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the 
Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
committee concerned 
A BILL 
To establish a Federal Task Force to Support Grandparents 
Raising Grandchildren. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Supporting Grand-
parents Raising Grandchildren Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) More than 80 percent of Americans over the 
age of 65 are grandparents and more than 
2,500,000 grandparents in the United States are the 
primary caretaker of their grandchildren. Experts 
report that such numbers are increasing as the 
opioid epidemic expands. 
(2) Grandparents’ lives are enhanced by caring 
for their grandchildren; the overwhelming majority 
of grandparents report experiencing significant bene-
fits in serving as their grandchildren’s primary care-
givers. 
(3) Providing full-time care to their grand-
children may increase grandparents’ likelihood of ex-
periencing physical illness and mental health prob-
lems and decrease their ability to save for retire-
ment. 
(4) Grandparents raising grandchildren may 
face difficulty enrolling their grandchildren in school, 
medical care, and Federal assistance services. 
(5) The Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 
U.S.C. 3001 et seq.) includes services that support 
grandfamilies, including the National Family Care-
giver Support Program. 
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(6) Grandparents would benefit from better co-
ordination and information about resources available 
to support them in their caregiving responsibilities. 
SEC. 3. FEDERAL TASK FORCE TO SUPPORT GRAND-
PARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a Fed-
eral Task Force To Support Grandparents Raising Grand-
children (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Task Force’’). 
(b) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Task Force shall be 
composed of the following members, or their des-
ignee: 
(A) The Secretary of Health and Human 
Services. 
(B) The Attorney General. 
(C) The Administrator of the Administra-
tion for Community Living. 
(D) The Director of the Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention. 
(E) The Assistant Secretary for Mental 
Health and Substance Use. 
(F) The Assistant Secretary for the Ad-
ministration for Children and Families. 
(G) The head of each Federal department, 
agency, or other governmental entity identified 
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by the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
as having responsibilities, or administering pro-
grams, relating to current issues affecting 
grandparents or other relatives raising children 
in their care. 
(2) LEAD AGENCY.—The Department of Health 
and Human Services shall be the lead agency for the 
Task Force. 
(3) REQUIREMENT.—Each member of the Task 
Force shall be an officer or employee of the Federal 
Government. 
(c) DUTIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.— 
(A) INFORMATION.—The Task Force shall 
identify, promote, coordinate, and disseminate 
information publicly about Federal information, 
resources, and best practices available, on the 
date of the determination, to help grandparents 
or other relatives raising children in their care 
meet the health, educational, nutritional, and 
other needs of the children in their care as well 
as maintain their own physical and mental 
health and emotional well-being, including those 
raising children in their care as a result of the 
opioid epidemic. 
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(B) NATIVE AMERICANS.—In carrying out 
the duties described in subparagraph (A), the 
Task Force shall ensure that the needs of mem-
bers of Native American tribes are addressed. 
(2) REPORT.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Task Force shall submit a report to the 
Special Committee on Aging and the Committee 
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of 
the Senate that includes— 
(i) best practices, resources, and other 
useful information for grandparents and 
other relatives raising children in their 
care; and 
(ii) an identification of the gaps in 
needs of grandparents and other relatives 
raising children in their care. 
(B) FOLLOW-UP REPORT.—Not later than 
the date that is 2 years after the date the re-
port under subparagraph (A) is submitted, the 
Task Force shall submit a follow-up report to 
the Special Committee on Aging and the Com-
mittee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pen-
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sions of the Senate that includes the informa-
tion described in subparagraph (A). 
(3) PROCESS FOR PUBLIC INPUT.—The Task 
Force shall establish a process for public input to in-
form the development of, and updates to, the best 
practices, resources, and other useful information 
and the gaps in needs described in paragraph (2), 
including a process for the public to submit rec-
ommendations to the Task Force and an opportunity 
for public comment. 
(d) SUNSET.—The Task Force shall terminate on the 
date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this 
Act. 
Æ 
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