SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Home-Based Health 
Services Job Training and Caregiving Act of 2008’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following: 
(1) The ‘‘baby boom’’ generation will require 
health care attention that will exceed the current 
supply of health care providers. 
(2) There is a shortage of training programs 
specializing in health care services that focus on 
home care instead of institutionalized care. 
(3) Although the need for home-based health 
services transcends all income levels, the availability 
of such services is more limited for residents in pub-
lic housing. 
(4) 
Estimates 
indicate 
that 
there 
are 
44,000,000 caregivers in the United States pro-
viding unpaid care to at least one adult, representing 
22,900,000 households. 
(5) Of working persons providing unpaid care, 
62 percent have had to make adjustments to work 
schedules or leave employment. 
(6) Many low-income families in the United 
States are placed in an untenable position of choos-
ing between work and caregiving responsibilities at 
home. 
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(7) Residents in public housing in the United 
States are also aging and in need of care. 
(8) The Department of Housing and Urban De-
velopment estimates the percentage of households 
assisted by the Department that are elderly house-
holds is 35 percent in New York, 33 percent in Bos-
ton, 35 percent in Chicago, 24 percent in Cleveland, 
40 percent in Los Angeles, and 20 percent in Puerto 
Rico. 
(9) New service programs are needed to provide 
home-based health services to residents in public 
housing and to provide job training and job place-
ment for persons receiving assistance from the De-
partment of Housing and Urban Development need-
ing employment. 
(10) The Department of Housing and Urban 
Development should establish a home-based health 
services pilot program to meet the challenges of an 
increasing number of elderly in public housing, si-
multaneously creating an opportunity to train job 
seekers in a trade that provides home-based health 
services. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are— 
(1) to give flexibility to the Department of 
Housing and Urban Development and other entities 
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to promote training programs and employment in 
home-based health services for public housing resi-
dents; and 
(2) to provide needed home care options to el-
derly and disabled public housing residents to allow 
them to remain in their homes and their commu-
nities. 
SEC. 3. PILOT GRANT PROGRAM TO PROMOTE HOME- 
BASED HEALTH SERVICES TRAINING AND EM-
PLOYMENT 
FOR 
PUBLIC 
HOUSING 
RESI-
DENTS AND TO PROVIDE MEDICAID COV-
ERED HOME-BASED HEALTH SERVICES TO 
ELDERLY AND DISABLED PERSONS RECEIV-
ING HUD PUBLIC HOUSING ASSISTANCE. 
Section 34 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 
(42 U.S.C. 1437z–6) is amended by adding at the end 
the following new subsection: 
‘‘(f) GRANT PILOT PROGRAM TO PROMOTE TRAIN-
ING AND EMPLOYMENT IN HOME-BASED HEALTH SERV-
ICES AND TO PROVIDE SUCH SERVICES TO ELDERLY AND 
DISABLED PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT OF GRANT PILOT PRO-
GRAM.—The Secretary shall establish a grant pilot 
program to make grants to eligible entities under 
paragraph (2) for use only for promoting the train-
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ing and employment of public housing residents as 
home health aides and as providers of home-based 
health services in order for such residents to provide 
Medicaid covered home-based health services to ei-
ther elderly or disabled public housing residents, or 
both. 
‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—A grant under this 
subsection may be made only to an entity that dem-
onstrates— 
‘‘(A) it is a public housing agency, unit of 
State or local government including an agency 
of such unit, community health center, home 
care provider organization, faith-based organi-
zation, labor organization, or other organization 
determined to be qualified by the Secretary; 
and 
‘‘(B) to the satisfaction of the Secretary 
that it will establish an employment training 
program in home-based health services that 
complies with regulations issued by the Sec-
retary. 
‘‘(3) APPLICATION.—To be eligible for a grant 
under this subsection an eligible entity under para-
graph (2) shall prepare and submit to the Secretary 
an application at such time, in such manner, and 
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containing such information as the Secretary re-
quires. 
‘‘(4) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this 
subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to grant 
proposals from eligible entities under paragraph (2) 
located within any of the 5 States and territories 
having the most households residing in public hous-
ing. 
‘‘(5) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 
30 months after the enactment of this subsection, 
the Secretary shall submit a report to Congress on 
the use and impact of the grant program established 
by this subsection. 
‘‘(6) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this subsection: 
‘‘(A) HOME-BASED
HEALTH
SERVICES.— 
The term ‘home-based health services’ means 
health care services provided to an individual in 
a place of residence used as such individual’s 
home and includes— 
‘‘(i) home health services described in 
section 1861(m) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395x(m)); 
‘‘(ii) personal care services described 
in section 1905(a)(24) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 1396d(a)(24)); and 
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‘‘(iii) home-based services which may 
be covered under a waiver under subsection 
(c) or (d) of section 1915 of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 1396n). 
‘‘(B) HOME
HEALTH
AIDE.—The term 
‘home health aide’ has the meaning given the 
term in section 1891(a)(3)(E) of the Social Se-
curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1395bbb(a)(3)(E)). 
‘‘(C) 
MEDICAID
COVERED.—The 
term 
‘Medicaid covered’ means, with respect to home- 
based health services, such services for which 
medical assistance is available under a State 
plan under title XIX of the Social Security Act. 
‘‘(7) INAPPLICABILITY
OF
PREVIOUS
SUB-
SECTIONS.—Subsections (a) through (e) shall not 
apply to this subsection. 
‘‘(8) RULE
OF
CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 
this subsection shall be construed as affecting any 
requirement under State law for training, licensure, 
or any other certification as a home health aide or 
as a provider of any service included as a home- 
based health service under this subsection. 
‘‘(9) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 6 months 
after the date of enactment of this subsection, the 
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initial enrollment periods under section 1837(d) of the So-
cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395p(d)) that begin on or 
after the first day of the first month that begins more 
than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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