I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2834 
To improve the well-being of, and improve permanency outcomes for, children 
and families affected by heroin, opioids, and other substance abuse. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 8, 2017 
Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois (for himself and Mrs. NOEM) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means 
A BILL 
To improve the well-being of, and improve permanency out-
comes for, children and families affected by heroin, 
opioids, and other substance abuse. 
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 ‘‘Partnership Grants 
to Strengthen Families Affected by Parental Substance 
Abuse Act’’. 
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‘‘(ii) The State agency responsible for 
administering the substance abuse preven-
tion and treatment block grant provided 
under subpart II of part B of title XIX of 
the Public Health Service Act. 
‘‘(B) MANDATORY PARTNERS FOR PART-
NERSHIP GRANTS PROPOSING TO SERVE CHIL-
DREN IN OUT-OF-HOME PLACEMENTS.—If the 
partnership proposes to serve children in out-of- 
home placements, the Juvenile Court or Admin-
istrative Office of the Court that is most appro-
priate to oversee the administration of court 
programs in the region to address the popu-
lation of families who come to the attention of 
the court due to child abuse or neglect. 
‘‘(C) OPTIONAL PARTNERS.—At the option 
of the partnership, any of the following: 
‘‘(i) An Indian tribe or tribal consor-
tium. 
‘‘(ii) Nonprofit child welfare service 
providers. 
‘‘(iii) For-profit child welfare service 
providers. 
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‘‘(iv) Community health service pro-
viders, including substance abuse treat-
ment providers. 
‘‘(v) Community mental health pro-
viders. 
‘‘(vi) Local law enforcement agencies. 
‘‘(vii) School personnel. 
‘‘(viii) Tribal child welfare agencies 
(or a consortia of the agencies). 
‘‘(ix) Any other providers, agencies, 
personnel, officials, or entities that are re-
lated to the provision of child and family 
services under a State plan approved under 
this subpart. 
‘‘(D) EXCEPTION
FOR
REGIONAL
PART-
NERSHIPS WHERE THE LEAD APPLICANT IS AN 
INDIAN TRIBE OR TRIBAL CONSORTIA.—If an 
Indian tribe or tribal consortium enters into a 
regional partnership for purposes of this sub-
section, the Indian tribe or tribal consortium— 
‘‘(i) may (but is not required to) in-
clude the State child welfare agency as a 
partner in the collaborative agreement; 
‘‘(ii) may not enter into a collabo-
rative agreement only with tribal child wel-
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fare agencies (or a consortium of the agen-
cies); and 
‘‘(iii) if the condition described in 
paragraph (2)(B) applies, may include 
tribal court organizations in lieu of other 
judicial partners.’’; 
(3) in paragraph (3)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘2012 through 2016’’ 
and inserting ‘‘2017 through 2021’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘$500,000 and not 
more than $1,000,000’’ and inserting 
‘‘$250,000 
and 
not 
more 
than 
$1,000,000’’; 
(B) in subparagraph (B)— 
(i) in the subparagraph heading, by 
inserting ‘‘; PLANNING’’ after ‘‘APPROVAL’’; 
(ii) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘clause 
(ii)’’ and inserting ‘‘clauses (ii) and (iii)’’; 
and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(iii) 
SUFFICIENT
PLANNING.—A 
grant awarded under this subsection shall 
be disbursed in two phases: a planning 
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phase (not to exceed 2 years) and an im-
plementation phase. The total disburse-
ment to a grantee for the planning phase 
may not exceed $250,000, and may not ex-
ceed the total anticipated funding for the 
implementation phase.’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(D) LIMITATION ON PAYMENT FOR A FIS-
CAL YEAR.—No payment shall be made under 
subparagraph (A) or (C) for a fiscal year until 
the Secretary determines that the eligible part-
nership has made sufficient progress in meeting 
the goals of the grant and that the members of 
the eligible partnership are coordinating to a 
reasonable degree with the other members of 
the eligible partnership.’’; 
(4) in paragraph (4)— 
(A) in subparagraph (B)— 
(i) in clause (i), by inserting ‘‘, par-
ents, and families’’ after ‘‘children’’; 
(ii) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘safety 
and permanence for such children; and’’ 
and inserting ‘‘safe, permanent caregiving 
relationships for the children;’’; 
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(iii) in clause (iii), by striking ‘‘or’’ 
and inserting ‘‘increase reunification rates 
for children who have been placed in out- 
of-home care, or decrease’’; and 
(iv) by redesignating clause (iii) as 
clause (v) and inserting after clause (ii) 
the following: 
‘‘(iii) improve the substance abuse 
treatment outcomes for parents including 
retention in treatment and successful com-
pletion of treatment; 
‘‘(iv) facilitate the implementation, de-
livery, and effectiveness of prevention serv-
ices and programs under section 471(e); 
and’’; 
(B) in subparagraph (D), by striking 
‘‘where appropriate,’’; and 
(C) by striking subparagraphs (E) and (F) 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘(E) A description of a plan for sustaining 
the services provided by or activities funded 
under the grant after the conclusion of the 
grant period, including through the use of pre-
vention services and programs under section 
471(e) and other funds provided to the State 
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for child welfare and substance abuse preven-
tion and treatment services. 
‘‘(F) Additional information needed by the 
Secretary to determine that the proposed activi-
ties and implementation will be consistent with 
research or evaluations showing which practices 
and approaches are most effective.’’; 
(5) in paragraph (5)(A), by striking ‘‘abuse 
treatment’’ and inserting ‘‘use disorder treatment in-
cluding medication assisted treatment and in-home 
substance abuse disorder treatment and recovery’’; 
(6) in paragraph (7)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of sub-
paragraph (C); and 
(B) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as 
subparagraph (E) and inserting after subpara-
graph (C) the following: 
‘‘(D) demonstrate a track record of suc-
cessful collaboration among child welfare, sub-
stance abuse disorder treatment and mental 
health agencies; and’’; 
(7) in paragraph (8)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A)— 
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(i) by striking ‘‘establish indicators 
that will be’’ and inserting ‘‘review indica-
tors that are’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘in using funds made 
available under such grants to achieve the 
purpose of this subsection’’ and inserting 
‘‘and establish a set of core indicators re-
lated to child safety, parental recovery, 
parenting capacity, and family well-being. 
In developing the core indicators, to the 
extent possible, indicators shall be made 
consistent with the outcome measures de-
scribed in section 471(e)(6)’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (B)— 
(i) in the matter preceding clause (i), 
by inserting ‘‘base the performance meas-
ures on lessons learned from prior rounds 
of regional partnership grants under this 
subsection, and’’ before ‘‘consult’’; and 
(ii) by striking clauses (iii) and (iv) 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘(iii) Other stakeholders or constitu-
encies as determined by the Secretary.’’; 
(8) in paragraph (9)(A), by striking clause (i) 
and inserting the following: 
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‘‘(i) 
SEMIANNUAL
REPORTS.—Not 
later than September 30 of each fiscal year 
in which a recipient of a grant under this 
subsection is paid funds under the grant, 
and every 6 months thereafter, the grant 
recipient shall submit to the Secretary a 
report on the services provided and activi-
ties carried out during the reporting pe-
riod, progress made in achieving the goals 
of the program, the number of children, 
adults, and families receiving services, and 
such additional information as the Sec-
retary determines is necessary. The report 
due not later than September 30 of the 
last such fiscal year shall include, at a 
minimum, data on each of the performance 
indicators included in the evaluation of the 
regional partnership.’’; and 
(9) in paragraph (10), by striking ‘‘2012 
through 2016’’ and inserting ‘‘2017 through 2021’’. 
SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b), the 
amendments made by this Act shall take effect on October 
1, 2017. 
(b) TRANSITION RULE.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a State plan 
under part B of title IV of the Social Security Act 
which the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
determines requires State legislation (other than leg-
islation appropriating funds) in order for the plan to 
meet the additional requirements imposed by the 
amendments made by this Act, the State plan shall 
not be regarded as failing to comply with the re-
quirements of such part solely on the basis of the 
failure of the plan to meet such additional require-
ments before the first day of the first calendar quar-
ter beginning after the close of the first regular ses-
sion of the State legislature that begins after the 
date of enactment of this Act. For purposes of the 
previous sentence, 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. 
(2) APPLICATION TO PROGRAMS OPERATED BY 
INDIAN TRIBAL ORGANIZATIONS.—In the case of an 
Indian tribe, tribal organization, or tribal consortium 
which the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
determines requires time to take action necessary to 
comply with the additional requirements imposed by 
the amendments made by this Act (whether the 
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tribe, organization, or tribal consortium has a plan 
under section 479B of the Social Security Act or a 
cooperative agreement or contract entered into with 
a State), the Secretary shall provide the tribe, orga-
nization, or tribal consortium with such additional 
time as the Secretary determines is necessary for the 
tribe, organization, or tribal consortium to take the 
action to comply with the additional requirements 
before being regarded as failing to comply with the 
requirements. 
Æ 
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