to which a grant is made under section 403 for a 
fiscal year has violated section 408(a)(13) during 
the fiscal year, the Secretary shall reduce the grant 
payable to the State under section 403(a)(1) for the 
immediately succeeding fiscal year by an amount 
equal to 4 percent of the grant.’’. 
(2) NOT SUBJECT TO REASONABLE CAUSE EX-
CEPTION.—Section 409(b)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
609(b)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘or (13)’’ and in-
serting ‘‘(13), or (17)’’. 
SEC. 102. STATE TREATMENT OF RELATIVE CAREGIVERS 
OF CHILD TANF RECIPIENTS. 
Section 402(a)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 602(a)), as amended by section 101(b) of this Act, 
is further amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(vii) The document shall provide a 
detailed explanation of the State’s treat-
ment of relative caregivers of minor chil-
dren, in cases in which the child is a re-
cipient of assistance under the State pro-
gram funded under this part (or under a 
State program funded with qualified State 
expenditures 
(as 
defined 
in 
section 
409(a)(7)(B)(i))), including— 
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‘‘(I) information regarding how 
the State defines terms such as ‘rel-
ative’, ‘fictive kin’, and ‘caregiver’; 
‘‘(II) a description of the training 
received by caseworkers of the State 
agency responsible for administering 
the program in relation to relative 
caregivers of minor children, in cases 
in which the child is such a recipient; 
and 
‘‘(III) an explanation of the ways 
in which assistance available under 
the program to a relative caregiver of 
a minor child is affected by the tem-
porary presence in the home of a bio-
logical parent of the child.’’. 
SEC. 103. ENHANCED DATA REPORTING. 
Section 411(a)(7) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 611(a)(7)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: ‘‘The Secretary shall also prescribe regulations 
to improve the reporting of data on the economic well- 
being and circumstances of families with relative care-
givers of minor children, including, to the extent prac-
ticable, information relating to— 
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‘‘(A) all adults in the family, including 
whether or not such adults are recipients of as-
sistance under the State program funded under 
this part (or under a State program funded 
with qualified State expenditures (as defined in 
section 409(a)(7)(B)(i))); and 
‘‘(B) all minor children in the family, in-
cluding whether any such minor child— 
‘‘(i) is required to be included in the 
foster care reporting population for pur-
poses of the Adoption and Foster Care 
Analysis Reporting System (AFCARS) es-
tablished pursuant to section 479; or 
‘‘(ii) is not required to be so included 
in such foster care reporting population, 
but— 
‘‘(I) is receiving services in the 
home of the relative caregiver that are 
supervised or administered by the 
State agency responsible for admin-
istering the State plan approved 
under part B; 
‘‘(II) was placed with the relative 
caregiver to prevent the need for fos-
ter care as a result of an intervention 
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on behalf of the child which was car-
ried out or supervised by the State 
agency administering the State plans 
under parts B and E; or 
‘‘(III) was placed with the rel-
ative caregiver upon formal discharge 
from the care and placement responsi-
bility of the State agency admin-
istering the plans under part B or 
E.’’. 
SEC. 104. EXEMPTION FROM CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS FOR 
RECIPIENTS AGE 60 OR OVER. 
(a) WORK REQUIREMENTS.—Section 407(e) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 607(e)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) in the paragraph heading, by inserting 
‘‘FOR SINGLE CUSTODIAL PARENTS AND REL-
ATIVE CAREGIVERS OF MINOR CHILDREN WHO 
HAVE NOT ATTAINED 6 YEARS OF AGE’’ after 
‘‘EXCEPTION’’; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘or relative caregiver’’ be-
fore ‘‘caring for a child’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) EXCEPTION FOR RECIPIENTS AGE 60 OR 
OVER.—Notwithstanding paragraph (1), a State 
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may not reduce or terminate assistance under the 
State program funded under this part (or under a 
State program funded with qualified State expendi-
tures (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i))) based 
on a refusal of an individual to engage in work re-
quired in accordance with this section if the indi-
vidual has attained 60 years of age.’’. 
(b) TIME LIMITS.—Section 408(a)(7) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 608(a)(7)) is amended— 
(1) 
by 
redesignating 
subparagraphs 
(D) 
through (G) as subparagraphs (E) through (H), re-
spectively; and 
(2) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(D) AGE 60 OR OVER EXCEPTION.—Sub-
paragraph (A) shall not apply with respect to 
an individual who has attained 60 years of 
age.’’. 
(c) ASSET TESTS.—Section 408(a) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 608(a)), as amended by section 101(a) of this Act, 
is further amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(14) NO ASSET TESTS FOR RECIPIENTS AGE 60 
OR OVER.—A State to which a grant is made under 
section 403 may not impose any asset test in deter-
mining eligibility for assistance under the State pro-
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gram funded under this part of an individual who 
has attained 60 years of age.’’. 
(d) PENALTIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 409(a) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 609(a)), as amended by section 
101(c)(1) of this Act, is further amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(18) FAILURE TO EXEMPT RECIPIENTS AGE 60 
OR OVER FROM CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS.—If the 
Secretary determines that a State to which a grant 
is made under section 403 for a fiscal year has vio-
lated section 407(e)(3), 408(a)(7)(D), or 408(a)(14) 
during the fiscal year, the Secretary shall reduce the 
grant payable to the State under section 403(a)(1) 
for the immediately succeeding fiscal year by an 
amount equal to 4 percent of the grant.’’. 
(2) NOT SUBJECT TO REASONABLE CAUSE EX-
CEPTION.—Section 409(b)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
609(b)(2)), as amended by section 101(c)(2) of this 
Act, is further amended by striking ‘‘or (17)’’ and 
inserting ‘‘(17), or (18)’’. 
SEC. 105. EQUAL ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENT FOR FAMI-
LIES WITH MULTIPLE CHILDREN. 
Section 408(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
608(a)), as amended by sections 101(a) and 104(c) of this 
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Act, is further amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(15) EQUAL ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENT FOR 
FAMILIES WITH MULTIPLE CHILDREN.—The amount 
of cash assistance provided to a family under a State 
program funded under this part with respect to a 
child in the family shall equal the amount of the 
cash assistance so provided with respect to any other 
child in the family.’’. 
TITLE II—CHILD WELFARE 
SEC. 201. STATE NOTIFICATIONS TO RELATIVE CARE-
GIVERS 
OF 
CHILDREN 
REMOVED 
FROM 
HOME. 
(a) STATE PLAN REQUIREMENT.—Section 471(a) of 
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 671(a)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (29)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘the State has a written 
policy outlining the steps the State shall take to 
ensure that’’ after ‘‘provides that’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘the State shall exercise’’ 
and inserting ‘‘the State exercises’’; 
(C) by striking ‘‘provide notice’’ and in-
serting ‘‘provides written notice’’; 
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(D) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ‘‘the 
financial benefits of the options and’’ after ‘‘in-
cluding’’; 
(E) in subparagraph (C), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; and 
(F) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(E) provides direct contact information 
for other agencies and community organizations 
that provide resources and assistance, such as 
housing, supplemental nutrition assistance, 
health care, and child care; and 
‘‘(F) provides direct contact information 
for the primary kinship resource employee de-
scribed in paragraph (36);’’; 
(2) in paragraph (34), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(3) in paragraph (35), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(36) provides that the agency responsible for 
administering the State plan employs a primary kin-
ship resource employee who— 
‘‘(A) is trained to provide guidance to a 
relative caregiver of a minor child on legal op-
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tions regarding custody and guardianship of the 
child, including explaining to the relative care-
giver how each legal option corresponds to the 
availability of benefits and services; and 
‘‘(B) serves as a liaison with other agencies 
and community organizations that provide re-
sources and assistance to relative caregivers.’’. 
(b) CASE PLAN REQUIREMENT.—Section 475(1) of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 675(1)) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘(H) A description of the methods used by 
the State agency to comply with paragraphs 
(29) and (36) of section 471(a), including the 
methods used by the agency to identify and no-
tify each relative as required under such para-
graph (29), a copy of each written notice pro-
vided to such a relative, the date on which the 
notice was provided, and a summary of each 
relative’s response or failure to respond to the 
notice.’’. 
SEC. 202. STATE TREATMENT OF RELATIVE CAREGIVERS 
OF FOSTER CHILDREN. 
Section 471(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
671(a)), as amended by section 201(a) of this Act, is fur-
ther amended— 
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(1) in paragraph (35), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (36), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(37) provides a detailed explanation of the 
State’s treatment of relative caregivers of minor chil-
dren with respect to whom foster care maintenance 
payments or adoption assistance payments are made 
under the State plan approved under this part, in-
cluding— 
‘‘(A) information regarding how the State 
defines terms such as ‘relative’, ‘fictive kin’, 
and ‘caregiver’; 
‘‘(B) a description of training related to 
relative caregivers that is provided to case-
workers of the State agency responsible for ad-
ministering the State plan; and 
‘‘(C) a description of efforts by the State 
to provide foster family home licenses to, or to 
waive licensing requirements for, relative care-
givers.’’. 
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SEC. 203. FAMILY CONNECTION GRANTS. 
Section 427(h) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
627(h)) is amended by striking ‘‘2009 through 2014’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2016 through 2018’’. 
SEC. 204. STATE FOSTER FAMILY HOME LICENSING STAND-
ARDS. 
(a) REVIEW AND REPORT ON STATE STANDARDS.— 
(1) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, a State 
with a plan approved under part E of title IV of the 
Social Security Act shall submit to the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services a report— 
(A) comparing the State standards for fos-
ter family homes with the National Association 
for Regulatory Administration Model Family 
Foster Home Licensing Standards; 
(B) explaining any barriers to the ability 
of a relative caregiver to become a State-li-
censed foster parent, and assessing the role of 
the State’s standards for foster family homes in 
contributing to these barriers (not including 
barriers caused by the State’s adherence to the 
Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 
2006); and 
(C) describing plans by the State to elimi-
nate the barriers described in subparagraph 
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(B), including plans to change any State stand-
ards that contribute to the barriers, and ex-
plaining the State’s reasoning for not changing 
any such standards. 
(2) ADDITIONAL
REPORT.—Not later than 1 
year after the date on which a State submits the re-
port required by paragraph (1), the State shall sub-
mit to the Secretary an additional report describing 
any progress made by the State to eliminate the bar-
riers described in paragraph (1)(B). 
(b) 
STATE
PLAN
REQUIREMENT.—Section 
471(a)(11) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
671(a)(11)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(11)(A) provides that the State shall review 
the standards referred to in paragraph (10) and 
amounts paid as foster care maintenance payments 
and adoption assistance to assure their continuing 
appropriateness, and shall update the standards not 
less than once every 3 years, taking into account 
model foster family home standards recommended 
by national organizations, such as the National As-
sociation for Regulatory Administration Model Fam-
ily Foster Home Licensing Standards; and 
‘‘(B) describes the State’s efforts to ensure that 
relative caregivers are able to meet the standards, 
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including a description of the procedures used by the 
State to waive nonsafety standards, as provided in 
paragraph (10)(D);’’. 
SEC. 205. ASSISTANCE FOR RELATIVE CAREGIVER FAMI-
LIES APPLYING FOR FOSTER CARE ASSIST-
ANCE. 
Section 422(b) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
622(b)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (18), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (19), by striking the period 
and inserting a semicolon; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(20) provide assurances that— 
‘‘(A) on behalf of each minor child with re-
spect to whom an application is filed with the 
State for foster care maintenance payments 
under the State plan approved under part E, 
the State shall promptly initiate an application 
for assistance under the State program funded 
under part A (if the State operates such a pro-
gram), and shall make every reasonable effort 
to expedite the application and determination 
process for assistance for each such child under 
the program; 
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‘‘(B) before the State makes a determina-
tion that a minor child residing in the home of, 
and under the care of, a relative is ineligible for 
foster care maintenance payments under the 
State plan approved under part E, the State 
shall first make every reasonable effort to li-
cense the home of the relative as a foster family 
home or to waive such licensing requirements, 
to the extent that doing so is in the best inter-
est of the child; and 
‘‘(C) in any case in which a State makes 
such a determination, the State shall explain to 
the relative the specific basis for the determina-
tion; and’’. 
SEC. 206. COLLABORATIVE TRAINING FOR STATE EMPLOY-
EES. 
Section 422(b) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
622(b)), as amended by section 205, is further amended 
by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(21) provide that the State will conduct col-
laborative training for State employees responsible 
for advising relative caregivers and the minor chil-
dren under the care of such caregivers who receive 
assistance under the State program funded under 
part A, under the State plans approved under sub-
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part 1 or 2 of this part, or under the State plan ap-
proved under part E, to ensure that such employees 
are aware of all such assistance for which such chil-
dren and relative caregivers may be eligible.’’. 
SEC. 207. PROMOTING SAFE AND STABLE FAMILIES PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES TRAINING.—Section 
431(a)(2)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
629a(a)(2)(B)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(vii) To support adoptive, foster, and 
extended families, including families with 
relative caregivers of minor children, by 
providing such families with training on 
the range of Federal, State, and local pub-
lic assistance programs available to such 
families and children.’’. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 
436(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 629f(a)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘345,000,000’’ and inserting 
‘‘$355,000,000’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘2012 through 2016’’ and in-
serting ‘‘2016 through 2020’’. 
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SEC. 208. ADOPTION AND FOSTER CARE ANALYSIS AND RE-
PORTING SYSTEM. 
Section 479(c)(3)(D) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
679(c)(3)(D)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, including infor-
mation on a range of Federal financial and medical assist-
ance that supports children in out-of-home placements,’’ 
after ‘‘programs’’. 
TITLE III—CHILD SUPPORT 
SEC. 301. CHILD SUPPORT COOPERATION REQUIREMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 454 of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 654) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (30) through 
(34) as paragraphs (31) through (35), respectively; 
and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (29) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(30) include a description of— 
‘‘(A) the methods used by the State to de-
termine whether an individual who has applied 
for or is receiving assistance under the State 
program funded under part A, the State pro-
gram under part E, the State program under 
title XIX, or the supplemental nutrition assist-
ance program, as defined under section 3(h) of 
the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
2012(h)), is cooperating in good faith with the 
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