I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3266 
To amend title XXIX of the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the 
program under such title relating to lifespan respite care. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 26, 2011 
Mr. LANGEVIN (for himself and Mrs. MCMORRIS RODGERS) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend title XXIX of the Public Health Service Act 
to reauthorize the program under such title relating to 
lifespan respite care. 
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 ‘‘Lifespan Respite Care 
Reauthorization Act of 2011’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) There are an estimated 62,000,000 family 
caregivers nationwide that provide care for loved 
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ones with chronic, disabling health conditions across 
the lifespan. 
(2) The economic value of uncompensated fam-
ily caregiving to the United States economy was esti-
mated at $450,000,000,000 in 2009, more than 
total Medicaid spending of $366,000,000,000, in-
cluding both Federal and State contributions for 
medical and long-term care in the same year. 
(3) While caring for the aging population re-
mains a growing concern, more than half of care re-
cipients are under age 75, and almost one-third are 
under age 50. 
(4) Respite provides temporary relief to care-
givers from the ongoing responsibility of caring for 
individuals of all ages with special needs. 
(5) Respite care is the most frequently re-
quested family support service. 
(6) Respite has been shown to provide family 
caregivers with the relief necessary to maintain their 
own health, balance work and family, bolster family 
stability, keep marriages intact, and avoid or delay 
more costly nursing home or foster care placements. 
(7) Delaying nursing home, institutional, or fos-
ter care placement of just one individual for several 
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months can save Medicaid, child welfare, or other 
government programs tens of thousands of dollars. 
(8) The Lifespan Respite Care Act of 2006 was 
originally enacted to improve the delivery and qual-
ity of respite care services available to families 
across all age and disability groups by establishing 
coordinated lifespan respite systems. 
(9) Twenty-nine States and the District of Co-
lumbia have received grants under the Lifespan Res-
pite Care Act of 2006 to improve the availability and 
quality of respite services across the lifespan. 
(10) For the Nation’s wounded service members 
and veterans with traumatic brain injuries and other 
conditions, respite systems could be an integral life-
line for families in their new roles as life long family 
caregivers. 
(11) The Department of Veterans Affairs and 
Congress have both acknowledged the unique chal-
lenges facing caregivers of returning service mem-
bers and veterans, as well as the need for increased 
caregiver services. 
(12) Only 15 percent of caregivers caring for 
veterans have received respite services from the Vet-
erans Administration or some other community or-
ganization in 2010. 
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