I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3909 
To amend subpart 2 of part B of title IV of the Social Security Act to 
authorize grants to eligible entities to develop and implement statewide 
or tribal post-adoption and post-legal guardianship mental health service 
programs for all children who are adopted or placed in legal guardian-
ship, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 23, 2019 
Mr. LANGEVIN (for himself, Ms. BASS, and Mr. BACON) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means 
A BILL 
To amend subpart 2 of part B of title IV of the Social 
Security Act to authorize grants to eligible entities to 
develop and implement statewide or tribal post-adoption 
and post-legal guardianship mental health service pro-
grams for all children who are adopted or placed in 
legal guardianship, and for other purposes. 
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 Adopted 
Children and Families Act of 2019’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:57 Aug 07, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3909.IH
H3909
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
SEC. 2. FEDERAL GRANT PROGRAM FOR POST-ADOPTION 
AND POST-LEGAL GUARDIANSHIP MENTAL 
HEALTH SERVICES. 
Section 437 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
629g) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(h) POST-ADOPTION AND POST-LEGAL GUARDIAN-
SHIP MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting 
through the Administration for Children and Fami-
lies, shall award grants or cooperative agreements to 
eligible entities to— 
‘‘(A) develop and implement statewide or 
tribal post-adoption and post-legal guardianship 
mental health service programs for all children 
who are adopted or placed in legal guardianship 
and their families; 
‘‘(B) support public organization and pri-
vate nonprofit organizations actively involved in 
statewide or tribal post-adoption and post-legal 
guardianship mental health service programs; 
‘‘(C) collect and analyze data on State- 
sponsored statewide or tribal post-adoption and 
post-legal guardianship mental health service 
programs that can be used to monitor the effec-
tiveness of such services and for research, tech-
nical assistance, and policy development; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:57 Aug 07, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3909.IH
H3909
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
‘‘(D) develop and provide adoption and 
legal guardianship competent educational and 
training opportunities concerning the mental 
health needs of children who are adopted or 
placed in legal guardianship, and their families, 
for use by teachers, social workers, and other 
community mental health service providers; 
‘‘(E) develop and provide materials for po-
tential adoptive parents and legal guardians, 
both for children who already reside in the 
United States at the time of the adoption or 
placement in legal guardianship and for those 
who at such time reside in other countries, de-
scribing the possible need for post-adoption and 
post-legal guardianship mental health services 
and available resources; 
‘‘(F) develop and provide respite care serv-
ices for adoptive and legal guardian families; 
and 
‘‘(G) support research on, and development 
of, promising practices (as defined in section 
471(e)(4)(C)(iii)) for post-adoption and post- 
legal guardianship mental health services. 
‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:57 Aug 07, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3909.IH
H3909
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
‘‘(A) DEFINITION.—In this subsection, the 
term ‘eligible entity’ means— 
‘‘(i) a State; 
‘‘(ii) a public organization or private 
nonprofit organization designated by a 
State to develop or direct the State-spon-
sored statewide post-adoption and post- 
legal guardianship mental health service 
program under a grant under this sub-
section; and 
‘‘(iii) a federally recognized Indian 
tribe or tribal organization (as defined in 
the Indian Self-Determination and Edu-
cation Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450 et 
seq.)) or an urban Indian organization (as 
defined in the Indian Health Care Im-
provement Act (25 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.)) 
that is actively involved in the development 
and continuation of a post-adoption and 
post-legal guardianship mental health serv-
ice program. 
‘‘(B) LIMITATION.—In carrying out this 
subsection, the Secretary shall ensure that each 
State is awarded only 1 grant or cooperative 
agreement under this subsection. For purposes 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:57 Aug 07, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3909.IH
H3909
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
of the preceding sentence, a State shall be con-
sidered to have been awarded a grant or cooper-
ative agreement if the eligible entity involved is 
the State or an entity designated by the State 
under subparagraph (A)(ii). Nothing in this 
subparagraph shall be construed to apply to en-
tities described in subparagraph (A)(iii). 
‘‘(3) PREFERENCE.—In providing assistance 
under a grant or cooperative agreement under this 
subsection, the Secretary shall give preference to— 
‘‘(A) eligible entities that have dem-
onstrated success in increasing the level of 
adoption and legal guardianship competency 
among mental health providers, adoption and 
legal guardianship lawyers, social workers, case 
workers, adoptive parents, and legal guardians; 
and 
‘‘(B) eligible entities that plan to partner 
with their State mental health agency in car-
rying out the activities for which the grant or 
cooperative agreement is made. 
‘‘(4) REQUIREMENT FOR DIRECT SERVICES.— 
Not less than 85 percent of funds received under a 
grant or cooperative agreement under this sub-
section shall be used to provide direct services, of 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:57 Aug 07, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3909.IH
H3909
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
which not less than 5 percent shall be used for ac-
tivities authorized under paragraph (1)(C). 
‘‘(5) COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out this 
subsection, the Secretary shall collaborate with 
relevant Federal agencies and adoption and 
legal guardianship-related working groups to 
promote interaction between domestic foster 
care agencies and private adoption agencies in 
other countries. 
‘‘(B) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out 
this subsection, the Secretary shall consult 
with— 
‘‘(i) State and social service agencies 
engaged in the placement of children for 
adoption, domestically or from other coun-
tries; 
‘‘(ii) local and national organizations 
that serve foster and adopted youth and 
youth placed in legal guardianship; 
‘‘(iii) health and education specialists 
who focus on adoption, legal guardianship, 
and foster care medicine; 
‘‘(iv) youth who have been in foster 
care, adopted, or in legal guardianship, do-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:57 Aug 07, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3909.IH
H3909
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
mestically or from other countries, includ-
ing youth who have experienced adoption 
or guardianship disruptions or dissolutions; 
‘‘(v) families and friends of youth who 
have been in foster care, adopted, or in 
legal guardianship, domestically or from 
other countries, including foster and adop-
tive parents and legal guardians; and 
‘‘(vi) qualified professionals who pos-
sess the specialized knowledge, skills, expe-
rience, and relevant attributes needed to 
serve children who are adopted or placed in 
legal guardianship and their families. 
‘‘(C) POLICY DEVELOPMENT.—In carrying 
out this subsection, the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(i) coordinate and collaborate on pol-
icy development with other relevant De-
partment of Health and Human Services 
agencies and adoption and legal guardian-
ship-related working groups; and 
‘‘(ii) consult on policy development at 
the Federal level with those in the private 
sector engaged in the recruitment of foster 
and adoptive parents and legal guardians, 
the placement of children in foster care, 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:57 Aug 07, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3909.IH
H3909
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
for adoption, and in legal guardianship, 
and the provision of post-adoption and 
post-legal guardianship services. 
‘‘(6) EVALUATION AND REPORT.— 
‘‘(A) EVALUATIONS
BY
ELIGIBLE
ENTI-
TIES.—Not later than 18 months after receipt 
of a grant or cooperative agreement under this 
subsection, an eligible entity shall submit to the 
Secretary the results of an evaluation to be con-
ducted by the entity concerning the effective-
ness of the activities carried out under the 
grant or agreement. 
‘‘(B) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years 
after the date of the enactment of this sub-
section, the Secretary shall submit to the appro-
priate committees of Congress a report con-
cerning the results of— 
‘‘(i) the evaluations conducted under 
subparagraph (A); and 
‘‘(ii) an evaluation conducted by the 
Secretary to analyze the effectiveness and 
efficacy of the activities conducted with 
grants, collaborations, and consultations 
under this subsection. 
‘‘(7) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:57 Aug 07, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3909.IH
H3909
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
‘‘(A) ADOPTION
AND
LEGAL
GUARDIAN-
SHIP COMPETENCY.—The term ‘adoption and 
legal guardianship competency’ means an un-
derstanding of— 
‘‘(i) the nature of adoption and legal 
guardianship as a form of family formation 
and the different types of adoption and 
legal guardianship; 
‘‘(ii) relevant emotional and physical 
issues involved in the adoption and legal 
guardianship process, including issues re-
lating to separation, loss, attachment, 
abuse, trauma, and neglect; 
‘‘(iii) common developmental chal-
lenges associated with adoption and legal 
guardianship; 
‘‘(iv) the characteristics and skills 
that allow for successful adoptive and legal 
guardian families; 
‘‘(v) proper sensitivity with respect to 
the different geographic, ethnic, or cultural 
backgrounds of children who are adopted 
or placed in legal guardianship and their 
families; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:57 Aug 07, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3909.IH
H3909
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
‘‘(vi) the necessary skills for effec-
tively advocating on behalf of birth and 
adoptive and legal guardian families. 
‘‘(B) POST-ADOPTION
AND
POST-LEGAL 
GUARDIANSHIP MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.— 
The term ‘post-adoption and post-legal guard-
ianship mental health services’ includes— 
‘‘(i) adoption and legal guardianship 
competent mental health direct services, in-
cluding 
training, 
educational 
support, 
counseling, and other services for adoptive 
and legal guardian parents and families 
that address caregiver interests and con-
cerns regarding child behavioral issues that 
are common among children who are 
adopted, placed in legal guardianship, or 
placed in foster care, including, as appro-
priate— 
‘‘(I) caring for a child who is 
adopted or placed in legal guardian-
ship and has emotional, behavioral, or 
developmental health needs; and 
‘‘(II) providing for the emotional 
needs of a child who is adopted or 
placed in legal guardianship, including 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:57 Aug 07, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3909.IH
H3909
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
issues relating to attachment, identity, 
abandonment, 
cultural 
differences, 
grief, loss, and trauma; 
‘‘(ii) peer-to-peer mentoring and sup-
port groups that permit a newly adoptive 
parent or legal guardian to communicate 
and learn from more experienced adoptive 
parents and legal guardians; 
‘‘(iii) the provision of informational 
resources and available services for adop-
tive parents and legal guardians; 
‘‘(iv) direct services, including coun-
seling, peer-to-peer mentoring and support 
groups, and other services for children who 
are adopted or placed in legal guardianship 
that address common behavioral and ad-
justment issues, including, as appro-
priate— 
‘‘(I) support services for a child 
who is adopted or placed in legal 
guardianship with emotional, behav-
ioral, or developmental health needs; 
‘‘(II) support services that ad-
dress the emotional needs of a child 
who is adopted or placed in legal 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:57 Aug 07, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3909.IH
H3909
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
guardianship, including issues relating 
to attachment, identity, abandonment, 
cultural differences, grief, loss, and 
trauma; and 
‘‘(III) treatment services that are 
specialized for children who are adopt-
ed or placed in legal guardianship, in-
cluding psychiatric residential serv-
ices, outpatient mental health services, 
social skills training, intensive in- 
home supervision services, recreational 
therapy, suicide prevention, and sub-
stance abuse treatment; 
‘‘(v) peer-to-peer mentoring and sup-
port groups that allow children who are 
adopted or placed in legal guardianship to 
communicate and socialize with other such 
children; and 
‘‘(vi) crisis intervention and family 
preservation services. 
‘‘(8) LIMITATIONS ON AUTHORIZATION OF AP-
PROPRIATIONS.—For grants under this subsection, 
there are authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:57 Aug 07, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3909.IH
H3909
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
retary not more than $10,000,000 for fiscal year 
2020, to remain available until expended.’’. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:57 Aug 07, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00013
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H3909.IH
H3909
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS