I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1650 
To establish a national, research-based, and comprehensive home study assess-
ment process for the evaluation of prospective foster parents and adoptive 
parents and provide funding to States and Indian tribes to adopt such 
process. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 21, 2017 
Mr. HUFFMAN (for himself, Mr. RUSSELL, and Ms. BASS) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the 
Workforce 
A BILL 
To establish a national, research-based, and comprehensive 
home study assessment process for the evaluation of 
prospective foster parents and adoptive parents and pro-
vide funding to States and Indian tribes to adopt such 
process. 
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 ‘‘National Adoption and 
Foster Care Home Study Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM FOR THE IMPLEMEN-
TATION OF A NATIONAL HOME STUDY PROC-
ESS. 
Title II of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment 
Act and Adoption Reform Act of 1978 (42 U.S.C. 5111 
et seq.) is amended— 
(1) in section 203(b) (42 U.S.C. 5113(b))— 
(A) in paragraph (3)(A), by striking ‘‘(in-
cluding’’ and inserting ‘‘(including the national 
database established under section 203A(c) but 
containing’’; 
(B) in paragraph (10), by striking ‘‘; and’’ 
and inserting ‘‘;’’; 
(C) in paragraph (11), by striking the pe-
riod and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(D) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(12) establish a demonstration program, not 
later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the 
National Adoption and Foster Care Home Study 
Act, through which each participating State or In-
dian tribe— 
‘‘(A) adopts the uniform, research-based 
home study methodology for the evaluation of 
prospective foster parents and adoptive parents 
developed by the Secretary under section 
203A(a); and 
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‘‘(B) provides data gathered through oper-
ation of the program to the Secretary, as the 
Secretary may require for purposes of the na-
tional database under section 203A(c).’’; 
(2) by inserting after section 203 (42 U.S.C. 
5113) the following: 
‘‘SEC. 203A. NATIONAL HOME STUDY DEMONSTRATION PRO-
GRAMS; NATIONAL DATABASE. 
‘‘(a) PROGRAM METHODOLOGY.—Each demonstra-
tion program established by a State or Indian tribe in ac-
cordance with section 203(b)(12) shall use a uniform, re-
search-based home study methodology for the evaluation 
of prospective foster parents and adoptive parents (devel-
oped by the Secretary after consultation with stakeholders 
and professionals in the field of child welfare) that shall— 
‘‘(1) incorporate— 
‘‘(A) information gathering tools, includ-
ing— 
‘‘(i) an initial written questionnaire 
that is a uniform set of closed-ended ques-
tions with a variety of possible answers 
that provides significant family informa-
tion; 
‘‘(ii) a secondary in-person question-
naire that is administered in a private set-
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ting in the home, and, if applicable, with 
both applicants present together; and 
‘‘(iii) guidelines that describe stand-
ardized questions that an individual serv-
ing as a reference for the applicant uses in 
writing a reference letter, to be sent di-
rectly to such individual and not shared 
with the applicant, and which is consistent 
with 
the 
questionnaires 
described 
in 
clauses (i) and (ii); 
‘‘(B) a written guidance document to assist 
home study practitioners in performing a psy-
chosocial evaluation of the applicant that— 
‘‘(i) provides instructions on how to 
systematically analyze information learned 
from the information gathering tools de-
scribed in subparagraph (A) in order to 
identify specific strengths and concerns of 
the applicant; 
‘‘(ii) provides sufficient information 
for the home study practitioner to deter-
mine the significance of behaviors and 
events in the applicant’s life in relation to 
being a successful foster care or adoption 
provider; and 
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‘‘(iii) includes a rating system that 
will be incorporated into the home study 
report described in subparagraph (C); and 
‘‘(C) a model home study report that may, 
at the discretion of the Secretary, be cus-
tomized by a State or Indian tribe as necessary 
to comply with State or tribal and local regula-
tions and requirements; 
‘‘(2) ensure ongoing training of home study cer-
tified personnel; and 
‘‘(3) designate a home study auditor to ensure 
quality control and accuracy of information provided 
to placing agencies. 
‘‘(b) GRANTS.—The Secretary shall make grants to 
States and Indian tribes to enable and encourage the 
States and Indian tribes to establish demonstration pro-
grams in accordance with section 203(b)(12). 
‘‘(c) NATIONAL DATABASE.—The Secretary shall es-
tablish a secure national database of home study reports 
filed by home study practitioners using the home study 
methodology described in subsection (a). Such database 
shall be accessible only to State and tribal foster care and 
adoption agencies, or a designated entity, as determined 
by the lead agency in the State, to assist with the selection 
of prospective foster parents and adoptive parents. 
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‘‘(d) CONDITION ON PARTICIPATION IN DEMONSTRA-
TION PROJECT.—As a condition for participating in the 
demonstration program under section 203(b)(12), a State 
or Indian tribe shall agree to recognize as valid all home 
study reports listed in the database described in subsection 
(c), including such reports filed by other States or Indian 
tribes. 
‘‘(e) EVALUATION.—The Secretary shall enter into a 
contract with an independent entity to— 
‘‘(1) carry out a periodic evaluation of the home 
study methodology established under subsection (a) 
and the demonstration programs established in ac-
cordance with section 203(b)(12); and 
‘‘(2) submit to the Secretary a report that in-
cludes— 
‘‘(A) a description of the extent to which 
such methodology— 
‘‘(i) meets the requirements of each of 
paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection 
(a); 
‘‘(ii) expedites the screening of care-
givers to promote more family-based care 
over institutional care for children; 
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‘‘(iii) provides cost savings to State or 
Indian tribe foster care and adoption sys-
tems; 
‘‘(iv) reduces the number of children 
waiting for foster care or adoptive place-
ment; and 
‘‘(v) reduces the number of prospec-
tive families waiting for foster care or 
adoptive placement; and 
‘‘(B) recommendations for expanding the 
demonstration program and home study meth-
odology to all States and Indian tribes.’’; and 
(3) in section 205(b) (42 U.S.C. 5115(b)), by 
adding at the end the following: ‘‘The Secretary may 
allocate such sums as the Secretary determines to be 
appropriate from the funds appropriated under sub-
section (a) for activities under section 203(b)(12) 
and 203A.’’. 
Æ 
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