I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3050
To amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to provide grants to promote 
innovative outreach and enrollment under the Medicaid and State chil-
dren’s health insurance programs, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 23, 2005
Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut (for herself, Mr. TOWNS, Mrs. BONO, Mr. 
KOLBE, Mr. SIMMONS, and Mr. SHAYS) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to provide 
grants to promote innovative outreach and enrollment 
under the Medicaid and State children’s health insurance 
programs, 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 ‘‘Covering Kids Act of 
2005’’.
SEC. 2. GRANTS TO PROMOTE INNOVATIVE OUTREACH AND 
ENROLLMENT UNDER MEDICAID AND SCHIP. 
(a) GRANTS
FOR EXPANDED OUTREACH ACTIVI-
TIES.—Title XXI of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1397aa et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘SEC. 2111. EXPANDED OUTREACH ACTIVITIES. 
‘‘(a) GRANTS TO CONDUCT INNOVATIVE OUTREACH 
AND ENROLLMENT EFFORTS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award 
grants to eligible entities to—
‘‘(A) conduct innovative outreach and en-
rollment efforts that are designed to increase 
the enrollment and participation of eligible chil-
dren under this title and title XIX; and 
‘‘(B) promote understanding of the impor-
tance of health insurance coverage for prenatal 
care and children. 
‘‘(2) PERFORMANCE BONUSES.—The Secretary 
may reserve a portion of the funds appropriated 
under subsection (g) for a fiscal year for the purpose 
of awarding performance bonuses during the suc-
ceeding fiscal year to eligible entities that meet en-
rollment goals or other criteria established by the 
Secretary. 
‘‘(b) PRIORITY FOR AWARD OF GRANTS.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—In making grants under 
subsection (a)(1), the Secretary shall give priority 
to—
‘‘(A) eligible entities that propose to target 
geographic areas with high rates of—
‘‘(i) eligible but unenrolled children, 
including such children who reside in rural 
areas; or 
‘‘(ii) racial and ethnic minorities and 
health disparity populations, including 
those proposals that address cultural and 
linguistic barriers to enrollment; and 
‘‘(B) eligible entities that plan to engage in 
outreach efforts with respect to individuals de-
scribed in subparagraph (A) and that are—
‘‘(i) Federal health safety net organi-
zations; or 
‘‘(ii) faith-based organizations or con-
sortia. 
‘‘(2) 10 PERCENT SET ASIDE FOR OUTREACH 
TO INDIAN CHILDREN.—An amount equal to 10 per-
cent of the funds appropriated under subsection (g) 
for a fiscal year shall be used by the Secretary to 
award grants to Indian Health Service providers and 
urban Indian organizations receiving funds under
title V of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act 
(25 U.S.C. 1651 et seq.) for outreach to, and enroll-
ment of, children who are Indians. 
‘‘(c) APPLICATION.—An eligible entity that desires to 
receive a grant under subsection (a)(1) shall submit an 
application to the Secretary in such form and manner, and 
containing such information, as the Secretary may decide. 
Such application shall include—
‘‘(1) quality and outcomes performance meas-
ures to evaluate the effectiveness of activities funded 
by a grant awarded under this section to ensure that 
the activities are meeting their goals; and 
‘‘(2) an assurance that the entity shall—
‘‘(A) conduct an assessment of the effec-
tiveness of such activities against such perform-
ance measures; and 
‘‘(B) cooperate with the collection and re-
porting of enrollment data and other informa-
tion determined as a result of conducting such 
assessments to the Secretary, in such form and 
manner as the Secretary shall require. 
‘‘(d) DISSEMINATION OF ENROLLMENT DATA AND 
INFORMATION DETERMINED FROM EFFECTIVENESS AS-
SESSMENTS; ANNUAL REPORT.—The Secretary shall—
‘‘(1) disseminate to eligible entities and make 
publicly available the enrollment data and informa-
tion collected and reported in accordance with sub-
section (c)(2)(B); and 
‘‘(2) submit an annual report to Congress on 
the outreach activities funded by grants awarded 
under this section. 
‘‘(e) SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT.—Federal funds 
awarded under this section shall be used to supplement, 
not supplant, non-Federal funds that are otherwise avail-
able for activities funded under this section. 
‘‘(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en-
tity’ means any of the following: 
‘‘(A) A State or local government. 
‘‘(B) A Federal health safety net organiza-
tion. 
‘‘(C) A national, local, or community-based 
public or nonprofit private organization. 
‘‘(D) A faith-based organization or con-
sortia, to the extent that a grant awarded to 
such an entity is consistent with the require-
ments of section 1955 of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300x–65) relating to a 
grant award to non-governmental entities.