I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5354 
To amend title IV of the Social Security Act to improve supports for kinship 
caregivers in child welfare programs and the program of block grants 
to States for temporary assistance for needy families. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 26, 2016 
Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Ways and Means 
A BILL 
To amend title IV of the Social Security Act to improve 
supports for kinship caregivers in child welfare programs 
and the program of block grants to States for temporary 
assistance for needy families. 
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 ‘‘Improving Supports 
for Kinship Caregivers Act of 2016’’. 
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SEC. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
The amendments made by this Act shall take effect 
on the 1st day of the 1st fiscal year beginning on or after 
the date of the enactment of this Act. 
TITLE 
I—TEMPORARY 
ASSIST-
ANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES 
SEC. 101. STATE NOTIFICATIONS TO RELATIVE CARE-
GIVERS OF CHILD TANF RECIPIENTS. 
(a) REQUIREMENT.—Section 408(a) of the Social Se-
curity Act (42 U.S.C. 608(a)) is amended by adding at 
the end the following: 
‘‘(13) STATE REQUIREMENTS REGARDING NO-
TICE TO RELATIVE CAREGIVERS.—A State to which 
a grant is made under section 403 shall— 
‘‘(A) ensure that the State agency respon-
sible for administering the State program fund-
ed under this part employs a primary kinship 
resource employee who is trained to provide 
guidance to a relative caregiver of a minor child 
if the child is a recipient of assistance under 
the program (or under a State program funded 
with qualified State expenditures (as defined in 
section 409(a)(7)(B)(i))), on legal options re-
garding custody and guardianship of the child, 
including explaining to the relative caregiver 
how each legal option corresponds to the avail-
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ability of benefits and services, and who serves 
as a liaison with other agencies and community 
organizations that provide resources and assist-
ance to relative caregivers; and 
‘‘(B) ensure that the State agency provides 
to any relative caregiver of a minor child if the 
child is a recipient of assistance under the State 
program funded under this part (or under a 
State program funded with qualified State ex-
penditures 
(as 
defined 
in 
section 
409(a)(7)(B)(i))), written notice that— 
‘‘(i) explains the options of the rel-
ative caregiver under Federal, State, and 
local law to participate in the care and 
placement of the child, including the finan-
cial ramifications of the options and any 
options that may be lost by choosing cer-
tain benefits; 
‘‘(ii) describes the requirements under 
section 471(a)(10) to become a foster fam-
ily home and the additional services and 
supports that are available for a child 
placed in such a home; 
‘‘(iii) if the State has elected the op-
tion to make kinship guardianship assist-
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ance payments under section 471(a)(28), 
describes how the relative caregiver may 
enter into an agreement with the State to 
receive the payments; 
‘‘(iv) provides direct contact informa-
tion for other agencies and community or-
ganizations that provide resources and as-
sistance, such as housing, supplemental 
nutrition assistance, health care, and child 
care; and 
‘‘(v) provides direct contact informa-
tion for the primary kinship resource em-
ployee described in subparagraph (A).’’. 
(b) 
INCLUSION
IN
STATE
PLAN.—Section 
402(a)(1)(B) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 602(a)(1)(B)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(vi) The document shall provide a 
detailed explanation of how the State in-
tends to comply with section 408(a)(13).’’. 
(c) PENALTY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 409(a) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 609(a)) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(17) FAILURE
TO
NOTIFY
RELATIVE
CARE-
GIVERS.—If the Secretary determines that a State 
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