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SEC. 14. USE OF INTERJURISDICTIONAL RESOURCES. 
Section 422(b)(12) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 622(b)(12)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘develop plans for the’’ and in-
serting ‘‘make’’; 
(2) by inserting ‘‘(including through contracts 
for the purchase of services)’’ after ‘‘resources’’; and 
(3) by inserting ‘‘, and shall eliminate legal bar-
riers,’’ before ‘‘to facilitate’’. 
SEC. 15. GAO STUDY ON CHILD WELFARE BACKGROUND 
CHECKS. 
(a) STUDY.—The Comptroller General of the United 
States shall conduct a study of background checks that 
are performed for the purpose of determining the appro-
priateness of placing in a foster or adoptive home a child 
who is under the custody of a State. The study shall re-
view the policies and practices of States in order to—
(1) identify the most common delays in the 
background clearance process and where in the proc-
ess the delays occur; 
(2) describe when background checks are initi-
ated; 
(3) determine which of local, State, or Federal 
(such as FBI) background checks are used, how 
long it takes, on average, for each kind of check to 
be processed, which crimes or other events are in-
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cluded in each kind of check, how the States differ 
in classifying the crimes and other events checked, 
and how the information revealed by the checks is 
used in determining eligibility to act as a foster or 
adoptive parent; 
(4) examine the barriers child welfare agencies 
face in accessing criminal background check infor-
mation; 
(5) examine the use of the latest information-
sharing 
technology, 
including 
electronic 
fingerprinting and participation in the Integrated 
Automated Fingerprinting Information System; 
(6) identify the varied uses of such technology 
for child welfare purposes as opposed to criminal 
justice purposes; and 
(7) recommend best practices that can increase 
the speed, efficiency, and accuracy of child welfare 
background checks at all levels of government. 
(b) REPORT TO THE CONGRESS.—Within 12 months 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comp-
troller General of the United States shall submit to the 
Committees on Ways and Means and on Education and 
the Workforce of the House of Representatives and the 
Committees on Finance and on Health, Education, Labor,
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and Pensions of the Senate a report which contains the 
results of the study required by subsection (a). 
SEC. 16. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise provided in 
this section, the amendments made by this Act shall take 
effect on October 1, 2004, and shall apply to payments 
under parts B and E of title IV of the Social Security 
Act for calendar quarters beginning on or after such date, 
without regard to whether regulations to implement the 
amendments are promulgated by such date. 
(b) ELIMINATION OF OPT-OUT.—The amendments 
made by section 5(b) shall take effect on October 1, 2006, 
and shall apply to payments under part E of title IV of 
the Social Security Act for calendar quarters beginning 
on or after such date, without regard to whether regula-
tions to implement the amendments are promulgated by 
such date. 
(c) DELAY PERMITTED IF STATE LEGISLATION RE-
QUIRED.—If the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
determines that State legislation (other than legislation 
appropriating funds) is required in order for a State plan 
under part B or E of title IV of the Social Security Act 
to meet the additional requirements imposed by the 
amendments made by a provision of this Act, the plan 
shall not be regarded as failing to meet any of the addi-
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tional requirements before the 1st day of the 1st calendar 
quarter beginning after the first regular session of the 
State legislature that begins after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act (or, in the case of the amendments made 
by section 5(b), the 1st day of the 1st calendar quarter 
beginning after the first such regular session that begins 
after the effective date of such section). If the State has 
a 2-year legislative session, each year of the session is 
deemed to be a separate regular session of the State legis-
lature.
Passed the House of Representatives October 5, 
2004. 
Attest: 
JEFF TRANDAHL, 
Clerk.