To amend section 105(a) of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award a grant to a nonprofit entity for a national child abuse hotline.
Bill: H.R.566 | Sponsor: Rep. McBath, Lucy (D-GA)
Policy area: Families

Summary:
This bill provides for a grant to establish and operate a national hotline that makes available assistance and information services 24 hours a day to victims of child abuse or neglect, their families, caregivers, and individuals required by law to report suspected child abuse or neglect. The Department of Health and Human Services may award the grant to a nonprofit entity and must prioritize grant applicants with experience operating a hotline and providing such assistance and support.

To amend section 105(a) of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act 
  to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award a 
    grant to a nonprofit entity for a national child abuse hotline.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. NATIONAL CHILD ABUSE HOTLINE.

    Section 105(a) of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 
U.S.C. 5106(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(8) National child abuse hotline.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary may award a grant 
                under this subsection to a nonprofit entity to provide 
                for the ongoing operation of a 24-hour, national, toll-
                free telephone hotline to provide information and 
                assistance to youth victims of child abuse or neglect, 
                parents, caregivers, mandated reporters, and other 
                concerned community members, including through 
                alternative modalities for communications (such as 
                texting or chat services) with such victims and other 
                information seekers.
                    ``(B) Priority.--In awarding grants described in 
                this paragraph, the Secretary shall give priority to 
                applicants with experience in operating a hotline that 
                provides assistance to victims of child abuse, parents, 
                caregivers, and mandated reporters.
                    ``(C) Application.--To be eligible to receive a 
                grant described in this paragraph, a nonprofit entity 
                shall submit an application to the Secretary that 
                shall--
                            ``(i) contain such assurances and 
                        information, be in such form, and be submitted 
                        in such manner, as the Secretary shall 
                        prescribe;
                            ``(ii) include a complete description of 
                        the entity's plan for the operation of a 
                        national child abuse hotline, including 
                        descriptions of--
                                    ``(I) the professional development 
                                program for hotline personnel, 
                                including technology professional 
                                development to ensure that all persons 
                                affiliated with the hotline are able to 
                                effectively operate any technological 
                                systems used by the hotline;
                                    ``(II) the qualifications for 
                                hotline personnel;
                                    ``(III) the methods for the 
                                creation, maintenance, and updating of 
                                a comprehensive list of prevention and 
                                treatment service providers;
                                    ``(IV) a plan for publicizing the 
                                availability of the hotline throughout 
                                the United States;
                                    ``(V) a plan for providing service 
                                to non-English speaking callers, 
                                including service through hotline 
                                personnel who have non-English language 
                                capability;
                                    ``(VI) a plan for facilitating 
                                access to the hotline and alternative 
                                modality services by persons with 
                                hearing impairments and disabilities;
                                    ``(VII) a plan for providing crisis 
                                counseling, general assistance, and 
                                referrals to youth victims of child 
                                abuse; and
                                    ``(VIII) a plan to offer 
                                alternative services to calling, such 
                                as texting or live chat;
                            ``(iii) demonstrate that the entity has the 
                        capacity and the expertise to maintain a child 
                        abuse hotline and a comprehensive list of 
                        service providers;
                            ``(iv) demonstrate the ability to provide 
                        information and referrals for contacts, 
                        directly connect contacts to service providers, 
                        and employ crisis interventions;
                            ``(v) demonstrate that the entity has a 
                        commitment to providing services to individuals 
                        in need; and
                            ``(vi) demonstrate that the entity complies 
                        with State privacy laws and has established 
                        quality assurance practices.''.
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