Title: Assisting States' Implementation of Plans of Safe Care Act
Policy area: Families

Summary:
Assisting States' Implementation of Plans of Safe Care Act
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to provide states with guidance and technical assistance regarding their plans under the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act for assuring the safe care of infants affected by prenatal substance use.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5890 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5890

   To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide 
   assistance to States in complying with, and implementing, certain 
 provisions of section 106 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment 
   Act in order to promote better protections for young children and 
           family-centered responses, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 21, 2018

  Mr. Garrett (for himself and Mrs. Murphy of Florida) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
                             the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide 
   assistance to States in complying with, and implementing, certain 
 provisions of section 106 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment 
   Act in order to promote better protections for young children and 
           family-centered responses, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Assisting States' Implementation of 
Plans of Safe Care Act''.

SEC. 2. ASSISTING STATES WITH IMPLEMENTATION OF PLANS OF SAFE CARE.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
provide written guidance and, if appropriate, technical assistance to 
support States in complying with, and implementing, subsections 
(b)(2)(B)(iii) and (d)(18) of section 106 of the Child Abuse Prevention 
and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106a) in order to promote better 
protections for young children and family-centered responses.
    (b) Requirements.--The guidance and technical assistance shall--
            (1) enhance States' understanding of requirements and 
        flexibilities under the law, including clarifying key terms;
            (2) address State-identified challenges with developing, 
        implementing, and monitoring plans of safe care;
            (3) disseminate best practices related to developing and 
        implementing plans of safe care, including differential 
        response, collaboration and coordination, and identification 
        and delivery of services, while recognizing needs of different 
        populations and varying community approaches across States;
            (4) support collaboration between health care providers, 
        social service agencies, public health agencies, and the child 
        welfare system, to promote a family-centered treatment 
        approach;
            (5) prevent separation and support reunification of 
        families if in the best interests of the child;
            (6) recommend treatment approaches for serving infants, 
        pregnant women, and postpartum women whose infants may be 
        affected by substance use that are designed to keep infants 
        with their mothers and families whenever appropriate, including 
        recommendations to encourage pregnant women to receive health 
        and other support services during pregnancy;
            (7) support State efforts to develop technology systems to 
        manage and monitor implementation of plans of safe care; and
            (8) help States improve the long-term safety and well-being 
        of young children and their families.
    (c) Construction.--The guidance and technical assistance shall not 
be construed to amend the requirements of the Child Abuse Prevention 
and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5101 et seq.).
    (d) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term ``State'' 
has the meaning given such term in section 3 of the Child Abuse 
Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5101 note).
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