Title: COURTS Act
Policy area: Social Welfare

Summary:
Continuation of Useful Resources to States Act or the COURTS Act
This bill reauthorizes through FY2028, and otherwise makes changes to, the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program, which provides funding to states, territories, and tribes for child and family services.
Among other changes, recipients of certain grants to improve child welfare proceedings in court systems must use a minimum percentage of funds on data collection and data sharing activities between the court systems and child welfare agencies.
In addition, the bill provides funding for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Contingency Fund through FY2021.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4514 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4514

To amend subpart 2 of part B of title IV of the Social Security Act to 
 extend State court funding for child welfare, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 26, 2019

  Mr. Brady introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend subpart 2 of part B of title IV of the Social Security Act to 
 extend State court funding for child welfare, 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 ``Continuation of Useful Resources to 
States Act'' or ``COURTS Act''.

SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF STATE COURT FUNDING FOR CHILD WELFARE.

    (a) In General.--Section 436(a) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 629f) is amended by striking ``2017 through 2021'' and inserting 
``2022 through 2028''.
    (b) Program Changes.--Section 438 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 629h) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``in 
                        a timely and complete manner'' before ``, as 
                        set forth''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking the 
                        semicolon and inserting ``, including by 
                        training judges, attorneys, and other legal 
                        personnel.''; and
                    (B) by striking paragraphs (3) and (4);
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) by striking paragraph (2);
                    (B) by striking all that precedes ``be eligible to 
                receive'' and inserting the following:
    ``(b) Applications.--In order to''; and
                    (C) in the matter preceding paragraph (2)--
                            (i) by moving the matter 2 ems to the left;
                            (ii) in subparagraph (A)--
                                    (I) by striking ``(A) in the case 
                                of a grant for the purpose described in 
                                subsection (a)(3),'' and inserting 
                                ``(1)''; and
                                    (II) by inserting ``use not less 
                                than 30 percent of grant funds to'' 
                                before ``collaborate'';
                            (iii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
                        ``(B) in the case of a grant for the purpose 
                        described in subsection (a)(4),'' and inserting 
                        ``(2)''; and
                            (iv) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``(C) 
                        in the case of a grant for the purpose 
                        described in subsection (a),'' and inserting 
                        ``(3)'';
            (3) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:
    ``(c) Amount of Grant.--
            ``(1) In general.--From the amounts reserved under sections 
        436(b)(2) and 437(b)(2) for a fiscal year, each highest State 
        court that has an application approved under this section for 
        the fiscal year shall be entitled to payment of an amount equal 
        to the sum of--
                    ``(A) $255,000; and
                    ``(B) the amount described in paragraph (2) with 
                respect to the court and the fiscal year.
            ``(2) Amount described.--The amount described in this 
        paragraph with respect to a court and a fiscal year is the 
        amount that bears the same ratio to the total of the amounts 
        reserved under sections 436(b)(2) and 437(b)(2) for grants 
        under this section for the fiscal year (after applying 
        paragraphs (1)(A) and (3) of this subsection) as the number of 
        individuals in the State in which the court is located who have 
        not attained 21 years of age bears to the total number of such 
        individuals in all States with a highest State court that has 
        an approved application under this section for the fiscal year.
            ``(3) Indian tribes.--From the amounts reserved under 
        section 436(b)(2) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall, 
        before applying paragraph (1) of this subsection, allocate 
        $1,000,000 for grants to be awarded on a competitive basis 
        among the highest courts of Indian tribes or tribal consortia 
        that--
                    ``(A) are operating a program under part E, in 
                accordance with section 479B;
                    ``(B) are seeking to operate a program under part E 
                and have received an implementation grant under section 
                476; or
                    ``(C) have a court responsible for proceedings 
                related to foster care or adoption.''; and
            (4) in subsection (d), by striking ``2017 through 2021'' 
        and inserting ``2018 through 2022''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect on October 1, 2019.

SEC. 3. ADJUSTMENT TO THE TANF CONTINGENCY FUND FOR STATE WELFARE 
              PROGRAMS.

    Section 403(b)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 603(b)(2)) 
is amended by striking ``2018'' and all that follows and inserting 
``2020 $468,000,000, and for fiscal year 2021 such sums as are 
necessary for payment to the Fund in a total amount not to exceed 
$608,000,000''.
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