Title: Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act
Policy area: Families

Summary:
Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act
This bill reauthorizes through FY2025 and revises the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act and the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act of 1978 to expand services for preventing and treating child abuse.
Specifically, the bill establishes requirements concerning collecting and exchanging data about child abuse and neglect. For instance, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to (1) establish uniform national standards for tracking and reporting child fatalities and near-fatalities resulting from maltreatment, and (2) develop an electronic interstate data exchange system that allows states to share information from their child abuse and neglect registries with other states.
In addition, the bill addresses
Finally, the bill requires HHS to examine unregulated custody transfers and make recommendations for preventing, identifying, and responding to such transfers.











[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2480 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2480

 To reauthorize the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 2, 2019

Ms. Schrier (for herself, Mr. Comer, Mrs. Trahan, Mr. Johnson of South 
Dakota, Ms. Bonamici, Ms. Stefanik, Mr. Scott of Virginia, and Ms. Foxx 
of North Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                  the Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To reauthorize the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, 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 ``Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and 
Treatment Act''.

SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    The table of contents of this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Table of contents.
                        TITLE I--GENERAL PROGRAM

Sec. 101. Repeal of findings.
Sec. 102. Repeal of Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect.
Sec. 103. National clearinghouse for information relating to child 
                            abuse.
Sec. 104. Research and assistance activities.
Sec. 105. Grants to States, Indian Tribes or tribal organizations, and 
                            public or private agencies and 
                            organizations.
Sec. 106. Grants to States for child abuse or neglect prevention and 
                            treatment programs.
Sec. 107. Miscellaneous requirements.
Sec. 108. Reports.
Sec. 109. Authorization of appropriations.
Sec. 110. National electronic interstate data exchange system.
Sec. 111. Technical and conforming amendments.
TITLE II--COMMUNITY-BASED GRANTS FOR THE PREVENTION OF CHILD ABUSE AND 
                                NEGLECT

Sec. 201. Purpose and authority.
Sec. 202. Eligibility.
Sec. 203. Amount of grant.
Sec. 204. Application.
Sec. 205. Local program requirements.
Sec. 206. Performance measures.
Sec. 207. National network for community-based family resource 
                            programs.
Sec. 208. Definitions.
Sec. 209. Rule of construction.
Sec. 210. Authorization of appropriations.
Sec. 211. Study and report.
                   TITLE III--ADOPTION OPPORTUNITIES

Sec. 301. Purpose.
Sec. 302. Report and guidance on unregulated custody transfers.
Sec. 303. Information and services.
Sec. 304. Study and report on successful adoptions.
Sec. 305. Authorization of appropriations.

                        TITLE I--GENERAL PROGRAM

SEC. 101. REPEAL OF FINDINGS.

    Section 2 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 
U.S.C. 5101 note) is repealed.

SEC. 102. REPEAL OF ADVISORY BOARD ON CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT.

    Section 102 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 
U.S.C. 5102) is repealed.

SEC. 103. NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE FOR INFORMATION RELATING TO CHILD 
              ABUSE.

    Section 103 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 
U.S.C. 5104) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)(1), by inserting ``early learning 
        programs and'' after ``including'';
            (2) in subsection (c)(1)(C)--
                    (A) in clause (iii), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in clause (iv), by adding ``and'' at the end; 
                and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(v) the number of child fatalities and 
                        near fatalities due to maltreatment, as 
                        reported by States in accordance with the 
                        uniform standards established pursuant to 
                        subsection (d), and any other relevant 
                        information related to such fatalities;''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(d) Uniform Standards for Tracking and Reporting of Child 
Fatalities Resulting From Maltreatment.--
            ``(1) Regulations required.--Not later than 24 months after 
        the date of the enactment of the Stronger Child Abuse 
        Prevention and Treatment Act, the Secretary shall develop and 
        issue final regulations establishing uniform standards for the 
        tracking and reporting of child fatalities and near-fatalities 
        resulting from maltreatment. As a condition on eligibility for 
        receipt of funds under section 105, 106, or 107, the standards 
        established under this paragraph shall be used by States for 
        the tracking and reporting of such fatalities to the national 
        clearinghouse established under subsection (a).
            ``(2) Maintenance of state law.--Notwithstanding the 
        uniform standards developed under paragraph (1), a State that 
        defines or describes such fatalities for any purpose other than 
        tracking and reporting under this subsection may continue to 
        use that definition or description for such purpose.
            ``(3) Negotiated rulemaking.--In developing regulations 
        under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit such 
        regulations to a negotiated rulemaking process, which shall 
        include the participants described in paragraph (4).
            ``(4) Participants described.--The participants described 
        in this paragraph are--
                    ``(A) State and county officials responsible for 
                administering the State plans under this Act and parts 
                B and E of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 
                U.S.C. 621 et seq., 670 et seq.);
                    ``(B) child welfare professionals with field 
                experience;
                    ``(C) child welfare researchers;
                    ``(D) domestic violence researchers;
                    ``(E) domestic violence professionals;
                    ``(F) child development professionals;
                    ``(G) mental health professionals;
                    ``(H) emergency medicine physicians;
                    ``(I) child abuse pediatricians, as certified by 
                the American Board of Pediatrics, who specialize in 
                treating victims of child abuse;
                    ``(J) forensic pathologists;
                    ``(K) public health administrators;
                    ``(L) public health researchers;
                    ``(M) law enforcement;
                    ``(N) family court judges;
                    ``(O) prosecutors;
                    ``(P) medical examiners and coroners;
                    ``(Q) a representative from the National Center for 
                Fatality Review and Prevention; and
                    ``(R) such other individuals and entities as the 
                Secretary determines to be appropriate.''.

SEC. 104. RESEARCH AND ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES.

    Section 104 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 
U.S.C. 5105) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
            ``(1) Topics.--The Secretary shall, in consultation with 
        other Federal agencies and recognized experts in the field, 
        carry out a continuing interdisciplinary program of research, 
        including longitudinal research, that is designed to provide 
        information needed to improve primary prevention of child abuse 
        and neglect, better protect children from child abuse or 
        neglect, and improve the well-being of victims of child abuse 
        or neglect, with at least a portion of such research being 
        field initiated. Such research program may focus on--
                    ``(A) disseminating evidence-based treatment 
                directed to individuals and families experiencing 
                trauma due to child abuse and neglect, including 
                efforts to improve the scalability of the treatments 
                and programs being researched;
                    ``(B) developing a set of evidence-based approaches 
                to support child and family well-being and developing 
                ways to identify, relieve, and mitigate stressors 
                affecting families in rural, urban, and suburban 
                communities;
                    ``(C) establishing methods to promote racial equity 
                in the child welfare system, including a focus on how 
                neglect is defined, how services are provided, and the 
                unique impact on Native American, Alaska Native, and 
                Native Hawaiian communities;
                    ``(D) improving service delivery or outcomes for 
                child protective service agencies engaged with families 
                experiencing domestic violence, substance use disorder, 
                or other complex needs;
                    ``(E) the extent to which the number of 
                unsubstantiated, unfounded, and false reported cases of 
                child abuse or neglect have contributed to the 
                inability of a State to respond effectively to serious 
                cases of child abuse or neglect;
                    ``(F) the extent to which the lack of adequate 
                resources and the lack of adequate professional 
                development of individuals required by law to report 
                suspected cases of child abuse and neglect have 
                contributed to the inability of a State to respond 
                effectively to serious cases of child abuse and 
                neglect;
                    ``(G) the extent to which unsubstantiated reports 
                return as more serious cases of child abuse or neglect;
                    ``(H) the incidence and outcomes of child abuse and 
                neglect allegations reported within the context of 
                divorce, custody, or other family court proceedings, 
                and the interaction between family courts and the child 
                protective services system;
                    ``(I) the information on the national incidence of 
                child abuse and neglect specified in clauses (i) 
                through (xi) of subparagraph (J); and
                    ``(J) the national incidence of child abuse and 
                neglect, including--
                            ``(i) the extent to which incidents of 
                        child abuse and neglect are increasing or 
                        decreasing in number and severity;
                            ``(ii) the incidence of substantiated and 
                        unsubstantiated reported child abuse and 
                        neglect cases;
                            ``(iii) the number of substantiated cases 
                        that result in a judicial finding of child 
                        abuse or neglect or related criminal court 
                        convictions;
                            ``(iv) the extent to which the number of 
                        unsubstantiated, unfounded and false reported 
                        cases of child abuse or neglect have 
                        contributed to the inability of a State to 
                        respond effectively to serious cases of child 
                        abuse or neglect;
                            ``(v) the extent to which the lack of 
                        adequate resources and the lack of adequate 
                        education of individuals required by law to 
                        report suspected cases of child abuse and 
                        neglect have contributed to the inability of a 
                        State to respond effectively to serious cases 
                        of child abuse and neglect;
                            ``(vi) the number of unsubstantiated, 
                        false, or unfounded reports that have resulted 
                        in a child being placed in substitute care, and 
                        the duration of such placement;
                            ``(vii) the extent to which unsubstantiated 
                        reports return as more serious cases of child 
                        abuse or neglect;
                            ``(viii) the incidence and prevalence of 
                        physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and 
                        physical and emotional neglect in substitute 
                        care;
                            ``(ix) the incidence and prevalence of 
                        child maltreatment by a wide array of 
                        demographic characteristics such as age, sex, 
                        race, family structure, household relationship 
                        (including the living arrangement of the 
                        resident parent and family size), school 
                        enrollment and education attainment, 
                        disability, grandparents as caregivers, labor 
                        force status, work status in previous year, and 
                        income in previous year;
                            ``(x) the extent to which reports of 
                        suspected or known instances of child abuse or 
                        neglect involving a potential combination of 
                        jurisdictions, such as intrastate, interstate, 
                        Federal-State, and State-Tribal, are being 
                        screened out solely on the basis of the cross-
                        jurisdictional complications; and
                            ``(xi) the incidence and outcomes of child 
                        abuse and neglect allegations reported within 
                        the context of divorce, custody, or other 
                        family court proceedings, and the interaction 
                        between family courts and the child protective 
                        services system.'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``paragraph 
                (1)(O)'' and inserting ``paragraph (1)(J)'';
                    (C) by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows:
            ``(3) Reporting requirements.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Not later than 4 years after the 
                date of the enactment of the Stronger Child Abuse 
                Prevention and Treatment Act, the Secretary shall 
                prepare and submit to the Committee on Education and 
                Labor of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
                on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate 
                a report that contains the results of the research 
                conducted under paragraph (2).
                    ``(B) National incidence.--The Secretary shall 
                ensure that research conducted, and data collected, 
                under paragraph (1)(J) are reported in a way that will 
                allow longitudinal comparisons as well as comparisons 
                to reports issued on research conducted under section 
                104(a)(1)(O) of this Act, as in effect before the 
                effective date of the Stronger Child Abuse Prevention 
                and Treatment Act.''; and
                    (D) by striking the second paragraph (4);
            (2) in subsection (b), by amending paragraph (2) to read as 
        follows:
            ``(2) Areas of emphasis; evaluation.--Such technical 
        assistance--
                    ``(A) shall focus on--
                            ``(i) implementing strategies that can 
                        leverage existing community-based and State 
                        funded resources to prevent child abuse and 
                        neglect and providing education for individuals 
                        involved in prevention activities;
                            ``(ii) reducing racial bias in child 
                        welfare systems, including how such systems 
                        interact with health, law enforcement, and 
                        education systems;
                            ``(iii) promoting best practices for 
                        families experiencing domestic violence, 
                        substance use disorder, or other complex needs; 
                        and
                            ``(iv) providing professional development 
                        and other technical assistance to child welfare 
                        agencies to improve the understanding of and to 
                        help address the effects of trauma and adverse 
                        childhood experiences in parents and children 
                        in contact with the child welfare system; and
                    ``(B) may include an evaluation or identification 
                of--
                            ``(i) various methods and procedures for 
                        the investigation, assessment, and prosecution 
                        of child physical and sexual abuse cases;
                            ``(ii) ways to mitigate psychological 
                        trauma to the child victim;
                            ``(iii) effective programs carried out by 
                        the States under titles I and II; and
                            ``(iv) effective approaches being utilized 
                        to link child protective service agencies with 
                        health care, mental health care, and 
                        developmental services to improve forensic 
                        diagnosis and health evaluations, and barriers 
                        and shortages to such linkages.'';
            (3) in subsection (c), by striking paragraph (3); and
            (4) by striking subsection (e).

SEC. 105. GRANTS TO STATES, INDIAN TRIBES OR TRIBAL ORGANIZATIONS, AND 
              PUBLIC OR PRIVATE AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS.

    Section 105 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 
U.S.C. 5106) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph 
                (10); and
                    (B) by striking paragraphs (1) through (6) and 
                inserting the following:
            ``(1) Prevention services.--The Secretary may award grants 
        under this subsection to entities to establish or expand 
        prevention services that reduce incidences of child 
        maltreatment and strengthen families.
            ``(2) Traumatic stress.--The Secretary may award grants 
        under this subsection to entities to address instances of 
        traumatic stress in families due to child abuse and neglect, 
        especially for families with complex needs or families that 
        exhibit high levels of adverse childhood experiences.
            ``(3) Professional development.--The Secretary may award 
        grants under this subsection to entities to educate 
        professionals and paraprofessionals in prevention, 
        identification, and treatment of child abuse and neglect.
            ``(4) Improving coordination.--The Secretary may award 
        grants under this subsection to entities to carry out 
        activities to improve intrastate coordination among child 
        welfare systems. Such activities may include--
                    ``(A) aligning information technology systems;
                    ``(B) improving information sharing regarding child 
                and family referrals; or
                    ``(C) creating collaborative voluntary partnerships 
                among public and private agencies, the State's child 
                protective services, local social service agencies, 
                community-based family support programs, State and 
                local legal agencies, developmental disability 
                agencies, substance use disorder treatment providers, 
                health care providers and agencies, domestic violence 
                prevention programs, mental health services, schools 
                and early learning providers, religious entities, and 
                other community-based programs.
            ``(5) Primary prevention.--The Secretary may award grants 
        under this subsection to entities to carry out or expand 
        primary prevention programs or strategies that address family 
        or community protective factors.
            ``(6) Neglect due to economic insecurity.--The Secretary 
        may award grants under this subsection to entities to carry out 
        programs or strategies that reduce findings of child neglect 
        due in full or in part to family economic insecurity.
            ``(7) Education of mandatory reporters.--The Secretary may 
        award grants under this subsection to entities for projects 
        that involve research-based strategies for innovative education 
        of mandated child abuse and neglect reporters, and for victims 
        to understand mandatory reporting.
            ``(8) Sentinel injuries.--The Secretary may award grants 
        under this subsection to entities to identify and test 
        effective practices to improve early detection and management 
        of injuries indicative of potential abuse in infants to prevent 
        future cases of child abuse and related fatalities.
            ``(9) Innovative partnerships.--The Secretary may award 
        grants under this subsection to entities to carry out 
        innovative programs or strategies to coordinate the delivery of 
        services to help reduce child abuse and neglect via 
        partnerships among health, mental health, education (including 
        early learning and care programs as appropriate), and child 
        welfare agencies and providers.''; and
            (2) by striking subsections (b) and (c) and inserting the 
        following:
    ``(b) Goals and Performance.--The Secretary shall ensure that each 
entity receiving a grant under this section--
            ``(1) establishes quantifiable goals for the outcome of the 
        project funded with the grant; and
            ``(2) adequately measures the performance of the project 
        relative to such goals.
    ``(c) Performance Report Required.--
            ``(1) In general.--Each entity that receives a grant under 
        this section shall submit to the Secretary a performance report 
        that includes--
                    ``(A) an evaluation of the effectiveness of the 
                project funded with the grant relative to the goals 
                established for such project under subsection (b)(1); 
                and
                    ``(B) data supporting such evaluation.
            ``(2) Submission.--The report under paragraph (1) shall be 
        submitted to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and 
        containing such information as the Secretary may require.
    ``(d) Continuing Grants.--The Secretary may only award a continuing 
grant to an entity under this section if such entity submits a 
performance report required under subsection (c) that demonstrates 
effectiveness of the project funded.''.

SEC. 106. GRANTS TO STATES FOR CHILD ABUSE OR NEGLECT PREVENTION AND 
              TREATMENT PROGRAMS.

    (a) Development and Operation Grants.--Subsection (a) of section 
106 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106a) 
is amended to read as follows:
    ``(a) Development and Operation Grants.--The Secretary shall make 
grants to the States, from allotments under subsection (f) for each 
State that applies for a grant under this section, for purposes of 
assisting the States in improving and implementing a child protective 
services system that is family-centered, integrates community services, 
and is capable of providing rapid response to high-risk cases, by 
carrying out the following:
            ``(1) Conducting the intake, assessment, screening, and 
        investigation of reports of child abuse or neglect.
            ``(2) Ensuring that reports concerning a child's living 
        arrangements or subsistence needs are addressed through 
        services or benefits and that no child is separated from such 
        child's parent for reasons of poverty.
            ``(3) Creating and improving the use of multidisciplinary 
        teams and interagency, intra-agency, interstate, and intrastate 
        protocols to enhance fair investigations; and improving legal 
        preparation and representation.
            ``(4) Complying with the assurances in section 106(b)(2).
            ``(5) Establishing State and local networks of child and 
        family service providers that support child and family well-
        being, which shall--
                    ``(A) include agencies, including child protective 
                services, and service providers, that address family-
                strengthening, parenting skills, child development, 
                early childhood care and learning, child advocacy, 
                public health, mental health, substance use disorder 
                treatment, domestic violence, developmental 
                disabilities, juvenile justice, elementary and 
                secondary education, and child placement; and
                    ``(B) address instances of child abuse and neglect 
                by incorporating evaluations that assess the 
                development of a child, including communication, 
                social, and emotional skills, mental health services, 
                trauma-related services, trauma-informed care, and 
                parental needs.
            ``(6) Ensuring child protective services is addressing the 
        safety of children and responding to parent and family needs, 
        which shall include--
                    ``(A) family-oriented efforts that emphasize case 
                assessment and follow up casework focused on child 
                safety and child and parent well-being, which may 
                include--
                            ``(i) ensuring parents and children undergo 
                        physical and mental health assessments, as 
                        appropriate, and ongoing developmental 
                        monitoring;
                            ``(ii) multidisciplinary approaches to 
                        assessing family needs and connecting the 
                        family with services, including prevention 
                        services under section 471 of the Social 
                        Security Act (42 U.S.C. 671);
                            ``(iii) organizing a treatment team with 
                        the goal of preventing child abuse and neglect, 
                        and improving parent and child well-being;
                            ``(iv) case monitoring that observes child 
                        well-being; and
                            ``(v) differential response efforts; and
                    ``(B) establishing and maintaining a rapid response 
                system that responds promptly to all reports of child 
                abuse or neglect, with special attention to cases 
                involving children under 3 years of age.
            ``(7) Educating caseworkers, community service providers, 
        attorneys, parents, and others engaged in the prevention, 
        intervention, and treatment of child abuse and neglect, which 
        shall include education on--
                    ``(A) practices that help ensure child safety;
                    ``(B) approaches to family-oriented prevention, 
                intervention, and treatment of child abuse and neglect;
                    ``(C) early childhood, child, and adolescent 
                development, and the impact of adverse childhood 
                experiences on such development;
                    ``(D) the relationship between child abuse and 
                domestic violence, and support for non-abusing parents;
                    ``(E) strategies to work with families impacted by 
                substance use disorder and mental health issues (and, 
                when appropriate, be coordinated with prevention 
                efforts funded under section 471 of the Social Security 
                Act (42 U.S.C. 671));
                    ``(F) effective use of multiple services to address 
                family and child needs, including needs resulting from 
                trauma;
                    ``(G) efforts to improve family and child well-
                being;
                    ``(H) support for child welfare workers affected by 
                secondary trauma; and
                    ``(I) supporting families and caregivers to combat 
                and prevent unsubstantiated, unfounded, or false 
                reports, including through education on the rights of 
                families and caregivers.
            ``(8) Creating or improving data systems that can be shared 
        with law enforcement and allow for--
                    ``(A) the identification of cases requiring prompt 
                responses; and
                    ``(B) real-time case monitoring that tracks 
                assessments, service referrals, follow-up, case 
                reviews, and progress toward parent and child goals.
            ``(9) Improving the general child protective system by 
        developing, improving, and implementing safety assessment 
        tools, providing that such tools, protocols and systems shall 
        not authorize the separation of any child from the legal parent 
        or guardian of such child without a judicial order, except in 
        the case of imminent harm.''.
    (b) Eligibility Requirements.--
            (1) State plan.--Paragraph (1) of section 106(b) of the 
        Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106a(b)) 
        is amended to read as follows:
            ``(1) State plan.--
                    ``(A) In general.--To be eligible to receive a 
                grant under this section, a State shall submit to the 
                Secretary a State plan that--
                            ``(i) specifies how the grant will be used, 
                        and the State's strategic plan, to treat child 
                        abuse and neglect and enhance community-based, 
                        prevention-centered approaches that attempt to 
                        prevent child abuse and neglect while 
                        strengthening and supporting families whenever 
                        possible; and
                            ``(ii) meets the requirements of this 
                        subsection.
                    ``(B) Coordination and consultation.--
                            ``(i) Coordination.--Each State, to the 
                        maximum extent practicable, shall coordinate 
                        its State plan under this subsection with its 
                        State plan under part B of title IV of the 
                        Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 621 et seq.) 
                        relating to child welfare services and family 
                        prevention services under part E of title IV of 
                        the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 670 et 
                        seq.).
                            ``(ii) Consultation.--In developing a State 
                        plan under this subsection, a State shall 
                        consult with community-based prevention and 
                        service agencies, parents and families affected 
                        by child abuse or neglect in the State, law 
                        enforcement, including family court judges and 
                        prosecutors, and medical professionals engaged 
                        in the treatment of child abuse and neglect.
                    ``(C) Duration and submission of plan.--Each State 
                plan shall--
                            ``(i) be submitted not less than every 5 
                        years; and
                            ``(ii) if necessary, revised by the State 
                        to inform the Secretary of any substantive 
                        changes, including--
                                    ``(I) any changes to State law or 
                                regulations, relating to the prevention 
                                of child abuse and neglect that may 
                                affect the eligibility of the State 
                                under this section; or
                                    ``(II) any changes in the State's 
                                activities, strategies, or programs 
                                under this section.''.
            (2) Contents.--Paragraph (2) of section 106(b) of the Child 
        Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106a(b)) is 
        amended to read as follows:
            ``(2) Contents.--A State plan submitted under paragraph (1) 
        shall contain a description of the activities that the State 
        will carry out using amounts received under the grant to 
        achieve the objectives of this title, including--
                    ``(A) an assurance in the form of a certification 
                by the Governor of the State that the State has in 
                effect and is enforcing a State law, or has in effect 
                and is operating a statewide program, relating to child 
                abuse and neglect that includes--
                            ``(i) provisions or procedures for an 
                        individual to report known and suspected 
                        instances of child abuse and neglect, including 
                        a State law for mandatory reporting by 
                        individuals required to report such instances;
                            ``(ii) procedures for the immediate 
                        screening, risk and safety assessment, and 
                        prompt investigation of such reports of alleged 
                        abuse and neglect in order to ensure the well-
                        being and safety of children;
                            ``(iii) procedures for immediate steps to 
                        be taken to ensure and protect the safety of a 
                        victim of child abuse or neglect and of any 
                        other child under the same care who may also be 
                        in danger of child abuse or neglect and 
                        ensuring their placement in a safe environment;
                            ``(iv) methods to preserve the 
                        confidentiality of all records in order to 
                        protect the rights of the child and of the 
                        child's parents or guardians, including 
                        requirements ensuring that reports and records 
                        made and maintained pursuant to the purposes of 
                        this Act shall only be made available to--
                                    ``(I) individuals who are the 
                                subject of the report;
                                    ``(II) Federal, State, or local 
                                government entities, or any agent of 
                                such entities, as described in clause 
                                (xi) of this subparagraph;
                                    ``(III) child abuse citizen review 
                                panels;
                                    ``(IV) child fatality review 
                                panels;
                                    ``(V) a grand jury or court, upon a 
                                finding that information in the record 
                                is necessary for the determination of 
                                an issue before the court or grand 
                                jury; and
                                    ``(VI) other entities or classes of 
                                individuals statutorily authorized by 
                                the State to receive such information 
                                pursuant to a legitimate State purpose;
                            ``(v) provisions and procedures requiring 
                        that in every case involving a victim of child 
                        abuse or neglect which results in a judicial 
                        proceeding, a guardian ad litem, who has 
                        received education appropriate to the role, 
                        including education in early childhood, child, 
                        and adolescent development, and domestic 
                        violence, and who may be an attorney or a court 
                        appointed special advocate who has received 
                        education appropriate to that role (or both), 
                        shall be appointed to represent the child (who, 
                        for purposes of this section, shall have any 
                        age limit elected by the State pursuant to 
                        section 475(8)(B)(iii) of the Social Security 
                        Act (42 U.S.C. 675(8)(B)(iii))) in such 
                        proceedings--
                                    ``(I) to obtain first-hand, a clear 
                                understanding of the situation and 
                                needs of such child; and
                                    ``(II) to make recommendations to 
                                the court concerning the best interests 
                                of such child;
                            ``(vi) the establishment of citizen review 
                        panels in accordance with subsection (c);
                            ``(vii) provisions and procedures to 
                        require that a representative of the child 
                        protective services agency shall, at the 
                        initial time of contact with the individual 
                        subject to a child abuse or neglect 
                        investigation, advise the individual of the 
                        complaints or allegations made against the 
                        individual, in a manner that is consistent with 
                        laws protecting the rights of the informant;
                            ``(viii) provisions, procedures, and 
                        mechanisms--
                                    ``(I) for the expedited termination 
                                of parental rights in the case of any 
                                infant determined to be abandoned under 
                                State law; and
                                    ``(II) by which individuals who 
                                disagree with an official finding of 
                                child abuse or neglect can appeal such 
                                finding;
                            ``(ix) provisions addressing the 
                        professional development of representatives of 
                        the child protective services system regarding 
                        the legal duties of the representatives, which 
                        may consist of various methods of informing 
                        such representatives of such duties (including 
                        providing such education in different languages 
                        if necessary), in order to protect the legal 
                        rights and safety of children and their parents 
                        and caregivers from the initial time of contact 
                        during investigation through treatment;
                            ``(x) provisions for immunity from civil or 
                        criminal liability under State and local laws 
                        and regulations for individuals making good 
                        faith reports of suspected or known instances 
                        of child abuse or neglect, or who otherwise 
                        provide information or assistance, including 
                        medical evaluations or consultations, in 
                        connection with a report, investigation, or 
                        legal intervention pursuant to a good faith 
                        report of child abuse or neglect;
                            ``(xi) provisions to require the State to 
                        disclose confidential information to any 
                        Federal, State, or local government entity, or 
                        any agent of such entity, that has a need for 
                        such information in order to carry out its 
                        responsibilities under law to protect children 
                        from child abuse and neglect;
                            ``(xii) provisions requiring, and 
                        procedures in place that facilitate the prompt 
                        expungement of any records that are accessible 
                        to the general public or are used for purposes 
                        of employment or other background checks in 
                        cases determined to be unsubstantiated or 
                        false, except that nothing in this section 
                        shall prevent State child protective services 
                        agencies from keeping information on 
                        unsubstantiated reports in their casework files 
                        to assist in future risk and safety assessment;
                            ``(xiii) provisions and procedures for 
                        requiring criminal background record checks 
                        that meet the requirements of section 
                        471(a)(20) of the Social Security Act (42 
                        U.S.C. 671(a)(20)) for prospective foster and 
                        adoptive parents and other adult relatives and 
                        non-relatives residing in the household;
                            ``(xiv) provisions for systems of 
                        technology that support the State child 
                        protective services system and track reports of 
                        child abuse and neglect from intake through 
                        final disposition;
                            ``(xv) provisions and procedures requiring 
                        identification and assessment of all reports 
                        involving children known or suspected to be 
                        victims of sex trafficking (as defined in 
                        section 103(12) of the Trafficking Victims 
                        Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102 (12)));
                            ``(xvi) provisions, procedures, and 
                        mechanisms that assure that the State does not 
                        require reunification of a surviving child with 
                        a parent who has been found by a court of 
                        competent jurisdiction--
                                    ``(I) to have committed murder 
                                (which would have been an offense under 
                                section 1111(a) of title 18, United 
                                States Code, if the offense had 
                                occurred in the special maritime or 
                                territorial jurisdiction of the United 
                                States) of another child of such 
                                parent;
                                    ``(II) to have committed voluntary 
                                manslaughter (which would have been an 
                                offense under section 1112(a) of title 
                                18, United States Code, if the offense 
                                had occurred in the special maritime or 
                                territorial jurisdiction of the United 
                                States) of another child of such 
                                parent;
                                    ``(III) to have aided or abetted, 
                                attempted, conspired, or solicited to 
                                commit such murder or voluntary 
                                manslaughter;
                                    ``(IV) to have committed a felony 
                                assault that results in the serious 
                                bodily injury to the surviving child or 
                                another child of such parent;
                                    ``(V) to have committed sexual 
                                abuse against the surviving child or 
                                another child of such parent; or
                                    ``(VI) to be required to register 
                                with a sex offender registry under 
                                section 113(a) of the Adam Walsh Child 
                                Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (42 
                                U.S.C. 16913(a)); and
                            ``(xvii) an assurance that, upon the 
                        implementation by the State of the provisions, 
                        procedures, and mechanisms under clause (xvi), 
                        conviction of any one of the felonies listed in 
                        clause (xvi) constitute grounds under State law 
                        for the termination of parental rights of the 
                        convicted parent as to the surviving children 
                        (although case-by-case determinations of 
                        whether or not to seek termination of parental 
                        rights shall be within the sole discretion of 
                        the State);
                    ``(B) an assurance that the State has in place 
                procedures for responding to the reporting of medical 
                neglect (including instances of withholding of 
                medically indicated treatment from infants with 
                disabilities who have life-threatening conditions), 
                procedures or programs, or both (within the State child 
                protective services system), to provide for--
                            ``(i) coordination and consultation with 
                        individuals designated by and within 
                        appropriate health-care facilities;
                            ``(ii) prompt notification by individuals 
                        designated by and within appropriate health-
                        care facilities of cases of suspected medical 
                        neglect (including instances of withholding of 
                        medically indicated treatment from infants with 
                        disabilities who have life-threatening 
                        conditions); and
                            ``(iii) authority, under State law, for the 
                        State child protective services system to 
                        pursue any legal remedies, including the 
                        authority to initiate legal proceedings in a 
                        court of competent jurisdiction, as may be 
                        necessary to prevent the withholding of 
                        medically indicated treatment from infants with 
                        disabilities who have life-threatening 
                        conditions;
                    ``(C) an assurance or certification that programs 
                and education conducted under this title address the 
                unique needs of unaccompanied homeless youth, including 
                access to enrollment and support services and that such 
                youth are eligible for under parts B and E of title IV 
                of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 621 et seq., 670 
                et seq.) and meet the requirements of the McKinney-
                Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11301 et 
                seq.); and
                    ``(D) a description of--
                            ``(i) policies and procedures (including 
                        appropriate referrals to child protective 
                        service systems and for other appropriate 
                        services (including home visiting services and 
                        mutual support and parent partner programs)) to 
                        address the needs of infants born with and 
                        identified as being affected by substance use 
                        disorder or withdrawal symptoms resulting from 
                        prenatal drug exposure, or a Fetal Alcohol 
                        Spectrum Disorder, including a requirement that 
                        health care providers involved in the delivery 
                        or care of such infants notify the child 
                        protective services system of the occurrence of 
                        such condition in such infants, except that 
                        such notification shall not be construed to--
                                    ``(I) establish a definition under 
                                Federal law of what constitutes child 
                                abuse or neglect; or
                                    ``(II) require prosecution for any 
                                illegal action;
                            ``(ii) the development of a plan of safe 
                        care for the infant born and identified as 
                        being affected by substance use disorder or 
                        withdrawal symptoms, or a Fetal Alcohol 
                        Spectrum Disorder to ensure the safety and 
                        well-being of such infant following release 
                        from the care of health care providers, 
                        including through--
                                    ``(I) addressing the health and 
                                substance use disorder treatment needs 
                                of the infant and affected family or 
                                caregiver; and
                                    ``(II) the development and 
                                implementation by the State of 
                                monitoring systems regarding the 
                                implementation of such plans to 
                                determine whether and in what manner 
                                local entities are providing, in 
                                accordance with State requirements, 
                                referrals to and delivery of 
                                appropriate services for the infant and 
                                affected family or caregiver;
                            ``(iii) policies and procedures to make 
                        available to the public on the State website 
                        the findings and information about the case of 
                        child abuse or neglect which has resulted in a 
                        child fatality or near fatality, including a 
                        description of--
                                    ``(I) how the State will not create 
                                an exception to such public disclosure, 
                                except in a case in which--
                                            ``(aa) the State would like 
                                        to delay public release of such 
                                        findings or information 
                                        (including any previous reports 
                                        of domestic violence and 
                                        subsequent actions taken to 
                                        assess and address such 
                                        reports) while a criminal 
                                        investigation or prosecution of 
                                        such a fatality or near 
                                        fatality is pending;
                                            ``(bb) the State is 
                                        protecting the identity of a 
                                        reporter of child abuse or 
                                        neglect; or
                                            ``(cc) the State is 
                                        withholding identifying 
                                        information of members of the 
                                        victim's family who are not 
                                        perpetrators of the fatality or 
                                        near fatality; and
                                    ``(II) how the State will ensure 
                                that in providing the public disclosure 
                                required under this clause, the State 
                                will include--
                                            ``(aa) the cause and 
                                        circumstances of the fatality 
                                        or near fatality;
                                            ``(bb) the age and gender 
                                        of the child; and
                                            ``(cc) any previous reports 
                                        or child abuse or neglect 
                                        investigations that are 
                                        relevant to the child abuse or 
                                        neglect that led to the 
                                        fatality or near fatality;
                            ``(iv) how the State will use data 
                        collected on child abuse or neglect to prevent 
                        child fatalities and near fatalities;
                            ``(v) how the State will implement efforts 
                        to prevent child fatalities and near 
                        fatalities;
                            ``(vi) the cooperation of State law 
                        enforcement officials, court of competent 
                        jurisdiction, and appropriate State agencies 
                        providing human services in the investigation, 
                        assessment, prosecution, and treatment of child 
                        abuse and neglect;
                            ``(vii) the steps the State will take to 
                        improve the education, retention, and 
                        supervision of caseworkers and how the State 
                        will measure the effectiveness of such efforts;
                            ``(viii) the State's plan to ensure each 
                        child under the age of 3 who is involved in a 
                        substantiated case of child abuse or neglect 
                        will be referred to the State's child find 
                        system under section 635(a)(5) of the 
                        Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 
                        U.S.C. 1435(a)(5)) in order to determine if the 
                        child is an infant or toddler with a disability 
                        (as defined in section 632(5) of such Act (20 
                        U.S.C. 1432(5)));
                            ``(ix) the State's plan to improve, as part 
                        of a comprehensive State strategy, the 
                        professional development for child protective 
                        services workers in identifying, assessing, and 
                        providing comprehensive services for children 
                        who are sex trafficking victims, including the 
                        role of child protective services, law 
                        enforcement, juvenile justice agencies, and 
                        social service agencies, such as runaway and 
                        homeless youth shelters;
                            ``(x) the services to be provided under the 
                        grant to individuals, families, or communities, 
                        either directly or through referrals, aimed at 
                        preventing the occurrence of child abuse and 
                        neglect;
                            ``(xi) the State's efforts to ensure 
                        professionals who are required to report 
                        suspected cases of child abuse and neglect are 
                        aware of their responsibilities under 
                        subparagraph (A)(i) and receive professional 
                        development relating to performing such 
                        responsibilities that is specific to their 
                        profession and workplace;
                            ``(xii) policies and procedures encouraging 
                        the appropriate involvement of families in 
                        decisionmaking pertaining to children who 
                        experienced child abuse or neglect;
                            ``(xiii) the State's efforts to improve 
                        appropriate collaboration among child 
                        protective services agencies, domestic violence 
                        services agencies, substance use disorder 
                        treatment agencies, and other agencies in 
                        investigations, interventions, and the delivery 
                        of services and treatment provided to children 
                        and families affected by child abuse or 
                        neglect, including children exposed to domestic 
                        violence, where appropriate;
                            ``(xiv) policies and procedures regarding 
                        the use of differential response, as 
                        applicable, to improve outcomes for children; 
                        and
                            ``(xv) the State's efforts to reduce racial 
                        bias in its child protective services 
                        system.''.
            (3) Limitations.--Paragraph (3) of section 106(b) of the 
        Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106a(b)) 
        is amended--
                    (A) in the paragraph heading, by striking 
                ``Limitation'' and inserting ``Limitations'';
                    (B) by striking ``With regard to clauses (vi) and 
                (vii) of paragraph (2)(B),'' and inserting the 
                following:
                    ``(A) Disclosure of certain identifying 
                information.--With regard to subparagraphs (A)(iii) and 
                (D)(iii) of paragraph (2),'';
                    (C) by striking the period at the end and inserting 
                ``; and''; and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(B) Public access to court proceedings.--Nothing 
                in paragraph (2) shall be construed to limit the 
                State's flexibility to determine State policies 
                relating to public access to court proceedings to 
                determine child abuse and neglect, except that such 
                policies shall, at a minimum, ensure the safety and 
                well-being of the child, parents, and families.''.
            (4) Definitions.--Paragraph (4) of section 106(b) of the 
        Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106a(b)) 
        is amended--
                    (A) in the paragraph heading, by striking 
                ``Definitions'' and inserting ``Definition'';
                    (B) by striking ``this subsection'' and all that 
                follows through ``means an act'' and inserting the 
                following: ``this subsection, the term `near fatality' 
                means an act'';
                    (C) by striking ``; and'' and inserting a period; 
                and
                    (D) by striking subparagraph (B).
    (c) Citizen Review Panels.--Section 106(c) of the Child Abuse 
Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106a(c)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking ``Exceptions.'' and 
        all that follows through ``A State may'' and inserting 
        ``Exception.--A State may'';
            (2) in paragraph (4)(A), by striking ``and where 
        appropriate, specific cases,''; and
            (3) by amending the first sentence of paragraph (6) to read 
        as follows: ``Each panel established under paragraph (1) shall 
        prepare and make available to the State and the public, on an 
        annual basis, a report containing a summary of the activities 
        of the panel, the criteria used for determining which 
        activities the panel engaged in, and recommendations or 
        observations to improve the child protective services system at 
        the State and local levels, and the data upon which these 
        recommendations or observations are based.''.
    (d) Annual State Data Reports.--Section 106(d) of the Child Abuse 
Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106a(d)) is amended--
            (1) by amending paragraph (13) to read as follows:
            ``(13) The annual report containing the summary of the 
        activities and recommendations of the citizen review panels of 
        the State required by subsection (c)(6), and the actions taken 
        by the State as a result of such recommendations.'';
            (2) in paragraph (15), by striking ``subsection 
        (b)(2)(B)(ii)'' and inserting ``subsection (b)(2)(D)(i)'';
            (3) in paragraph (16), by striking ``subsection 
        (b)(2)(B)(xxi)'' and inserting ``subsection (b)(2)(D)(viii)'';
            (4) in paragraph (17), by striking ``subsection 
        (b)(2)(B)(xxiv)'' and inserting ``subsection (b)(2)(D)(xv)'';
            (5) in paragraph (18)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``subsection 
                (b)(2)(B)(ii)'' and inserting ``subsection 
                (b)(2)(D)(i)'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``subsection 
                (b)(2)(B)(iii)'' and inserting ``subsection 
                (b)(2)(D)(ii)''; and
                    (C) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``subsection 
                (b)(2)(B)(iii)'' and inserting ``subsection 
                (b)(2)(D)(ii)''; and
            (6) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(19) The number of child fatalities and near fatalities 
        from maltreatment and related information in accordance with 
        the uniform standards established under section 103(d).''.
    (e) Allotments.--Section 106(f) of the Child Abuse Prevention and 
Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106a(f)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
            ``(6) Limitation.--For any fiscal year for which the amount 
        allotted to a State or territory under this subsection exceeds 
        the amount allotted to the State or territory under such 
        subsection for fiscal year 2019, the State or territory may use 
        not more than 2 percent of such excess amount for 
        administrative expenses.''.

SEC. 107. MISCELLANEOUS REQUIREMENTS.

    Section 108 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 
U.S.C. 5106d) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (c) through (e) as 
        subsections (d) through (f), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
    ``(c) Protecting Against Systemic Child Sexual Abuse.--
            ``(1) Reporting and task force.--Not later than 24 months 
        after the date of the enactment of the Stronger Child Abuse 
        Prevention and Treatment Act, each State task force established 
        under section 107(c) and expanded as described in paragraph (2) 
        shall study and make recommendations on the following, with a 
        focus on preventing systemic child sexual abuse:
                    ``(A) How to detect systemic child sexual abuse 
                that occurs in an organization.
                    ``(B) How to prevent child sexual abuse and 
                systemic child sexual abuse from occurring in 
                organizations, which shall include recommendations to 
                improve--
                            ``(i) practices and policies for the 
                        education of parents, caregivers, and victims, 
                        and age appropriate education of children, 
                        about risk factors or signs of potential child 
                        sexual abuse; and
                            ``(ii) the efficacy of applicable State 
                        laws and the role such laws play in deterring 
                        or preventing incidences of child sexual abuse.
                    ``(C) The feasibility of making available the 
                disposition of a perpetrator within an organization 
                to--
                            ``(i) the child alleging sexual abuse or 
                        the child's family; or
                            ``(ii) an adult who was a child at the time 
                        of the sexual abuse claim in question or the 
                        adult's family.
            ``(2) Task force composition.--For purposes of this 
        subsection, a State task force shall include--
                    ``(A) the members of the State task force described 
                in section 107(c) for the State; and
                    ``(B) the following:
                            ``(i) Family court judges.
                            ``(ii) Individuals from religious 
                        organizations.
                            ``(iii) Individuals from organized youth 
                        athletics.
            ``(3) Reporting on recommendations.--Not later than 6 
        months after a State task force makes recommendations under 
        paragraph (1), the State maintaining such State task force 
        shall--
                    ``(A) make public the recommendations of such 
                report;
                    ``(B) report to the Secretary on the status of 
                adopting such recommendations; and
                    ``(C) in a case in which the State declines to 
                adopt a particular recommendation, make public the 
                explanation for such declination.
            ``(4) Definitions.--For purposes of this subsection--
                    ``(A) the terms `child sexual abuse' and `sexual 
                abuse' shall not be limited to an act or a failure to 
                act on the part of a parent or caretaker;
                    ``(B) the term `organization' means any entity that 
                serves children; and
                    ``(C) the term `systemic child sexual abuse' 
                means--
                            ``(i) a pattern of informal or formal 
                        policy or de facto policy to not follow State 
                        and local requirements to report instances of 
                        child sexual abuse in violation of State and 
                        local mandatory reporting laws or policy; or
                            ``(ii) a pattern of assisting individual 
                        perpetrators in maintaining their careers 
                        despite substantiated evidence of child sexual 
                        abuse.''.

SEC. 108. REPORTS.

    Section 110 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 
U.S.C. 5106f) is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 110. STUDY AND REPORT RELATING TO SCALING EVIDENCE-BASED 
              TREATMENT OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall conduct a study that 
examines challenges to, and best practices for, the scalability of 
treatments that reduce the trauma resulting from child abuse and 
neglect and reduce the risk of revictimization, such as those allowable 
under sections 105 and 106.
    ``(b) Content of Study.--The study described in subsection (a) 
shall be completed in a manner that considers the variability among 
treatment programs and among populations vulnerable to child abuse and 
neglect. The study shall include, at a minimum:
            ``(1) A detailed synthesis of the existing research 
        literature examining barriers and challenges to, and best 
        practices for the scalability of child welfare programs and 
        services as well as programs and services for vulnerable 
        children and families in related fields, including healthcare 
        and education.
            ``(2) Data describing State and local providers' 
        experiences with scaling treatments that reduce the trauma 
        resulting from child abuse and neglect and reduce the risk of 
        revictimization.
            ``(3) Consultation with experts in child welfare, 
        healthcare, and education.
    ``(c) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date of the 
enactment of the Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, the 
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Education and Labor of 
the House of Representatives a report that contains the results of the 
study conducted under subsection (a), including recommendations for 
best practices for scaling treatments that reduce the trauma resulting 
from child abuse and neglect and reduce the risk of revictimization.''.

SEC. 109. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) General Authorization.--Section 112(a) of the Child Abuse 
Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106h(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) by striking ``to carry out'' through ``fiscal 
                year 2010'' and inserting ``to carry out this title 
                $270,000,000 for fiscal year 2020''; and
                    (B) by striking ``2011 through 2015'' and inserting 
                ``2021 through 2025''; and
            (2) by striking paragraph (2)(A) and inserting the 
        following:
                    ``(A) In general.--Of the amounts appropriated for 
                a fiscal year under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall 
                make available 30 percent of such amounts, or 
                $100,000,000, whichever is less, to fund discretionary 
                activities under this title.''.

SEC. 110. NATIONAL ELECTRONIC INTERSTATE DATA EXCHANGE SYSTEM.

    (a) Interstate Data Exchange System.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
        shall establish a national electronic interstate data exchange 
        system that allows State entities responsible under State law 
        for maintaining child abuse and neglect registries to 
        communicate information across State lines.
            (2) Standards.--In establishing the national electronic 
        interstate data exchange system under paragraph (1), the 
        Secretary--
                    (A) shall use interoperable standards developed and 
                maintained by intergovernmental partnerships, such as 
                the National Information Exchange Model;
                    (B) shall develop data sharing policies and 
                governance standards that ensure consistency in types 
                of information shared and specify circumstances under 
                which data should be shared; and
                    (C) shall ensure that all standards and policies 
                adhere to the privacy, security, and civil rights laws 
                of each State.
            (3) Pilot program.--Not later than 2 years after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services shall carry out and complete a pilot program to 
        determine the best practices for developing the standards and 
        policies required under paragraph (2) prior to the integration 
        of the national electronic interstate data exchange system in 
        all States. Such pilot program shall include not less than 10 
        States and not more than 15 States.
            (4) Integration.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services may assist States in the integration of this system 
        into the infrastructure of each State using funds appropriated 
        under this subsection.
            (5) Participation.--As a condition on eligibility for 
        receipt of funds under section 105, 106, or 107 of the Child 
        Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106, 5106a, 
        5106c), each State shall participate in to the national 
        electronic interstate data exchange system to the fullest 
        extent possible (as determined by the Secretary of Health and 
        Human Services) not later than December 31, 2027.
            (6) Report.--Not later than January 31, 2025, the Secretary 
        of Health and Human Services shall prepare and submit to the 
        Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the 
        Senate, and the Committee on Education and Labor of the House 
        of Representatives, a report on the progress made in 
        implementing this subsection.
            (7) Authorization of appropriations.--Of the funds 
        appropriated under section 112 for any fiscal year, $1,333,000 
        shall be reserved to carry out this subsection.
    (b) Working Group.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services shall convene a working group to study and make 
        recommendations on the following:
                    (A) The feasibility of making publicly available on 
                the website of each State definitions and standards of 
                substantiated child abuse and neglect for the State.
                    (B) Whether requirements under the Child Abuse 
                Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5101 et seq.), 
                the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 
                (42 U.S.C. 9858 et seq.), and part E of title IV of the 
                Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 670 et seq.) are 
                complementary or if there are discrepancies that need 
                to be addressed.
                    (C) How to improve communication between and across 
                States, including through the use of technology and the 
                use of the national electronic interstate data exchange 
                system established under subsection (a), to allow for 
                more accurate and efficient exchange of child abuse and 
                neglect records.
                    (D) How to reduce barriers and establish best 
                practices for the State to provide timely responses to 
                requests from other States for information contained in 
                the State's child abuse and neglect registry through 
                the national electronic interstate data exchange system 
                established under subsection (a).
            (2) Report.--The working group convened under paragraph (1) 
        shall submit a report containing its recommendations to the 
        Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Committee on 
        Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, and the 
        Committee on Education and Labor of the House of 
        Representatives.
            (3) Construction.--There shall be no requirement for any 
        State to adopt the recommendations of the working group, nor 
        shall the Secretary of Health and Human Services incentivize or 
        coerce any State to adopt any such recommendation.

SEC. 111. TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

    (a) Technical Amendments.--The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment 
Act (42 U.S.C. 5101 et seq.), as amended by the preceding provisions of 
this Act, is further amended--
            (1) by striking ``Committee on Education and the 
        Workforce'' each place it appears and inserting ``Committee on 
        Education and Labor''; and
            (2) in section 103(c)(1)(F), by striking ``abused and 
        neglected children'' and inserting ``victims of child abuse or 
        neglect''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Section 103.--Section 103(b)(5) (42 U.S.C. 5104(b)(5)) 
        is amended by striking ``section 106(b)(2)(B)(iii)'' and 
        inserting ``section 106(b)(2)(D)(ii)''.
            (2) Section 105.--Section 105(a)(10) (25 U.S.C. 
        5106(a)(10)) (as redesignated by section 105(1)(A) of this Act) 
        is amended--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``section 
                106(b)(2)(B)(iii)'' and inserting ``section 
                106(b)(2)(D)(ii)'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (C)--
                            (i) in clause (i)(II), by striking 
                        ``section 106(b)(2)(B)(iii)'' and inserting 
                        ``section 106(b)(2)(D)(ii)'';
                            (ii) in clause (i)(IV), by striking 
                        ``section 106(b)(2)(B)(iii)(II)'' and inserting 
                        ``section 106(b)(2)(D)(ii)(II)''; and
                            (iii) in clause (ii), by striking ``clauses 
                        (ii) and (iii) of section 106(b)(2)(B)'' and 
                        inserting ``clauses (i) and (ii) of section 
                        106(b)(2)(D)'';
                    (C) in subparagraph (D)--
                            (i) in clause (i)(I), by striking ``section 
                        106(b)(2)(B)(iii)(I)'' and inserting ``section 
                        106(b)(2)(D)(ii)(I)'';
                            (ii) in clause (ii)(I), by striking 
                        ``section 106(b)(2)(B)(ii)'' and inserting 
                        ``section 106(b)(2)(D)(i)'';
                            (iii) in clause (ii)(II), by striking 
                        ``section 106(b)(2)(B)(iii)(I)'' and inserting 
                        ``section 106(b)(2)(D)(ii)(I)'';
                            (iv) in clause (iii)(I), by striking 
                        ``section 106(b)(2)(B)(i)'' and inserting 
                        ``section 106(b)(2)(A)(i)'';
                            (v) in clause (iii)(IV), by striking 
                        ``section 106(b)(2)(B)(iii)'' and inserting 
                        ``section 106(b)(2)(D)(ii)''; and
                            (vi) in clause (v), by striking ``section 
                        106(b)(2)(B)(iii)'' and inserting ``section 
                        106(b)(2)(D)(ii)'';
                    (D) in subparagraph (E), by striking ``section 
                106(b)(2)(B)(ii)'' and inserting ``section 
                106(b)(2)(D)(i)''; and
                    (E) in subparagraph (G)(ii), by striking ``clauses 
                (ii) and (iii) of section 106(b)(2)(B)'' and inserting 
                ``clauses (i) and (ii) of section 106(b)(2)(D)''.
            (3) Section 114.--Section 114(1)(B) (42 U.S.C. 5108(1)(B)) 
        is amended by striking ``clauses (ii) and (iii) of section 
        106(b)(2)(B)'' and inserting ``clauses (i) and (ii) of section 
        106(b)(2)(D)''.
            (4) Table of contents.--The table of contents in section 
        1(b) of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act is amended 
        by striking the items relating to sections 2 and 102.

TITLE II--COMMUNITY-BASED GRANTS FOR THE PREVENTION OF CHILD ABUSE AND 
                                NEGLECT

SEC. 201. PURPOSE AND AUTHORITY.

    Subsections (a) and (b) of section 201 of the Child Abuse 
Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5116) are amended to read as 
follows:
    ``(a) Purpose.--The purposes of this title are--
            ``(1) to establish and maintain support for community-based 
        family strengthening services and statewide systems-building 
        approaches to the extent practicable, to ensure the 
        development, operation, expansion, coordination, and evaluation 
        of quality services, initiatives, programs, and activities to 
        prevent child abuse and neglect; and
            ``(2) to promote improved access for diverse populations 
        with demonstrated need, including low-income families, racial 
        and ethnic minorities, families with children or caregivers 
        with disabilities, underserved communities, and rural 
        communities, to family strengthening services in order to more 
        effectively prevent child abuse and neglect.
    ``(b) Authority.--The Secretary shall make grants under this title 
on a formula basis to the entity designated by the State as the lead 
entity (referred to in this title as the `lead entity') under section 
202(1) for the following purposes:
            ``(1) Developing or enhancing statewide and local networks 
        to operate, expand, or enhance community-based family 
        strengthening services, initiatives, and activities that 
        promote child, parent, family, and community health and well-
        being, prevent child abuse and neglect, and that--
                    ``(A) are accessible to diverse populations;
                    ``(B) are effective;
                    ``(C) are culturally appropriate; and
                    ``(D) build upon existing strengths.
            ``(2) Providing programs, activities, and initiatives to 
        help families build protective factors linked to the prevention 
        of child abuse and neglect, such as knowledge of parenting and 
        child development, parental resilience, social connections, 
        time-limited and need-based concrete support, and social and 
        emotional development of children that--
                    ``(A) offer assistance to families;
                    ``(B) provide early, comprehensive support for 
                parents;
                    ``(C) promote the development of healthy familial 
                relationships and parenting skills, especially in young 
                parents and parents with very young children;
                    ``(D) increase family stability;
                    ``(E) improve family access to formal and informal 
                community-based resources, including health and mental 
                health services, time-limited and need-based concrete 
                supports, and services and supports to meet the needs 
                of families with children or caregivers with 
                disabilities; and
                    ``(F) support the additional needs of families with 
                children with disabilities, including through respite 
                care.
            ``(3) Fostering the development of a continuum of 
        preventive services to strengthen families through State- and 
        community-based collaborations and both public and private 
        partnerships.
            ``(4) Financing the start-up, maintenance, expansion, or 
        redesign of core services described in section 205, where 
        communities have identified gaps and decided to prioritize the 
        establishment of such services, to the extent practicable given 
        funding levels and community priorities.
            ``(5) Maximizing funding through leveraging Federal, State, 
        local, public, and private funds to carry out the purposes of 
        this title.
            ``(6) Promoting the development of, and coordination with, 
        existing community coalitions of networks of family 
        strengthening services that utilize culturally responsive 
        providers in order to enhance child, family, and community 
        well-being and prevent child abuse and neglect in all families.
            ``(7) Financing public information activities that focus on 
        parent and child development and child abuse and neglect 
        prevention.
            ``(8) To the extent practicable--
                    ``(A) promoting the development and implementation 
                of a statewide systems-building strategy to address the 
                unmet needs identified in the inventory described in 
                section 204(3), including the participation of public 
                and private stakeholders, community-based 
                organizations, legislators, parents and other relevant 
                stakeholders, and State agencies, including the child 
                welfare agency, the health agency, housing agency, and 
                the State education agency, to scale evidence-based, 
                evidence-informed, and promising programs that expand 
                access to family strengthening services and reduce the 
                numbers of children entering the foster care system;
                    ``(B) developing comprehensive outreach strategies 
                to engage families with various risk factors, including 
                families who have experienced trauma, parents with 
                substance use disorder, and families with children or 
                caregivers with disabilities; and
                    ``(C) providing capacity-building supports to local 
                programs to improve desired outcomes for children and 
                family, such as--
                            ``(i) technical assistance, including 
                        support for local programs to collect outcome 
                        data that helps improve service delivery;
                            ``(ii) professional development; and
                            ``(iii) peer support networks, including 
                        through developing a problem-solving forum.''.

SEC. 202. ELIGIBILITY.

    Section 202 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 
U.S.C. 5116a) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(A) the Governor of the State has designated a lead 
        entity to administer funds under this title for the purposes 
        identified under the authority of this title, including to 
        develop, implement, operate, enhance, or expand community-based 
        family strengthening services designed to prevent child abuse 
        and neglect;''; and
                    (B) by striking subparagraph (D) and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(D) the Governor of the State has given consideration to 
        the capacity and expertise of all entities requesting to be 
        designated under subparagraph (A);''; and
            (2) in paragraph (3)--
                    (A) by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the 
                following:
                    ``(A) has demonstrated ongoing meaningful 
                partnerships with parents in the development, 
                operation, and oversight of State- and community-based 
                family strengthening services designed to prevent child 
                abuse and neglect;'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``community-
                based and prevention-focused programs and activities 
                designed to strengthen and support families'' and 
                inserting ``community-based family strengthening 
                services designed'';
                    (C) by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the 
                following:
                    ``(C) has the capacity to provide operational 
                support (both financial and programmatic) professional 
                development, technical assistance, and evaluation 
                assistance, to community-based organizations;''; and
                    (D) by striking subparagraph (D) and inserting the 
                following:
                    ``(D) will integrate efforts with individuals and 
                organizations experienced in working in partnership 
                with low-income families, racial and ethnic minorities, 
                families with children or caregivers with disabilities, 
                sexual and gender minority youth, victims of domestic 
                violence, and with the child abuse and neglect 
                prevention activities in the State, and demonstrate a 
                financial commitment to those activities; and
                    ``(E) will take into consideration access for 
                diverse populations and gaps in need when distributing 
                funds to local programs under section 205.''.

SEC. 203. AMOUNT OF GRANT.

    Section 203 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 
U.S.C. 5116b) is amended--
            (1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:
    ``(a) Reservation.--For the purpose of making allotments to Indian 
tribes and tribal organizations and migrant programs, the Secretary 
shall reserve 5 percent of the amount appropriated under section 210(a) 
for each fiscal year, except that, if making such reservation would 
cause the total amount allotted to States under this section for a 
fiscal year to be less than such total for fiscal year 2019, the 
Secretary shall reserve 1 percent of the amount appropriated under 
section 210(a) for the year for such purpose.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(d) Limitation.--For any fiscal year for which the amount 
allotted to a State under subsection (b) exceeds the amount allotted to 
the State under such subsection for fiscal year 2019, the State's lead 
entity may use not more than 4 percent of such excess amount for 
administrative expenses.''.

SEC. 204. APPLICATION.

    Section 204 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 
U.S.C. 5116d) is amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
        ``specified by the Secretary as essential to carrying out the 
        provisions of section 202, including'' and inserting ``and 
        assurances required in paragraphs (2) and (3) of section 202 
        and types of information specified by the Secretary as 
        essential in carrying out the provisions of section 201(b), 
        including'';
            (2) in paragraphs (1), (2), (3), and (4), by striking 
        ``community-based and prevention-focused programs and 
        activities designed to strengthen and support families'' and 
        inserting ``community-based family strengthening services 
        designed'';
            (3) in paragraph (5), by striking ``and prevention-focused 
        programs and activities designed to strengthen and support 
        families to prevent child abuse and neglect;'' and inserting 
        ``services and statewide strategies designed to strengthen and 
        support families to promote child, family, and community well-
        being and prevent child abuse and neglect;'';
            (4) by striking paragraph (6) and inserting the following:
            ``(6) a description of the State's capacity and commitment 
        to ensure the meaningful involvement of parents who are or have 
        been consumers of preventative supports, including the 
        involvement of parents of diverse populations, such as low-
        income families, families with children or caregivers with 
        disabilities, racial and ethnic minorities, and members of 
        other underrepresented or underserved groups, family advocates, 
        and adult former victims of child abuse or neglect who can 
        provide leadership in the planning, implementation, and 
        evaluation of the programs and policy decisions of the 
        applicant agency in accomplishing the desired outcomes for such 
        efforts;'';
            (5) by redesignating paragraph (12) as paragraph (15);
            (6) by redesignating paragraphs (7) through (11) as 
        paragraphs (8) through (12), respectively;
            (7) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following:
            ``(7) a description of the process and criteria the lead 
        entity will use to identify and select communities in which to 
        build a continuum of family strengthening services, including 
        an assurance that the process will ensure access for all 
        families, including families in communities with high rates of 
        child abuse and neglect relative to other communities in the 
        State;'';
            (8) by striking paragraph (9), as so redesignated, and 
        inserting the following:
            ``(9) a description of outreach activities that the lead 
        entity and local grantees will undertake to maximize the 
        participation of low-income families, racial and ethnic 
        minorities, families with children or caregivers with 
        disabilities, sexual and gender minority youth, victims of 
        domestic violence, homeless families and those at risk of 
        homelessness, and members of other underserved or 
        underrepresented groups;'';
            (9) by striking paragraph (10), as so redesignated, and 
        inserting the following:
            ``(10) a plan for providing operational support, 
        professional development, and technical assistance to grantees, 
        other State and local programs and providers, families, and 
        other entities involved in strengthening families and 
        preventing child abuse and neglect;'';
            (10) in paragraph (11), as so redesignated, by striking 
        ``and its members (where appropriate)'' and inserting ``of 
        community-based family strengthening services and statewide 
        initiatives''; and
            (11) by striking paragraph (12), as so redesignated, and 
        inserting the following:
            ``(12) a description of the actions that the applicant 
        entity will take to inform systemic changes in State policies, 
        practices, procedures, and regulations to improve the delivery 
        of community-based family strengthening services designed to 
        promote child, family, and community well-being, and to prevent 
        child abuse and neglect;
            ``(13) a description of how the lead entity will 
        incorporate research evidence in its process for selecting 
        community-based family strengthening services;
            ``(14) an assurance that, in issuing regulations to improve 
        the delivery of community-based family strengthening services 
        designed to promote child, family, and community well-being, 
        and to prevent child abuse and neglect, the State will--
                    ``(A) take into account how such regulations will 
                impact activities funded under this Act; and
                    ``(B) where appropriate, attempt to avoid 
                duplication of efforts, minimize costs of compliance 
                with such regulations, and maximize local flexibility 
                with respect to such regulations; and''.

SEC. 205. LOCAL PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.

    Section 205 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 
U.S.C. 5116e) is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 205. LOCAL PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.

    ``(a) In General.--Grants from the lead entity made under this 
title shall be used to develop, implement, operate, expand, and enhance 
community-based family strengthening services designed to prevent child 
abuse and neglect that--
            ``(1) assess community assets and needs and develop a 
        strategy to create a comprehensive continuum of effective 
        services that strengthen and support families to prevent child 
        abuse and neglect, through a planning process involving 
        parents, local and public agencies, local nonprofit 
        organizations and service providers, and private sector 
        representatives in meaningful ways;
            ``(2) develop or enhance existing place-based family 
        strengthening services, other parenting support services, and 
        connections and coordination among key family services in the 
        community by reaching spaces familiar to such families; and
            ``(3) help families build protective factors that support 
        child and family well-being and help prevent child abuse and 
        neglect, including knowledge of parenting and child 
        development, parental resilience, social connections, time-
        limited and need-based concrete support, and social and 
        emotional development of children.
    ``(b) Local Consideration.--In awarding grants, the lead entity 
shall consider, consistent with the needs of the State and community, 
how the grantee--
            ``(1) demonstrates the ability to form collaborations 
        across a range of services or initiatives and the commitment to 
        engage in long-term planning and strategic development for 
        community-based family strengthening services as well as 
        provide ongoing troubleshooting support;
            ``(2) involves parents, including parents of children with 
        disabilities, diverse racial and ethnic groups, and members of 
        other underrepresented or underserved populations, in the 
        development, implementation, oversight, and evaluation of 
        services;
            ``(3) addresses the need for place-based services and the 
        need to reach families in hard-to-reach areas through 
        approaches that provide core family strengthening services;
            ``(4) promotes improved access to family strengthening 
        services for diverse populations and ensures that the services 
        address identified needs of all families; and
            ``(5) demonstrates an understanding of the sources of child 
        and family trauma and the strategies that mitigate the impact 
        of and prevent adverse childhood experiences.
    ``(c) Local Uses of Funds.--Grant funds from the lead entity shall 
be used for community-based family strengthening services designed to 
prevent child abuse and neglect, which may include the following:
            ``(1) Developing a strategy based on supporting a 
        comprehensive continuum of preventive, family-centered services 
        that strengthen and support families to prevent child abuse and 
        neglect, especially to young parents, to parents with young 
        children, and to parents who are adult former victims of 
        domestic violence or child abuse or neglect, through public-
        private partnerships.
            ``(2) Addressing the needs of families in hard-to-reach 
        areas by creating access to place-based family strengthening 
        services.
            ``(3) Performing an assessment of community needs, 
        including by partnering, at the option of the grantee, with an 
        organization that already has performed a needs assessment 
        (such as a Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting 
        program under section 511 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
        711) or a Head Start program under the Head Start Act (42 
        U.S.C. 9831 et seq.).
            ``(4) Supporting outreach for services, including by 
        coordinating with existing family strengthening services such 
        as home visiting and other early intervention programs.
            ``(5) Providing, promoting the development or enhancement 
        of, or connecting families to, core services that include--
                    ``(A) parenting support and parent education 
                programs, including services that help parents and 
                other caregivers support children's development;
                    ``(B) parent leadership skills development programs 
                that support parents' personal growth as leaders in 
                their families and communities;
                    ``(C) mutual support groups for parents, their 
                children and youth, and parent partners;
                    ``(D) respite and crisis care; and
                    ``(E) referrals to optional community and social 
                services, including--
                            ``(i) domestic violence services;
                            ``(ii) screening and referrals to early 
                        intervention;
                            ``(iii) voluntary home visiting programs;
                            ``(iv) health and mental health services, 
                        including referrals for information on the 
                        State Medicaid plan under title XIX of the 
                        Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.);
                            ``(v) early care and learning programs 
                        including child care and Head Start programs 
                        and Early Head Start programs under the Head 
                        Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.);
                            ``(vi) nutrition programs, including the 
                        special supplemental nutrition program for 
                        women, infants, and children established under 
                        section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 
                        (42 U.S.C. 1786) and the supplemental nutrition 
                        assistance program established under the Food 
                        and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et 
                        seq.);
                            ``(vii) education and workforce development 
                        programs, including adult literacy, child 
                        development, wellness, and family socioeconomic 
                        mobility programs; and
                            ``(viii) services and supports to meet the 
                        needs of families with children or caregivers 
                        with disabilities, such as early intervention 
                        services for infants and toddlers with 
                        disabilities and their families, as early 
                        intervention services are defined in section 
                        632 of the Individuals with Disabilities 
                        Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1432).
            ``(6) Providing leadership in mobilizing local public and 
        private resources to support the provision of community-based 
        family strengthening services designed to prevent child abuse 
        and neglect.
            ``(7) Developing and maintaining meaningful partnerships 
        with parents relating to the development, operation, 
        evaluation, and oversight of the programs and services.
            ``(8) Coordinating with other community-based family 
        strengthening services designed to prevent child abuse and 
        neglect in the development, operation, and expansion of 
        networks where appropriate.
    ``(d) Priority.--When awarding grants, a lead entity shall give 
priority to effective community-based efforts that serve low-income 
communities and are focused on comprehensive approaches to serving 
young parents or parents with young children.''.

SEC. 206. PERFORMANCE MEASURES.

    Section 206 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 
U.S.C. 5116f) is amended--
            (1) in paragraphs (1), (5), (6), and (8), by striking 
        ``community-based and prevention-focused programs and 
        activities designed to strengthen and support families'' and 
        inserting ``community-based family strengthening services 
        designed'';
            (2) in paragraph (1), by striking ``meets'' and inserting 
        ``meet'';
            (3) in paragraph (2), by striking ``including core and 
        optional services as described in section 202'';
            (4) in paragraph (3), by striking ``section 205(3)'' and 
        inserting ``section 204'';
            (5) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the following:
            ``(4) shall describe the number of families served, 
        including families with children or caregivers with 
        disabilities, and the involvement of a diverse representation 
        of families in the design, operation, and evaluation of both 
        community-based family strengthening services and networks of 
        such services;'';
            (6) by striking paragraph (7) and inserting the following:
            ``(7) shall describe--
                    ``(A) the number of programs funded disaggregated 
                by urban, suburban, and rural community type;
                    ``(B) the number of children and families served 
                under each such program disaggregated by urban, 
                suburban, and rural community type; and
                    ``(C) the number of programs that partner with 
                outside entities and the services such outside entities 
                provide;'';
            (7) in paragraph (8)--
                    (A) by striking ``leadership of'' and insert 
                ``partnership with''; and
                    (B) by striking the period at the end and inserting 
                ``; and''; and
            (8) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(9) shall describe the extent to which there is evidence 
        to support the effectiveness of activities conducted under this 
        title for the program's intended purpose, or, in instances 
        where such evidence is not available, shall describe barriers 
        and challenges to developing evidence of effectiveness.''.

SEC. 207. NATIONAL NETWORK FOR COMMUNITY-BASED FAMILY RESOURCE 
              PROGRAMS.

    Section 207 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 
U.S.C. 5116fg) is amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
        ``such sums as may be necessary'' and inserting ``not more than 
        5 percent''; and
            (2) in paragraph (3), by striking ``community-based and 
        prevention-focused programs and activities designed to 
        strengthen and support families'' and inserting ``community-
        based family strengthening services designed''.

SEC. 208. DEFINITIONS.

    Section 208 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 
U.S.C. 5116h) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as paragraphs 
        (2) and (1), respectively; and
            (2) by striking paragraph (1) (as so redesignated) and 
        inserting the following:
            ``(1) Community-based family strengthening services.--The 
        term `community-based family strengthening services' includes 
        organizations such as family resource programs, family support 
        programs, voluntary home visiting programs, respite care 
        services, parenting education, mutual support groups for 
        parents, children, and youth, parent partner programs, and 
        other community programs or networks of such programs that 
        provide activities that are designed to prevent child abuse and 
        neglect.''.

SEC. 209. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

    (a) In General.--Title II of the Child Abuse Prevention and 
Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5116 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating section 209 as section 210; and
            (2) by inserting after section 208 the following:

``SEC. 209. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

    ``Nothing in this title shall be construed to prohibit 
grandparents, kinship care providers, foster parents, adoptive parents, 
or any other individual in a parenting role from receiving or 
participating in services and programs under this title.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of contents in section 1(b) of 
the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act is amended by striking the 
item relating to section 209 and inserting the following:

``Sec. 209. Rule of construction.
``Sec. 210. Authorization of appropriations.''.

SEC. 210. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 210 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 
U.S.C. 5116 et seq.), as redesignated by section 209 of this Act, is 
amended--
            (1) by striking ``There are'' and inserting the following:
    ``(a) In General.--There are'';
            (2) by striking ``to carry out'' through ``fiscal year 
        2010'' and inserting ``to carry out this title $270,000,000 for 
        fiscal year 2020'';
            (3) by striking ``2011 through 2015'' and inserting ``2021 
        through 2025''; and
            (4) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(b) Treatment of Non-Federal Funds in Certain Fiscal Years.--For 
any fiscal year for which the amount appropriated under subsection (a) 
exceeds the amount appropriated under such subsection for fiscal year 
2019, the Secretary shall consider non-Federal funds and in-kind 
contributions as part of the State contribution for the activities 
specified in section 204(4).''.

SEC. 211. STUDY AND REPORT.

    (a) Study Relating to New Prevention Programs.--
            (1) In general.--The Comptroller General of the United 
        States shall complete a study, using data reported by States to 
        the Secretary of Health and Human Services under section 206 of 
        the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5116f), 
        as amended by this Act--
                    (A) to determine how many families and children in 
                the first 3 years after the date of the enactment of 
                this Act are served annually through programs funded 
                under title II of the Child Abuse Prevention and 
                Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5116 et seq.); and
                    (B) to compare the number of such families and 
                children served annually in the first 3 years after the 
                date of the enactment of this Act to the number of such 
                families and children served in fiscal year 2019.
            (2) Contents.--The study required under paragraph (1) shall 
        include the following for each of the first 3 years after the 
        date of the enactment of this Act:
                    (A) An examination of how many families received 
                evidence-based programming under title II of the Child 
                Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5116 et 
                seq.).
                    (B) An examination of the extent to which local 
                programs conduct evaluations using funds provided under 
                such title and the findings of such evaluations.
                    (C) An examination of whether findings of 
                effectiveness in evaluation studies vary by urban, 
                suburban, or rural community type.
                    (D) An examination of whether programs partnering 
                with other entities are more effective than those that 
                do not partner with other entities.
                    (E) An examination of barriers to implement 
                evidence-based programming or to conduct evaluations in 
                instances where such activities do not occur.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 4 years after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit 
to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the 
Senate and the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of 
Representatives a report that contains the results of the study 
conducted under paragraph (1).

                   TITLE III--ADOPTION OPPORTUNITIES

SEC. 301. PURPOSE.

    Section 201 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and 
Adoption Reform Act of 1978 (42 U.S.C. 5111) is amended--
            (1) in the heading, by striking ``congressional findings 
        and declaration of purpose'' and inserting ``purpose'';
            (2) by striking subsection (a); and
            (3) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) by striking ``(b) Purpose.--'';
                    (B) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
                inserting ``sexual and gender minority youth'' after 
                ``particularly older children, minority children,''; 
                and
                    (C) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``services 
                and,'' after ``post-legal adoption''.

SEC. 302. REPORT AND GUIDANCE ON UNREGULATED CUSTODY TRANSFERS.

    The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act of 
1978 (42 U.S.C. 5111 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 201 
the following:

``SEC. 202. REPORT AND GUIDANCE ON UNREGULATED CUSTODY TRANSFERS.

    ``(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that:
            ``(1) Some adopted children may be at risk of experiencing 
        an unregulated custody transfer because the challenges 
        associated with adoptions (including the child's mental health 
        needs and the difficulties many families face in acquiring 
        support services) may lead families to seek out unregulated 
        custody transfers.
            ``(2) Some adopted children experience trauma, and the 
        disruption and placement in another home by unregulated custody 
        transfer creates additional trauma and instability for 
        children.
            ``(3) Children who experience an unregulated custody 
        transfer may be placed with families who have not completed 
        required child welfare or criminal background checks or 
        clearances.
            ``(4) Social services agencies and courts are often unaware 
        of the placement of children through unregulated custody 
        transfer and therefore do not conduct assessments on the 
        child's safety and well-being in such placements.
            ``(5) Such lack of placement oversight places a child at 
        risk for future abuse and increases the chance that the child 
        may experience--
                    ``(A) abuse or neglect;
                    ``(B) contact with unsafe adults or youth; and
                    ``(C) exposure to unsafe or isolated environments.
            ``(6) The caregivers with whom a child is placed through 
        unregulated custody transfer often have no legal responsibility 
        with respect to such child, placing the child at risk for 
        additional unregulated custody transfers.
            ``(7) Such caregivers also may not have complete records 
        with respect to such child, including the child's birth, 
        medical, or immigration records.
            ``(8) A child adopted through intercountry adoption may be 
        at risk of not acquiring United States citizenship if an 
        unregulated custody transfer occurs before the adoptive parents 
        complete all necessary steps to finalize the adoption of such 
        child.
            ``(9) Engaging in, or offering to engage in, unregulated 
        custody transfer places children at risk of harm.
    ``(b) Report to Congress.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        the enactment of this section, the Secretary of Health and 
        Human Services shall provide to the Committee on Education and 
        Labor of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Ways 
        and Means of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on 
        Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a report 
        on unregulated custody transfers of children, including of 
        adopted children.
            ``(2) Elements.--The report required under paragraph (1) 
        shall include--
                    ``(A) the causes, methods, and characteristics of 
                unregulated custody transfers, including the use of 
                social media and the internet;
                    ``(B) the effects of unregulated custody transfer 
                on children, including the lack of assessment of a 
                child's safety and well-being by social services 
                agencies and courts due to such unregulated custody 
                transfer;
                    ``(C) the prevalence of unregulated custody 
                transfers within each State and across all States; and
                    ``(D) recommended policies for preventing, 
                identifying, and responding to unregulated custody 
                transfers, including of adopted children, that 
                include--
                            ``(i) amendments to Federal and State law 
                        to address unregulated custody transfers;
                            ``(ii) amendments to child protection 
                        practices to address unregulated custody 
                        transfers; and
                            ``(iii) methods of providing the public 
                        information regarding adoption and child 
                        protection.
    ``(c) Guidance to States.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
        specified in subsection (b)(1), the Secretary shall issue 
        guidance and technical assistance to States related to 
        preventing, identifying, and responding to unregulated custody 
        transfers, including of adopted children.
            ``(2) Elements.--The guidance required under paragraph (1) 
        shall include--
                    ``(A) education materials related to preventing, 
                identifying, and responding to unregulated custody 
                transfers for employees of State, local, and Tribal 
                agencies that provide child welfare services;
                    ``(B) guidance on appropriate pre-adoption 
                education and post-adoption services for domestic and 
                international adoptive families to promote child 
                permanency; and
                    ``(C) the assistance available through the National 
                Resource Center for Special Needs Adoption under 
                section 203(b)(9).
    ``(d) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) State.--The term `State' means each of the several 
        States, the District of Columbia, and any commonwealth, 
        territory, or possession of the United States.
            ``(2) Unregulated custody transfer.--The term `unregulated 
        custody transfer' means the abandonment of a child, by the 
        child's parent, legal guardian, or a person or entity acting on 
        behalf, and with the consent, of such parent or guardian--
                    ``(A) by placing a child with a person who is not--
                            ``(i) the child's parent, step-parent, 
                        grandparent, adult sibling, legal guardian, or 
                        other adult relative;
                            ``(ii) a friend of the family who is an 
                        adult and with whom the child is familiar; or
                            ``(iii) a member of the Federally 
                        recognized Indian tribe of which the child is 
                        also a member;
                    ``(B) with the intent of severing the relationship 
                between the child and the parent or guardian of such 
                child; and
                    ``(C) without--
                            ``(i) reasonably ensuring the safety of the 
                        child and permanency of the placement of the 
                        child, including by conducting an official home 
                        study, background check, and supervision; and
                            ``(ii) transferring the legal rights and 
                        responsibilities of parenthood or guardianship 
                        under applicable Federal and State law to a 
                        person described in subparagraph (A).''.

SEC. 303. INFORMATION AND SERVICES.

    (a) National Resource Center for Special Needs Adoption.--Section 
203(b)(9) of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption 
Reform Act of 1978 (42 U.S.C. 5113(b)(9)) is amended by inserting ``not 
later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of the Stronger 
Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, establish and'' before 
``maintain''.
    (b) Placement With Adoptive Families.--Section 203(b)(11)(C) of the 
Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act of 1978 
(42 U.S.C. 5113(b)(11)(C)) is amended by striking ``such children'' and 
inserting ``the children and youth described in the matter preceding 
paragraph (1) of section 201''.
    (c) Pre-Adoption Services.--Section 203(c)(1) of the Child Abuse 
Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act of 1978 (42 U.S.C. 
5113(c)(1)) is amended by striking ``post'' and inserting ``pre- and 
post-''.
    (d) Services.--Section 203(c)(2) of the Child Abuse Prevention and 
Treatment and Adoption Reform Act of 1978 (42 U.S.C. 5113(c)(2)) is 
amended by inserting ``and the development of such services,'' after 
``not supplant, services''.
    (e) Elimination of Barriers to Adoption Across Jurisdictional 
Boundaries.--Section 203(e)(1) of the Child Abuse Prevention and 
Treatment and Adoption Reform Act of 1978 (42 U.S.C. 5113(e)(1)) is 
amended--
            (1) by striking ``with, States,'' and inserting ``with 
        States, Indian Tribes,''; and
            (2) by inserting ``, including through the use of web-based 
        tools such as the electronic interstate case-processing system 
        referred to in section 437(g) of the Social Security Act (42 
        U.S.C. 629g(g))'' before the period at the end.

SEC. 304. STUDY AND REPORT ON SUCCESSFUL ADOPTIONS.

    Section 204 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and 
Adoption Reform Act of 1978 (42 U.S.C. 5114) is amended to read as 
follows:

``SEC. 204. STUDY AND REPORT ON SUCCESSFUL ADOPTIONS.

    ``(a) Study.--The Secretary shall conduct a study (directly or by 
grant to, or contract with, public or private nonprofit research 
agencies or organizations) on adoption outcomes and the factors 
affecting those outcomes.
    ``(b) Report.--Not later than the date that is 36 months after the 
date of the enactment of the Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and 
Treatment Act the Secretary shall submit a report to Congress that 
includes the results of the study required under subsection (a).''.

SEC. 305. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 205(a) of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and 
Adoption Reform Act of 1978 (42 U.S.C. 5115(a)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``fiscal year 2010'' and inserting ``fiscal 
        year 2020''; and
            (2) by striking ``fiscal years 2011 through 2015'' and 
        inserting ``fiscal years 2021 through 2025''.
                                 <all>