Title: Home Visiting Resiliency in Pandemics Act
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Home Visiting Resiliency in Pandemics Act
This bill provides funding for, and temporarily makes changes to program requirements of, the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program. During the period beginning on February 1, 2020, and ending January 31, 2021, the bill allows for virtual home visits; prohibits reductions in funding for, or staffing of, entities that implement the home visits due to reduced enrollment of families in the program; and expands the permitted uses of program funds to include, among others, providing families with resources to support their participation in virtual visits.
The bill also authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to delay deadlines for requirements of the home visiting programs.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6865 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6865

   To provide emergency assistance to families through home visiting 
             programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 14, 2020

Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois (for himself and Ms. Castor of Florida) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
    Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
   each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To provide emergency assistance to families through home visiting 
             programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    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 ``Home Visiting Resiliency in 
Pandemics Act''.

SEC. 2. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE TO FAMILIES THROUGH HOME VISITING 
              PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--For purposes of section 511 of the Social Security 
Act, during the period that begins on February 1, 2020, and ends 
January 31, 2021--
            (1) a virtual home visit shall be considered a home visit;
            (2) funding for, and staffing levels of, a program 
        conducted pursuant to such section shall not be reduced on 
        account of reduced enrollment in the program; and
            (3) funds provided for such a program may be used--
                    (A) to train home visitors in conducting a virtual 
                home visit and in emergency preparedness and response 
                planning for families served;
                    (B) for the acquisition by families enrolled in the 
                program of such technological means as are needed to 
                conduct and support a virtual home visit;
                    (C) to provide emergency supplies (such as diapers, 
                formula, non-perishable food, water, hand soap and hand 
                sanitizer) to families served; and
                    (D) to provide prepaid debit cards to an eligible 
                family (as defined in section 511(k)(2) of such Act) 
                for the purpose of enabling the family to meet the 
                emergency needs of the family.
    (b) Virtual Home Visit Defined.--In subsection (a), the term 
``virtual home visit'' means a visit that is conducted solely by 
electronic means.
    (c) Authority To Delay Deadlines.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
        may extend the deadline by which a requirement of section 511 
        of the Social Security Act must be met, by such period of time 
        as the Secretary deems appropriate.
            (2) Guidance.--The Secretary shall provide to eligible 
        entities funded under section 511 of the Social Security Act 
        information on the parameters used in extending a deadline 
        under paragraph (1) of this subsection.
    (d) Supplemental Appropriation.--In addition to amounts otherwise 
appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not 
otherwise appropriated, there are appropriated to the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services $100,000,000, to enable eligible entities to 
conduct programs funded under section 511 of the Social Security Act 
pursuant to this section, which shall remain available for obligation 
not later than January 31, 2021.
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