Title: CARING for Kids Act
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Comprehensive Access to Robust Insurance Now Guaranteed for Kids Act or the CARING for Kids Act
This bill permanently extends the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and related measures, programs, and authorities.
Specifically, the bill permanently funds CHIP and related programs that support the development of child health quality measures and outreach and enrollment efforts. The bill also permanently authorizes the Medicaid and CHIP express lane eligibility option, which allows states to use information from designated programs (e.g., the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) to streamline eligibility determinations for children.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 66 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 H. R. 66

To amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to permanently extend the 
      Children's Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 4, 2021

  Mr. Buchanan (for himself and Mrs. McBath) introduced the following 
    bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to permanently extend the 
      Children's Health Insurance Program, 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 ``Comprehensive Access to Robust 
Insurance Now Guaranteed for Kids Act'' or ``CARING for Kids Act''.

SEC. 2. PERMANENT EXTENSION OF CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Section 2104(a)(28) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1397dd(a)(28)) is amended to read as follows:
            ``(28) for fiscal year 2027 and each subsequent year, such 
        sums as are necessary to fund allotments to States under 
        subsections (c) and (m).''.
    (b) Allotments.--
            (1) In general.--Section 2104(m) of the Social Security Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 1397dd(m)) is amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (2)(B)(i), by striking ``,, 2023, 
                and 2027'' and inserting ``and 2023'';
                    (B) in paragraph (7)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and 
                        ending with fiscal year 2027,''; and
                            (ii) in the flush left matter at the end, 
                        by striking ``or fiscal year 2026'' and 
                        inserting ``fiscal year 2026, or a subsequent 
                        even-numbered fiscal year'';
                    (C) in paragraph (9)--
                            (i) by striking ``(10), or (11)'' and 
                        inserting ``or (10)''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``2023, or 2027,'' and 
                        inserting ``or 2023''; and
                    (D) by striking paragraph (11).
            (2) Conforming amendment.--Section 50101(b)(2) of the 
        Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-123) is repealed.

SEC. 3. PERMANENT EXTENSIONS OF OTHER PROGRAMS AND DEMONSTRATION 
              PROJECTS.

    (a) Pediatric Quality Measures Program.--Section 1139A(i)(1) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b-9a(i)(1)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (C), by striking at the end ``and'';
            (2) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at the end 
        and insert a semicolon; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:
                    ``(E) for fiscal year 2028, $15,000,000 for the 
                purpose of carrying out this section (other than 
                subsections (e), (f), and (g)); and
                    ``(F) for a subsequent fiscal year, the amount 
                appropriated under this paragraph for the previous 
                fiscal year, increased by the percentage increase in 
                the consumer price index for all urban consumers (all 
                items; United States city average) over such previous 
                fiscal year, for the purpose of carrying out this 
                section (other than subsections (e), (f), and (g)).''.
    (b) Express Lane Eligibility Option.--Section 1902(e)(13) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396a(e)(13)) is amended by striking 
subparagraph (I).
    (c) Assurance of Affordability Standard for Children and 
Families.--
            (1) In general.--Section 2105(d)(3) of the Social Security 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 1397ee(d)(3)) is amended--
                    (A) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``through 
                september 30, 2027''; and
                    (B) in subparagraph (A), in the matter preceding 
                clause (i)--
                            (i) by striking ``During the period that 
                        begins on the date of enactment of the Patient 
                        Protection and Affordable Care Act and ends on 
                        September 30, 2027'' and inserting ``Beginning 
                        on the date of the enactment of the Patient 
                        Protection and Affordable Care Act'';
                            (ii) by striking ``During the period that 
                        begins on October 1, 2019, and ends on 
                        September 30, 2027'' and inserting ``Beginning 
                        on October 1, 2019''; and
                            (iii) by striking ``The preceding sentences 
                        shall not be construed as preventing a State 
                        during any such periods from'' and inserting 
                        ``The preceding sentences shall not be 
                        construed as preventing a State from''.
            (2) Conforming amendments.--Section 1902(gg)(2) of the 
        Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396a(gg)(2)) is amended--
                    (A) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``through 
                september 30, 2027''; and
                    (B) by striking ``through September 30'' and all 
                that follows through ``ends on September 30, 2027'' and 
                inserting ``(but beginning on October 1, 2019,''.
    (d) Qualifying States Option.--Section 2105(g)(4) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397ee(g)(4)) is amended--
            (1) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``for fiscal 
        years 2009 through 2027'' and inserting ``after fiscal year 
        2008''; and
            (2) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``for any of fiscal 
        years 2009 through 2027'' and inserting ``for any fiscal year 
        after fiscal year 2008''.
    (e) Outreach and Enrollment Program.--Section 2113 of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397mm) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``during the 
                period of fiscal years 2009 through 2027'' and 
                inserting ``, beginning with fiscal year 2009,'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) by striking ``10 percent of such 
                        amounts'' and inserting ``10 percent of such 
                        amounts for the period or the fiscal year for 
                        which such amounts are appropriated''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``during such period'' and 
                        inserting ``, during such period or such fiscal 
                        year,''; and
                    (C) in paragraph (3), by striking ``For the period 
                of fiscal years 2024 through 2027, an amount equal to 
                10 percent of such amounts'' and inserting ``Beginning 
                with fiscal year 2024, an amount equal to 10 percent of 
                such amounts for the period or the fiscal year for 
                which such amounts are appropriated''; and
            (2) in subsection (g)--
                    (A) by striking ``2017,,'' and inserting ``2017,'';
                    (B) by striking ``and $48,000,000'' and inserting 
                ``$48,000,000''; and
                    (C) by inserting after ``through 2027'' the 
                following: ``, $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2028, and, 
                for each fiscal year after fiscal year 2028, the amount 
                appropriated under this subsection for the previous 
                fiscal year, increased by the percentage increase in 
                the consumer price index for all urban consumers (all 
                items; United States city average) over such previous 
                fiscal year''.
    (f) Child Enrollment Contingency Fund.--Section 2104(n) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397dd(n)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A)(ii)--
                            (i) by striking ``and 2024 through 2026'' 
                        and inserting ``beginning with fiscal year 
                        2024''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``2023, and 2027'' and 
                        inserting ``, and 2023''; and
                    (B) in subparagraph (B)--
                            (i) by striking ``2024 through 2026'' and 
                        inserting ``beginning with fiscal year 2024''; 
                        and
                            (ii) by striking ``2023, and 2027'' and 
                        inserting ``, and 2023''; and
            (2) in paragraph (3)(A)--
                    (A) by striking ``fiscal years 2024 through 2026'' 
                and inserting ``beginning with fiscal year 2024''; and
                    (B) by striking ``2023, or 2027'' and inserting ``, 
                or 2023''.
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