Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage Family Caregivers Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-1028
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME]
Introduced: 2017-05-03
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Advisory bodies

Aging

Congressional oversight

Disability and paralysis

Family services

Government information and archives

Health programs administration and funding

Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care

Medicaid

Medicare
Latest action: action_date: 2017-09-27
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-05-03
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p> <b>Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage Family Caregivers Act of 2017' or the `RAISE Family Caregivers Act</b></p> <p>This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop, maintain, and periodically update a National Family Caregiving Strategy.</p> <p>HHS shall convene a Family Caregiving Advisory Council to advise it on recognizing and supporting family caregivers.</p>

action_date: 2017-05-11
action_desc: Reported to Senate without amendment
text: <p>(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)</p> <p><b>Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage Family Caregivers Act of 2017 or the RAISE Family Caregivers Act</b></p> <p>(Sec. 3) This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop, maintain, and periodically update a National Family Caregiving Strategy.</p> <p>(Sec. 4) HHS shall convene a Family Caregiving Advisory Council to advise it on recognizing and supporting family caregivers.</p>

action_date: 2017-09-26
action_desc: Passed Senate amended
text: <p><b>Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage Family Caregivers Act of 2017 or the RAISE Family Caregivers Act</b></p> <p>(Sec. 3) This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop and make publicly available a National Family Caregiving Strategy that identifies&nbsp;recommended actions for recognizing and supporting family caregivers in a manner that reflects their diverse needs.</p> <p>(Sec. 4) HHS shall convene a Family Caregiving Advisory Council to advise the department&nbsp;on recognizing and supporting family caregivers.</p> <p>(Sec. 6) The council shall terminate after five years.</p>

tv_txt: II Calendar No. 78 115th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1028 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 3, 2017 Ms. Collins (for herself, Ms. Baldwin , Ms. Murkowski , and Mr. Bennet ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions May 11, 2017 Reported by Mr. Alexander , without amendment A BILL To provide for the establishment and maintenance of a National Family Caregiving Strategy, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage Family Caregivers Act of 2017 or the RAISE Family Caregivers Act . 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Advisory Council The term Advisory Council means the Family Caregiving Advisory Council convened under section 4. (2) Family caregiver The term family caregiver means an adult family member or other individual who has a significant relationship with, and who provides a broad range of assistance to, an individual with a chronic or other health condition, disability, or functional limitation. (3) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of Health and Human Services. (4) Strategy The term Strategy means the National Family Caregiving Strategy established, maintained, and updated under section 3. 3. National Family Caregiving Strategy (a) In general The Secretary, in consultation with the heads of other appropriate Federal agencies, shall develop, maintain, and periodically update a National Family Caregiving Strategy. (b) Contents The Strategy shall identify specific actions that Federal, State, and local governments, communities, health care, long-term services and supports and other providers, employers, and others can take to recognize and support family caregivers in a manner that reflects their diverse needs, including with respect to the following: (1) Promoting greater adoption of person- and family-centered care in all health and long-term services and supports settings, with the person receiving services and supports and the family caregiver (as appropriate) at the center of care teams. (2) Assessment and service planning (including care transitions and coordination) involving family caregivers and care recipients. (3) Training and other supports. (4) Information, education, referral, and care coordination, including hospice, palliative care, and advance planning services. (5) Respite options. (6) Financial security. (7) Workplace policies and supports that allow family caregivers to remain in the workforce. (c) Responsibilities of the Secretary The Secretary, in carrying out this section, shall be responsible for the following: (1) Collecting and making publicly available information, including evidence-based or promising practices and innovative models (both domestically and internationally) regarding the provision of care by family caregivers or support for family caregivers. (2) Coordinating Federal Government programs and activities to recognize and support family caregivers while ensuring maximum effectiveness and avoiding unnecessary duplication. (3) Providing technical assistance, such as best practices and information sharing, to State or local efforts, as appropriate, to support family caregivers. (4) Addressing disparities in recognizing and supporting family caregivers and meeting the needs of the diverse family caregiving population. (5) Assessing all Federal programs regarding family caregivers, including with respect to funding levels. (d) Initial strategy; updates The Secretary shall— (1) not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, develop, publish, and submit to Congress the initial Strategy incorporating the items addressed in the Advisory Council's report in section 4(d)(2) and other priority actions for recognizing and supporting family caregivers; and (2) not less than every 2 years, update, republish, and submit to Congress the Strategy, taking into account the most recent annual report submitted under section 4(d)(1)— (A) to reflect new developments, challenges, opportunities, and solutions; and (B) to assess progress in implementation of the Strategy and, based on the results of such assessment, recommend priority actions for such implementation. (e) Process for public input The Secretary shall establish a process for public input to inform the development of, and updates to, the Strategy, including a process for the public to submit recommendations to the Advisory Council and an opportunity for public comment on the proposed Strategy. (f) No preemption Nothing in this Act preempts any authority of a State or local government to recognize or support family caregivers. 4. Family Caregiving Advisory Council (a) Convening The Secretary shall convene a Family Caregiving Advisory Council to provide advice to the Secretary on recognizing and supporting family caregivers. (b) Membership (1) In general The members of the Advisory Council shall consist of— (A) the appointed members under paragraph (2); and (B) the Federal members under paragraph (3). (2) Appointed members In addition to the Federal members under paragraph (3), the Secretary shall appoint not more than 15 members of the Advisory Council who are not representatives of Federal departments or agencies and who shall include at least one representative of each of the following: (A) Family caregivers. (B) Older adults with long-term services and supports needs, including older adults facing disparities. (C) Individuals with disabilities. (D) Advocates for family caregivers, older adults with long-term services and supports needs, and individuals with disabilities. (E) Health care and social service providers. (F) Long-term services and supports providers. (G) Employers. (H) Paraprofessional workers. (I) State and local officials. (J) Accreditation bodies. (K) Relevant industries. (L) Veterans. (M) As appropriate, other experts in family caregiving. (3) Federal members The Federal members of the Advisory Council, who shall be nonvoting members, shall consist of the following: (A) The Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (or the Administrator's designee). (B) The Administrator of the Administration for Community Living (or the Administrator's designee who has experience in both aging and disability). (C) The Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families (or the Assistant Secretary's designee). (D) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs (or the Secretary's designee). (E) The Secretary of Labor (or the Secretary's designee). (F) The Secretary of the Treasury (or the Secretary's designee). (G) The National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (or the National Coordinator's designee). (H) The Administrator of the Small Business Administration (or the Administrator's designee). (I) The Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service (or the Chief Executive Officer's designee). (J) The heads of other Federal departments or agencies (or their designees), as appointed by the Secretary or the Chair of the Advisory Council. (4) Diverse representation The Secretary shall ensure that the membership of the Advisory Council reflects the diversity of family caregivers and individuals receiving services and supports. (c) Meetings The Advisory Council shall meet quarterly during the 1-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act and at least three times during each year thereafter. Meetings of the Advisory Council shall be open to the public. (d) Advisory Council annual reports (1) In general Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Advisory Council shall submit to the Secretary and Congress a report concerning the development, maintenance, and updating of the Strategy and the implementation thereof, including a description of the outcomes of the recommendations and priorities under paragraph (2), as appropriate. Such report shall be made publicly available by the Advisory Council. (2) Initial report The Advisory Council's initial report under paragraph (1) shall include— (A) an inventory and assessment of all federally funded efforts to recognize and support family caregivers and the outcomes of such efforts, including analyses of the extent to which federally funded efforts are reaching family caregivers and gaps in such efforts; (B) recommendations for priority actions— (i) to improve and better coordinate programs; and (ii) to deliver services based on the performance, mission, and purpose of a program while eliminating redundancies and ensuring the needs of family caregivers are met; (C) recommendations to reduce the financial impact and other challenges of caregiving on family caregivers; and (D) an evaluation of how family caregiving impacts the Medicare program, and Medicaid program, and other Federal programs. (e) Nonapplicability of FACA The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Advisory Council. 5. Sunset provision The authority and obligations established by this Act shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act.

May 11, 2017 Reported without amendment

tv_txt: II 115th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1028 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 3, 2017 Ms. Collins (for herself, Ms. Baldwin , Ms. Murkowski , and Mr. Bennet ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To provide for the establishment and maintenance of a National Family Caregiving Strategy, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage Family Caregivers Act of 2017 or the RAISE Family Caregivers Act . 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Advisory Council The term Advisory Council means the Family Caregiving Advisory Council convened under section 4. (2) Family caregiver The term family caregiver means an adult family member or other individual who has a significant relationship with, and who provides a broad range of assistance to, an individual with a chronic or other health condition, disability, or functional limitation. (3) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of Health and Human Services. (4) Strategy The term Strategy means the National Family Caregiving Strategy established, maintained, and updated under section 3. 3. National Family Caregiving Strategy (a) In general The Secretary, in consultation with the heads of other appropriate Federal agencies, shall develop, maintain, and periodically update a National Family Caregiving Strategy. (b) Contents The Strategy shall identify specific actions that Federal, State, and local governments, communities, health care, long-term services and supports and other providers, employers, and others can take to recognize and support family caregivers in a manner that reflects their diverse needs, including with respect to the following: (1) Promoting greater adoption of person- and family-centered care in all health and long-term services and supports settings, with the person receiving services and supports and the family caregiver (as appropriate) at the center of care teams. (2) Assessment and service planning (including care transitions and coordination) involving family caregivers and care recipients. (3) Training and other supports. (4) Information, education, referral, and care coordination, including hospice, palliative care, and advance planning services. (5) Respite options. (6) Financial security. (7) Workplace policies and supports that allow family caregivers to remain in the workforce. (c) Responsibilities of the Secretary The Secretary, in carrying out this section, shall be responsible for the following: (1) Collecting and making publicly available information, including evidence-based or promising practices and innovative models (both domestically and internationally) regarding the provision of care by family caregivers or support for family caregivers. (2) Coordinating Federal Government programs and activities to recognize and support family caregivers while ensuring maximum effectiveness and avoiding unnecessary duplication. (3) Providing technical assistance, such as best practices and information sharing, to State or local efforts, as appropriate, to support family caregivers. (4) Addressing disparities in recognizing and supporting family caregivers and meeting the needs of the diverse family caregiving population. (5) Assessing all Federal programs regarding family caregivers, including with respect to funding levels. (d) Initial strategy; updates The Secretary shall— (1) not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, develop, publish, and submit to Congress the initial Strategy incorporating the items addressed in the Advisory Council's report in section 4(d)(2) and other priority actions for recognizing and supporting family caregivers; and (2) not less than every 2 years, update, republish, and submit to Congress the Strategy, taking into account the most recent annual report submitted under section 4(d)(1)— (A) to reflect new developments, challenges, opportunities, and solutions; and (B) to assess progress in implementation of the Strategy and, based on the results of such assessment, recommend priority actions for such implementation. (e) Process for public input The Secretary shall establish a process for public input to inform the development of, and updates to, the Strategy, including a process for the public to submit recommendations to the Advisory Council and an opportunity for public comment on the proposed Strategy. (f) No preemption Nothing in this Act preempts any authority of a State or local government to recognize or support family caregivers. 4. Family Caregiving Advisory Council (a) Convening The Secretary shall convene a Family Caregiving Advisory Council to provide advice to the Secretary on recognizing and supporting family caregivers. (b) Membership (1) In general The members of the Advisory Council shall consist of— (A) the appointed members under paragraph (2); and (B) the Federal members under paragraph (3). (2) Appointed members In addition to the Federal members under paragraph (3), the Secretary shall appoint not more than 15 members of the Advisory Council who are not representatives of Federal departments or agencies and who shall include at least one representative of each of the following: (A) Family caregivers. (B) Older adults with long-term services and supports needs, including older adults facing disparities. (C) Individuals with disabilities. (D) Advocates for family caregivers, older adults with long-term services and supports needs, and individuals with disabilities. (E) Health care and social service providers. (F) Long-term services and supports providers. (G) Employers. (H) Paraprofessional workers. (I) State and local officials. (J) Accreditation bodies. (K) Relevant industries. (L) Veterans. (M) As appropriate, other experts in family caregiving. (3) Federal members The Federal members of the Advisory Council, who shall be nonvoting members, shall consist of the following: (A) The Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (or the Administrator's designee). (B) The Administrator of the Administration for Community Living (or the Administrator's designee who has experience in both aging and disability). (C) The Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families (or the Assistant Secretary's designee). (D) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs (or the Secretary's designee). (E) The Secretary of Labor (or the Secretary's designee). (F) The Secretary of the Treasury (or the Secretary's designee). (G) The National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (or the National Coordinator's designee). (H) The Administrator of the Small Business Administration (or the Administrator's designee). (I) The Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service (or the Chief Executive Officer's designee). (J) The heads of other Federal departments or agencies (or their designees), as appointed by the Secretary or the Chair of the Advisory Council. (4) Diverse representation The Secretary shall ensure that the membership of the Advisory Council reflects the diversity of family caregivers and individuals receiving services and supports. (c) Meetings The Advisory Council shall meet quarterly during the 1-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act and at least three times during each year thereafter. Meetings of the Advisory Council shall be open to the public. (d) Advisory Council annual reports (1) In general Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Advisory Council shall submit to the Secretary and Congress a report concerning the development, maintenance, and updating of the Strategy and the implementation thereof, including a description of the outcomes of the recommendations and priorities under paragraph (2), as appropriate. Such report shall be made publicly available by the Advisory Council. (2) Initial report The Advisory Council's initial report under paragraph (1) shall include— (A) an inventory and assessment of all federally funded efforts to recognize and support family caregivers and the outcomes of such efforts, including analyses of the extent to which federally funded efforts are reaching family caregivers and gaps in such efforts; (B) recommendations for priority actions— (i) to improve and better coordinate programs; and (ii) to deliver services based on the performance, mission, and purpose of a program while eliminating redundancies and ensuring the needs of family caregivers are met; (C) recommendations to reduce the financial impact and other challenges of caregiving on family caregivers; and (D) an evaluation of how family caregiving impacts the Medicare program, and Medicaid program, and other Federal programs. (e) Nonapplicability of FACA The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Advisory Council. 5. Sunset provision The authority and obligations established by this Act shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act.

tv_txt: 115th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1028 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES AN ACT To provide for the establishment and maintenance of a Family Caregiving Strategy, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage Family Caregivers Act of 2017 or the RAISE Family Caregivers Act . 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Advisory Council The term Advisory Council means the Family Caregiving Advisory Council convened under section 4. (2) Family caregiver The term family caregiver means an adult family member or other individual who has a significant relationship with, and who provides a broad range of assistance to, an individual with a chronic or other health condition, disability, or functional limitation. (3) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of Health and Human Services. (4) Strategy The term Strategy means the Family Caregiving Strategy set forth under section 3. 3. Family Caregiving Strategy (a) In general The Secretary, in consultation with the heads of other appropriate Federal agencies, shall develop jointly with the Advisory Council and submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Special Committee on Aging of the Senate, the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives, and the State agencies responsible for carrying out family caregiver programs, and make publically available on the internet website of the Department of Health and Human Services, a Family Caregiving Strategy. (b) Contents The Strategy shall identify recommended actions that Federal (under existing Federal programs), State, and local governments, communities, health care providers, long-term services and supports providers, and others are taking, or may take, to recognize and support family caregivers in a manner that reflects their diverse needs, including with respect to the following: (1) Promoting greater adoption of person- and family-centered care in all health and long-term services and supports settings, with the person receiving services and supports and the family caregiver (as appropriate) at the center of care teams. (2) Assessment and service planning (including care transitions and coordination) involving family caregivers and care recipients. (3) Information, education and training supports, referral, and care coordination, including with respect to hospice care, palliative care, and advance planning services. (4) Respite options. (5) Financial security and workplace issues. (6) Delivering services based on the performance, mission, and purpose of a program while eliminating redundancies. (c) Duties of the Secretary The Secretary (or the Secretary's designee), in carrying out subsection (a), shall oversee the following: (1) Collecting and making publicly available information, submitted by the Advisory Council under section 4(d) to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Special Committee on Aging of the Senate, the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives, and the State agencies responsible for carrying out family caregiver programs, and made publically available by the Secretary, including evidence-based or promising practices and innovative models (both domestic and foreign) regarding the provision of care by family caregivers or support for family caregivers. (2) Coordinating and assessing existing Federal Government programs and activities to recognize and support family caregivers while ensuring maximum effectiveness and avoiding unnecessary duplication. (3) Providing technical assistance, as appropriate, such as disseminating identified best practices and information sharing based on reports provided under section 4(d), to State or local efforts to support family caregivers. (d) Initial strategy; updates The Secretary shall— (1) not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, develop, publish, and submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Special Committee on Aging of the Senate, the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives, and the State agencies responsible for carrying out family caregiver programs, an initial Strategy incorporating the items addressed in the Advisory Council's initial report under section 4(d) and other relevant information, including best practices, for recognizing and supporting family caregivers; and (2) biennially update, republish, and submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Special Committee on Aging of the Senate, the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives, and the State agencies responsible for carrying out family caregiver programs the Strategy, taking into account the most recent annual report submitted under section 4(d)(1)— (A) to reflect new developments, challenges, opportunities, and solutions; and (B) to review progress based on recommendations for recognizing and supporting family caregivers in the Strategy and, based on the results of such review, recommend priority actions for improving the implementation of such recommendations, as appropriate. (e) Process for public input The Secretary shall establish a process for public input to inform the development of, and updates to, the Strategy, including a process for the public to submit recommendations to the Advisory Council and an opportunity for public comment on the proposed Strategy. (f) No preemption Nothing in this Act preempts any authority of a State or local government to recognize or support family caregivers. (g) Rule of construction Nothing in this Act shall be construed to permit the Secretary (through regulation, guidance, grant criteria, or otherwise) to— (1) mandate, direct, or control the allocation of State or local resources; (2) mandate the use of any of the best practices identified in the reports required under this Act; or (3) otherwise expand the authority of the Secretary beyond that expressly provided to the Secretary in this Act. 4. Family Caregiving Advisory Council (a) Convening The Secretary shall convene a Family Caregiving Advisory Council to advise and provide recommendations, including identified best practices, to the Secretary on recognizing and supporting family caregivers. (b) Membership (1) In general The members of the Advisory Council shall consist of— (A) the appointed members under paragraph (2); and (B) the Federal members under paragraph (3). (2) Appointed members In addition to the Federal members under paragraph (3), the Secretary shall appoint not more than 15 voting members of the Advisory Council who are not representatives of Federal departments or agencies and who shall include at least one representative of each of the following: (A) Family caregivers. (B) Older adults with long-term services and supports needs. (C) Individuals with disabilities. (D) Health care and social service providers. (E) Long-term services and supports providers. (F) Employers. (G) Paraprofessional workers. (H) State and local officials. (I) Accreditation bodies. (J) Veterans. (K) As appropriate, other experts and advocacy organizations engaged in family caregiving. (3) Federal members The Federal members of the Advisory Council, who shall be nonvoting members, shall consist of the following: (A) The Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (or the Administrator's designee). (B) The Administrator of the Administration for Community Living (or the Administrator's designee who has experience in both aging and disability). (C) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs (or the Secretary's designee). (D) The heads of other Federal departments or agencies (or their designees), including relevant departments or agencies that oversee labor and workforce, economic, government financial policies, community service, and other impacted populations, as appointed by the Secretary or the Chair of the Advisory Council. (4) Diverse representation The Secretary shall ensure that the membership of the Advisory Council reflects the diversity of family caregivers and individuals receiving services and supports. (c) Meetings The Advisory Council shall meet quarterly during the 1-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act and at least three times during each year thereafter. Meetings of the Advisory Council shall be open to the public. (d) Advisory Council annual reports (1) In general Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Advisory Council shall submit to the Secretary, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Special Committee on Aging of the Senate, the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives, and the State agencies responsible for carrying out family caregiver programs, and make publically available on the internet website of the Department of Health and Human Services, a report concerning the development, maintenance, and updating of the Strategy, including a description of the outcomes of the recommendations and any priorities included in the initial report pursuant to paragraph (2), as appropriate. (2) Initial report The Advisory Council's initial report under paragraph (1) shall include— (A) an inventory and assessment of all federally funded efforts to recognize and support family caregivers and the outcomes of such efforts, including analyses of the extent to which federally funded efforts are reaching family caregivers and gaps in such efforts; (B) recommendations— (i) to improve and better coordinate Federal programs and activities to recognize and support family caregivers, as well as opportunities to improve the coordination of such Federal programs and activities with State programs; and (ii) to effectively deliver services based on the performance, mission, and purpose of a program while eliminating redundancies, avoiding unnecessary duplication and overlap, and ensuring the needs of family caregivers are met; (C) the identification of challenges faced by family caregivers, including financial, health, and other challenges, and existing approaches to address such challenges; and (D) an evaluation of how family caregiving impacts the Medicare program, the Medicaid program, and other Federal programs. (e) Nonapplicability of FACA The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Advisory Council. 5. Funding No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act. This Act shall be carried out using funds otherwise authorized. 6. Sunset provision The authority and obligations established by this Act shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act.

Passed the Senate September 26, 2017. Secretary

tv_txt: IC 115th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1028 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 27, 2017 Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce AN ACT To provide for the establishment and maintenance of a Family Caregiving Strategy, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage Family Caregivers Act of 2017 or the RAISE Family Caregivers Act . 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Advisory Council The term Advisory Council means the Family Caregiving Advisory Council convened under section 4. (2) Family caregiver The term family caregiver means an adult family member or other individual who has a significant relationship with, and who provides a broad range of assistance to, an individual with a chronic or other health condition, disability, or functional limitation. (3) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of Health and Human Services. (4) Strategy The term Strategy means the Family Caregiving Strategy set forth under section 3. 3. Family Caregiving Strategy (a) In general The Secretary, in consultation with the heads of other appropriate Federal agencies, shall develop jointly with the Advisory Council and submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Special Committee on Aging of the Senate, the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives, and the State agencies responsible for carrying out family caregiver programs, and make publically available on the internet website of the Department of Health and Human Services, a Family Caregiving Strategy. (b) Contents The Strategy shall identify recommended actions that Federal (under existing Federal programs), State, and local governments, communities, health care providers, long-term services and supports providers, and others are taking, or may take, to recognize and support family caregivers in a manner that reflects their diverse needs, including with respect to the following: (1) Promoting greater adoption of person- and family-centered care in all health and long-term services and supports settings, with the person receiving services and supports and the family caregiver (as appropriate) at the center of care teams. (2) Assessment and service planning (including care transitions and coordination) involving family caregivers and care recipients. (3) Information, education and training supports, referral, and care coordination, including with respect to hospice care, palliative care, and advance planning services. (4) Respite options. (5) Financial security and workplace issues. (6) Delivering services based on the performance, mission, and purpose of a program while eliminating redundancies. (c) Duties of the Secretary The Secretary (or the Secretary's designee), in carrying out subsection (a), shall oversee the following: (1) Collecting and making publicly available information, submitted by the Advisory Council under section 4(d) to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Special Committee on Aging of the Senate, the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives, and the State agencies responsible for carrying out family caregiver programs, and made publically available by the Secretary, including evidence-based or promising practices and innovative models (both domestic and foreign) regarding the provision of care by family caregivers or support for family caregivers. (2) Coordinating and assessing existing Federal Government programs and activities to recognize and support family caregivers while ensuring maximum effectiveness and avoiding unnecessary duplication. (3) Providing technical assistance, as appropriate, such as disseminating identified best practices and information sharing based on reports provided under section 4(d), to State or local efforts to support family caregivers. (d) Initial strategy; updates The Secretary shall— (1) not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, develop, publish, and submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Special Committee on Aging of the Senate, the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives, and the State agencies responsible for carrying out family caregiver programs, an initial Strategy incorporating the items addressed in the Advisory Council's initial report under section 4(d) and other relevant information, including best practices, for recognizing and supporting family caregivers; and (2) biennially update, republish, and submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Special Committee on Aging of the Senate, the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives, and the State agencies responsible for carrying out family caregiver programs the Strategy, taking into account the most recent annual report submitted under section 4(d)(1)— (A) to reflect new developments, challenges, opportunities, and solutions; and (B) to review progress based on recommendations for recognizing and supporting family caregivers in the Strategy and, based on the results of such review, recommend priority actions for improving the implementation of such recommendations, as appropriate. (e) Process for public input The Secretary shall establish a process for public input to inform the development of, and updates to, the Strategy, including a process for the public to submit recommendations to the Advisory Council and an opportunity for public comment on the proposed Strategy. (f) No preemption Nothing in this Act preempts any authority of a State or local government to recognize or support family caregivers. (g) Rule of construction Nothing in this Act shall be construed to permit the Secretary (through regulation, guidance, grant criteria, or otherwise) to— (1) mandate, direct, or control the allocation of State or local resources; (2) mandate the use of any of the best practices identified in the reports required under this Act; or (3) otherwise expand the authority of the Secretary beyond that expressly provided to the Secretary in this Act. 4. Family Caregiving Advisory Council (a) Convening The Secretary shall convene a Family Caregiving Advisory Council to advise and provide recommendations, including identified best practices, to the Secretary on recognizing and supporting family caregivers. (b) Membership (1) In general The members of the Advisory Council shall consist of— (A) the appointed members under paragraph (2); and (B) the Federal members under paragraph (3). (2) Appointed members In addition to the Federal members under paragraph (3), the Secretary shall appoint not more than 15 voting members of the Advisory Council who are not representatives of Federal departments or agencies and who shall include at least one representative of each of the following: (A) Family caregivers. (B) Older adults with long-term services and supports needs. (C) Individuals with disabilities. (D) Health care and social service providers. (E) Long-term services and supports providers. (F) Employers. (G) Paraprofessional workers. (H) State and local officials. (I) Accreditation bodies. (J) Veterans. (K) As appropriate, other experts and advocacy organizations engaged in family caregiving. (3) Federal members The Federal members of the Advisory Council, who shall be nonvoting members, shall consist of the following: (A) The Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (or the Administrator's designee). (B) The Administrator of the Administration for Community Living (or the Administrator's designee who has experience in both aging and disability). (C) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs (or the Secretary's designee). (D) The heads of other Federal departments or agencies (or their designees), including relevant departments or agencies that oversee labor and workforce, economic, government financial policies, community service, and other impacted populations, as appointed by the Secretary or the Chair of the Advisory Council. (4) Diverse representation The Secretary shall ensure that the membership of the Advisory Council reflects the diversity of family caregivers and individuals receiving services and supports. (c) Meetings The Advisory Council shall meet quarterly during the 1-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act and at least three times during each year thereafter. Meetings of the Advisory Council shall be open to the public. (d) Advisory Council annual reports (1) In general Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Advisory Council shall submit to the Secretary, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Special Committee on Aging of the Senate, the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives, and the State agencies responsible for carrying out family caregiver programs, and make publically available on the internet website of the Department of Health and Human Services, a report concerning the development, maintenance, and updating of the Strategy, including a description of the outcomes of the recommendations and any priorities included in the initial report pursuant to paragraph (2), as appropriate. (2) Initial report The Advisory Council's initial report under paragraph (1) shall include— (A) an inventory and assessment of all federally funded efforts to recognize and support family caregivers and the outcomes of such efforts, including analyses of the extent to which federally funded efforts are reaching family caregivers and gaps in such efforts; (B) recommendations— (i) to improve and better coordinate Federal programs and activities to recognize and support family caregivers, as well as opportunities to improve the coordination of such Federal programs and activities with State programs; and (ii) to effectively deliver services based on the performance, mission, and purpose of a program while eliminating redundancies, avoiding unnecessary duplication and overlap, and ensuring the needs of family caregivers are met; (C) the identification of challenges faced by family caregivers, including financial, health, and other challenges, and existing approaches to address such challenges; and (D) an evaluation of how family caregiving impacts the Medicare program, the Medicaid program, and other Federal programs. (e) Nonapplicability of FACA The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Advisory Council. 5. Funding No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act. This Act shall be carried out using funds otherwise authorized. 6. Sunset provision The authority and obligations established by this Act shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act.

Passed the Senate September 26, 2017. Julie E. Adams, Secretary