An act to provide for the establishment and maintenance of a Family Caregiving Strategy, and for other purposes
PL 115-119 (H.R.3759), enacted 01/22/2018

132 STAT. 23 
PUBLIC LAW 115–119—JAN. 22, 2018 
Public Law 115–119 
115th Congress 
An Act 
To provide for the establishment and maintenance of a Family Caregiving Strategy, 
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 ‘‘Recognize, Assist, Include, Sup-
port, and Engage Family Caregivers Act of 2017’’ or the ‘‘RAISE 
Family Caregivers Act’’. 
SEC. 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 signifi-
cant 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. 
SEC. 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 publicly avail-
able 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-cen-
tered care in all health and long-term services and supports 
settings, with the person receiving services and supports and 
Consultation. 
Public 
information. 
Web posting. 
Recognize, 
Assist, Include, 
Support, and 
Engage Family 
Caregivers Act 
of 2017. 
42 USC 3030s 
note. 
Jan. 22, 2018 
[H.R. 3759] 
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132 STAT. 24 
PUBLIC LAW 115–119—JAN. 22, 2018 
the family caregiver (as appropriate) at the center of care 
teams. 
(2) Assessment and service planning (including care transi-
tions 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, 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 Representa-
tives, and the State agencies responsible for carrying out family 
caregiver programs, 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 Govern-
ment 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 recog-
nizing and supporting family caregivers; and 
(2) biennially update, republish, and submit to the Com-
mittee 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 Representa-
tives, 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, opportuni-
ties, 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, rec-
ommend priority actions for improving the implementation 
of such recommendations, as appropriate. 
Deadline. 
Publications. 
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132 STAT. 25 
PUBLIC LAW 115–119—JAN. 22, 2018 
(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 rec-
ommendations 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 con-
strued 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. 
SEC. 4. FAMILY CAREGIVING ADVISORY COUNCIL. 
(a) CONVENING.—The Secretary shall convene a Family 
Caregiving Advisory Council to advise and provide recommenda-
tions, including identified best practices, to the Secretary on recog-
nizing 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 mem-
bers 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 1 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 con-
sist 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 Sec-
retary’s designee). 
Recommenda- 
tions. 
Recommenda- 
tions. 
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132 STAT. 26 
PUBLIC LAW 115–119—JAN. 22, 2018 
(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 diver-
sity 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 agen-
cies responsible for carrying out family caregiver programs, 
and make publicly 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 care-
givers and gaps in such efforts; 
(B) recommendations— 
(i) to improve and better coordinate Federal pro-
grams 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 chal-
lenges, 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 Com-
mittee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Advisory Council. 
Evaluation. 
Recommenda- 
tions. 
Records. 
Assessment. 
Public 
information. 
Web posting. 
Time period. 
Public 
information. 
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132 STAT. 27 
PUBLIC LAW 115–119—JAN. 22, 2018 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 3759 (S. 1028): 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD: 
Vol. 163 (2017): Dec. 18, considered and passed House. 
Vol. 164 (2018): Jan. 8, considered and passed Senate. 
SEC. 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. 
SEC. 6. SUNSET PROVISION. 
The authority and obligations established by this Act shall 
terminate on the date that is 3 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act. 
Approved January 22, 2018. 
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