[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1377 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1377
To provide emergency funding for caseworkers and child protective
services.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 25, 2021
Ms. Schrier introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committee on the
Budget, 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 funding for caseworkers and child protective
services.
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 ``Emergency Funding for Child
Protection Act''.
SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL AMOUNT FOR THE STATE GRANT PROGRAM FOR CHILD ABUSE
OR NEGLECT PREVENTION AND TREATMENT PROGRAMS.
(a) Appropriation.--There are hereby appropriated to the Secretary,
out of amounts in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $500,000,000
for fiscal year 2021, for the purpose of providing additional funding
for the State grant program under section 106 of the Child Abuse
Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106a), in accordance with this
section. Such amounts shall be in addition to other amounts made
available for such purpose, and shall remain available until expended.
(b) Emergency Designation.--
(1) In general.--The amounts provided by this section are
designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 4(g)
of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (2 U.S.C. 933(g)).
(2) Designation in senate.--In the Senate, this section is
designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section
4112(a) of H. Con. Res. 71 (115th Congress), the concurrent
resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018.
(c) Allotments.--As soon as practicable, but not later than 30 days
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall make
allotments out of the amounts appropriated under subsection (a) to each
State and territory receiving an allotment under section 106(f) of the
Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106a(f)) for
fiscal year 2020, in the same manner that amounts appropriated under
section 112 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5106f)) are allotted to States in
accordance with section 106(f)(2) of such Act, except that, in
allotting amounts under this subsection, ``$50,000'' shall be deemed to
be ``$1,000,000'' each place such amount appears in such section
106(f)(2).
(d) Use of Funds.--Amounts received by a State or territory under
subsection (c) may be used, consistent with section 106 of the Child
Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, to--
(1) expand the ability of caseworkers to conduct safe,
remote and in-person, homes visits and family visits to
investigate and treat child abuse and neglect, which may
include--
(A) purchasing personal protective equipment for
caseworkers and families, such as gloves, hand
sanitizer, and face masks;
(B) providing premium pay for caseworkers
conducting in-home visits;
(C) purchasing new technology and updating or
improving existing technology infrastructure for child
welfare agencies;
(D) purchasing technology, including internet
access, and prepaid telephone minutes for families; and
(E) training on the use of such technology for
caseworkers, families, and child welfare agencies;
(2) access consultation and services related to mental
health, substance use disorder, and domestic violence,
including with infant-early childhood mental health providers,
to train and support caseworkers in the impacts of disasters
and traumatic experience for children (including very young
children), youth, and adults, to help caseworkers provide
trauma-informed services;
(3) enhance the ability of caseworkers to connect families
with, or facilitate access to, other services, such as
telebehavioral health care, in-person well-child visits with
pediatricians, substance use disorder treatment, and early
intervention and special education services under the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et
seq.) for young children with developmental delays and
disabilities;
(4) address the needs, including mental health needs, of
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth who are
suspected victims of child abuse or neglect;
(5) purchase emergency supplies for families caring for
children under protective services supervision (either at home
or in foster care) and not able to afford them, which may
include cleaning and sanitizing supplies, diapers, hygiene
products, formula for infants and toddlers, and reusable cloth
face coverings that are consistent with the guidelines of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for preventing the
spread of COVID-19 among the general public;
(6) provide time-limited, direct payments for families
caring for children under protective services supervision
(either at home or in foster care) who are applying for
government-funded assistance programs, to serve as a bridge
until the family receives or is denied such assistance;
(7) provide support, including assistance payments,
training or mentorship in navigating virtual platforms such as
virtual learning and telehealth, and access to legal
representation, as needed, to relatives or fictive kin to care
for children, in lieu of placing such children in foster care,
in the event that such children's parents--
(A) are diagnosed with COVID-19; or
(B) are unable to care for their children due to
health or economic concerns stemming from the COVID-19
pandemic;
(8) provide access to legal assistance for relatives or
fictive kin raising children with no parental involvement to
make alternative plans for the children in the event the
caregivers die or become unable to care for the children; and
(9) carry out such other activities that enhance the
ability of the State or territory to protect children and
support families during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(e) No State Match Required.--A State or territory shall not be
required to provide any additional funding for the State program under
section 106 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act as a
condition for receiving an allocation under subsection (c).
(f) Reports.--Each State or territory receiving an allotment under
this section shall submit to the Secretary, every 6 months until the
amount so allotted has been fully expended, a report detailing how such
State or territory is using such allotment in accordance with the
requirements of this section.
SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL AMOUNT FOR COMMUNITY-BASED GRANTS FOR THE PREVENTION
OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT.
(a) Appropriation.--There are hereby appropriated to the Secretary,
out of amounts in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated,
$1,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2021, for the purpose of providing
additional funding for the community-based grants for the prevention of
child abuse and neglect under title II of the Child Abuse Prevention
and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5116 et seq.), in accordance with this
section. Such amounts shall be in addition to other amounts made
available for such purpose, and shall remain available until expended.
(b) Emergency Designation.--
(1) In general.--The amounts provided by this section are
designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 4(g)
of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (2 U.S.C. 933(g)).
(2) Designation in senate.--In the Senate, this section is
designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section
4112(a) of H. Con. Res. 71 (115th Congress), the concurrent
resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018.
(c) Allotments.--As soon as practicable, but not later than 30 days
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall make
allotments out of the amounts appropriated under subsection (a) to each
State receiving an allotment under section 203 of the Child Abuse
Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5116b) for fiscal year 2020, in
the same manner that amounts appropriated under section 209 of such Act
(42 U.S.C. 5116i) are allotted to States in accordance with section 203
of such Act, except that, in allotting amounts under this subsection--
(1) in subsection (a) of such section 203, ``1 percent''
shall be deemed to be ``5 percent'';
(2) in subsection (b)(1)(A) of such section 203--
(A) ``70 percent'' shall be deemed to be ``100
percent''; and
(B) ``$175,000'' shall be deemed to be
``$1,000,000''; and
(3) subsections (b)(1)(B) and (c) of such section 203 shall
not apply.
(d) Use of Funds.--Amounts received by a State under subsection (c)
may be used, consistent with title II of the Child Abuse Prevention and
Treatment Act, to--
(1) provide services and supports to help families build
protective factors linked to the prevention of child abuse and
neglect;
(2) purchase emergency supplies and basic necessities for
families, which may include diapers and infant hygiene
products, formula, non-perishable food, water, soap, hand
sanitizer, and reusable cloth face coverings that are
consistent with the guidelines of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention for preventing the spread of COVID-19
among the general public;
(3) provide time-limited, direct payments for families
caring for children under protective services supervision
(either at home or in foster care) who are applying for
government-funded assistance programs, to serve as a bridge
until the family receives or is denied such assistance;
(4) maximize the participation of racial and ethnic
minorities; children and adults with disabilities; families
experiencing domestic violence; families experiencing
homelessness and those at risk of homelessness; families with
low-incomes and families with caregivers recently unemployed;
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth; relative
and fictive kin caregivers and the children raised by such
caregivers; and young parents in community-based and
prevention-focused programs designed to strengthen and support
families to prevent child abuse and neglect;
(5) bolster the efforts of the State hotlines by
publicizing such hotlines, hiring more staff, and increasing
hours of operation;
(6) establish satellite locations and mobile units for
community based nonprofit organizations and family resource
centers so families can access resources and services in a safe
manner;
(7) hire, and provide premium pay to, social program
navigators, parent coaches, and home visitors to reach more
families;
(8) purchase technology, including internet access, for
staff and families to support the prevention of child abuse and
neglect, and train staff and families to facilitate usage of
such technology;
(9) develop and distribute parenting tip sheets and guides
for families that address topics that may include--
(A) children's responses to trauma caused by the
COVID-19 pandemic;
(B) adult self-care and stress management;
(C) familial conflict resolution and de-escalation;
(D) maintaining healthy attachments between
caregivers and children, and where appropriate, birth
parents;
(E) understanding the intersection of trauma with
childhood development; and
(F) other tips and advice pertinent to maintaining
child and parent and caregiver well-being during the
COVID-19 pandemic;
(10) develop and distribute mandatory reporter tip sheets
and guides that address topics that may include--
(A) recognizing and reporting child abuse and
neglect in a virtual environment;
(B) helping parents, caregivers, and kin access
community supports to help families with non-safety
concerns outside of the child welfare system; and
(C) other tips or advice pertinent to recognizing
and reporting child abuse or neglect, or supporting
families at risk of child abuse or neglect, during the
COVID-19 pandemic;
(11) access services related to mental health, substance
use disorder, and domestic violence, including infant-early
childhood mental health services, through consultants to train
and support staff around the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,
about the intersection of trauma with childhood development,
and establish or support local trauma response teams and the
procedures to connect via remote technology;
(12) assist community-based organizations operating
programs and activities designed to strengthen and support
families to prevent child abuse and neglect with operating
costs to ensure that such organizations can continue providing
services during the COVID-19 pandemic;
(13) prevent child fatalities and near fatalities,
including by--
(A) providing support for crisis nurseries; and
(B) conducting targeted educational campaigns for
parents and caregivers; and
(14) carry out other programs, services, and activities
that strengthen families and prevent child abuse and neglect.
(e) No State Match Required.--Notwithstanding section 204(4) of the
Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5116d(4)), a State
shall not be required to provide any additional funding for the program
under title II of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42
U.S.C. 5116 et seq.) as a condition for receiving an allocation under
subsection (c).
(f) Reports.--Each State receiving an allotment under this section
shall submit to the Secretary, every 6 months until the amount so
allotted has been fully expended, a report detailing how such State is
using such allotment in accordance with the requirements of this
section.
SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL AMOUNT FOR THE NATIONAL CHILD ABUSE HOTLINE.
(a) Appropriation.--There are hereby appropriated to the Secretary,
out of amounts in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $2,000,000
for fiscal year 2021, for the purpose of operating and expanding the
national child abuse hotline, including by publicizing such helpline,
hiring more staff, and increasing hours of operation. Such amounts
shall be in addition to other amounts made available for such purpose,
and shall remain available until expended.
(b) Emergency Designation.--
(1) In general.--The amounts provided by this section are
designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 4(g)
of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (2 U.S.C. 933(g)).
(2) Designation in senate.--In the Senate, this section is
designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section
4112(a) of H. Con. Res. 71 (115th Congress), the concurrent
resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018.
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Caseworker.--The term ``caseworker'' includes child
welfare agency staff and staff of other related organizations,
such as in-home services or home visiting services.
(2) Family.--The term ``family'' includes formal and
informal kinship care arrangements.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Health and Human Services.
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