[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3769 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3769
To amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to provide for
alternative pathways of addressing child abuse and neglect.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 8 (legislative day, February 7), 2024
Mr. Lujan introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to provide for
alternative pathways of addressing child abuse and neglect.
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 ``Alternative Pathways to Child Abuse
Prevention Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Section 2 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42
U.S.C. 5101 note) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (11), by inserting ``trauma-informed,''
after ``child-centered,'';
(2) in paragraphs (12) and (14), by inserting ``, Indian
Tribes,'' after ``States'' each place such term appears; and
(3) in subparagraphs (C) and (D) of paragraph (15), by
inserting ``and Indian Tribes'' after ``States'' each place
such term appears.
SEC. 3. ADVISORY BOARD ON CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT.
Section 102 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42
U.S.C. 5102) is amended--
(1) in subsection (c)--
(A) in paragraph (13), by striking ``and'';
(B) in paragraph (14), by striking the period and
inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(15) domestic violence advocates and experts.''; and
(2) in subsection (f)--
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``; and'';
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking the period and
inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(4) recommendations for actions Federal, State, Tribal,
and local public agencies can take to safely reduce the number
of families referred to child protective services and direct
such families to alternative pathways of preventive, family-
centered services for support.''.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE FOR INFORMATION RELATING TO CHILD ABUSE.
Section 103 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42
U.S.C. 5104) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (3), by striking ``relating to
differential response;'' and inserting ``relating to--
``(A) differential response; and
``(B) the use of alternative pathways that connect
families experiencing difficulty meeting basic needs or
other risk factors associated with child abuse and
neglect, such as parental stress, family violence, and
isolation, to community-based systems and programs that
strengthen families seeking support instead of to the
child protection system, such as--
``(i) State, Tribal, or local helplines
that provide information or assistance and
connect families to voluntary community-based
support services; and
``(ii) alternative pathways for mandated
reporters and other concerned adults to use to
refer families for voluntary supports outside
of the child protection system;'';
(B) in paragraph (8), by striking subparagraph (B)
and inserting the following:
``(B) appropriate State, Tribal, and local
officials to assist in training law enforcement, legal,
judicial, medical, physical, behavioral and mental
health, education, child welfare, substance use
disorder treatment services, and domestic violence
services personnel, including training on--
``(i) the role of the child protective
services system to identify children at risk of
serious harm; and
``(ii) how to direct families in need to
alternative pathways to community-based systems
and programs that strengthen such families in
order to safely reduce the number of families
unnecessarily referred to child protective
services; and''; and
(C) in paragraph (9), by inserting ``for both
victims and people who use violence'' before the
period; and
(2) in subsection (c)(1)(C)--
(A) in clause (iii), by striking ``; and'' and
inserting a semicolon;
(B) in clause (iv), by inserting ``and'' after the
semicolon; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(v) information on the presence of
domestic violence in advance of a child
death;''.
SEC. 5. RESEARCH AND ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES.
Section 104 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42
U.S.C. 5105) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(1)--
(A) in subparagraph (L), by inserting ``and the use
of alternative pathways that connect families to
community-based prevention services where possible
instead of system involvement'' after ``differential
response''; and
(B) in subparagraph (O)--
(i) in clause (ix), by inserting ``presence
of domestic violence,'' after ``size),'';
(ii) in clause (x), by striking ``; and''
and inserting a semicolon;
(iii) in clause (xi), by striking the
period and inserting ``; and''; and
(iv) by adding at the end the following:
``(xii) the prevalence of domestic violence
in child abuse and neglect reports and open
cases.'';
(2) in subsection (b)(2)--
(A) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``; and'' and
inserting a semicolon;
(B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period and
inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(E) ways to safely decrease the number of
families being referred to child protective services
and instead provide them with alternative pathways to
community-based child abuse prevention services that
strengthen families.''; and
(3) in subsection (e)(3), by inserting ``and for
demonstration projects that focus on building research-based
protective factors in community organizations, health care, and
schools for adult and child survivors of domestic violence as a
strategy for keeping children out of the child protective
services system'' before the period.
SEC. 6. GRANTS TO STATES, INDIAN TRIBES OR TRIBAL ORGANIZATIONS, AND
PUBLIC OR PRIVATE AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS.
Section 105(a) of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42
U.S.C. 5106(a)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2)(B), by inserting ``and case
management'' after ``through referral'';
(2) in paragraph (5), by inserting ``for survivors or
people who use violence'' after ``violence service agencies'';
(3) in paragraph (6), by inserting ``accountability and
meaningful pathways to change for the person using violence,''
after ``parent involved and children,''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(8) Alternative pathways to community-based family-
strengthening services and programs.--The Secretary may award
grants to collaborations of State, Tribal, and local child
welfare agencies with community-based providers to support the
development and implementation of alternative pathways and
systems and supports that connect families experiencing
difficulty meeting basic needs or risk factors associated with
child abuse and neglect to community-based systems and programs
that assist families seeking support as an alternative to the
child protection system, such as supporting--
``(A) the development and implementation of--
``(i) local or State helplines, websites,
or mobile applications that provide information
or assistance and connect families to voluntary
community-based support services, including
local programs supported under title II;
``(ii) a continuum of preventive services
that strengthen families and promote child,
parent, and family well-being; and
``(iii) alternative pathways for mandatory
reporters and other concerned adults to use to
connect families to voluntary supports outside
of child protection systems and educating
adults about such pathways; and
``(B) the hiring of personnel to help connect
families to voluntary supports outside of child
protection systems, navigate barriers to accessing
these services, and ensure services exist where
families live and work.''.
SEC. 7. GRANTS TO STATES FOR CHILD ABUSE OR NEGLECT PREVENTION AND
TREATMENT PROGRAMS.
Section 106 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42
U.S.C. 5106a) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (13)(B), by striking ``; or'' and
inserting a semicolon;
(B) in paragraph (14)(B), by striking the period
and inserting ``; or''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(15) improving the child protective system to focus on
children at most serious risk of harm and safely reduce the
number of families investigated for child abuse and neglect by
increasing the number of families connected to voluntary,
community-based systems and programs that assist families in
need of supports and services, including by developing,
implementing, and expanding--
``(A) local or State helplines, websites, and
mobile applications that connect families to voluntary
community-based resources, including local programs
funded under title II;
``(B) a continuum of preventive services that
strengthen families and promote child, parent, and
family well-being;
``(C) alternative pathways for mandatory reporters
and other concerned adults to use to refer families for
voluntary supports outside of child protection systems
and educating adults about such systems; and
``(D) personnel to help connect families to
voluntary supports outside of child protection systems,
navigate barriers to accessing these services, and
ensure services exist where families live and work.'';
and
(2) in subsection (b)(2)(D)--
(A) in clause (v), by striking ``; and'' and
inserting a semicolon;
(B) in clause (vi), by adding ``and'' after the
semicolon; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(vii) changes in policies and procedures
of State and local child welfare agencies
that--
``(I) reduce the number of families
referred to such agencies for incidents
that are not child abuse or neglect,
such as families referred to the child
protective system solely based on
circumstances related to poverty;
``(II) develop, implement, and
scale systems of alternative pathways
(in coordination with the lead entity
and local programs supported by title
II) that connect such families to
voluntary community-based support to
build protective factors that reduce
the likelihood of child abuse and
neglect, or that reduce harm as a
result of domestic violence, including
efforts to educate mandatory reporters
and other concerned adults about such
systems to refer families for voluntary
supports outside of child protection
systems; and
``(III) increase supports for
families in navigating and accessing
voluntary community-based support to
reduce the likelihood of child abuse
and neglect or that reduce harm as a
result of domestic violence, including
personnel and casework.''.
SEC. 8. GRANTS TO STATES FOR PROGRAMS RELATING TO THE INVESTIGATION AND
PROSECUTION OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT CASES.
Section 107(c)(1) of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act
(42 U.S.C. 5106c(c)(1)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (I), by striking ``; and'' and
inserting a semicolon;
(2) in subparagraph (J), by striking the period and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(K) domestic violence and sexual violence
prevention and treatment advocates.''.
SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) Title I.--Section 112(a)(1) of the Child Abuse Prevention and
Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106h(a)(1)) is amended by striking
``$120,000,000 for fiscal year 2010 and such sums as may be necessary
for each of the fiscal years 2011 through 2015'' and inserting
``$500,000,000 for fiscal year 2024 and such sums as may be necessary
for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029''.
(b) Title II.--Section 209 of the Child Abuse Prevention and
Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5116i) is amended by striking ``$80,000,000
for fiscal year 2010 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the
fiscal years 2011 through 2015'' and inserting ``$1,000,000,000 for
fiscal year 2024 and such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal
years 2025 through 2029''.
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