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<bill bill-stage="Introduced-in-Senate" dms-id="A1" public-private="public" slc-id="S1-KIN25572-TJ3-78-DCR"><metadata xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
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<dc:title>119 S3231 IS: Respite Care and Resources for Everyone Act</dc:title>
<dc:publisher>U.S. Senate</dc:publisher>
<dc:date>2025-11-20</dc:date>
<dc:format>text/xml</dc:format>
<dc:language>EN</dc:language>
<dc:rights>Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.</dc:rights>
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<distribution-code display="yes">II</distribution-code><congress>119th CONGRESS</congress><session>1st Session</session><legis-num>S. 3231</legis-num><current-chamber>IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES</current-chamber><action><action-date date="20251120">November 20, 2025</action-date><action-desc><sponsor name-id="S369">Mr. Markey</sponsor> (for himself, <cosponsor name-id="S331">Mrs. Gillibrand</cosponsor>, and <cosponsor name-id="S426">Mr. Kim</cosponsor>) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the <committee-name committee-id="SSHR00">Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions</committee-name></action-desc></action><legis-type>A BILL</legis-type><official-title>To amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to develop and expand integrated caregiver support services for family caregivers, and for other purposes.</official-title></form><legis-body display-enacting-clause="yes-display-enacting-clause"><section section-type="section-one" id="S1"><enum>1.</enum><header>Short title</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">This Act may be cited as the <quote><short-title>Respite Care and Resources for Everyone Act</short-title></quote> or the <quote><short-title>Respite CARE Act</short-title></quote>.</text></section><section id="ida354cf0a9a31464e8bdb623d8150e88c"><enum>2.</enum><header>Caregiver support</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Title IV of the Older Americans Act of 1965 is amended by inserting after section 414 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/3032c">42 U.S.C. 3032c</external-xref>) the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7F4475C73BE74A459BAFD98443EB552F"><section id="id24afc4c09a2e4ccf87b44ee60e26754c"><enum>415.</enum><header>Caregiver support</header><subsection id="idae571a4503d0445fa4764f64f87b0c94"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Grants</header><text>The Assistant Secretary may make grants to eligible entities for the development or expansion of integrated caregiver support services, through which a provider provides, at the same time and integrated setting, respite care to assist family caregivers and other supportive services or support services described in section 373(b) for family caregivers.</text></subsection><subsection id="idb3f9817cafa243ae899dbf9d71cb4f07"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Eligible entity</header><text>To be eligible to receive a grant under subsection (a), an entity shall be a State or local government agency, a nonprofit organization, an area agency on aging, the provider of a multipurpose senior center, an institution of higher education, or a Tribal organization.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" id="id745eb0cead794b648beb2c5b5cc0ebf4"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Application</header><text>To be eligible to receive a grant under subsection (a), an entity shall submit an application to the Assistant Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Assistant Secretary may require.</text></subsection><subsection id="id9ddba5d215484f789d8d08ac694e1492"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Use of funds</header><text>An eligible entity receiving a grant under subsection (a) shall use the grant funds, consistent with subsection (e)—</text><paragraph id="idfb4234d15b6e450993d05123fda8f9b5"><enum>(1)</enum><text>to develop or expand integrated caregiver support services in order to provide respite care at the same time and integrated setting as supportive services or support services described in section 373(b) for family caregivers; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idaef487f74af04266916f76c97e25dc80"><enum>(2)</enum><text>to provide services described in paragraph (1) in a manner that is accessible, as appropriate for the family caregiver or the care recipient, as the case may be, including providing the services—</text><subparagraph id="idf878e383567e4261aec4568769f8098e"><enum>(A)</enum><text>through assistive technology;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id74cdf8d3ce064e40a9a309cfb30601ba"><enum>(B)</enum><text>in an accessible language;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id636bd7e1deb140b8ac48969e7fac2cb4"><enum>(C)</enum><text>for caregivers for whom English is not their primary language, through translation or interpretation services; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id9a21131aed824af9b253d9575f7cab49"><enum>(D)</enum><text>in an accessible format, including formats compatible with American Sign Language and multiple languages.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide3b21551d2024e71aab7b0480249c5b6"> <enum>(e)</enum> <header>Direct or indirect provision</header> <text>An eligible entity receiving such a grant may use the grant funds directly, or indirectly by contract with a health care provider or child care provider, to provide respite care.</text>
 </subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ided001e5260a84017b38976ccfc5ec01e"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text>In this section:</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id1efa3219fa58417ca15fd7ce418b845d"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Caregiver support services</header><text>The term <term>caregiver support services</term> means services, provided for a family caregiver, that are—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id826153cdd3204137afee0f6a433235ff"><enum>(A)</enum><text>supportive services; or</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb4e835be490546738574943813c30e95"><enum>(B)</enum><text>support services described in section 373(b).</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="HFA297F96B1574A74850B137501C46620"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Child care provider</header><subparagraph id="HE11A7F498FC2496FB4087EA54F05A581"> <enum>(A)</enum> <header>In general</header> <text>The term <term>child care provider</term> means a center-based child care provider, a family child care provider, or other provider of child care services for compensation that—</text>
                <clause id="H8F4731E27A2743C38D54F75A7A52505B">
                  <enum>(i)</enum>
 <text>is licensed to provide child care services under State law applicable to the child care services it provides or, in the case of an Indian Tribe or Tribal organization, meets the rules set by the Secretary of Health and Human Services;</text>
                </clause>
                <clause id="HCC6EE60ECEA84CE58CD32C2137A1E5DE">
                  <enum>(ii)</enum>
 <text>participates in the State’s tiered system for recognizing and supporting the quality of child care services, or, in the case of an Indian Tribe or Tribal organization, meets the rules set by the Secretary, on such schedule as the Secretary may provide; and</text>
                </clause>
                <clause id="HC223F623D7BB44B4AB4BDA628D506260">
                  <enum>(iii)</enum>
 <text>satisfies the State and local requirements, including those requirements described in section 658E(c)(2)(I) of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/9858c">42 U.S.C. 9858c(c)(2)(I)</external-xref>), applicable to the child care services it provides.</text>
                </clause>
              </subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"
                id="idce5741d4122c49e4a396a98bc9e8f803">
                <enum>(B)</enum>
                <header>Family child care provider</header>
 <text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In subparagraph (A), the term <term>family child care provider</term> means one or more individuals who provide child care services, in a private residence other than the residences of the children involved, for less than 24 hours per day per child, or for 24 hours per day per child due to the nature of the work of the parent involved.</text>
 </subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id162b7fb4f4e444e3a0a81c65f0d0628d"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Family caregiver</header><text>The term <term>family caregiver</term>—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9e79e99edc3146678f97e583174cbc85"><enum>(A)</enum><text>means—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id4add3b0ff0e14d118d650eaaaa8997a5"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">an adult family member, or another individual, who is an informal provider of in-home and community care to an older individual or to an individual of any age with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder with neurological and organic brain dysfunction; or</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id77e0117fce4649bda72b05ad7590ebd1"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>an older relative caregiver; and</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id382a18c6891843c1934a23ef1ad47739"><enum>(B)</enum><text>does not include an individual providing care whose primary relationship with the individual receiving the care is based on a financial or professional agreement.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3B930BB7777246ED9F069B2D6E7265A3"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Health care provider</header><text>The term <term>health care provider</term> means a health care provider, as defined in section 3000 of the Public Health Service Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/300jj">42 U.S.C. 300jj</external-xref>) or a Federally qualified health center, as defined in section 1861 of the Social Security Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/1395x">42 U.S.C. 1395x</external-xref>).</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id55135e0ce57248ada82303ba88ce9b5a"><enum>(5)</enum><header>Indian tribe, tribal organization</header><text>The terms <term>Indian Tribe</term> and <term>Tribal organization</term> have the meanings given the terms <term>Indian tribe</term> and <term>tribal organization</term>, respectively, in section 658P of such Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/9858n">42 U.S.C. 9858n</external-xref>).</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7e9945c06d194f5d9ef81f03095d0c36"><enum>(6)</enum><header>Older relative caregiver</header><text>The term <term>older relative caregiver</term>—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id90c3dcd2be634316b353bb07f0e0a6b5"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">means a caregiver who—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="H6F8AF169EC724CE089C72AD5A75B0F70"><enum>(i)</enum><text>is age 55 or older; and</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H89C96B34323A41B38214D3951D6F0767"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>lives with, is the informal provider of in-home and community care to, and is the primary caregiver for, a child or an individual with a disability;</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H7EBFF9547295440886693B02990183C4"><enum>(B)</enum><text>in the case of a caregiver for a child—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HB3F839A2044E43DD9D42EF8028C258FC"><enum>(i)</enum><text>is the grandparent, stepgrandparent, or other relative (other than the parent) by blood, marriage, or adoption, of the child;</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HC44FBB6E1F5A44BB97472B19A4024B1D"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>is the primary caregiver of the child because the biological or adoptive parents are unable or unwilling to serve as the primary caregivers of the child; and</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H95EB4FA248AE4D64A0FFB5DD64E32DDB"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>has a legal relationship to the child, such as legal custody, adoption, or guardianship, or is raising the child informally; and</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H425E226BBD354DE5A8B7D2B94F214A58"><enum>(C)</enum><text>in the case of a caregiver for an individual with a disability, is the parent, grandparent, or other relative by blood, marriage, or adoption, of the individual with a disability.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idcca458db3a514f88b6ddc548b100ec32"> <enum>(7)</enum> <header>Respite care</header> <text>The term <term>respite care</term> means care, which may include health care and child care, for a care recipient of a family caregiver.</text>
            </paragraph></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></section></legis-body></bill>

