[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1065 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1065

  To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a 
 program to provide pregnant women with certificates to cover expenses 
   incurred in receiving services at maternity and housing services 
facilities and to direct the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 
 to provide assistance to nonprofit entities for the rehabilitation of 
   existing structures for use as facilities to provide housing and 
                      services to pregnant women.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 27, 1995

   Mr. Smith of New Jersey introduced the following bill; which was 
    referred to the Committee on Commerce and, in addition, to the 
    Committee on Banking and Financial Services, 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 direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a 
 program to provide pregnant women with certificates to cover expenses 
   incurred in receiving services at maternity and housing services 
facilities and to direct the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 
 to provide assistance to nonprofit entities for the rehabilitation of 
   existing structures for use as facilities to provide housing and 
                      services to pregnant women.

    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 ``Health Care and Housing for Women 
and Children Act of 1995''.

             TITLE I--MATERNAL HEALTH CERTIFICATES PROGRAM

SEC. 101. MATERNAL HEALTH CERTIFICATES FOR ELIGIBLE PREGNANT WOMEN.

    (a) Establishment of Maternal Health Certificates for Eligible 
Pregnant Women.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
establish a program to provide maternal health certificates for 
eligible pregnant women to use to cover expenses incurred in receiving 
services at a maternity and housing services facility.
    (b) Eligibility of Individuals.--
            (1) In general.--A pregnant woman is eligible to receive a 
        maternal health certificate under the program established under 
        subsection (a) if the woman--
                    (A) has an annual individual income (determined 
                without taking into account the income of any parent or 
                guardian of the individual) not greater than 175 
                percent of the income official poverty line (as defined 
                by the Office of Management and Budget, and revised 
                annually in accordance with section 673(2) of the 
                Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981) applicable 
                to such individual; and
                    (B) provides the Secretary with such other 
                information and assurances as the Secretary may 
                require.
            (2) Income of estranged spouse not included.--In 
        determining the income of an individual for purposes of 
        paragraph (1)(A), there shall not be included the income of a 
        spouse if the spouse has been living apart from the woman for 
        not less than 6 months.
            (3) Participation in afdc program not required.--An 
        individual otherwise eligible to receive a maternal health 
        certificate under the program established under subsection (a) 
        shall not be found ineligible to receive such a certificate 
        solely on the grounds that the individual does not receive aid 
        under the State plan for aid to families with dependent 
        children under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act.
    (c) Limitations on Amount of Expenses Incurred.--A certificate 
received under the program established under subsection (a) may be used 
to cover an amount of expenses incurred by an individual at a maternity 
housing and services facility that does not exceed an amount equal to--
            (1) $100; multiplied by
            (2) the number of days during which such services are 
        provided to the individual at such facility.
    (d) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            (1) Maternity and housing services facility.--The term 
        ``maternity and housing services facility'' means a nonprofit 
        facility licensed or otherwise approved by the State in which 
        the facility is located to serve as a residence for not fewer 
        than 4 pregnant women during pregnancy and for a limited period 
        after the date on which the child carried during the pregnancy 
        is born, as the Secretary may determine, that provides such 
        pregnant women with appropriate supportive services, which may 
        include the following supportive services:
                    (A) Room and board.
                    (B) Medical care (provided either at the facility 
                or off-site) for the woman and her child, including 
                prenatal, delivery, and post-delivery care.
                    (C) Instruction and counseling regarding future 
                health care for the woman and her child.
                    (D) Nutrition services and nutrition counseling.
                    (E) Counseling and education concerning all aspects 
                of prenatal care, childbirth, and motherhood.
                    (F) General family counseling, including child and 
                family development counseling.
                    (G) Adoption counseling.
                    (H) Vocational and educational counseling and 
                services.
                    (I) Basic transportation services to enable the 
                woman to obtain services from the facility.
            (2) Pregnant woman.--The term ``pregnant woman'' means a 
        woman determined to have one or more fetuses in utero.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Health and Human Services.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated for maternal health certificates under this section--
            (1) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 1996;
            (2) $75,000,000 for fiscal year 1997; and
            (3) $100,000,000 for fiscal year 1998.

  TITLE II--REHABILITATION GRANTS FOR MATERNITY HOUSING AND SERVICES 
                               FACILITIES

SEC. 201. ESTABLISHMENT OF GRANT PROGRAM.

    The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall carry out a 
program to provide assistance under this title to eligible nonprofit 
entities for rehabilitation of existing structures for use as 
facilities to provide housing and services to pregnant women.

SEC. 202. AUTHORITY AND APPLICATIONS.

    (a) Authority.--The Secretary may make grants under the program 
under this title to eligible nonprofit entities to rehabilitate 
existing structures for use as maternity housing and services 
facilities.
    (b) Applications.--The Secretary may make grants only to nonprofit 
entities that submit applications for grants under this title in the 
form and manner that the Secretary shall prescribe, which shall include 
assurances that grant amounts will be used to provide a maternity 
housing and services facility.

SEC. 203. GRANT LIMITATIONS.

    (a) Maximum Grant Amount.--A grant under this title may not be in 
an amount greater than $1,000,000. An eligible nonprofit entity may not 
receive more than 1 grant under this title in any fiscal year.
    (b) Maximum Number of Grants.--The Secretary may not make grants 
under this title to more than 100 eligible nonprofit entities in any 
fiscal year.
    (c) Use of Grants for Rehabilitation Activities.--Any eligible 
nonprofit entity that receives a grant under this title shall use the 
grant amounts for the acquisition or rehabilitation (or both) of 
existing structures for use as a maternity housing and services 
facility, which may include planning and development costs, 
professional fees, and administrative costs related to such acquisition 
or rehabilitation.

SEC. 204. REPORTS.

    The Secretary shall require each eligible nonprofit entity that 
receives a grant under this title to submit to the Secretary a report, 
at such times and including such information as the Secretary shall 
determine, describing the activities carried out by the eligible 
nonprofit entity with the grant amounts.

SEC. 205. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this title:
            (1) Eligible nonprofit entities.--The term ``eligible 
        nonprofit entity'' means any organization that--
                    (A) is described in section 501(c)(3) of the 
                Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that is exempt from 
                taxation under subtitle A of such Code; and
                    (B) has submitted an application under section 
                702(b) for a grant under this title.
            (2) Maternity housing and services facility.--The term 
        ``maternity housing and services facility'' means a facility 
        licensed or otherwise approved by the State in which the 
        facility is located to serve as a residence for not fewer than 
        4 pregnant women during pregnancy and for a limited period 
        after the date on which the child carried during the pregnancy 
        is born, as the Secretary may determine, that provides such 
        pregnant women with appropriate supportive services, which may 
        include the following services:
                    (A) Room and board.
                    (B) Medical care for the woman and her child, 
                including prenatal, delivery, and post-delivery care.
                    (C) Instruction and counseling regarding future 
                health care for the woman and her child.
                    (D) Nutrition services and nutrition counseling.
                    (E) Counseling and education concerning all aspects 
                of prenatal care, childbirth, and motherhood.
                    (F) General family counseling, including child and 
                family development counseling.
                    (G) Adoption counseling.
                    (H) Vocational and educational counseling and 
                services.
                    (I) Basic transportation services to enable the 
                woman to obtain services from the facility.
                    (J) Any other appropriate supportive services.
            (3) Pregnant woman.--The term ``pregnant woman'' means a 
        woman determined to have one or more fetuses in utero.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Housing and Urban Development.

SEC. 206. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this title 
$25,000,000 for fiscal year 1996, $40,000,000 for fiscal year 1997, and 
$60,000,000 for fiscal year 1998.

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