1.
This Act may be cited as the
State Child Well-Being Research Act of
2005
.
2.Congress makes the following
findings:
(1)
The well-being of children is a paramount concern for our Nation
and for every State, and most programs for children and families are managed at
the State or local level.
(2)Child well-being
varies over time and across social, economic, and geographic groups, and can be
affected by changes in the circumstances of families, by the economy, by the
social and cultural environment, and by public policies and programs at both
the Federal and State level.
(3)
States, including small States, need information about child
well-being that is specific to their State and that is up-to-date,
cost-effective, and consistent across States and over time.
(4)
Regular collection of child well-being information at the State
level is essential so that Federal and State officials can track child
well-being over time.
(5)
Information on child well-being is necessary for all States,
particularly small States that do not have State-level data in other federally
supported data bases, such as the Survey of Income and Program
Participation.
(6)
Telephone surveys of parents, on the other hand, represent a
relatively cost-effective strategy for obtaining information on child
well-being at the State level for all States, including small States.
(7)
Data from telephone surveys of the population are used to monitor
progress toward many important national goals, including immunization of
preschool children with the National Immunization Survey, and the
identification of health care issues of children with special needs with the
National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs.
(8)A State-level telephone survey can provide
information on a range of topics, including children’s social and emotional
development, education, health, safety, family income, family employment, and
child care. Information addressing marriage and family structure can also be
obtained for families with children. Information obtained from such a survey
would not be available solely for children or families participating in
programs but would be representative of the entire State population and
consequently, would not only inform welfare policymaking, but policymaking on a
range of other important issues, such as child care, child welfare, and
education.
3.
Research on indicators of child Well-Being
Section 413 of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 613) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
(k)
Indicators of child Well-Being
(1)
The Secretary, through grants, contracts, or interagency
agreements shall develop comprehensive indicators to assess child well-being in
each State.
(2)
(A)
The indicators developed under paragraph (1) shall include
measures related to the following:
(i)
Education.
(ii)
Social and emotional development.
(iii)
Health and safety.
(iv)
Family well-being, such as family structure, income,
employment, child care arrangements, and family relationships.
(B)
The data collected with respect to the indicators developed
under paragraph (1) shall be—
(i)
statistically representative at the State level;
(ii)
consistent across States;
(iii)
collected on an annual basis for at least the 5 years following
the first year of collection;
(iv)
expressed in terms of rates or percentages;
(v)
statistically representative at the national level;
(vi)
measured with reliability;
(vii)
current;
(viii)
over-sampled, with respect to low-income children and families;
and
(ix)made publicly
available.
(C)
In developing the indicators required under paragraph (1) and
the means to collect the data required with respect to the indicators, the
Secretary shall consult and collaborate with the Federal Interagency Forum on
Child and Family Statistics.
(3)
(A)
The Secretary shall establish an advisory panel to make
recommendations regarding the appropriate measures and statistical tools
necessary for making the assessment required under paragraph (1) based on the
indicators developed under that paragraph and the data collected with respect
to the indicators.
(B)
(i)
The advisory panel established under subparagraph (A) shall
consist of the following:
(I)
One member appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human
Services.
(II)
One member appointed by the Chairman of the Committee on Ways
and Means of the House of Representatives.
(III)
One member appointed by the Ranking Member of the Committee on
Ways and Means of the House of Representatives.
(IV)
One member appointed by the Chairman of the Committee on
Finance of the Senate.
(V)
One member appointed by the Ranking Member of the Committee on
Finance of the Senate.
(VI)
One member appointed by the Chairman of the National Governors
Association, or the Chairman’s designee.
(VII)
One member appointed by the President of the National
Conference of State Legislatures or the President’s designee.
(VIII)
One member appointed by the Director of the National Academy of
Sciences, or the Director’s designee.
(ii)
The members of the advisory panel shall be appointed not later
than 2 months after the date of enactment of the State Child Well-Being
Research Act of 2005.
(C)
The advisory panel established under subparagraph (A) shall
meet—
(i)
at least 3 times during the first year after the date of
enactment of the State Child Well-Being Research Act of 2005; and
(ii)
annually thereafter for the 3 succeeding years.
(4)Authorization
of appropriationsThere are authorized to be appropriated for
each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010, $15,000,000 for the purpose of carrying
out this subsection.
.