[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1143 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1143

To amend the Public Health Service Act to address the increased burden 
that maintaining the health and hygiene of infants and toddlers places 
 on families in need, the resultant adverse health effects on children 
and families, and the limited child care options available for infants 
               and toddlers who lack sufficient diapers.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 16, 2017

  Mr. Ellison (for himself, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Nadler, Ms. 
 Norton, and Ms. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to address the increased burden 
that maintaining the health and hygiene of infants and toddlers places 
 on families in need, the resultant adverse health effects on children 
and families, and the limited child care options available for infants 
               and toddlers who lack sufficient diapers.

    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 ``Hygiene Assistance for Families of 
Infants and Toddlers Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVING OPPORTUNITY DIAPER DISTRIBUTION DEMONSTRATION 
              PROJECT.

    Part P of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
280g et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 399V-7. DIAPER DISTRIBUTION DEMONSTRATION PROJECT.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Administration 
for Children and Families, shall make grants to eligible entities to 
conduct demonstration projects that implement and evaluate strategies 
to help families with eligible children to address the diapering needs 
of such children.
    ``(b) Use of Funds.--Amounts provided through a grant under this 
section shall be used to--
            ``(1) fund diaper distribution demonstration projects that 
        will reduce the substantial cost of diapers and diapering 
        supplies by making diapers and diapering supplies available to 
        low-income families;
            ``(2) evaluate the effects of such demonstration projects 
        on mitigating health risks, including diaper dermatitis, 
        urinary tract infections, and increased rates of parental and 
        child depression and anxiety, that can arise when low-income 
        families do not have an adequate supply of diapers for infants 
        and toddlers; and
            ``(3) integrate the diaper distribution demonstration 
        projects with other assistance programs serving families with 
        eligible children.
    ``(c) Application.--An entity desiring a grant under this section 
shall submit to the Secretary an application that includes such 
information as the Secretary may require to ensure a likelihood of 
success in achieving the purposes of the grant listed in subsection 
(b).
    ``(d) Eligible Entities.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
this section, an entity shall be--
            ``(1) a State or local governmental entity;
            ``(2) an Indian tribe or tribal organization (as defined in 
        section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education 
        Assistance Act); or
            ``(3) a nonprofit organization as described in section 
        501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from 
        taxation under section 501(a) of such Code.
    ``(e) No Effect on Other Programs.--Any assistance or benefits 
provided to a family pursuant to a grant under this section shall be 
disregarded for purposes of determining the family's eligibility for, 
or amount of, benefits under--
            ``(1) any other Federal needs-based program; or
            ``(2) in the case of a grant under this section to a State, 
        any State-funded, needs-based program that is financed in whole 
        or in part with Federal funds.
    ``(f) Reports.--As a condition of receiving a grant under this 
section for a fiscal year, an entity shall submit to the Secretary, not 
later than 6 months after the end of the fiscal year, a report that 
specifies--
            ``(1) the number of children and the number of families 
        receiving assistance under the diaper distribution 
        demonstration projects funded through such grant for each month 
        of the fiscal year;
            ``(2) the number of diapers, and the number of each type of 
        diapering supply distributed through such projects for each 
        month of the fiscal year;
            ``(3) the method or methods the entity uses to distribute 
        diapers and diapering supplies through such projects; and
            ``(4) such other information as the Secretary may require.
    ``(g) Evaluation.--The Secretary, in consultation with each entity 
that receives a grant under this section, shall--
            ``(1) not later than September 30, 2019--
                    ``(A) complete an evaluation of the effectiveness 
                of the diaper distribution demonstration projects 
                carried out pursuant to this section;
                    ``(B) submit to the relevant congressional 
                committees a report on the results of such evaluation; 
                and
                    ``(C) publish the results of the evaluation on the 
                Internet Web site of the Department of Health and Human 
                Services; and
            ``(2)(A) not later than September 30, 2022, update the 
        evaluation described in paragraph (1)(A); and
            ``(B) not later than 90 days after completion of the 
        updated evaluation under subparagraph (B)--
                    ``(i) submit to the relevant congressional 
                committees a report describing the results of such 
                evaluation; and
                    ``(ii) update the Web site described in paragraph 
                (1)(C) to include the results of such evaluation.
    ``(h) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `diaper' means an absorbent garment that is 
        washable or disposable that is worn by a child who is not 
        toilet-trained.
            ``(2) The term `diapering supplies' means items, including 
        diaper wipes and diaper cream, necessary to ensure that a child 
        using a diaper is properly cleaned and protected from diaper 
        rash.
            ``(3) The term `eligible child' means a child who--
                    ``(A) is not toilet-trained;
                    ``(B) has not attained 4 years of age, unless the 
                entity determines that the child has a substantial 
                physical or mental impairment that requires the child 
                to wear diapers; and
                    ``(C) is a member of a family whose income is not 
                more than 130 percent of the 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 a family of the size involved.
            ``(4) The term `toilet-trained' means able and willing to 
        use a toilet consistently such that diapers are not necessary 
        on a daily basis.
    ``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            ``(1) In general.--To carry out this section, there is 
        authorized to be appropriated for each of fiscal years 2018 
        through 2022, $25,000,000.
            ``(2) Availability of funds.--Funds provided to an entity 
        under this section for a fiscal year may be expended only in 
        the fiscal year or the succeeding fiscal year.''.
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