[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1091 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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115th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1091
To establish a Federal Task Force to Support Grandparents Raising
Grandchildren.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 10, 2017
Ms. Collins (for herself and Mr. Casey) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a Federal Task Force to Support Grandparents Raising
Grandchildren.
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 ``Supporting Grandparents Raising
Grandchildren Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) More than 80 percent of Americans over the age of 65
are grandparents and more than 2,500,000 grandparents in the
United States are the primary caretaker of their grandchildren.
Experts report that such numbers are increasing as the opioid
epidemic expands.
(2) Grandparents' lives are enhanced by caring for their
grandchildren; the overwhelming majority of grandparents report
experiencing significant benefits in serving as their
grandchildren's primary caregivers.
(3) Providing full-time care to their grandchildren may
increase grandparents' likelihood of experiencing physical
illness and mental health problems and decrease their ability
to save for retirement.
(4) Grandparents raising grandchildren may face difficulty
enrolling their grandchildren in school, medical care, and
Federal assistance services.
(5) The Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3001 et
seq.) includes services that support grandfamilies, including
the National Family Caregiver Support Program.
(6) Grandparents would benefit from better coordination and
information about resources available to support them in their
caregiving responsibilities.
SEC. 3. FEDERAL TASK FORCE TO SUPPORT GRANDPARENTS RAISING
GRANDCHILDREN.
(a) Establishment.--There is established a Federal Task Force to
Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (referred to in this section
as the ``Task Force'').
(b) Membership.--
(1) In general.--The Task Force shall be composed of the
following members, or their designee:
(A) The Secretary of Health and Human Services.
(B) The Attorney General.
(C) The Administrator of the Administration for
Community Living.
(D) The Director of the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.
(E) The Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and
Substance Use.
(F) The Assistant Secretary for the Administration
for Children and Families.
(G) The head of each Federal department, agency, or
other governmental entity identified by the Secretary
of Health and Human Services as having
responsibilities, or administering programs, relating
to current issues affecting grandparents or other
relatives raising children in their care.
(2) Lead agency.--The Department of Health and Human
Services shall be the lead agency for the Task Force.
(3) Requirement.--Each member of the Task Force shall be an
officer or employee of the Federal Government.
(c) Duties.--
(1) In general.--
(A) Information.--The Task Force shall identify,
promote, coordinate, and disseminate information
publicly about Federal information, resources, and best
practices available, on the date of the determination,
to help grandparents or other relatives raising
children in their care meet the health, educational,
nutritional, and other needs of the children in their
care as well as maintain their own physical and mental
health and emotional well-being, including those
raising children in their care as a result of the
opioid epidemic.
(B) Native americans.--In carrying out the duties
described in subparagraph (A), the Task Force shall
ensure that the needs of members of Native American
tribes are addressed.
(2) Report.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Task Force shall
submit a report to the Special Committee on Aging and
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
of the Senate that includes--
(i) best practices, resources, and other
useful information for grandparents and other
relatives raising children in their care; and
(ii) an identification of the gaps in needs
of grandparents and other relatives raising
children in their care.
(B) Follow-up report.--Not later than the date that
is 2 years after the date the report under subparagraph
(A) is submitted, the Task Force shall submit a follow-
up report to the Special Committee on Aging and the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of
the Senate that includes the information described in
subparagraph (A).
(3) Process for public input.--The Task Force shall
establish a process for public input to inform the development
of, and updates to, the best practices, resources, and other
useful information and the gaps in needs described in paragraph
(2), including a process for the public to submit
recommendations to the Task Force and an opportunity for public
comment.
(d) Sunset.--The Task Force shall terminate on the date that is 5
years after the date of enactment of this Act.
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