[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1091 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>





                                                       Calendar No. 343
115th CONGRESS
  2d 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, Mr. Casey, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Nelson, Ms. 
Warren, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Manchin, Ms. Heitkamp, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Brown, 
  Ms. Smith, Mr. Young, Ms. Murkowski, and Mr. Scott) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

                             March 12, 2018

              Reported by Mr. Alexander, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Supporting Grandparents 
Raising Grandchildren Act''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. FINDINGS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Congress finds the following:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Grandparents raising grandchildren may face 
        difficulty enrolling their grandchildren in school, medical 
        care, and Federal assistance services.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) Grandparents would benefit from better 
        coordination and information about resources available to 
        support them in their caregiving responsibilities.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. FEDERAL TASK FORCE TO SUPPORT GRANDPARENTS RAISING 
              GRANDCHILDREN.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Establishment.--There is established a Federal Task 
Force to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (referred to in 
this section as the ``Task Force'').</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Membership.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--The Task Force shall be composed 
        of the following members, or their designee:</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) The Secretary of Health and Human 
                Services.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) The Attorney General.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) The Administrator of the 
                Administration for Community Living.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) The Director of the Centers for 
                Disease Control and Prevention.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) The Assistant Secretary for Mental 
                Health and Substance Use.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (F) The Assistant Secretary for the 
                Administration for Children and Families.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Lead agency.--The Department of Health and 
        Human Services shall be the lead agency for the Task 
        Force.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Requirement.--Each member of the Task Force 
        shall be an officer or employee of the Federal 
        Government.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Duties.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Report.--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (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--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) best practices, resources, and 
                        other useful information for grandparents and 
                        other relatives raising children in their care; 
                        and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) an identification of the gaps 
                        in needs of grandparents and other relatives 
                        raising children in their care.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (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).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Sunset.--The Task Force shall terminate on the date 
that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Supporting Grandparents Raising 
Grandchildren Act''.

SEC. 2. 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) Older Relative Caregiver.--In this section, the term ``older 
relative caregiver'' has the meaning given the term under section 
372(a)(3) of the National Family Caregiver Support (42 U.S.C. 
3030s(a)(3)).
    (c) 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 Director of the Indian Health Service.
                    (H) The Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & 
                Medicaid Services.
                    (I) 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 the current health, educational, nutritional, and 
                other needs and current issues affecting older relative 
                caregivers, including grandparents, raising children in 
                their care.
                    (J) A grandparent raising a grandchild or 
                grandchildren as well as another older relative 
                caregiver of children.
            (2) Lead agency.--The Department of Health and Human 
        Services shall be the lead agency for the Task Force.
    (d) Duties.--
            (1) In general.--
                    (A) Information.--The Task Force shall identify, 
                coordinate, and disseminate information publicly about 
                Federal information, resources, and best practices 
                available, on the date of the determination, to help 
                older relative caregivers, including grandparents, 
                raising children in their care, including those raising 
                children in their care as a result of the opioid 
                crisis, 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.
                    (B) Native americans.--In carrying out the duties 
                described in subparagraph (A), the Task Force shall 
                ensure that the needs of Native Americans (as defined 
                in section 102 of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 
                U.S.C. 3002)) are considered.
            (2) Report.--
                    (A) In general.--Not later than 360 days after the 
                date of enactment of this Act, the Task Force shall 
                submit a report to the Special Committee on Aging, the 
                Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, 
                and the Committee on Finance of the Senate and the 
                Committee on Education and the Workforce, the Committee 
                on Energy and Commerce, and the Committee on Ways and 
                Means of the House of Representatives that includes--
                            (i) best practices, resources, and other 
                        useful information for older relative 
                        caregivers, including grandparents, raising 
                        children in their care; and
                            (ii) an identification of the gaps in needs 
                        of older relative caregivers, including 
                        grandparents, raising children in their care.
                    (B) Final report.--Not later than 4 years after the 
                date of enactment of this Act, the Task Force shall 
                submit a final report to the Special Committee on 
                Aging, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
                Pensions, and the Committee on Finance of the Senate 
                and the Committee on Education and the Workforce, the 
                Committee on Energy and Commerce, and the Committee on 
                Ways and Means of the House of Representatives that 
                includes the final findings of the Task Force, 
                recommendations for future actions to address issues 
                faced by older relative caregivers, including 
                grandparents, raising children in their care, and any 
                other useful information.
            (3) Process for public input.--The Task Force shall 
        establish a process for public input to inform the 
        identification 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.
    (e) Sunset.--The Task Force shall terminate on the date that is 5 
years after the date of enactment of this Act.
    (f) Nonapplicability of FACA.--The Federal Advisory Committee Act 
(5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Task Force.
    (g) Funding.--No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated 
to carry out this section. The Task Force shall be carried out with 
funds otherwise appropriated.
                                                       Calendar No. 343

115th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 1091

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

   To establish a Federal Task Force to Support Grandparents Raising 
                             Grandchildren.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             March 12, 2018

                       Reported with an amendment