[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2965 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2965

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through 
the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, 
to award grants for providing evidence-based caregiver skills training 
to family caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder or other 
     developmental disabilities or delays, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 27, 2023

Ms. Meng (for herself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Cuellar, and Mr. Molinaro) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                          Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through 
the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, 
to award grants for providing evidence-based caregiver skills training 
to family caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder or other 
     developmental disabilities or delays, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Autism Family Caregivers Act of 
2023''.

SEC. 2. CAREGIVER SKILLS TRAINING PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) Authorization.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services, 
acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services 
Administration, shall carry out a program, to be known as the Caregiver 
Skills Training Pilot Program, under which the Secretary shall award 
grants to eligible entities to provide evidence-based caregiver skills 
training to family caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder 
or other developmental disabilities or delays, for the purposes of--
            (1) improving the well-being of children and their 
        caregivers; and
            (2) teaching caregivers of such children evidenced-based 
        intervention strategies to promote--
                    (A) improvement in the well-being of such children 
                and their caregivers; and
                    (B) the greater inclusion of such children in 
                family and community life.
    (b) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive an award under 
subsection (a), an entity shall be--
            (1) a nonprofit or other community-based organization;
            (2) a Federally qualified health center;
            (3) an academic health center;
            (4) a health system; or
            (5) a collaboration or consortium of 2 or more entities 
        listed in paragraphs (1) through (4).
    (c) Application.--To seek a grant under this section, an eligible 
entity shall submit to the Secretary an application that includes--
            (1) a description of--
                    (A) the applicant's experience delivering evidence-
                based caregiver skills training to family caregivers of 
                children with autism spectrum disorder or other 
                developmental disabilities or delays;
                    (B) the activities that the applicant proposes to 
                carry out through the grant; and
                    (C) how such activities will achieve the purposes 
                described in subsection (a); and
            (2) a plan for--
                    (A) coordination with community-based 
                organizations, State and local early intervention 
                providers, Medicaid systems, schools, and other 
                providers of early intervening services;
                    (B) collaboration with health care payors 
                (including public and private insurance), State 
                departments of insurance, health plans, and other 
                relevant payors;
                    (C) expanding the skills training program proposed 
                to be carried out through the grant;
                    (D) achieving sustainability of such program; and
                    (E) establishing and maintaining a stakeholder 
                implementation committee under subsection (f).
    (d) Selection of Grantees.--
            (1) Selection criteria.--In awarding a grant to an eligible 
        entity or a collaboration or consortium of 2 or more entities 
        described in subsection (b), the Secretary shall require at 
        least one of the recipients to--
                    (A) have at least 3 years of demonstrated 
                experience--
                            (i) delivering culturally competent 
                        services for children with autism spectrum 
                        disorder or other developmental delays and 
                        disabilities, as well as collaborating directly 
                        with their families, including in medically 
                        underserved communities;
                            (ii) providing services to children with 
                        autism spectrum disorder or other developmental 
                        delays and disabilities, as well as 
                        collaborating directly with their families;
                            (iii) providing individual caregiver 
                        coaching to caregivers of children with autism 
                        spectrum disorder or other developmental delays 
                        and disabilities; and
                            (iv) working with self-advocates or adults 
                        with autism spectrum disorder or other 
                        developmental delays and disabilities; and
                    (B) demonstrate the ability to access resources 
                from and collaborate with--
                            (i) health care providers;
                            (ii) allied health professionals;
                            (iii) educators;
                            (iv) social workers; and
                            (v) nonprofessional family caregivers who 
                        assist with daily living and developmental 
                        activities, including for children with autism 
                        spectrum disorder or other developmental delays 
                        and disabilities.
            (2) Reducing disparities.--In awarding grants under this 
        section, the Secretary may consider, as appropriate, the extent 
        to which an eligible entity can deliver evidence-based, 
        culturally competent caregiver skills training programs for 
        children with autism spectrum disorder or other developmental 
        delays and disabilities from diverse racial, ethnic, 
        geographic, or linguistic backgrounds.
    (e) Use of Funds.--The recipient of a grant under this section 
shall use the grant--
            (1) to provide, at no or minimal cost to participants--
                    (A) evidence-based caregiver skills training to 
                family caregivers of children with autism spectrum 
                disorder or other developmental delays and 
                disabilities; and
                    (B) such training in areas related to children's 
                learning and development, including--
                            (i) communication skills;
                            (ii) social engagement;
                            (iii) daily living skills; and
                            (iv) caregiver response strategies to 
                        severe and challenging behaviors; and
            (2) to establish and maintain a stakeholder implementation 
        committee under subsection (f).
    (f) Stakeholder Implementation Committee.--
            (1) In general.--As a condition on receipt of a grant under 
        this section, an eligible entity shall agree to use the grant 
        to establish and maintain a stakeholder implementation 
        committee to advise on ensuring that the training provided 
        pursuant to the grant is accessible and culturally relevant.
            (2) Composition.--The members of the stakeholder 
        implementation committee shall all be from the local community 
        served pursuant to the grant (or the relevant metropolitan 
        statistical area) and shall include, at a minimum, the 
        following:
                    (A) Family caregivers of children with autism or 
                other developmental disabilities, including autistic 
                caregivers and other caregivers with disabilities.
                    (B) Pediatric health care and early intervention 
                providers with experience providing services to 
                children with autism or other developmental 
                disabilities and delays.
                    (C) Educators with experience working with children 
                with autism or other developmental disabilities and 
                delays.
                    (D) Representatives of local organizations familiar 
                with the cultural values and priorities of individuals 
                in the local community.
                    (E) Local government officials.
    (g) Requirements.--
            (1) Number of recipients and states.--The Secretary shall 
        award grants under subsection (a) to not fewer than 25 eligible 
        entities in not fewer than 15 States.
            (2) Amount.--The total amount of each grant awarded under 
        subsection (a) shall be not less than $500,000 over a 5-year 
        period.
    (h) Supplement Not Supplant.--Amounts received through a grant 
under this section shall be used to supplement, not supplant, other 
amounts received to provide--
            (1) behavioral, medical, habilitative, and other services 
        covered by the Medicaid program or private health insurance;
            (2) services provided under the Individuals with 
        Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.); or
            (3) adaptations of a training program using evidence-based 
        approaches to serve children of different ages, communities, 
        and underrepresented groups.
    (i) Activities of the Secretary.--The Secretary, acting through the 
Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, 
shall--
            (1) assist recipients of grants under subsection (a) in--
                    (A) the implementation of caregiver skills training 
                programs using lessons learned from other evidenced-
                based activities or caregiver programs conducted or 
                supported by the Health Resources and Services 
                Administration;
                    (B) ensuring the programs of the recipients assist 
                medically underserved communities, when possible; and
                    (C) developing plans for achieving sustainability 
                of the programs of the recipients;
            (2) conduct an annual evaluation of activities funded 
        through grants under subsection (a), in consultation with the 
        grant recipients, including evaluation of the effectiveness of 
        such grants at improving health outcomes and quality of life 
        for children with autism spectrum disorder or other 
        developmental delays and disabilities and their family 
        caregivers; and
            (3) convene at least one national or regional meeting of 
        such grant recipients to discuss best practices.
    (j) Reports.--
            (1) Initial report.--Not later than 6 months after awarding 
        the first grant under subsection (a), the Secretary shall 
        submit to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of 
        Representatives and the Senate, and to other appropriate 
        congressional committees, a report on the implementation of 
        this section. Such report shall include--
                    (A) how many grants have been awarded;
                    (B) the name and location of the grant recipients;
                    (C) the communities impacted by the grants;
                    (D) a description of the kind of activities to be 
                carried out with the grants;
                    (E) an analysis, conducted by the Administrator of 
                the Health Resources and Services Administration, based 
                on the evaluation under subsection (h)(2), of the 
                effectiveness of such grants at improving health 
                outcomes and quality of life for children with autism 
                or other developmental disabilities or delays and their 
                family caregivers; and
                    (F) best practices to increase access to caregiver 
                skills training programs described in subsection (a) in 
                medically underserved communities.
            (2) Final report.--Not later than the end of fiscal year 
        2027, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on 
        Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate, 
        and to other appropriate congressional committees, a final 
        report on the implementation of this section, including--
                    (A) the information, analysis, and best practices 
                listed in subparagraphs (A) through (F) of paragraph 
                (1); and
                    (B) recommendations on how to expand and extend the 
                program under this section.
    (k) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``family caregiver'' means an adult family 
        member or other individual who has a significant relationship 
        with, and who provides a broad range of assistance to, a child 
        between the ages of 0 and 9 diagnosed with autism spectrum 
        disorder or other developmental disabilities or delays.
            (2) The term ``Federally qualified health center'' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 1861(aa) of the Social 
        Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(aa)).
            (3) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Health 
        and Human Services.
    (l) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section, 
there is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2024 through 2028.
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