[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8020 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8020

 To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to publish data 
                 on the Unaccompanied Children Program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 16, 2024

  Ms. Eshoo introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to publish data 
                 on the Unaccompanied Children Program.

    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 ``Transparency for Unaccompanied 
Children Act''.

SEC. 2. ONLINE PUBLICATION OF DATA ON THE UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN 
              PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, and monthly thereafter, the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services shall publish, on a publicly accessible webpage of the 
Department of Health and Human Services, data on the Unaccompanied 
Children Program.
    (b) Required Data.--The data published pursuant to subsection (a) 
shall include the following:
            (1) The total number of unaccompanied alien children 
        transferred to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) during 
        the previous month.
            (2) The total number of unaccompanied alien children 
        discharged by ORR into the custody of sponsors during the 
        previous month, disaggregated by the number of such children 
        discharged to a sponsor who is--
                    (A) a parent or legal guardian of the discharged 
                child;
                    (B) a brother, sister, or grandparent of the 
                discharged child, or an aunt, uncle, or first cousin of 
                the discharged child who previously served as the 
                child's primary caregiver;
                    (C) an aunt, uncle, or first cousin of the 
                discharged child who was not previously the child's 
                primary caregiver; or
                    (D) a distant relative of the discharged child or 
                not related to the discharged child.
            (3) The total number of unaccompanied alien children who 
        were discharged by ORR into the custody of sponsors during the 
        previous month, and who meet the requirements for a mandatory 
        home study under section 235(c)(3)(B) of the William 
        Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act 
        of 2008 (8 U.S.C. 1232(c)(3)(B)), disaggregated by the number 
        of such children discharged to a sponsor who is--
                    (A) a parent or legal guardian of the discharged 
                child;
                    (B) a brother, sister, or grandparent of the 
                discharged child, or an aunt, uncle, or first cousin of 
                the discharged child who previously served as the 
                child's primary caregiver;
                    (C) an aunt, uncle, or first cousin of the 
                discharged child who was not previously the child's 
                primary caregiver; or
                    (D) a distant relative of the discharged child or 
                not related to the discharged child.
            (4) The average length of time spent in ORR custody by 
        unaccompanied alien children who were discharged from ORR 
        custody during the previous month.
            (5) The total number of home studies conducted by ORR (or 
        by an ORR grantee or contractor) to assess whether potential 
        sponsors are able and willing to care for an unaccompanied 
        alien child, disaggregated by the number of such home studies 
        that are--
                    (A) mandatory under current law or existing ORR 
                policies; or
                    (B) discretionary under current law and existing 
                ORR policies.
            (6) The total number of sponsorship applications that were 
        pending with ORR at any point during the previous month, 
        disaggregated by the number of such applications that--
                    (A) were approved during the previous month;
                    (B) were denied during the previous month; or
                    (C) remained pending as of the end of the previous 
                month.
            (7) The total number of sponsorship applications that were 
        pending with ORR at any point during the previous month and 
        submitted by any individual seeking to become the sponsor of an 
        unaccompanied alien child who meets the requirements for a 
        mandatory home study under section 1232(c)(3)(B) of title 8, 
        United States Code, disaggregated by the number of such 
        applications that--
                    (A) were approved during the previous month;
                    (B) were denied during the previous month; or
                    (C) remained pending as of the end of the previous 
                month.
            (8) The total number of calls received by the ORR National 
        Call Center during the previous month reporting instances of 
        trafficking, neglect, or abuse of children discharged into the 
        custody of sponsors by ORR.
            (9) The total number of follow-up calls to discharged 
        children and their sponsors conducted by ORR (or by an ORR 
        grantee or contractor) during the previous month, disaggregated 
        by the number of such calls conducted--
                    (A) in accordance with the timeframe required by 
                ORR policy; or
                    (B) later than required by ORR policy.
            (10) The total number of unaccompanied alien children 
        discharged from ORR custody who have received post-release 
        services furnished by ORR during the previous month, 
        disaggregated by the number of such children who have 
        received--
                    (A) one or more virtual check-ins;
                    (B) case management services; or
                    (C) intensive in-home services and engagement.
            (11) The total number of unaccompanied alien children 
        discharged from ORR custody who have received full legal 
        representation furnished by ORR during the previous month.
    (c) Notification of Congressional Committees.--Upon publishing new 
monthly data pursuant to subsection (a), the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services shall notify the Chair and ranking member of--
            (1) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
        Representatives;
            (2) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 
        of the Senate;
            (3) the Committee on Oversight and Accountability of the 
        House of Representatives; and
            (4) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
        Affairs of the Senate.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``ORR'' means the Office of Refugee 
        Resettlement of the Department of Health and Human Services.
            (2) The term ``sponsor'' means an individual who has been 
        selected by the Department of Health and Human Services to be 
        the custodian of an unaccompanied alien child under section 
        235(c)(3) of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims 
        Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (8 U.S.C. 1232(c)(3)).
            (3) The term ``sponsorship application'' means the 
        application submitted to ORR by an individual seeking to become 
        the custodian of an unaccompanied alien child.
            (4) The term ``unaccompanied alien child'' has the meaning 
        given to such term in section 462(g)(2) of the Homeland 
        Secretary Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 279(g)(2)).
            (5) The term ``Unaccompanied Children Program'' means the 
        program of ORR for the care and custody of unaccompanied alien 
        children under section 235(b) of the William Wilberforce 
        Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (8 
        U.S.C. 1232(b)).
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