[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8814 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8814

 To amend part B of title IV of the Social Security Act to establish a 
  competitive grant program to enhance the ability of evidence-based 
child welfare programs to meet the research standards set by the Family 
    First Prevention Services Clearinghouse, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 25, 2024

  Mr. Feenstra (for himself and Mr. Kildee) introduced the following 
      bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend part B of title IV of the Social Security Act to establish a 
  competitive grant program to enhance the ability of evidence-based 
child welfare programs to meet the research standards set by the Family 
    First Prevention Services Clearinghouse, 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 ``Strengthening Evidence-based 
Prevention Services Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM.

    Section 435 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 629e) is amended 
by adding at the end the following:
    ``(f) Prevention Services Evaluation Partnerships.--
            ``(1) Purpose.--The purpose of this subsection is to 
        authorize the Secretary to make competitive grants to support 
        the timely evaluation of--
                    ``(A) services and programs described in section 
                471(e); or
                    ``(B) kinship navigator programs described in 
                section 474(a)(7).
            ``(2) Grants.--In accordance with applications approved 
        under this subsection, the Secretary may make grants, on a 
        competitive basis, to eligible entities to carry out projects 
        designed to evaluate a service or program provided by the 
        eligible entity or an entity in partnership with the eligible 
        entity with respect to the requirements for a promising 
        practice, supported practice, or well-supported practice 
        described in section 471(e)(4)(C).
            ``(3) Applications.--
                    ``(A) In general.--An eligible entity may apply to 
                the Secretary for a grant under this subsection to 
                carry out a project that meets the following 
                requirements:
                            ``(i) The project is designed in accordance 
                        with paragraph (2).
                            ``(ii) The project is to be carried out by 
                        the applicant in partnership with--
                                    ``(I) a State agency that 
                                administers, or supervises the 
                                administration of, the State plan 
                                approved under part E, or an agency 
                                administering the plan under the 
                                supervision of the State agency; and
                                    ``(II) if the applicant is unable 
                                or unwilling to do so, at least 1 
                                external evaluator to carry out the 
                                evaluation of the service or program 
                                provided by the applicant.
                    ``(B) Contents.--The application shall contain the 
                following, in a form and manner determined by the 
                Secretary:
                            ``(i) A description of the project, 
                        including--
                                    ``(I) a statement explaining why a 
                                grant is necessary to carry out the 
                                project; and
                                    ``(II) the amount of grant funds 
                                that would be disbursed to each entity 
                                described in subparagraph (A)(ii) in 
                                partnership with the applicant.
                            ``(ii) A certification from each entity 
                        described in subparagraph (A)(ii) that provides 
                        assurances that the individual or entity is in 
                        partnership with the applicant and will fulfill 
                        the responsibilities of the entity specified in 
                        the description provided pursuant to clause (i) 
                        of this subparagraph.
                            ``(iii) A certification from the applicant 
                        that provides assurances that the applicant 
                        intends to comply with subparagraph 
                        (A)(ii)(II), if applicable.
                            ``(iv) A certification from the applicant 
                        that the applicant requires an external 
                        evaluator secured by the Secretary pursuant to 
                        paragraph (5), if applicable.
                            ``(v) Any additional information the 
                        Secretary may require.
            ``(4) Priorities.--In approving applications under this 
        subsection, the Secretary shall prioritize the following:
                    ``(A) Addressing, with respect to the clearinghouse 
                of practices described in section 476(d)(2), 
                deficiencies or gaps identified by the Secretary in 
                consultation with--
                            ``(i) States, political subdivisions of a 
                        State, and tribal communities carrying out, or 
                        receiving the benefits of, a service or 
                        program; and
                            ``(ii) child welfare experts, including 
                        experts with lived experience.
                    ``(B) Maximizing the number of services or programs 
                to be included in the clearinghouse of practices 
                described in section 476(d)(2).
                    ``(C) Timely completing evaluations and the 
                production of evidence.
                    ``(D) Supporting services or programs that are 
                based on, or are adaptations to new population settings 
                of, a service or program with reliable evidence about 
                the benefits and risks of the service or program, as 
                determined by the Secretary.
            ``(5) Availability of external evaluators.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Before accepting applications 
                under this subsection, the Secretary shall make 
                reasonable efforts to secure at least 1 entity to serve 
                as an external evaluator for any eligible entity that 
                includes a certification under paragraph (3)(B)(iv) 
                with an application under this subsection.
                    ``(B) Fees for services.--The Secretary and each 
                external evaluator described in subparagraph (A) 
                shall--
                            ``(i) agree to and establish--
                                    ``(I) the fees that the external 
                                evaluator may charge to an eligible 
                                entity to carry out an evaluation of a 
                                service or program provided by the 
                                eligible entity; and
                                    ``(II) the expected timeframe for 
                                the external evaluator to carry out the 
                                evaluation based on the needs of the 
                                eligible entity; and
                            ``(ii) make publicly available a 
                        specification of the fees and timeframe before 
                        the Secretary accepts applications under this 
                        subsection.
                    ``(C) No effect on consideration of application.--
                The Secretary may not consider whether an eligible 
                entity is in partnership with an external evaluator 
                described in paragraph (A) in approving an application 
                under this subsection submitted by the eligible entity.
            ``(6) Reports.--
                    ``(A) By grant recipients.--Within 1 year after 
                receiving a grant under this subsection, and every year 
                thereafter for the next 5 years, the grant recipient 
                shall submit to the Secretary a written report on--
                            ``(i) the use of grant funds;
                            ``(ii) whether the program or service 
                        evaluated by the project meets a requirement 
                        specified in section 471(e)(4)(C), including 
                        information about--
                                    ``(I) how the program or service is 
                                being carried out in accordance with 
                                standards specified in the requirement;
                                    ``(II) any outcomes of the program 
                                or service; and
                                    ``(III) any outcome with respect to 
                                which the service or program compares 
                                favorably to a comparison practice; and
                            ``(iii) whether the Secretary has included 
                        the program or service in an update to the 
                        clearinghouse of practices described in section 
                        476(d)(2).
                    ``(B) By the secretary.--The Secretary shall submit 
                to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of 
                Representatives and to the Committee on Finance of the 
                Senate an annual written report on--
                            ``(i) the grants awarded under this 
                        subsection;
                            ``(ii) the programs funded by the grants;
                            ``(iii) any technical assistance provided 
                        by the Secretary in carrying out this 
                        subsection, including with respect to the 
                        efforts to secure external evaluators pursuant 
                        to paragraph (5); and
                            ``(iv) any efforts by the Secretary to 
                        support program evaluation and review pursuant 
                        to section 471(e) and inclusion of programs in 
                        the pre-approved list of services and programs 
                        described in section 471(e)(4)(D) or the 
                        clearinghouse of practices described in section 
                        476(d)(2).
            ``(7) Restriction on funding.--The Secretary may not make a 
        grant under this subsection to an eligible entity that is a 
        for-profit business.
            ``(8) Regulations.--The Secretary may prescribe regulations 
        to carry out this subsection.
            ``(9) Funding.--
                    ``(A) Authorization.--There are authorized to be 
                appropriated to carry out this subsection $5,000,000 
                for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029.
                    ``(B) Limitations.--Of the amounts available to 
                carry out this subsection, the Secretary may use not 
                more than 5 percent to provide technical assistance.
                    ``(C) Carryover.--Amounts made available to carry 
                out this section shall remain available until expended.
            ``(10) Definitions.--In this subsection:
                    ``(A) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' 
                means any of the following providing a service or 
                program or, in the sole determination of the Secretary, 
                able to provide a service or program if awarded a grant 
                under this subsection:
                            ``(i) A State, a political subdivision of a 
                        State, or an agency or department of a State or 
                        political subdivision of a State.
                            ``(ii) An entity described in subparagraph 
                        (A) or (B) of section 426(a)(1).
                    ``(B) External evaluator.--The term `external 
                evaluator' means an entity with the ability and 
                willingness to evaluate a service or program pursuant 
                to paragraph (2) that is not provided by the entity.
                    ``(C) Service or program.--The term `service or 
                program'--
                            ``(i) means a service or program described 
                        in section 471(e); and
                            ``(ii) includes a kinship navigator program 
                        described in section 474(a)(7).''.
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