[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9796 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9796
To amend the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to reestablish the
National Technical Assistance Center on Grandfamilies and Kinship
Families.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 21, 2026
Ms. Bonamici (for herself, Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania, Mr. Davis of
Illinois, and Mr. Nunn of Iowa) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in
addition to the Committees on Financial Services, the Judiciary, and
Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to reestablish the
National Technical Assistance Center on Grandfamilies and Kinship
Families.
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 Grandfamilies Act of
2026''.
SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS.
Section 2922 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (20 U.S.C.
3020g) is amended--
(1) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
``(a) In General.--In addition to amounts otherwise available,
there is authorized to be appropriated, and there is appropriated, to
the Secretary of Health and Human Services for fiscal year 2027, out of
any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $10,000,000, to
remain available through September 30, 2031, for the Secretary, acting
through the Assistant Secretary for Aging and in consultation with the
Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families,
to operate, through a grant or contract, a National Technical
Assistance Center on Grandfamilies and Kinship Families (in this
section referred to as the `Center') to conduct the activities
described in subsection (c).'',
(2) redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c),
(3) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
``(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Center shall be to provide
training, technical assistance, coordination, and resources to
community-based organizations, government programs, and other
organizations that serve grandfamilies and kinship families, to support
the health, academic achievement, and well-being, including economic
well-being, of members of these families, including caregivers,
children, and their parents. The Center shall focus primarily on
serving grandfamilies or kinship families in which the primary
caregiver is an adult age 55 or older, or on grandfamilies or kinship
families in which the child has one or more disabilities, as defined
under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act
of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 15002).'',
(4) in subsection (c), as so redesignated--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) by striking ``stimulate the development
of'' and inserting ``develop'', and
(ii) by striking ``and substance use'' and
inserting ``, opioid and other substance
use,'',
(B) in paragraph (2) by striking ``and to promote''
and all that follows through ``them'', and inserting
``with a priority on evidence-based practices or
programs developed or identified under paragraph (1)'',
(C) by amending paragraphs (3), (4), and (5) to
read as follows:
``(3) promote coordination of services for grandfamilies
and kinship families across systems that support them;
``(4) facilitate learning across States, territories,
Indian Tribes, urban Indian organizations, and Tribal
organizations, for providing technical assistance, resources,
and training related to issues described in paragraph (1) to
individuals and entities across systems that directly work with
grandfamilies and kinship families;
``(5) help community-based organizations, government
programs, Indian Tribes, urban Indian organizations, and Tribal
organizations, serving grandfamilies and kinship families, to
plan and coordinate programs and services to assist
grandfamilies and kinship families; and'', and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
``(6) assist community-based organizations and government
programs in tailoring services to the unique needs of
grandfamilies and kinship families to serve them most
effectively and efficiently.'', and
(5) by adding at the end the following:
``(d) Grant or Contract Requirements.--The organization that
carries out the activities of the Center with a grant or contract made
under subsection (a) shall be a nonprofit organization that has--
``(1) a history of demonstrated expertise in issues
impacting grandfamilies and kinship families, including those
in contact with the child welfare system;
``(2) experience providing technical assistance to a range
of organizations that serve grandfamilies, kinship families,
and kinship families, including Indian Tribes, urban Tribal
organizations, and Tribal organizations;
``(3) experience facilitating peer to peer learning
networks and building connections between providers across
systems of care;
``(4) an established process and history of engagement of
grandfamilies and kinship families in providing guidance,
input, and feedback into the organization's work; and
``(5) experience assisting community-based organizations,
government programs, and other organizations serving
grandfamilies and kinship families in tailoring services to
their unique needs.''.
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