[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 50 (Thursday, March 22, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1977-S1978]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           SUPPORTING GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN ACT

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 343, S. 1091.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1091) to establish a Federal Task Force to 
     Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill, 
which had been reported from the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions, with an amendment to strike all after the enacting clause 
and insert in lieu thereof the following:

     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

[[Page S1978]]

     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.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
committee-reported substitute amendment be agreed to, the bill, as 
amended, be considered read a third time and passed, and the motion to 
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The committee-reported amendment in the nature of a substitute was 
agreed to.
  The bill (S. 1091), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed.

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