[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 125 (Wednesday, July 24, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H7308-H7310]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           LIFESPAN RESPITE CARE REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2019

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2035) to amend title XXIX of the Public Health Service Act 
to reauthorize the program under such title relating to lifespan 
respite care, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2035

       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 ``Lifespan Respite Care 
     Reauthorization Act of 2019''.

     SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF LIFESPAN RESPITE CARE PROGRAM.

       (a) Data Collection and Reporting.--Section 2904 of the 
     Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290ii-3) is amended to 
     read as follows:

     ``SEC. 2904. DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING.

       ``Each eligible State agency awarded a grant or cooperative 
     agreement under section 2902 shall collect, maintain, and 
     report such data and records at such times, in such form, and 
     in such manner as the Secretary may require to enable the 
     Secretary--
       ``(1) to monitor State administration of programs and 
     activities funded pursuant to such grant or cooperative 
     agreement; and
       ``(2) to evaluate, and to compare effectiveness on a State-
     by-State basis, of programs and activities funded pursuant to 
     section 2902.''.
       (b) Funding.--Section 2905 of the Public Health Service Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 300ii-4) is amended by striking paragraphs (1) 
     through (5) and inserting the following:
       ``(1) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2020;
       ``(2) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2021;
       ``(3) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2022;
       ``(4) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2023; and
       ``(5) $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2024.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.


                             General Leave

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on H.R. 2035.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2035, the Lifespan Respite 
Care Reauthorization Act of 2019 sponsored by my colleague from Rhode 
Island, Congressman Langevin. I am proud to support this program 
because it provides much-needed respite services and educational 
resources to family caregivers of children and adults of all ages with 
special needs.

[[Page H7309]]

  Caring for a loved one can be incredibly rewarding but also demanding 
work. Surveys have shown respite is among the most frequently requested 
services by family caregivers. However, only a small percentage of 
caregivers can afford respite care. By reauthorizing and growing this 
program, we can expand access to these services across the country.
  States who receive grants under the Lifespan Respite Care program 
have the flexibility to support family caregivers in a variety of ways. 
For example, some States use funds for consumer-directed vouchers or 
for the training of volunteer and paid respite providers.
  My home State of New Jersey received a grant in 2011 and today still 
offers robust scheduled and emergency respite services to family 
caregivers. Without this program many families cannot afford these 
services.
  In addition to helping relieve the emotional and financial stresses 
associated with caregiving, respite care can also save families and the 
healthcare system money. Research has shown that supporting caregivers 
with respite services reduces the odds of hospitalization and nursing 
home entry.
  We know that more than 43 million adults are family caregivers of an 
adult or child with a disability or chronic condition, and the 
estimated economic value of family caregiving is approximately $470 
billion annually. As our population ages, the need for long-term 
services and supports delivered in the home will continue to increase 
and, as a result, so will the burden on family caregivers.
  The Lifespan Respite Care program is the only Federal program that 
supports respite services for all ages and conditions, so I am glad 
that we are renewing our commitment to the program today.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge support for the passage of H.R. 2035, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in favor of H.R. 2035, the Lifespan 
Respite Care Reauthorization Act of 2019. As many of us know from 
personal experience, being a caregiver for a loved one is a challenging 
and exhausting job, and for many Americans, it is a second full-time 
job. A number of those Americans are also caring for both aging parents 
and their own children. That is over 40 million Americans who have 
taken on the role of unpaid caregiver in the past year, and as our 
Nation's population ages, there will be an increasing number of 
caregivers who are struggling to balance the demands of caregiving with 
the rest of their lives.
  The Lifespan Respite Care program aims to assist caregivers by 
providing them with the opportunity for a small, much-needed break from 
those responsibilities. H.R. 2035 would reauthorize funding for this 
program through fiscal year 2024, which is important because this 
authorization had technically expired but continued to receive 
appropriations. Respite care is a critical resource for our caregivers 
who spend much of their time helping their loved ones each day.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from 
Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin), who is the sponsor of this legislation.
  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for yielding 
and his important leadership on this bill and on the committee.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2035, the 
Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act of 2019, legislation that I 
introduced with my good friend and colleague from Washington State, 
Mrs. Rodgers.
  In 2002, I authored the Lifespan Respite Care Act to create a network 
of services and supports for family caregivers across the Nation. In 
the years since the bill was signed into law in 2006, the Lifespan 
Respite Care program has provided grants to 37 States and the District 
of Columbia to streamline the delivery of planned and emergency respite 
services, provide access to direct care services, and address the 
direct service worker shortage by training respite providers. I am 
thrilled to be here today to continue building on Lifespan Respite 
Care's successes and reauthorize the program.
  Mr. Speaker, family caregivers are a critical part of the long-term 
services and supports system in the United States. Approximately 43 
million family caregivers provide hundreds of billions of dollars--and 
yes, that is billions with a B--in uncompensated care each year. In 
fact, in 2013, the last time that statistics were updated, 
uncompensated family care totaled--if you had to put a dollar figure to 
it--approximately $470 billion. That is more than Medicaid spending for 
that year.
  Respite care services provide short-term relief for family 
caregivers, allowing them time to account for their own health and 
wellness needs. Despite respite care being one of the services most 
often requested by caregivers, 85 percent of family members caring for 
adults don't receive any respite services at all.
  For many older adults and people with disabilities, receiving care in 
the home is preferable, both from a quality of life perspective and a 
financial perspective. In addition to improving caregiver health, 
researchers also found that providing access to services such as 
respite care can reduce the need for admission to more costly 
institutional settings and allow individuals to remain in their own 
homes.

  Mr. Speaker, the Lifespan Respite Care program is the only Federal 
effort that provides family caregivers access to respite care services 
regardless of the age or type of disability of their loved one. This is 
especially important for family members caring for individuals with 
chronic illnesses or disabilities with an early onset, such as multiple 
sclerosis, brain injury, spinal cord injury, or ALS. Programs that are 
predicated on age or a certain degree of disability can often struggle 
when adapting to the needs of a young person with a degenerative 
disease, and the Lifespan Respite Care program helps to bridge those 
gaps.
  For example, Lifetime Respite Care funds were used in my home State 
of Rhode Island to establish the CareBreaks program which helps family 
members caring for an individual of any age access respite when they 
have nowhere else to turn.
  Reauthorizing the Lifespan Respite Care program at $20 million in the 
first year and steadily increasing funding each year after will allow 
each State and territory to establish and maintain a respite care 
program. In authoring the original bill, I recognized that different 
States have different needs for caregivers. Expanding funding will grow 
additional, unique programs that directly address community needs. By 
taking this important step to support family caregivers, we move 
forward in our efforts to provide quality, community-based care for the 
millions of Americans with special needs.
  Mr. Speaker, as an American with a disability--in fact, the first 
quadriplegic elected to the United States Congress--I know the immense 
service that caregivers provide. I am privileged enough to have paid 
home health aides, and I want to thank my CNAs, Dave, Valerie, Carolyn, 
Kelly, and many others over the years, for the vital assistance they 
provide me each and every day. But, injured as I was at the age of 16, 
I also relied on my family members; my brothers, Rick and Dave, and my 
sister, Joanne, and especially my mother and my late father, Richard, 
for their support over the decades. I would not be here before you 
today without their help, and I am forever grateful to them for their 
love and their care.
  For so many families in a similar position around the Nation, this 
bill recognizes their sacrifice and the immense support that they 
provide to their loved ones while reducing the strain on our healthcare 
system. Indeed, Mr. Speaker, our family caregivers are truly unsung 
heroes.
  Beyond those who helped me personally, Mr. Speaker, I want to 
recognize the many people who were instrumental in bringing this bill 
to the floor. In addition to the chair and the ranking member, I also 
want to recognize Jill Kagan with the ARCH National Respite Network for 
her coalition and her coalition partners for their tireless work to 
help families access respite care and provide technical assistance to 
States building respite programs.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Rhode Island an 
additional 1 minute.

[[Page H7310]]

  

  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, on my staff, I am indebted to my health 
and disabilities LA Katie Lee and also Todd Adams, my Chief of Staff, 
who has been intimately involved in these issues for more years than he 
probably would like to admit.
  I also want to thank again Chairman Pallone and his staff, as well as 
Ranking Member Walden, for supporting this effort through the 
committee.
  I also must acknowledge the leadership of Senator Collins. I hope 
that our actions today will help her in her effort to get this 
important bill through our sister Chamber.
  Finally, again, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Washington 
State, my colleague, Mrs. Rodgers, for partnering with me on this bill 
when we first attempted to reauthorize this program in 2011 and for her 
continued leadership on this issue in Congress and on many others in 
the disability community.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support family caregivers and 
vote in favor of the Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act. I thank 
the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Washington State (Mrs. Rodgers).
  Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I want to first just say how 
much I admire and appreciate the leadership of Mr.   James Langevin 
from Rhode Island on this important legislation. I am proud to have 
joined with him partnering to lead the legislation this year, the 
Lifespan Respite Care Act of 2019.
  This is important legislation. I think he laid it out really well. It 
is supported with bipartisan support. It would authorize $200 million 
in funding over the next 5 years for improved respite care services for 
families caring for loved ones battling chronic, debilitating 
conditions.
  Today more than 43 million people are providing long-term care for 
family members in America. The role these caregivers play cannot be 
understated. They ensure that their loved ones receive the care that 
they desperately need in their homes and often at a lower cost.
  Respite care providers relieve their family caregivers, and it is an 
essential part of our comprehensive healthcare approach. This 
legislation will support respite care agencies so that they can support 
family caregivers in communities across the country.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support it. It expands services 
and access to care, and it will improve healthcare outcomes.

                              {time}  1545

  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, most insurance plans do not cover the cost of respite 
care, but the Administration for Community Living at the Department of 
Health and Human Services works with the ARCH National Respite Network 
and Resource Center to provide respite care to caregivers across the 
United States of America. This legislation is vital to ensuring that we 
maintain our access to respite care for our caregivers and their loved 
ones.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support H.R. 2035, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time and 
just urge support for this legislation. Again, this is bipartisan, and 
I thank everyone who worked on it.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2035, 
the Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act. This legislation, led by 
Representatives James Langevin and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, reauthorizes 
critical grants to states to implement coordinated systems of respite 
services for caregivers, provide planned and emergency respite 
services, recruit and train workers and volunteers, and provide 
information to family caregivers to help them access these critical 
services. Many of us have had a loved one with a caregiver--this bill 
provides those caregivers with the support they need and deserve. I 
urge my colleagues to vote yes on this legislation.
  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2035, the Lifespan 
Respite Care Reauthorization Act. I'm proud that my Subcommittee on 
Health advanced this bipartisan bill, authored by Representatives 
Langevin and McMorris Rodgers.
  This legislation is now being extended for five years and the funding 
for the program is being increased. The program is administered by the 
Administration for Community Living and has provided grants to 37 
states and Washington, D.C. since it was created in 2009.
  More than 40 million Americans serve as family caregivers and this 
program is their lifeline. Being an unpaid caregiver for a loved one 
can be physically and emotionally exhausting and isolating. The average 
family caregiver is a woman who works full-time and is providing care 
to both aging parents and children living at home.
  This bill allows caregivers to take a break from their caregiving 
responsibilities. About 85 percent of family caregivers of adults are 
not receiving any respite services whatsoever but through the Lifespan 
Respite Care Program, caregivers can receive support services from 
highly qualified, well-trained staff.
  Grant programs through the program support day care, transportation 
and summer camp for Americans living with disabilities. For their 
caregivers, these programs give them much needed time off, time to do 
chores around the house or just take a breather.
  These programs are critical to the many Americans, mostly women, who 
are taking care of their loved ones every day. I'm proud to support 
this important legislation and I urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 
2035.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2035, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________