[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.
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