[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 12765-12780]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       PREVENTING SEX TRAFFICKING AND STRENGTHENING FAMILIES ACT

  Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 4980) to prevent and address sex trafficking of children in 
foster care, to extend and improve adoption incentives, and to improve 
international child support recovery.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4980

       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 ``Preventing Sex Trafficking 
     and Strengthening Families Act''.

     SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS.

       The table of contents of this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Table of contents.
Sec. 3. References.

[[Page 12766]]

   TITLE I--PROTECTING CHILDREN AND YOUTH AT RISK OF SEX TRAFFICKING

 Subtitle A--Identifying and Protecting Children and Youth at Risk of 
                            Sex Trafficking

Sec. 101. Identifying, documenting, and determining services for 
              children and youth at risk of sex trafficking.
Sec. 102. Reporting instances of sex trafficking.
Sec. 103. Including sex trafficking data in the Adoption and Foster 
              Care Analysis and Reporting System.
Sec. 104. Locating and responding to children who run away from foster 
              care.
Sec. 105. Increasing information on children in foster care to prevent 
              sex trafficking.

  Subtitle B--Improving Opportunities for Children in Foster Care and 
                         Supporting Permanency

Sec. 111. Supporting normalcy for children in foster care.
Sec. 112. Improving another planned permanent living arrangement as a 
              permanency option.
Sec. 113. Empowering foster children age 14 and older in the 
              development of their own case plan and transition 
              planning for a successful adulthood.
Sec. 114. Ensuring foster children have a birth certificate, Social 
              Security card, health insurance information, medical 
              records, and a driver's license or equivalent State-
              issued identification card.
Sec. 115. Information on children in foster care in annual reports 
              using AFCARS data; consultation.

                Subtitle C--National Advisory Committee

Sec. 121. Establishment of a national advisory committee on the sex 
              trafficking of children and youth in the United States.

TITLE II--IMPROVING ADOPTION INCENTIVES AND EXTENDING FAMILY CONNECTION 
                                 GRANTS

           Subtitle A--Improving Adoption Incentive Payments

Sec. 201. Extension of program through fiscal year 2016.
Sec. 202. Improvements to award structure.
Sec. 203. Renaming of program.
Sec. 204. Limitation on use of incentive payments.
Sec. 205. Increase in period for which incentive payments are available 
              for expenditure.
Sec. 206. State report on calculation and use of savings resulting from 
              the phase-out of eligibility requirements for adoption 
              assistance; requirement to spend 30 percent of savings on 
              certain services.
Sec. 207. Preservation of eligibility for kinship guardianship 
              assistance payments with a successor guardian.
Sec. 208. Data collection on adoption and legal guardianship disruption 
              and dissolution.
Sec. 209. Encouraging the placement of children in foster care with 
              siblings.
Sec. 210. Effective dates.

       Subtitle B--Extending the Family Connection Grant Program

Sec. 221. Extension of family connection grant program.

       TITLE III--IMPROVING INTERNATIONAL CHILD SUPPORT RECOVERY

Sec. 301. Amendments to ensure access to child support services for 
              international child support cases.
Sec. 302. Child support enforcement programs for Indian tribes.
Sec. 303. Sense of the Congress regarding offering of voluntary 
              parenting time arrangements.
Sec. 304. Data exchange standardization for improved interoperability.
Sec. 305. Report to Congress.
Sec. 306. Required electronic processing of income withholding.

                      TITLE IV--BUDGETARY EFFECTS

Sec. 401. Determination of budgetary effects.

     SEC. 3. REFERENCES.

       Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Act, 
     wherever in this Act an amendment is expressed in terms of an 
     amendment to a section or other provision, the amendment 
     shall be considered to be made to a section or other 
     provision of the Social Security Act.

   TITLE I--PROTECTING CHILDREN AND YOUTH AT RISK OF SEX TRAFFICKING

 Subtitle A--Identifying and Protecting Children and Youth at Risk of 
                            Sex Trafficking

     SEC. 101. IDENTIFYING, DOCUMENTING, AND DETERMINING SERVICES 
                   FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH AT RISK OF SEX 
                   TRAFFICKING.

       (a) In General.--Section 471(a)(9) (42 U.S.C. 671(a)(9)) is 
     amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and'';
       (2) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``and'' after the 
     semicolon; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(C) not later than--
       ``(i) 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
     subparagraph, demonstrate to the Secretary that the State 
     agency has developed, in consultation with State and local 
     law enforcement, juvenile justice systems, health care 
     providers, education agencies, and organizations with 
     experience in dealing with at-risk children and youth, 
     policies and procedures (including relevant training for 
     caseworkers) for identifying, documenting in agency records, 
     and determining appropriate services with respect to--

       ``(I) any child or youth over whom the State agency has 
     responsibility for placement, care, or supervision and who 
     the State has reasonable cause to believe is, or is at risk 
     of being, a sex trafficking victim (including children for 
     whom a State child welfare agency has an open case file but 
     who have not been removed from the home, children who have 
     run away from foster care and who have not attained 18 years 
     of age or such older age as the State has elected under 
     section 475(8) of this Act, and youth who are not in foster 
     care but are receiving services under section 477 of this 
     Act); and
       ``(II) at the option of the State, any individual who has 
     not attained 26 years of age, without regard to whether the 
     individual is or was in foster care under the responsibility 
     of the State; and

       ``(ii) 2 years after such date of enactment, demonstrate to 
     the Secretary that the State agency is implementing the 
     policies and procedures referred to in clause (i).''.
       (b) Definition of Sex Trafficking Victim.--Section 475 (42 
     U.S.C. 675) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(9) The term `sex trafficking victim' means a victim of--
       ``(A) sex trafficking (as defined in section 103(10) of the 
     Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000); or
       ``(B) a severe form of trafficking in persons described in 
     section 103(9)(A) of such Act.''.

     SEC. 102. REPORTING INSTANCES OF SEX TRAFFICKING.

       (a) State Plan Requirements.--Section 471(a) (42 U.S.C. 
     671(a)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (32);
       (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (33) and 
     inserting a semicolon; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(34) provides that, for each child or youth described in 
     paragraph (9)(C)(i)(I), the State agency shall--
       ``(A) not later than 2 years after the date of the 
     enactment of this paragraph, report immediately, and in no 
     case later than 24 hours after receiving information on 
     children or youth who have been identified as being a sex 
     trafficking victim, to the law enforcement authorities; and
       ``(B) not later than 3 years after such date of enactment 
     and annually thereafter, report to the Secretary the total 
     number of children and youth who are sex trafficking 
     victims.''.
       (b) Duties of the Secretary.--Section 471 (42 U.S.C. 671) 
     is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(d) Annual Reports by the Secretary on Number of Children 
     and Youth Reported by States To Be Sex Trafficking Victims.--
     Not later than 4 years after the date of the enactment of 
     this subsection and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall 
     report to the Congress and make available to the public on 
     the Internet website of the Department of Health and Human 
     Services the number of children and youth reported in 
     accordance with subsection (a)(34)(B) of this section to be 
     sex trafficking victims (as defined in section 475(9)(A)).''.

     SEC. 103. INCLUDING SEX TRAFFICKING DATA IN THE ADOPTION AND 
                   FOSTER CARE ANALYSIS AND REPORTING SYSTEM.

       Section 479(c)(3) (42 U.S.C. 679(c)(3)) is amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (C)(iii), by striking ``and'' after the 
     comma; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(E) the annual number of children in foster care who are 
     identified as sex trafficking victims--
       ``(i) who were such victims before entering foster care; 
     and
       ``(ii) who were such victims while in foster care; and''.

     SEC. 104. LOCATING AND RESPONDING TO CHILDREN WHO RUN AWAY 
                   FROM FOSTER CARE.

       Section 471(a) (42 U.S.C. 671(a)), as amended by section 
     102(a) of this Act, is amended--
       (1) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (34) and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(35) provides that--
       ``(A) not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
     of this paragraph, the State shall develop and implement 
     specific protocols for--
       ``(i) expeditiously locating any child missing from foster 
     care;
       ``(ii) determining the primary factors that contributed to 
     the child's running away or otherwise being absent from care, 
     and to the extent possible and appropriate, responding to 
     those factors in current and subsequent placements;
       ``(iii) determining the child's experiences while absent 
     from care, including screening the child to determine if the 
     child is a possible sex trafficking victim (as defined in 
     section 475(9)(A)); and
       ``(iv) reporting such related information as required by 
     the Secretary; and

[[Page 12767]]

       ``(B) not later than 2 years after such date of enactment, 
     for each child and youth described in paragraph (9)(C)(i)(I) 
     of this subsection, the State agency shall report 
     immediately, and in no case later than 24 hours after 
     receiving, information on missing or abducted children or 
     youth to the law enforcement authorities for entry into the 
     National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database of the 
     Federal Bureau of Investigation, established pursuant to 
     section 534 of title 28, United States Code, and to the 
     National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.''.

     SEC. 105. INCREASING INFORMATION ON CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE 
                   TO PREVENT SEX TRAFFICKING.

       Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
     submit to the Congress a written report which summarizes the 
     following:
       (1) Information on children who run away from foster care 
     and their risk of becoming sex trafficking victims, using 
     data reported by States under section 479 of the Social 
     Security Act and information collected by States related to 
     section 471(a)(35) of such Act, including--
       (A) characteristics of children who run away from foster 
     care;
       (B) potential factors associated with children running away 
     from foster care (such as reason for entry into care, length 
     of stay in care, type of placement, and other factors that 
     contributed to the child's running away);
       (C) information on children's experiences while absent from 
     care; and
       (D) trends in the number of children reported as runaways 
     in each fiscal year (including factors that may have 
     contributed to changes in such trends).
       (2) Information on State efforts to provide specialized 
     services, foster family homes, child care institutions, or 
     other forms of placement for children who are sex trafficking 
     victims.
       (3) Information on State efforts to ensure children in 
     foster care form and maintain long-lasting connections to 
     caring adults, even when a child in foster care must move to 
     another foster family home or when the child is placed under 
     the supervision of a new caseworker.

  Subtitle B--Improving Opportunities for Children in Foster Care and 
                         Supporting Permanency

     SEC. 111. SUPPORTING NORMALCY FOR CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE.

       (a) Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standard.--
       (1) Definitions relating to the standard.--Section 475 (42 
     U.S.C. 675), as amended by section 101(b) of this Act, is 
     amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(10)(A) The term `reasonable and prudent parent standard' 
     means the standard characterized by careful and sensible 
     parental decisions that maintain the health, safety, and best 
     interests of a child while at the same time encouraging the 
     emotional and developmental growth of the child, that a 
     caregiver shall use when determining whether to allow a child 
     in foster care under the responsibility of the State to 
     participate in extracurricular, enrichment, cultural, and 
     social activities.
       ``(B) For purposes of subparagraph (A), the term 
     `caregiver' means a foster parent with whom a child in foster 
     care has been placed or a designated official for a child 
     care institution in which a child in foster care has been 
     placed.
       ``(11)(A) The term `age or developmentally-appropriate' 
     means--
       ``(i) activities or items that are generally accepted as 
     suitable for children of the same chronological age or level 
     of maturity or that are determined to be developmentally-
     appropriate for a child, based on the development of 
     cognitive, emotional, physical, and behavioral capacities 
     that are typical for an age or age group; and
       ``(ii) in the case of a specific child, activities or items 
     that are suitable for the child based on the developmental 
     stages attained by the child with respect to the cognitive, 
     emotional, physical, and behavioral capacities of the child.
       ``(B) In the event that any age-related activities have 
     implications relative to the academic curriculum of a child, 
     nothing in this part or part B shall be construed to 
     authorize an officer or employee of the Federal Government to 
     mandate, direct, or control a State or local educational 
     agency, or the specific instructional content, academic 
     achievement standards and assessments, curriculum, or program 
     of instruction of a school.''.
       (2) State plan requirement.--Section 471(a)(24) (42 U.S.C. 
     671(a)(24)) is amended--
       (A) by striking ``include'' and inserting ``includes'';
       (B) by striking ``and that such preparation'' and inserting 
     ``that the preparation''; and
       (C) by inserting ``, and that the preparation shall include 
     knowledge and skills relating to the reasonable and prudent 
     parent standard for the participation of the child in age or 
     developmentally-appropriate activities, including knowledge 
     and skills relating to the developmental stages of the 
     cognitive, emotional, physical, and behavioral capacities of 
     a child, and knowledge and skills relating to applying the 
     standard to decisions such as whether to allow the child to 
     engage in social, extracurricular, enrichment, cultural, and 
     social activities, including sports, field trips, and 
     overnight activities lasting 1 or more days, and to decisions 
     involving the signing of permission slips and arranging of 
     transportation for the child to and from extracurricular, 
     enrichment, and social activities'' before the semicolon.
       (3) Technical assistance.--The Secretary of Health and 
     Human Services shall provide assistance to the States on best 
     practices for devising strategies to assist foster parents in 
     applying a reasonable and prudent parent standard in a manner 
     that protects child safety, while also allowing children to 
     experience normal and beneficial activities, including 
     methods for appropriately considering the concerns of the 
     biological parents of a child in decisions related to 
     participation of the child in activities (with the 
     understanding that those concerns should not necessarily 
     determine the participation of the child in any activity).
       (b) Normalcy for Children in Child Care Institutions.--
     Section 471(a)(10) (42 U.S.C. 671(a)(10)) is amended to read 
     as follows:
       ``(10) provides--
       ``(A) for the establishment or designation of a State 
     authority or authorities that shall be responsible for 
     establishing and maintaining standards for foster family 
     homes and child care institutions which are reasonably in 
     accord with recommended standards of national organizations 
     concerned with standards for the institutions or homes, 
     including standards related to admission policies, safety, 
     sanitation, and protection of civil rights, and which shall 
     permit use of the reasonable and prudent parenting standard;
       ``(B) that the standards established pursuant to 
     subparagraph (A) shall be applied by the State to any foster 
     family home or child care institution receiving funds under 
     this part or part B and shall require, as a condition of each 
     contract entered into by a child care institution to provide 
     foster care, the presence on-site of at least 1 official who, 
     with respect to any child placed at the child care 
     institution, is designated to be the caregiver who is 
     authorized to apply the reasonable and prudent parent 
     standard to decisions involving the participation of the 
     child in age or developmentally-appropriate activities, and 
     who is provided with training in how to use and apply the 
     reasonable and prudent parent standard in the same manner as 
     prospective foster parents are provided the training pursuant 
     to paragraph (24);
       ``(C) that the standards established pursuant to 
     subparagraph (A) shall include policies related to the 
     liability of foster parents and private entities under 
     contract by the State involving the application of the 
     reasonable and prudent parent standard, to ensure appropriate 
     liability for caregivers when a child participates in an 
     approved activity and the caregiver approving the activity 
     acts in accordance with the reasonable and prudent parent 
     standard; and
       ``(D) that a waiver of any standards established pursuant 
     to subparagraph (A) may be made only on a case-by-case basis 
     for nonsafety standards (as determined by the State) in 
     relative foster family homes for specific children in 
     care;''.
       (c) Supporting Participation in Age-Appropriate 
     Activities.--
       (1) Section 477(a) (42 U.S.C. 677(a)) is amended--
       (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (6);
       (B) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (7) and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(8) to ensure children who are likely to remain in foster 
     care until 18 years of age have regular, ongoing 
     opportunities to engage in age or developmentally-appropriate 
     activities as defined in section 475(11).''.
       (2) Section 477(h)(1) (42 U.S.C. 677(h)(1)) is amended by 
     inserting ``or, beginning in fiscal year 2020, $143,000,000'' 
     after ``$140,000,000''.
       (d) Effective Date.--
       (1) In general.--The amendments made by this section shall 
     take effect on the date that is 1 year after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act.
       (2) Delay permitted if state legislation required.--If the 
     Secretary of Health and Human Services determines that State 
     legislation (other than legislation appropriating funds) is 
     required in order for a State plan developed pursuant to part 
     E of title IV of the Social Security Act to meet the 
     additional requirements imposed by the amendments made by 
     this section, the plan shall not be regarded as failing to 
     meet any of the additional requirements before the 1st day of 
     the 1st calendar quarter beginning after the 1st regular 
     session of the State legislature that begins after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act. If the State has a 2-year 
     legislative session, each year of the session is deemed to be 
     a separate regular session of the State legislature.

     SEC. 112. IMPROVING ANOTHER PLANNED PERMANENT LIVING 
                   ARRANGEMENT AS A PERMANENCY OPTION.

       (a) Elimination of Another Planned Permanent Living 
     Arrangement for Children Under Age 16.--
       (1) In general.--Section 475(5)(C)(i) (42 U.S.C. 
     675(5)(C)(i)) is amended by inserting

[[Page 12768]]

     ``only in the case of a child who has attained 16 years of 
     age'' before ``(in cases where''.
       (2) Conforming amendment.--Section 422(b)(8)(A)(iii)(II) 
     (42 U.S.C. 622(b)(8)(A)(iii)(II)) is amended by inserting ``, 
     subject to the requirements of sections 475(5)(C) and 
     475A(a)'' after ``arrangement''.
       (3) Delayed applicability with respect to certain 
     children.--In the case of children in foster care under the 
     responsibility of an Indian tribe, tribal organization, or 
     tribal consortium (either directly or under supervision of a 
     State), the amendments made by this subsection shall not 
     apply until the date that is 3 years after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act.
       (b) Additional Requirements.--
       (1) In general.--Part E of title IV (42 U.S.C. 670 et seq.) 
     is amended by inserting after section 475 the following:

     ``SEC. 475A. ADDITIONAL CASE PLAN AND CASE REVIEW SYSTEM 
                   REQUIREMENTS.

       ``(a) Requirements for Another Planned Permanent Living 
     Arrangement.--In the case of any child for whom another 
     planned permanent living arrangement is the permanency plan 
     determined for the child under section 475(5)(C), the 
     following requirements shall apply for purposes of approving 
     the case plan for the child and the case system review 
     procedure for the child:
       ``(1) Documentation of intensive, ongoing, unsuccessful 
     efforts for family placement.--At each permanency hearing 
     held with respect to the child, the State agency documents 
     the intensive, ongoing, and, as of the date of the hearing, 
     unsuccessful efforts made by the State agency to return the 
     child home or secure a placement for the child with a fit and 
     willing relative (including adult siblings), a legal 
     guardian, or an adoptive parent, including through efforts 
     that utilize search technology (including social media) to 
     find biological family members for the children.
       ``(2) Redetermination of appropriateness of placement at 
     each permanency hearing.--The State agency shall implement 
     procedures to ensure that, at each permanency hearing held 
     with respect to the child, the court or administrative body 
     appointed or approved by the court conducting the hearing on 
     the permanency plan for the child does the following:
       ``(A) Ask the child about the desired permanency outcome 
     for the child.
       ``(B) Make a judicial determination explaining why, as of 
     the date of the hearing, another planned permanent living 
     arrangement is the best permanency plan for the child and 
     provide compelling reasons why it continues to not be in the 
     best interests of the child to--
       ``(i) return home;
       ``(ii) be placed for adoption;
       ``(iii) be placed with a legal guardian; or
       ``(iv) be placed with a fit and willing relative.
       ``(3) Demonstration of support for engaging in age or 
     developmentally-appropriate activities and social events.--At 
     each permanency hearing held with respect to the child, the 
     State agency shall document the steps the State agency is 
     taking to ensure that--
       ``(A) the child's foster family home or child care 
     institution is following the reasonable and prudent parent 
     standard; and
       ``(B) the child has regular, ongoing opportunities to 
     engage in age or developmentally appropriate activities 
     (including by consulting with the child in an age-appropriate 
     manner about the opportunities of the child to participate in 
     the activities).''.
       (2) Conforming amendments.--
       (A) State plan requirements.--
       (i) Part b.--Section 422(b)(8)(A)(ii) (42 U.S.C. 
     622(b)(8)(A)(ii)) is amended by inserting ``and in accordance 
     with the requirements of section 475A'' after ``section 
     475(5)''.
       (ii) Part e.--Section 471(a)(16) (42 U.S.C. 671(a)(16)) is 
     amended--

       (I) by inserting ``and in accordance with the requirements 
     of section 475A'' after ``section 475(1)''; and
       (II) by striking ``section 475(5)(B)'' and inserting 
     ``sections 475(5) and 475A''.

       (B) Definitions.--Section 475 (42 U.S.C. 675) is amended--
       (i) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding subparagraph 
     (A), by inserting ``meets the requirements of section 475A 
     and'' after ``written document which''; and
       (ii) in paragraph (5)--

       (I) in subparagraph (B), by adding at the end the following 
     ``and, for a child for whom another planned permanent living 
     arrangement has been determined as the permanency plan, the 
     steps the State agency is taking to ensure the child's foster 
     family home or child care institution is following the 
     reasonable and prudent parent standard and to ascertain 
     whether the child has regular, ongoing opportunities to 
     engage in age or developmentally appropriate activities 
     (including by consulting with the child in an age-appropriate 
     manner about the opportunities of the child to participate in 
     the activities);''; and
       (II) in subparagraph (C)--

       (aa) by inserting ``, as of the date of the hearing,'' 
     after ``compelling reason for determining''; and
       (bb) by inserting ``subject to section 475A(a),'' after 
     ``another planned permanent living arrangement,''.
       (c) Effective Date.--
       (1) In general.--The amendments made by this section shall 
     take effect on the date that is 1 year after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act.
       (2) Delay permitted if state legislation required.--If the 
     Secretary of Health and Human Services determines that State 
     legislation (other than legislation appropriating funds) is 
     required in order for a State plan developed pursuant to part 
     E of title IV of the Social Security Act to meet the 
     additional requirements imposed by the amendments made by 
     this section, the plan shall not be regarded as failing to 
     meet any of the additional requirements before the 1st day of 
     the 1st calendar quarter beginning after the 1st regular 
     session of the State legislature that begins after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act. If the State has a 2-year 
     legislative session, each year of the session is deemed to be 
     a separate regular session of the State legislature.

     SEC. 113. EMPOWERING FOSTER CHILDREN AGE 14 AND OLDER IN THE 
                   DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR OWN CASE PLAN AND 
                   TRANSITION PLANNING FOR A SUCCESSFUL ADULTHOOD.

       (a) In General.--Section 475(1)(B) (42 U.S.C. 675(1)(B)) is 
     amended by adding at the end the following: ``With respect to 
     a child who has attained 14 years of age, the plan developed 
     for the child in accordance with this paragraph, and any 
     revision or addition to the plan, shall be developed in 
     consultation with the child and, at the option of the child, 
     with up to 2 members of the case planning team who are chosen 
     by the child and who are not a foster parent of, or 
     caseworker for, the child. A State may reject an individual 
     selected by a child to be a member of the case planning team 
     at any time if the State has good cause to believe that the 
     individual would not act in the best interests of the child. 
     One individual selected by a child to be a member of the 
     child's case planning team may be designated to be the 
     child's advisor and, as necessary, advocate, with respect to 
     the application of the reasonable and prudent parent standard 
     to the child.''.
       (b) Conforming Amendments To Include Children 14 and Older 
     in Transition Planning.--Section 475 (42 U.S.C. 675) is 
     amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1)(D), by striking ``Where appropriate, 
     for a child age 16'' and inserting ``For a child who has 
     attained 14 years of age''; and
       (2) in paragraph (5)--
       (A) in subparagraph (C)--
       (i) in clause (i), by striking ``16'' and inserting ``14'';
       (ii) by striking ``and'' at the end of clause (ii); and
       (iii) by adding at the end the following: ``and (iv) if a 
     child has attained 14 years of age, the permanency plan 
     developed for the child, and any revision or addition to the 
     plan, shall be developed in consultation with the child and, 
     at the option of the child, with not more than 2 members of 
     the permanency planning team who are selected by the child 
     and who are not a foster parent of, or caseworker for, the 
     child, except that the State may reject an individual so 
     selected by the child if the State has good cause to believe 
     that the individual would not act in the best interests of 
     the child, and 1 individual so selected by the child may be 
     designated to be the child's advisor and, as necessary, 
     advocate, with respect to the application of the reasonable 
     and prudent standard to the child;''; and
       (B) in subparagraph (I), by striking ``16'' and inserting 
     ``14''.
       (c) Transition Planning for a Successful Adulthood.--
     Paragraphs (1)(D), (5)(C)(i), and (5)(C)(iii) of section 475 
     (42 U.S.C. 675) are each amended by striking ``independent 
     living'' and inserting ``a successful adulthood''.
       (d) List of Rights.--Section 475A, as added by section 
     112(b)(1) of this Act, is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:
       ``(b) List of Rights.--The case plan for any child in 
     foster care under the responsibility of the State who has 
     attained 14 years of age shall include--
       ``(1) a document that describes the rights of the child 
     with respect to education, health, visitation, and court 
     participation, the right to be provided with the documents 
     specified in section 475(5)(I) in accordance with that 
     section, and the right to stay safe and avoid exploitation; 
     and
       ``(2) a signed acknowledgment by the child that the child 
     has been provided with a copy of the document and that the 
     rights contained in the document have been explained to the 
     child in an age-appropriate way.''.
       (e) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services shall submit a report to Congress regarding the 
     implementation of the amendments made by this section. The 
     report shall include--
       (1) an analysis of how States are administering the 
     requirements of paragraphs (1)(B) and (5)(C) of section 475 
     of the Social Security Act, as amended by subsections (a) and 
     (b) of this section, that a child in foster care who has 
     attained 14 years of age be permitted to select up to 2 
     members of the case planning team or permanency planning team 
     for the child from individuals who are not a foster parent 
     of, or caseworker for, the child; and

[[Page 12769]]

       (2) a description of best practices of States with respect 
     to the administration of the requirements.
       (f) Effective Date.--
       (1) In general.--The amendments made by this section shall 
     take effect on the date that is 1 year after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act.
       (2) Delay permitted if state legislation required.--If the 
     Secretary of Health and Human Services determines that State 
     legislation (other than legislation appropriating funds) is 
     required in order for a State plan developed pursuant to part 
     E of title IV of the Social Security Act to meet the 
     additional requirements imposed by the amendments made by 
     this section, the plan shall not be regarded as failing to 
     meet any of the additional requirements before the 1st day of 
     the 1st calendar quarter beginning after the 1st regular 
     session of the State legislature that begins after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act. If the State has a 2-year 
     legislative session, each year of the session is deemed to be 
     a separate regular session of the State legislature.

     SEC. 114. ENSURING FOSTER CHILDREN HAVE A BIRTH CERTIFICATE, 
                   SOCIAL SECURITY CARD, HEALTH INSURANCE 
                   INFORMATION, MEDICAL RECORDS, AND A DRIVER'S 
                   LICENSE OR EQUIVALENT STATE-ISSUED 
                   IDENTIFICATION CARD.

       (a) Case Review System Requirement.--Section 475(5)(I) (42 
     U.S.C. 675(5)(I)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``and receives assistance'' and inserting 
     ``receives assistance''; and
       (2) by inserting ``, and, if the child is leaving foster 
     care by reason of having attained 18 years of age or such 
     greater age as the State has elected under paragraph (8), 
     unless the child has been in foster care for less than 6 
     months, is not discharged from care without being provided 
     with (if the child is eligible to receive such document) an 
     official or certified copy of the United States birth 
     certificate of the child, a social security card issued by 
     the Commissioner of Social Security, health insurance 
     information, a copy of the child's medical records, and a 
     driver's license or identification card issued by a State in 
     accordance with the requirements of section 202 of the REAL 
     ID Act of 2005'' before the period.
       (b) Effective Date.--
       (1) In general.--The amendments made by this section shall 
     take effect 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act.
       (2) Delay permitted if state legislation required.--If the 
     Secretary of Health and Human Services determines that State 
     legislation (other than legislation appropriating funds) is 
     required in order for a State plan developed pursuant to part 
     E of title IV of the Social Security Act to meet the 
     additional requirements imposed by the amendments made by 
     this section, the plan shall not be regarded as failing to 
     meet any of the additional requirements before the 1st day of 
     the 1st calendar quarter beginning after the 1st regular 
     session of the State legislature that begins after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act. If the State has a 2-year 
     legislative session, each year of the session is deemed to be 
     a separate regular session of the State legislature.

     SEC. 115. INFORMATION ON CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE IN ANNUAL 
                   REPORTS USING AFCARS DATA; CONSULTATION.

       Section 479A (42 U.S.C. 679b) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``The Secretary'' and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(a) In General.--The Secretary'';
       (2) in paragraph (5), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon;
       (3) in paragraph (6)(C), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting ``; and''; and
       (4) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(7) include in the report submitted pursuant to paragraph 
     (5) for fiscal year 2016 or any succeeding fiscal year, 
     State-by-State data on--
       ``(A) children in foster care who have been placed in a 
     child care institution or other setting that is not a foster 
     family home, including--
       ``(i) the number of children in the placements and their 
     ages, including separately, the number and ages of children 
     who have a permanency plan of another planned permanent 
     living arrangement;
       ``(ii) the duration of the placement in the settings 
     (including for children who have a permanency plan of another 
     planned permanent living arrangement);
       ``(iii) the types of child care institutions used 
     (including group homes, residential treatment, shelters, or 
     other congregate care settings);
       ``(iv) with respect to each child care institution or other 
     setting that is not a foster family home, the number of 
     children in foster care residing in each such institution or 
     non-foster family home;
       ``(v) any clinically diagnosed special need of such 
     children; and
       ``(vi) the extent of any specialized education, treatment, 
     counseling, or other services provided in the settings; and
       ``(B) children in foster care who are pregnant or 
     parenting.
       ``(b) Consultation on Other Issues.--The Secretary shall 
     consult with States and organizations with an interest in 
     child welfare, including organizations that provide adoption 
     and foster care services, and shall take into account 
     requests from Members of Congress, in selecting other issues 
     to be analyzed and reported on under this section using data 
     available to the Secretary, including data reported by States 
     through the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting 
     System and to the National Youth in Transition Database.''.

                Subtitle C--National Advisory Committee

     SEC. 121. ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON 
                   THE SEX TRAFFICKING OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN 
                   THE UNITED STATES.

       Title XI (42 U.S.C. 1301 et seq.) is amended by inserting 
     after section 1114 the following:


 ``national advisory committee on the sex trafficking of chiildren and 
                       youth in the united states

       ``Sec. 1114A.  (a) Official Designation.--This section 
     relates to the National Advisory Committee on the Sex 
     Trafficking of Children and Youth in the United States (in 
     this section referred to as the `Committee').
       ``(b) Authority.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
     enactment of this section, the Secretary shall establish and 
     appoint all members of the Committee.
       ``(c) Membership.--
       ``(1) Composition.--The Committee shall be composed of not 
     more than 21 members whose diverse experience and background 
     enable them to provide balanced points of view with regard to 
     carrying out the duties of the Committee.
       ``(2) Selection.--The Secretary, in consultation with the 
     Attorney General and National Governors Association, shall 
     appoint the members to the Committee. At least 1 Committee 
     member shall be a former sex trafficking victim. 2 Committee 
     members shall be a Governor of a State, 1 of whom shall be a 
     member of the Democratic Party and 1 of whom shall be a 
     member of the Republican Party.
       ``(3) Period of appointment; vacancies.--Members shall be 
     appointed for the life of the Committee. A vacancy in the 
     Committee shall be filled in the manner in which the original 
     appointment was made and shall not affect the powers or 
     duties of the Committee.
       ``(4) Compensation.--Committee members shall serve without 
     compensation or per diem in lieu of subsistence.
       ``(d) Duties.--
       ``(1) National response.--The Committee shall advise the 
     Secretary and the Attorney General on practical and general 
     policies concerning improvements to the Nation's response to 
     the sex trafficking of children and youth in the United 
     States.
       ``(2) Policies for cooperation.--The Committee shall advise 
     the Secretary and the Attorney General on practical and 
     general policies concerning the cooperation of Federal, 
     State, local, and tribal governments, child welfare agencies, 
     social service providers, physical health and mental health 
     providers, victim service providers, State or local courts 
     with responsibility for conducting or supervising proceedings 
     relating to child welfare or social services for children and 
     their families, Federal, State, and local police, juvenile 
     detention centers, and runaway and homeless youth programs, 
     schools, the gaming and entertainment industry, and 
     businesses and organizations that provide services to youth, 
     on responding to sex trafficking, including the development 
     and implementation of--
       ``(A) successful interventions with children and youth who 
     are exposed to conditions that make them vulnerable to, or 
     victims of, sex trafficking; and
       ``(B) recommendations for administrative or legislative 
     changes necessary to use programs, properties, or other 
     resources owned, operated, or funded by the Federal 
     Government to provide safe housing for children and youth who 
     are sex trafficking victims and provide support to entities 
     that provide housing or other assistance to the victims.
       ``(3) Best practices and recommendations for states.--
       ``(A) In general.--Within 2 years after the establishment 
     of the Committee, the Committee shall develop 2 tiers 
     (referred to in this subparagraph as `Tier I' and `Tier II') 
     of recommended best practices for States to follow in 
     combating the sex trafficking of children and youth. Tier I 
     shall provide States that have not yet substantively 
     addressed the sex trafficking of children and youth with an 
     idea of where to begin and what steps to take. Tier II shall 
     provide States that are already working to address the sex 
     trafficking of children and youth with examples of policies 
     that are already being used effectively by other States to 
     address sex trafficking.
       ``(B) Development.--The best practices shall be based on 
     multidisciplinary research and promising, evidence-based 
     models and programs as reflected in State efforts to meet the 
     requirements of sections 101 and 102 of the Preventing Sex 
     Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act.
       ``(C) Content.--The best practices shall be user-friendly, 
     incorporate the most up-to-date technology, and include the 
     following:
       ``(i) Sample training materials, protocols, and screening 
     tools that, to the extent possible, accommodate for regional 
     differences among the States, to prepare individuals who 
     administer social services to identify and serve children and 
     youth who are sex

[[Page 12770]]

     trafficking victims or at-risk of sex trafficking.
       ``(ii) Multidisciplinary strategies to identify victims, 
     manage cases, and improve services for all children and youth 
     who are at risk of sex trafficking, or are sex trafficking 
     victims, in the United States.
       ``(iii) Sample protocols and recommendations based on 
     current States' efforts, accounting for regional differences 
     between States that provide for effective, cross-system 
     collaboration between Federal, State, local, and tribal 
     governments, child welfare agencies, social service 
     providers, physical health and mental health providers, 
     victim service providers, State or local courts with 
     responsibility for conducting or supervising proceedings 
     relating to child welfare or social services for children and 
     their families, the gaming and entertainment industry, 
     Federal, State, and local police, juvenile detention centers 
     and runaway and homeless youth programs, housing resources 
     that are appropriate for housing child and youth victims of 
     trafficking, schools, and businesses and organizations that 
     provide services to children and youth. These protocols and 
     recommendations should include strategies to identify victims 
     and collect, document, and share data across systems and 
     agencies, and should be designed to help agencies better 
     understand the type of sex trafficking involved, the scope of 
     the problem, the needs of the population to be served, ways 
     to address the demand for trafficked children and youth and 
     increase prosecutions of traffickers and purchasers of 
     children and youth, and the degree of victim interaction with 
     multiple systems.
       ``(iv) Developing the criteria and guidelines necessary for 
     establishing safe residential placements for foster children 
     who have been sex trafficked as well as victims of 
     trafficking identified through interaction with law 
     enforcement.
       ``(v) Developing training guidelines for caregivers that 
     serve children and youth being cared for outside the home.
       ``(D) Informing states of best practices.--The Committee, 
     in coordination with the National Governors Association, 
     Secretary and Attorney General, shall ensure that State 
     Governors and child welfare agencies are notified and 
     informed on a quarterly basis of the best practices and 
     recommendations for States, and notified 6 months in advance 
     that the Committee will be evaluating the extent to which 
     States adopt the Committee's recommendations.
       ``(E) Report on state implementation.--Within 3 years after 
     the establishment of the Committee, the Committee shall 
     submit to the Secretary and the Attorney General, as part of 
     its final report as well as for online and publicly available 
     publication, a description of what each State has done to 
     implement the recommendations of the Committee.
       ``(e) Reports.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Committee shall submit an interim 
     and a final report on the work of the Committee to--
       ``(A) the Secretary;
       ``(B) the Attorney General;
       ``(C) the Committee on Finance of the Senate; and
       ``(D) the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of 
     Representatives.
       ``(2) Reporting dates.--The interim report shall be 
     submitted not later than 3 years after the establishment of 
     the Committee. The final report shall be submitted not later 
     than 4 years after the establishment of the Committee.
       ``(f) Administration.--
       ``(1) Agency support.--The Secretary shall direct the head 
     of the Administration for Children and Families of the 
     Department of Health and Human Services to provide all 
     necessary support for the Committee.
       ``(2) Meetings.--
       ``(A) In general.--The Committee will meet at the call of 
     the Secretary at least twice each year to carry out this 
     section, and more often as otherwise required.
       ``(B) Accommodation for committee members unable to attend 
     in person.--The Secretary shall create a process through 
     which Committee members who are unable to travel to a 
     Committee meeting in person may participate remotely through 
     the use of video conference, teleconference, online, or other 
     means.
       ``(3) Subcommittees.--The Committee may establish 
     subcommittees or working groups, as necessary and consistent 
     with the mission of the Committee. The subcommittees or 
     working groups shall have no authority to make decisions on 
     behalf of the Committee, nor shall they report directly to 
     any official or entity listed in subsection (d).
       ``(4) Recordkeeping.--The records of the Committee and any 
     subcommittees and working groups shall be maintained in 
     accordance with appropriate Department of Health and Human 
     Services policies and procedures and shall be available for 
     public inspection and copying, subject to the Freedom of 
     Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552).
       ``(g) Termination.--The Committee shall terminate 5 years 
     after the date of its establishment, but the Secretary shall 
     continue to operate and update, as necessary, an Internet 
     website displaying the State best practices, recommendations, 
     and evaluation of State-by-State implementation of the 
     Secretary's recommendations.
       ``(h) Definition.--For the purpose of this section, the 
     term `sex trafficking' includes the definition set forth in 
     section 103(10) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 
     2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102(10)) and `severe form of trafficking in 
     persons' described in section 103(9)(A) of such Act.''.

TITLE II--IMPROVING ADOPTION INCENTIVES AND EXTENDING FAMILY CONNECTION 
                                 GRANTS

           Subtitle A--Improving Adoption Incentive Payments

     SEC. 201. EXTENSION OF PROGRAM THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 2016.

       Section 473A (42 U.S.C. 673b) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (b)(5), by striking ``2008 through 2012'' 
     and inserting ``2013 through 2015''; and
       (2) in each of paragraphs (1)(D) and (2) of subsection (h), 
     by striking ``2013'' and inserting ``2016''.

     SEC. 202. IMPROVEMENTS TO AWARD STRUCTURE.

       (a) Eligibility for Award.--Section 473A(b) (42 U.S.C. 
     673b(b)) is amended by striking paragraph (2) and 
     redesignating paragraphs (3) through (5) as paragraphs (2) 
     through (4), respectively.
       (b) Data Requirements.--Section 473A(c)(2) (42 U.S.C. 
     673b(c)(2)) is amended--
       (1) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``numbers of 
     adoptions'' and inserting ``rates of adoptions and 
     guardianships'';
       (2) by striking ``the numbers'' and all that follows 
     through ``section,'' and inserting ``each of the rates 
     required to be determined under this section with respect to 
     a State and a fiscal year,''; and
       (3) by inserting before the period the following: ``, and, 
     with respect to the determination of the rates related to 
     foster child guardianships, on the basis of information 
     reported to the Secretary under paragraph (12) of subsection 
     (g)''.
       (c) Award Amount.--Section 473A(d) (42 U.S.C. 673b(d)) is 
     amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1), by striking subparagraphs (A) through 
     (C) and inserting the following:
       ``(A) $5,000, multiplied by the amount (if any) by which--
       ``(i) the number of foster child adoptions in the State 
     during the fiscal year; exceeds
       ``(ii) the product (rounded to the nearest whole number) 
     of--

       ``(I) the base rate of foster child adoptions for the State 
     for the fiscal year; and
       ``(II) the number of children in foster care under the 
     supervision of the State on the last day of the preceding 
     fiscal year;

       ``(B) $7,500, multiplied by the amount (if any) by which--
       ``(i) the number of pre-adolescent child adoptions and pre-
     adolescent foster child guardianships in the State during the 
     fiscal year; exceeds
       ``(ii) the product (rounded to the nearest whole number) 
     of--

       ``(I) the base rate of pre-adolescent child adoptions and 
     pre-adolescent foster child guardianships for the State for 
     the fiscal year; and
       ``(II) the number of children in foster care under the 
     supervision of the State on the last day of the preceding 
     fiscal year who have attained 9 years of age but not 14 years 
     of age; and

       ``(C) $10,000, multiplied by the amount (if any) by which--
       ``(i) the number of older child adoptions and older foster 
     child guardianships in the State during the fiscal year; 
     exceeds
       ``(ii) the product (rounded to the nearest whole number) 
     of--

       ``(I) the base rate of older child adoptions and older 
     foster child guardianships for the State for the fiscal year; 
     and
       ``(II) the number of children in foster care under the 
     supervision of the State on the last day of the preceding 
     fiscal year who have attained 14 years of age; and

       ``(D) $4,000, multiplied by the amount (if any) by which--
       ``(i) the number of foster child guardianships in the State 
     during the fiscal year; exceeds
       ``(ii) the product (rounded to the nearest whole number) 
     of--

       ``(I) the base rate of foster child guardianships for the 
     State for the fiscal year; and
       ``(II) the number of children in foster care under the 
     supervision of the State on the last day of the preceding 
     fiscal year.''; and

       (2) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following:
       ``(3) Increased adoption and legal guardianship incentive 
     payment for timely adoptions.--
       ``(A) In general.--If for any of fiscal years 2013 through 
     2015, the total amount of adoption and legal guardianship 
     incentive payments payable under paragraph (1) of this 
     subsection are less than the amount appropriated under 
     subsection (h) for the fiscal year, then, from the remainder 
     of the amount appropriated for the fiscal year that is not 
     required for such payments (in this paragraph referred to as 
     the `timely adoption award pool'), the Secretary shall 
     increase the adoption incentive payment determined under 
     paragraph (1) for each State that the Secretary determines is 
     a timely adoption award State for the fiscal year by the 
     award amount determined for the fiscal year under 
     subparagraph (C).

[[Page 12771]]

       ``(B) Timely adoption award state defined.--A State is a 
     timely adoption award State for a fiscal year if the 
     Secretary determines that, for children who were in foster 
     care under the supervision of the State at the time of 
     adoptive placement, the average number of months from removal 
     of children from their home to the placement of children in 
     finalized adoptions is less than 24 months.
       ``(C) Award amount.--For purposes of subparagraph (A), the 
     award amount determined under this subparagraph with respect 
     to a fiscal year is the amount equal to the timely adoption 
     award pool for the fiscal year divided by the number of 
     timely adoption award States for the fiscal year.''.
       (d) Definitions.--Section 473A(g) (42 U.S.C. 673b(g)) is 
     amended by striking paragraphs (1) through (8) and inserting 
     the following:
       ``(1) Foster child adoption rate.--The term `foster child 
     adoption rate' means, with respect to a State and a fiscal 
     year, the percentage determined by dividing--
       ``(A) the number of foster child adoptions finalized in the 
     State during the fiscal year; by
       ``(B) the number of children in foster care under the 
     supervision of the State on the last day of the preceding 
     fiscal year.
       ``(2) Base rate of foster child adoptions.--The term `base 
     rate of foster child adoptions' means, with respect to a 
     State and a fiscal year, the lesser of--
       ``(A) the foster child adoption rate for the State for the 
     then immediately preceding fiscal year; or
       ``(B) the foster child adoption rate for the State for the 
     average of the then immediately preceding 3 fiscal years.
       ``(3) Foster child adoption.--The term `foster child 
     adoption' means the final adoption of a child who, at the 
     time of adoptive placement, was in foster care under the 
     supervision of the State.
       ``(4) Pre-adolescent child adoption and pre-adolescent 
     foster child guardianship rate.--The term `pre-adolescent 
     child adoption and pre-adolescent foster child guardianship 
     rate' means, with respect to a State and a fiscal year, the 
     percentage determined by dividing--
       ``(A) the number of pre-adolescent child adoptions and pre-
     adolescent foster child guardianships finalized in the State 
     during the fiscal year; by
       ``(B) the number of children in foster care under the 
     supervision of the State on the last day of the preceding 
     fiscal year, who have attained 9 years of age but not 14 
     years of age.
       ``(5) Base rate of pre-adolescent child adoptions and pre-
     adolescent foster child guardianships.--The term `base rate 
     of pre-adolescent child adoptions and pre-adolescent foster 
     child guardianships' means, with respect to a State and a 
     fiscal year, the lesser of--
       ``(A) the pre-adolescent child adoption and pre-adolescent 
     foster child guardianship rate for the State for the then 
     immediately preceding fiscal year; or
       ``(B) the pre-adolescent child adoption and pre-adolescent 
     foster child guardianship rate for the State for the average 
     of the then immediately preceding 3 fiscal years.
       ``(6) Pre-adolescent child adoption and pre-adolescent 
     foster child guardianship.--The term `pre-adolescent child 
     adoption and pre-adolescent foster child guardianship' means 
     the final adoption, or the placement into foster child 
     guardianship (as defined in paragraph (12)) of a child who 
     has attained 9 years of age but not 14 years of age if--
       ``(A) at the time of the adoptive or foster child 
     guardianship placement, the child was in foster care under 
     the supervision of the State; or
       ``(B) an adoption assistance agreement was in effect under 
     section 473(a) with respect to the child.
       ``(7) Older child adoption and older foster child 
     guardianship rate.--The term `older child adoption and older 
     foster child guardianship rate' means, with respect to a 
     State and a fiscal year, the percentage determined by 
     dividing--
       ``(A) the number of older child adoptions and older foster 
     child guardianships finalized in the State during the fiscal 
     year; by
       ``(B) the number of children in foster care under the 
     supervision of the State on the last day of the preceding 
     fiscal year, who have attained 14 years of age.
       ``(8) Base rate of older child adoptions and older foster 
     child guardianships.--The term `base rate of older child 
     adoptions and older foster child guardianships' means, with 
     respect to a State and a fiscal year, the lesser of--
       ``(A) the older child adoption and older foster child 
     guardianship rate for the State for the then immediately 
     preceding fiscal year; or
       ``(B) the older child adoption and older foster child 
     guardianship rate for the State for the average of the then 
     immediately preceding 3 fiscal years.
       ``(9) Older child adoption and older foster child 
     guardianship.--The term `older child adoption and older 
     foster child guardianship' means the final adoption, or the 
     placement into foster child guardianship (as defined in 
     paragraph (12)) of a child who has attained 14 years of age 
     if--
       ``(A) at the time of the adoptive or foster child 
     guardianship placement, the child was in foster care under 
     the supervision of the State; or
       ``(B) an adoption assistance agreement was in effect under 
     section 473(a) with respect to the child.
       ``(10) Foster child guardianship rate.--The term `foster 
     child guardianship rate' means, with respect to a State and a 
     fiscal year, the percentage determined by dividing--
       ``(A) the number of foster child guardianships occurring in 
     the State during the fiscal year; by
       ``(B) the number of children in foster care under the 
     supervision of the State on the last day of the preceding 
     fiscal year.
       ``(11) Base rate of foster child guardianships.--The term 
     `base rate of foster child guardianships' means, with respect 
     to a State and a fiscal year, the lesser of--
       ``(A) the foster child guardianship rate for the State for 
     the then immediately preceding fiscal year; or
       ``(B) the foster child guardianship rate for the State for 
     the average of the then immediately preceding 3 fiscal years.
       ``(12) Foster child guardianship.--The term `foster child 
     guardianship' means, with respect to a State, the exit of a 
     child from foster care under the responsibility of the State 
     to live with a legal guardian, if the State has reported to 
     the Secretary--
       ``(A) that the State agency has determined that--
       ``(i) the child has been removed from his or her home 
     pursuant to a voluntary placement agreement or as a result of 
     a judicial determination to the effect that continuation in 
     the home would be contrary to the welfare of the child;
       ``(ii) being returned home or adopted are not appropriate 
     permanency options for the child;
       ``(iii) the child demonstrates a strong attachment to the 
     prospective legal guardian, and the prospective legal 
     guardian has a strong commitment to caring permanently for 
     the child; and
       ``(iv) if the child has attained 14 years of age, the child 
     has been consulted regarding the legal guardianship 
     arrangement; or
       ``(B) the alternative procedures used by the State to 
     determine that legal guardianship is the appropriate option 
     for the child.''.

     SEC. 203. RENAMING OF PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--The section heading of section 473A (42 
     U.S.C. 673b) is amended to read as follows:

     ``SEC. 473A. ADOPTION AND LEGAL GUARDIANSHIP INCENTIVE 
                   PAYMENTS.''.

       (b) Conforming Amendments.--
       (1) Section 473A is amended in each of subsections (a), 
     (d)(1), (d)(2)(A), and (d)(2)(B) (42 U.S.C. 673b(a), (d)(1), 
     (d)(2)(A), and (d)(2)(B)) by inserting ``and legal 
     guardianship'' after ``adoption'' each place it appears.
       (2) The heading of section 473A(d) (42 U.S.C. 673b(d)) is 
     amended by inserting ``and Legal Guardianship'' after 
     ``Adoption''.

     SEC. 204. LIMITATION ON USE OF INCENTIVE PAYMENTS.

       Section 473A(f) (42 U.S.C. 673b(f)) is amended in the 1st 
     sentence by inserting ``, and shall use the amount to 
     supplement, and not supplant, any Federal or non-Federal 
     funds used to provide any service under part B or E'' before 
     the period.

     SEC. 205. INCREASE IN PERIOD FOR WHICH INCENTIVE PAYMENTS ARE 
                   AVAILABLE FOR EXPENDITURE.

       Section 473A(e) (42 U.S.C. 673b(e)) is amended--
       (1) in the subsection heading, by striking ``24-month'' and 
     inserting ``36-month''; and
       (2) by striking ``24-month'' and inserting ``36-month''.

     SEC. 206. STATE REPORT ON CALCULATION AND USE OF SAVINGS 
                   RESULTING FROM THE PHASE-OUT OF ELIGIBILITY 
                   REQUIREMENTS FOR ADOPTION ASSISTANCE; 
                   REQUIREMENT TO SPEND 30 PERCENT OF SAVINGS ON 
                   CERTAIN SERVICES.

       Section 473(a)(8) (42 U.S.C. 673(a)(8)) is amended to read 
     as follows:
       ``(8)(A) A State shall calculate the savings (if any) 
     resulting from the application of paragraph (2)(A)(ii) to all 
     applicable children for a fiscal year, using a methodology 
     specified by the Secretary or an alternate methodology 
     proposed by the State and approved by the Secretary.
       ``(B) A State shall annually report to the Secretary--
       ``(i) the methodology used to make the calculation 
     described in subparagraph (A), without regard to whether any 
     savings are found;
       ``(ii) the amount of any savings referred to in 
     subparagraph (A); and
       ``(iii) how any such savings are spent, accounting for and 
     reporting the spending separately from any other spending 
     reported to the Secretary under part B or this part.
       ``(C) The Secretary shall make all information reported 
     pursuant to subparagraph (B) available on the website of the 
     Department of Health and Human Services in a location easily 
     accessible to the public.
       ``(D)(i) A State shall spend an amount equal to the amount 
     of the savings (if any) in State expenditures under this part 
     resulting from the application of paragraph (2)(A)(ii) to all 
     applicable children for a fiscal year, to provide to children 
     of families any service

[[Page 12772]]

     that may be provided under part B or this part. A State shall 
     spend not less than 30 percent of any such savings on post-
     adoption services, post-guardianship services, and services 
     to support and sustain positive permanent outcomes for 
     children who otherwise might enter into foster care under the 
     responsibility of the State, with at least \2/3\ of the 
     spending by the State to comply with such 30 percent 
     requirement being spent on post-adoption and post-
     guardianship services.
       ``(ii) Any State spending required under clause (i) shall 
     be used to supplement, and not supplant, any Federal or non-
     Federal funds used to provide any service under part B or 
     this part.''.

     SEC. 207. PRESERVATION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR KINSHIP 
                   GUARDIANSHIP ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS WITH A 
                   SUCCESSOR GUARDIAN.

       Section 473(d)(3) (42 U.S.C. 673(d)(3)) is amended by 
     adding at the end the following:
       ``(C) Eligibility not affected by replacement of guardian 
     with a successor guardian.--In the event of the death or 
     incapacity of the relative guardian, the eligibility of a 
     child for a kinship guardianship assistance payment under 
     this subsection shall not be affected by reason of the 
     replacement of the relative guardian with a successor legal 
     guardian named in the kinship guardianship assistance 
     agreement referred to in paragraph (1) (including in any 
     amendment to the agreement), notwithstanding subparagraph (A) 
     of this paragraph and section 471(a)(28).''.

     SEC. 208. DATA COLLECTION ON ADOPTION AND LEGAL GUARDIANSHIP 
                   DISRUPTION AND DISSOLUTION.

       Section 479 (42 U.S.C. 679) is amended by adding at the end 
     the following:
       ``(d) To promote improved knowledge on how best to ensure 
     strong, permanent families for children, the Secretary shall 
     promulgate regulations providing for the collection and 
     analysis of information regarding children who enter into 
     foster care under the supervision of a State after prior 
     finalization of an adoption or legal guardianship. The 
     regulations shall require each State with a State plan 
     approved under this part to collect and report as part of 
     such data collection system the number of children who enter 
     foster care under supervision of the State after finalization 
     of an adoption or legal guardianship and may include 
     information concerning the length of the prior adoption or 
     guardianship, the age of the child at the time of the prior 
     adoption or guardianship, the age at which the child 
     subsequently entered foster care under supervision of the 
     State, the type of agency involved in making the prior 
     adoptive or guardianship placement, and any other factors 
     determined necessary to better understand factors associated 
     with the child's post-adoption or post-guardianship entry to 
     foster care.''.

     SEC. 209. ENCOURAGING THE PLACEMENT OF CHILDREN IN FOSTER 
                   CARE WITH SIBLINGS.

       (a) State Plan Amendment.--
       (1) Notification of parents of siblings.--Section 
     471(a)(29) (42 U.S.C. 671(a)(29)) is amended by striking 
     ``all adult grandparents'' and inserting ``the following 
     relatives: all adult grandparents, all parents of a sibling 
     of the child, where such parent has legal custody of such 
     sibling,''.
       (2) Sibling defined.--Section 475 (42 U.S.C. 675), as 
     amended by sections 101(b) and 111(a)(1) of this Act, is 
     amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(12) The term `sibling' means an individual who satisfies 
     at least one of the following conditions with respect to a 
     child:
       ``(A) The individual is considered by State law to be a 
     sibling of the child.
       ``(B) The individual would have been considered a sibling 
     of the child under State law but for a termination or other 
     disruption of parental rights, such as the death of a 
     parent.''.
       (b) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
     construed as subordinating the rights of foster or adoptive 
     parents of a child to the rights of the parents of a sibling 
     of that child.

     SEC. 210. EFFECTIVE DATES.

       (a) In General.--Except as otherwise provided in this 
     section, the amendments made by this subtitle shall take 
     effect as if enacted on October 1, 2013.
       (b) Restructuring and Renaming of Program.--
       (1) In general.--The amendments made by sections 202 and 
     203 shall take effect on October 1, 2014, subject to 
     paragraph (2).
       (2) Transition rule.--
       (A) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, the total amount payable to a State under section 473A 
     of the Social Security Act for fiscal year 2014 shall be an 
     amount equal to \1/2\ of the sum of--
       (i) the total amount that would be payable to the State 
     under such section for fiscal year 2014 if the amendments 
     made by section 202 of this Act had not taken effect; and
       (ii) the total amount that would be payable to the State 
     under such section for fiscal year 2014 in the absence of 
     this paragraph.
       (B) Pro rata adjustment if insufficient funds available.--
     If the total amount otherwise payable under subparagraph (A) 
     for fiscal year 2014 exceeds the amount appropriated pursuant 
     to section 473A(h) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     673b(h)) for that fiscal year, the amount payable to each 
     State under subparagraph (A) for fiscal year 2014 shall be--
       (i) the amount that would otherwise be payable to the State 
     under subparagraph (A) for fiscal year 2014; multiplied by
       (ii) the percentage represented by the amount so 
     appropriated for fiscal year 2014, divided by the total 
     amount otherwise payable under subparagraph (A) to all States 
     for that fiscal year.
       (c) Use of Incentive Payments; Eligibility for Kinship 
     Guardianship Assistance Payments With a Successor Guardian; 
     Data Collection.--The amendments made by sections 204, 207, 
     and 208 shall take effect on the date of enactment of this 
     Act.
       (d) Calculation and Use of Savings Resulting From the 
     Phase-Out of Eligibility Requirements for Adoption 
     Assistance.--The amendment made by section 206 shall take 
     effect on October 1, 2014.
       (e) Notification of Parents of Siblings.--
       (1) In general.--The amendments made by section 209 shall 
     take effect on the date of enactment of this Act, subject to 
     paragraph (2).
       (2) Delay permitted if state legislation required.--In the 
     case of a State plan approved under part E of title IV of the 
     Social Security Act which the Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services determines requires State legislation (other than 
     legislation appropriating funds) in order for the plan to 
     meet the additional requirements imposed by section 209, the 
     State plan shall not be regarded as failing to comply with 
     the requirements of such part solely on the basis of the 
     failure of the plan to meet such additional requirements 
     before the 1st day of the 1st calendar quarter beginning 
     after the close of the 1st regular session of the State 
     legislature that ends after the 1-year period beginning with 
     the date of enactment of this Act. For purposes of the 
     preceding sentence, in the case of a State that has a 2-year 
     legislative session, each year of the session is deemed to be 
     a separate regular session of the State legislature.

       Subtitle B--Extending the Family Connection Grant Program

     SEC. 221. EXTENSION OF FAMILY CONNECTION GRANT PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--Section 427(h) (42 U.S.C. 627(h)) is 
     amended by striking ``2013'' and inserting ``2014''.
       (b) Eligibility of Universities for Matching Grants.--
     Section 427(a) (42 U.S.C. 627(a)) is amended, in the matter 
     preceding paragraph (1)--
       (1) by striking ``and'' before ``private''; and
       (2) by inserting ``and institutions of higher education (as 
     defined under section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
     (20 U.S.C. 1001)),'' after ``arrangements,''.
       (c) Finding Families for Foster Children Who Are Parents.--
     Section 427(a)(1)(E) (42 U.S.C. 627(a)(1)(E)) is amended by 
     inserting ``and other individuals who are willing and able to 
     be foster parents for children in foster care under the 
     responsibility of the State who are themselves parents'' 
     after ``kinship care families''.
       (d) Reservation of Funds.--Section 427(g) (42 U.S.C. 
     627(g)) is amended--
       (1) by striking paragraph (1); and
       (2) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs 
     (1) and (2), respectively.
       (e) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section 
     shall take effect as if enacted on October 1, 2013.

       TITLE III--IMPROVING INTERNATIONAL CHILD SUPPORT RECOVERY

     SEC. 301. AMENDMENTS TO ENSURE ACCESS TO CHILD SUPPORT 
                   SERVICES FOR INTERNATIONAL CHILD SUPPORT CASES.

       (a) Authority of the Secretary of HHS To Ensure Compliance 
     With Multilateral Child Support Conventions.--
       (1) In general.--Section 452 (42 U.S.C. 652) is amended--
       (A) by redesignating the second subsection (l) (as added by 
     section 7306 of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005) as 
     subsection (m); and
       (B) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(n) The Secretary shall use the authorities otherwise 
     provided by law to ensure the compliance of the United States 
     with any multilateral child support convention to which the 
     United States is a party.''.
       (2) Conforming amendment.--Section 453(k)(3) (42 U.S.C. 
     653(k)(3)) is amended by striking ``452(l)'' and inserting 
     ``452(m)''.
       (b) Access to the Federal Parent Locator Service.--Section 
     453(c) (42 U.S.C. 653(c)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (3);
       (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (4) and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(5) an entity designated as a Central Authority for child 
     support enforcement in a foreign reciprocating country or a 
     foreign treaty country for purposes specified in section 
     459A(c)(2).''.
       (c) State Option To Require Individuals in Foreign 
     Countries To Apply Through Their Country's Appropriate 
     Central Authority.--Section 454 (42 U.S.C. 654) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (4)(A)(ii), by inserting before the 
     semicolon ``(except that, if the individual applying for the 
     services resides in a foreign reciprocating country or 
     foreign treaty country, the State may opt to require

[[Page 12773]]

     the individual to request the services through the Central 
     Authority for child support enforcement in the foreign 
     reciprocating country or the foreign treaty country, and if 
     the individual resides in a foreign country that is not a 
     foreign reciprocating country or a foreign treaty country, a 
     State may accept or reject the application)''; and
       (2) in paragraph (32)--
       (A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``, a foreign treaty 
     country,'' after ``a foreign reciprocating country''; and
       (B) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``or foreign obligee'' 
     and inserting ``, foreign treaty country, or foreign 
     individual''.
       (d) Amendments to International Support Enforcement 
     Provisions.--Section 459A (42 U.S.C. 659a) is amended--
       (1) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(e) References.--In this part:
       ``(1) Foreign reciprocating country.--The term `foreign 
     reciprocating country' means a foreign country (or political 
     subdivision thereof) with respect to which the Secretary has 
     made a declaration pursuant to subsection (a).
       ``(2) Foreign treaty country.--The term `foreign treaty 
     country' means a foreign country for which the 2007 Family 
     Maintenance Convention is in force.
       ``(3) 2007 family maintenance convention.--The term `2007 
     Family Maintenance Convention' means the Hague Convention of 
     23 November 2007 on the International Recovery of Child 
     Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance.'';
       (2) in subsection (c)--
       (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
     ``foreign countries that are the subject of a declaration 
     under this section'' and inserting ``foreign reciprocating 
     countries or foreign treaty countries''; and
       (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``and foreign treaty 
     countries'' after ``foreign reciprocating countries''; and
       (3) in subsection (d), by striking ``the subject of a 
     declaration pursuant to subsection (a)'' and inserting 
     ``foreign reciprocating countries or foreign treaty 
     countries''.
       (e) Collection of Past-Due Support From Federal Tax 
     Refunds.--Section 464(a)(2)(A) (42 U.S.C. 664(a)(2)(A)) is 
     amended by striking ``under section 454(4)(A)(ii)'' and 
     inserting ``under paragraph (4)(A)(ii) or (32) of section 
     454''.
       (f) State Law Requirement Concerning the Uniform Interstate 
     Family Support Act (UIFSA).--
       (1) In general.--Section 466(f) (42 U.S.C. 666(f)) is 
     amended--
       (A) by striking ``on and after January 1, 1998,'';
       (B) by striking ``and as in effect on August 22, 1996,''; 
     and
       (C) by striking ``adopted as of such date'' and inserting 
     ``adopted as of September 30, 2008''.
       (2) Conforming amendments to title 28, united states 
     code.--Section 1738B of title 28, United States Code, is 
     amended--
       (A) in subsection (d), by striking ``individual 
     contestant'' and inserting ``individual contestant or the 
     parties have consented in a record or open court that the 
     tribunal of the State may continue to exercise jurisdiction 
     to modify its order,'';
       (B) in subsection (e)(2)(A), by striking ``individual 
     contestant'' and inserting ``individual contestant and the 
     parties have not consented in a record or open court that the 
     tribunal of the other State may continue to exercise 
     jurisdiction to modify its order''; and
       (C) in subsection (b)--
       (i) by striking ```child' means'' and inserting ``(1) The 
     term `child' means'';
       (ii) by striking ```child's State' means'' and inserting 
     ``(2) The term `child's State' means'';
       (iii) by striking ```child's home State' means'' and 
     inserting ``(3) The term `child's home State' means'';
       (iv) by striking ```child support' means'' and inserting 
     ``(4) The term `child support' means'';
       (v) by striking ```child support order''' and inserting 
     ``(5) The term `child support order''';
       (vi) by striking ```contestant' means'' and inserting ``(6) 
     The term `contestant' means'';
       (vii) by striking ```court' means'' and inserting ``(7) The 
     term `court' means'';
       (viii) by striking ```modification' means'' and inserting 
     ``(8) The term `modification' means''; and
       (ix) by striking ```State' means'' and inserting ``(9) The 
     term `State' means''.
       (3) Effective date; grace period for state law changes.--
       (A) Paragraph (1).--(i) The amendments made by paragraph 
     (1) shall take effect with respect to a State no later than 
     the effective date of laws enacted by the legislature of the 
     State implementing such paragraph, but in no event later than 
     the first day of the first calendar quarter beginning after 
     the close of the first regular session of the State 
     legislature that begins after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act.
       (ii) For purposes of clause (i), in the case of a State 
     that has a 2-year legislative session, each year of the 
     session shall be deemed to be a separate regular session of 
     the State legislature.
       (B) Paragraph (2).--(i) The amendments made by 
     subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2) shall take effect 
     on the date on which the Hague Convention of 23 November 2007 
     on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other 
     Forms of Family Maintenance enters into force for the United 
     States.
       (ii) The amendments made by subparagraph (C) of paragraph 
     (2) shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this 
     Act.

     SEC. 302. CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT PROGRAMS FOR INDIAN 
                   TRIBES.

       (a) Tribal Access to the Federal Parent Locator Service.--
     Section 453(c)(1) (42 U.S.C. 653(c)(1)) is amended by 
     inserting ``or Indian tribe or tribal organization (as 
     defined in subsections (e) and (l) of section 4 of the Indian 
     Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 
     450b)),'' after ``any State''.
       (b) Waiver Authority for Indian Tribes or Tribal 
     Organizations Operating Child Support Enforcement Programs.--
     Section 1115(b) (42 U.S.C. 1315(b)) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (3) as 
     subparagraphs (A) through (C), respectively, and realigning 
     the left margin of subparagraph (C) so as to align with 
     subparagraphs (A) and (B) (as so redesignated);
       (2) by inserting ``(1)'' after ``(b)''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(2) An Indian tribe or tribal organization operating a 
     program under section 455(f) shall be considered a State for 
     purposes of authority to conduct an experimental, pilot, or 
     demonstration project under subsection (a) to assist in 
     promoting the objectives of part D of title IV and receiving 
     payments under the second sentence of that subsection. The 
     Secretary may waive compliance with any requirements of 
     section 455(f) or regulations promulgated under that section 
     to the extent and for the period the Secretary finds 
     necessary for an Indian tribe or tribal organization to carry 
     out such project. Costs of the project which would not 
     otherwise be included as expenditures of a program operating 
     under section 455(f) and which are not included as part of 
     the costs of projects under section 1110, shall, to the 
     extent and for the period prescribed by the Secretary, be 
     regarded as expenditures under a tribal plan or plans 
     approved under such section, or for the administration of 
     such tribal plan or plans, as may be appropriate. An Indian 
     tribe or tribal organization applying for or receiving start-
     up program development funding pursuant to section 309.16 of 
     title 45, Code of Federal Regulations, shall not be 
     considered to be an Indian tribe or tribal organization 
     operating a program under section 455(f) for purposes of this 
     paragraph.''.
       (c) Conforming Amendments.--Section 453(f) (42 U.S.C. 
     653(f)) is amended by inserting ``and tribal'' after 
     ``State'' each place it appears.

     SEC. 303. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS REGARDING OFFERING OF 
                   VOLUNTARY PARENTING TIME ARRANGEMENTS.

       (a) Findings.--The Congress finds as follows:
       (1) The separation of a child from a parent does not end 
     the financial or other responsibilities of the parent toward 
     the child.
       (2) Increased parental access and visitation not only 
     improve parent-child relationships and outcomes for children, 
     but also have been demonstrated to result in improved child 
     support collections, which creates a double win for 
     children--a more engaged parent and improved financial 
     security.
       (b) Sense of the Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress 
     that--
       (1) establishing parenting time arrangements when obtaining 
     child support orders is an important goal which should be 
     accompanied by strong family violence safeguards; and
       (2) States should use existing funding sources to support 
     the establishment of parenting time arrangements, including 
     child support incentives, Access and Visitation Grants, and 
     Healthy Marriage Promotion and Responsible Fatherhood Grants.

     SEC. 304. DATA EXCHANGE STANDARDIZATION FOR IMPROVED 
                   INTEROPERABILITY.

       (a) In General.--Section 452 (42 U.S.C. 652), as amended by 
     section 301(a)(1) of this Act, is amended by adding at the 
     end the following:
       ``(o) Data Exchange Standards for Improved 
     Interoperability.--
       ``(1) Designation.--The Secretary shall, in consultation 
     with an interagency work group established by the Office of 
     Management and Budget and considering State government 
     perspectives, by rule, designate data exchange standards to 
     govern, under this part--
       ``(A) necessary categories of information that State 
     agencies operating programs under State plans approved under 
     this part are required under applicable Federal law to 
     electronically exchange with another State agency; and
       ``(B) Federal reporting and data exchange required under 
     applicable Federal law.
       ``(2) Requirements.--The data exchange standards required 
     by paragraph (1) shall, to the extent practicable--
       ``(A) incorporate a widely accepted, non-proprietary, 
     searchable, computer-readable format, such as the eXtensible 
     Markup Language;
       ``(B) contain interoperable standards developed and 
     maintained by intergovernmental partnerships, such as the 
     National Information Exchange Model;

[[Page 12774]]

       ``(C) incorporate interoperable standards developed and 
     maintained by Federal entities with authority over 
     contracting and financial assistance;
       ``(D) be consistent with and implement applicable 
     accounting principles;
       ``(E) be implemented in a manner that is cost-effective and 
     improves program efficiency and effectiveness; and
       ``(F) be capable of being continually upgraded as 
     necessary.
       ``(3) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection 
     shall be construed to require a change to existing data 
     exchange standards found to be effective and efficient.''.
       (b) Effective Date.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services shall issue a proposed rule within 24 months after 
     the date of the enactment of this section. The rule shall 
     identify federally required data exchanges, include 
     specification and timing of exchanges to be standardized, and 
     address the factors used in determining whether and when to 
     standardize data exchanges. It should also specify State 
     implementation options and describe future milestones.

     SEC. 305. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

       The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall--
       (1) in conjunction with the strategic plan, review and 
     provide recommendations for cost-effective improvements to 
     the child support enforcement program under part D of title 
     IV of the Social Security Act, and ensure that the plan 
     addresses the effectiveness and performance of the program, 
     analyzes program practices, identifies possible new 
     collection tools and approaches, and identifies strategies 
     for holding parents accountable for supporting their children 
     and for building the capacity of parents to pay child 
     support, with specific attention given to matters including 
     front-end services, on-going case management, collections, 
     Tribal-State partnerships, interstate and intergovernmental 
     interactions, program performance, data analytics, and 
     information technology;
       (2) in carrying out paragraph (1), consult with and include 
     input from--
       (A) State, tribal, and county child support directors;
       (B) judges who preside over family courts or other State or 
     local courts with responsibility for conducting or 
     supervising proceedings relating to child support 
     enforcement, child welfare, or social services for children 
     and their families, and organizations that represent the 
     judges;
       (C) custodial parents and organizations that represent 
     them;
       (D) noncustodial parents and organizations that represent 
     them; and
       (E) organizations that represent fiduciary entities that 
     are affected by child support enforcement policies; and
       (3) in developing the report required by paragraph (4), 
     solicit public comment;
       (4) not later than June 30, 2015, submit to the Congress a 
     report that sets forth policy options for improvements in 
     child support enforcement, which report shall include the 
     following:
       (A) A review of the effectiveness of State child support 
     enforcement programs, and the collection practices employed 
     by State agencies administering programs under such part, and 
     an analysis of the extent to which the practices result in 
     unintended consequences or performance issues associated with 
     the programs and practices.
       (B) Recommendations for methods to enhance the 
     effectiveness of child support enforcement programs and 
     collection practices.
       (C) A review of State best practices in regards to 
     establishing and operating State and multistate lien 
     registries.
       (D) A compilation of State recovery and distribution 
     policies.
       (E) Options, with analysis, for methods to engage 
     noncustodial parents in the lives of their children through 
     consideration of parental time and visitation with children.
       (F) An analysis of the role of alternative dispute 
     resolution in making child support determinations.
       (G) Identification of best practices for--
       (i) determining which services and support programs 
     available to custodial and noncustodial parents are non-
     duplicative, evidence-based, and produce quality outcomes, 
     and connecting custodial and noncustodial parents to those 
     services and support programs;
       (ii) providing employment support, job training, and job 
     placement for custodial and noncustodial parents; and
       (iii) establishing services, supports, and child support 
     payment tracking for noncustodial parents, including options 
     for the prevention of, and intervention on, uncollectible 
     arrearages, such as retroactive obligations.
       (H) Options, with analysis, for methods for States to use 
     to collect child support payments from individuals who owe 
     excessive arrearages as determined under section 454(31) of 
     such Act.
       (I) A review of State practices under 454(31) of such Act 
     used to determine which individuals are excluded from the 
     requirements of section 452(k) of such Act, including the 
     extent to which individuals are able to successfully contest 
     or appeal decisions.
       (J) Options, with analysis, for actions as are determined 
     to be appropriate for improvement in child support 
     enforcement.

     SEC. 306. REQUIRED ELECTRONIC PROCESSING OF INCOME 
                   WITHHOLDING.

       (a) In General.--Section 454A(g)(1) (42 U.S.C. 
     654a(g)(1)(A)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``, to the maximum extent feasible,''; and
       (2) in subparagraph (A)--
       (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of clause (i);
       (B) by adding ``and'' at the end of clause (ii); and
       (C) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(iii) at the option of the employer, using the electronic 
     transmission methods prescribed by the Secretary;''.
       (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) 
     shall take effect on October 1, 2015.

                      TITLE IV--BUDGETARY EFFECTS

     SEC. 401. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

       The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 
     complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall 
     be determined by reference to the latest statement titled 
     ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act, 
     submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the 
     Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, provided that such 
     statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Camp) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
to include extraneous material on the subject of the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of this legislation, which is designed to prevent 
sex trafficking of youth in foster care, encourage the adoption of more 
children from foster care, and increase child support collected to 
support children, among other important purposes.
  I will focus my comments on the important adoption provisions in the 
legislation and then recognize subcommittee Chairman Reichert to 
discuss the provisions designed to prevent sex trafficking.
  I have spent much of my professional career promoting adoption of 
children by loving parents. As an attorney in private practice, I 
worked with parents and children in the foster care system. Those sorts 
of experiences provided much of the background for changes in landmark 
adoption legislation Congress has approved in recent years.
  In 1997, my colleagues and I on the Ways and Means Committee crafted 
the Adoption and Safe Families Act. That legislation streamlined the 
adoption process to help more children in foster care quickly move into 
permanent adoptive homes. It also, for the first time, offered 
incentives to States to safely increase the number of children from 
foster care. It worked.
  In the decade following that legislation, the number of U.S. children 
adopted from foster care increased by 71 percent. In the years since, 
adoptions have continued to remain higher, even as the foster care 
caseload started to decline.
  Overall, almost 300,000 children have been adopted as a result of the 
increase in adoptions starting in 1997. While placing children in 
permanent loving homes is the most important benefit of the 
legislation, one study estimated the Federal Government saved $1 
billion over 8 years by ensuring people were adopted, instead of 
remaining in foster care.
  That is the successful incentive program this legislation extends and 
updates. With this bill today, we add a new award for States that 
increase adoptions of older children, who are the hardest to adopt and 
have the worst outcomes if they ``age out'' of foster care without a 
family to call their own.
  We also add a new award for increases in guardianship when family 
members step up to care for their nieces and nephews, grandsons and

[[Page 12775]]

granddaughters. This bill ensures that States maintain their commitment 
to post-adoption and related services, so children truly have a forever 
family.
  Finding a forever family is the goal of this legislation, and forever 
homes are possible. Just last year, I met with the Johns family of 
Midland, Michigan. The Johns family has adopted three children and was 
honored during their visit to Washington as an Angels in Adoption 
family, but before they adopted, they were foster parents to Austin and 
Katie, their first two children.
  They adopted them and later adopted their third child, Aliyah. The 
Johns family made a safe, permanent, and loving home a reality for 
three children, and with this legislation, we can continue to build on 
that success.
  I note that this legislation is fully paid for by expecting all 
States to use electronic methods that will do a better job collecting 
child support, increasing family incomes, and reducing the amount of 
welfare benefits taxpayers pay.
  Those savings not only cover the cost of this legislation, but reduce 
the deficit by $19 million over the next 10 years. That is a win-win 
for children, families, and hardworking taxpayers alike.
  This legislation reflects bipartisan, bicameral agreements on all 
these policy areas, and I thank my colleagues who joined me in 
introducing this legislation: Mr. Levin of Michigan, Mr. Reichert of 
Washington, and Mr. Doggett of Texas, as well as the chairman and 
ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, Senators Wyden and 
Hatch.
  They are all leaders on these issues, and I value their help in 
developing and advancing this legislation.

                              {time}  1830

  This bill was crafted the way legislation is supposed to be: through 
hearings, markups, public comments, and negotiations with our 
colleagues in the Senate. The bill we are considering today 
incorporates many suggestions from experts in the child welfare field, 
as well as just interested citizens and adoptive parents. We are 
grateful for the public's comments and their participation in this 
process.
  The bottom line is this: children in foster care deserve a place to 
call home not just for a few months or years, but for good. We have 
already seen great progress in increasing adoptions since the Adoption 
Incentives program was created in 1997, and it is our hope that we can 
continue this progress once this bill is signed into law.
  I encourage all of my colleagues to join us in supporting this bill 
in the House, and I hope and expect the Senate to also act soon on this 
bill so we can continue to move more foster children into permanent, 
loving homes.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. Reichert), and I ask unanimous consent that he be 
allowed to control the time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, we have a special responsibility to protect vulnerable 
children. This is bipartisan legislation that takes some important, 
though modest, steps toward meeting that responsibility by addressing 
three issues: combating the exploitation of at-risk children, promoting 
permanent homes for foster children, and strengthening international 
enforcement of child support obligations.
  With a bipartisan, bicameral agreement between the chairman of the 
Senate Finance Committee and the ranking member of the Senate Finance 
Committee, this legislation combines modified versions of three bills 
that we previously passed here in the House earlier in the session. 
This measure has been endorsed by a number of important child advocacy 
groups, including the Children's Defense Fund, the Child Welfare League 
of America, and Voice for Adoptions.
  I was pleased to work with Chairman Camp, Ranking Member Levin, and 
certainly Human Resources Subcommittee Chairman Reichert, as well as 
our colleagues in the Senate, as we came together with bipartisan 
agreement on this legislation.
  There are still provisions in the bill that I think could use 
improvement, including the fact that an important program that helps 
link children in foster care to relatives, called Family Connection 
Grants, is extended only for a single year; but I think that even with 
some of its limitations, this legislation does make a positive 
difference in the lives of many children, particularly those who are 
vulnerable to sex trafficking.
  When children come into foster care, they already have issues. They 
have suffered abuse or neglect. They have been exploited. They have 
suffered. They have a sense of isolation, and they often feel that they 
have been removed from one home and put out in a place with which they 
are not familiar. They are especially at prey for sex traffickers and 
are targets in that condition.
  This bipartisan legislation attempts to combat trafficking in the 
foster care system by screening at-risk children and providing 
services, when necessary; by reporting the incidence of trafficking so 
we will have a clear indication of that among foster children; and by 
expediting the location of children who run away from foster care.
  Additionally, this bill attempts to help children live more normal 
lives while in foster care by allowing them to more fully participate 
in the activities that most children enjoy, such as playing sports and 
an occasional sleepover at a friend's house.
  This legislation also extends and adopts changes in the Adoption 
Incentives program to encourage States to find permanent homes for 
children in foster care, which is certainly the best approach. The bill 
increases the program's focus on promoting the adoption of older 
children in foster care.
  It also, for the first time, provides an incentive for States to 
increase the number of children leaving foster care to live with a 
legal guardian. It includes a provision that I authored ensuring 
children won't lose their eligibility for Federal guardianship 
assistance if the guardian dies or becomes incapacitated.
  Finally, the legislation would take necessary steps to implement a 
very important international treaty on enforcing child support 
obligations abroad so that leaving this country doesn't allow 
individuals to leave behind their responsibility for the children that 
they parented that are here in the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, we still have much to do to ensure that the well-being 
of vulnerable children is receiving the attention that it deserves, but 
I think this is a good start with this bill. I urge its passage and 
swift action by the Senate in accord with our agreement to see that it 
gets to the President's desk soon for signature.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Cantor), the majority leader.
  Mr. CANTOR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Washington.
  I rise today in strong support of the Preventing Sex Trafficking and 
Strengthening Families Act and the other antitrafficking bills we have 
on the floor today in furtherance of our efforts to bring an end to 
this abhorrent crime.
  Mr. Speaker, human trafficking continues to be one of the world's 
great dangers, threatening millions of innocent lives, including right 
here at home in the United States. Our very own Department of Homeland 
Security describes human trafficking as ``a modern-day form of slavery 
involving the illegal trade of people for exploitation or commercial 
gain.''
  The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children estimates that 
between 100,000 and 300,000 children in America may be trafficked for 
commercial sex every year. These children represent the most vulnerable 
among us, and it is our responsibility to act now and do what we can to 
stop these heinous crimes. Ending human trafficking is a goal that both 
parties share, and today we can take one step closer to achieving that 
goal.

[[Page 12776]]

  Some of the most vulnerable to this crime are America's foster 
children, as the gentleman from Texas just discussed. All too 
frequently, they fall through the cracks and become victims in these 
criminal schemes. The legislation before us today takes this problem 
head-on, encouraging States to tackle the issue of trafficking foster 
children and to ensure their placement into loving adoptive homes.
  This is a great opportunity for us in the House to stand together to 
show the people that sent us here and the rest of this country and the 
world that our House is united to bringing an end to human trafficking.
  I would like to thank the gentleman from Washington, Chairman 
Reichert, Ranking Members Levin and Doggett, and the rest of the 
members of the Ways and Means Committee for their hard work on this 
issue, and I strongly urge my colleagues to support this measure.
  Mr. Speaker, I would also like to take a minute to thank the 
gentleman from Michigan, Chairman Dave Camp, one of our great leaders 
in Congress, who has not only led on this issue, but has been a 
tireless champion for families and children throughout his career.
  Over the years, Chairman Camp has advocated and succeeded in bringing 
much-needed reforms to our foster care system. The Adoption and Safe 
Families Act, which Chairman Camp introduced in the House and President 
Clinton then signed, streamlined the adoption process, making it easier 
for kids to move out of foster care and into more permanent homes. In 
2003, President Bush signed then-Congressman, now-Chairman, Camp's 
Adoption Promotion Act, which provides financial incentives for States 
that increase adoption among older children. These are just a few of 
Chairman Camp's many great accomplishments, and today's bill is just 
another example of his heartfelt dedication to putting America's kids 
first.
  Few have had the impact on creating a better future for our children 
than Dave Camp. Because of Chairman Camp, children all over America 
have the opportunity to live in safe homes and to pursue their dreams. 
I have been very proud to call him my colleague and honored to call him 
a dear friend.
  Though I know we have still got several months before the end of this 
Congress, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate Dave Camp on 
a terrific and wonderful career. I want to thank the gentleman for his 
service and wish him the very best in his retirement. The Congress will 
certainly miss the gentleman from Michigan.
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Bass), who cochairs the Congressional 
Caucus on Foster Youth. I don't know another Member of this Congress 
who has expressed more concern in going all over the country to work 
and seek improvements in the lives of our foster children.
  Ms. BASS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4980, 
the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act.
  First, I would like to commend Chairmen Camp and Reichert and Ranking 
Members Levin and Doggett for their work on this important legislation 
and for their ongoing commitment to our Nation's foster youth.
  As cochair of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth, I have had 
the opportunity to hear stories from youth across the country during 
our listening tour. Many of the young people I have heard from share 
similar stories--from Washington State to Missouri--that they just want 
to be a part of loving families and have the ability to participate in 
sports, hang out with their friends, and have the same experiences as 
their peers. I strongly believe this legislation will help bring a 
greater sense of stability to foster youth and give kids a chance to be 
just like their friends.
  Since 1997, when the adoption incentives legislation became law, we 
have seen a significant reduction in the number of kids in foster care. 
By improving adoption incentives, we help children find their forever 
families. This is why it is so critical to highlight this legislation's 
investment in legal guardianship and relative caregivers.
  More than half of the youth in the child welfare system are placed 
with a relative caregiver: a grandmother, an aunt, uncle, or older 
sibling. Guardianship is often the preferred type of family permanence 
for relative caregivers.
  In addition, parts of H.R. 4980 include the funding for Family 
Connection Grants, which provide critical resources to ensure children 
find permanent homes, oftentimes with relatives.
  In my Los Angeles district, relative caregivers are the largest group 
of foster care providers. Research shows that foster placement with 
relatives are good for children. They allow children to stay in their 
schools, receive continued support from their community and culture, 
and feel connected to families that continue to love them.
  Despite the importance of relative caregivers, they face unique 
obstacles. Becoming a caregiver changes lives in every way: physically, 
emotionally, and financially. Stable middle class families or seniors 
who live on their life savings are often pushed to the brink of poverty 
because they have accepted the unexpected financial burden of caring 
for a child.
  I am greatly encouraged by the critical work this legislation before 
us encourages--children having forever families through both adoption 
and guardianship throughout the country--and hope to continue this work 
with my colleagues in the House.
  Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to also add my compliments to Chairman 
Camp.
  Not to be repetitive, I think it is important to mention some of the 
fine work that Chairman Camp has done in his time here in Congress, 
which has inspired all of us, I think, to move the legislation that we 
are discussing today. He has left an indelible stamp on our Nation's 
child welfare policy during the years he has served in Congress, and 
especially throughout his service on the Ways and Means Committee. He 
has a whole list of bills and initiatives and amendments that he has 
been associated with to champion this cause, but I think, suffice it to 
say, Mr. Camp has probably done more than most in the last 20 years of 
his service here for the people of America to help children, and 
especially focused on foster care and adoption.
  Again, I want to join in praising and thanking the chairman for his 
service and dedication to the children of this country and families in 
general.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge support of H.R. 4980, the 
Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act.

                              {time}  1845

  This bill, as the chairman said, reflects bipartisan agreement and 
bicameral agreement. So, after we pass this bill tonight, it goes back 
to the Senate, and this will go to the President's desk, I am sure, and 
be signed within, I hope, the next month or so.
  This bill is designed to prevent sex trafficking involving youth in 
foster care. It is designed to strengthen families by increasing 
adoptions from foster care, and it is designed to improve child support 
collections.
  This issue is a very personal issue for me. I have listened to the 
speeches tonight, and I appreciate the enthusiasm and the dedication 
and the focus that Members of Congress have put on this issue over the 
last year especially. This is our second week this month, I think, that 
we have focused on human trafficking in foster care.
  Mr. Speaker, some people know that my previous career was in law 
enforcement. I spent 33 years in the sheriff's office. Many of those 
years were spent investigating a case that has been entitled the Green 
River murder case. We finally arrested that person. He says that he 
killed somewhere between 60 and 70 young girls in Seattle--60 to 70 
children's lives taken. I collected a lot of those bodies, Mr. Speaker. 
I remember them, where they lay, 15-year-old girls.
  We are not talking about a bill today, ladies and gentlemen and Mr. 
Speaker. We are not talking about a bill--legislation--that is just a 
piece of fluff, that is just a piece of legislation, that is just 
words. We are talking

[[Page 12777]]

about the lives of children and the monsters who are out there--and 
they have been discussed tonight--who are ready to prey on them, who 
are ready to take their lives, even if it is just to take a piece of 
their lives away from them for a moment, or maybe 20 times a night they 
take a piece of their lives. They survive physically, but mentally and 
emotionally, their lives have been ripped apart and so have the 
families'.
  If you were to just drive down this street and see 10 young ladies 
standing on a street corner, Mr. Speaker, who were involved in human 
trafficking, six out of those 10 would be foster kids. These are kids 
we have responsibility for, whom we as a nation have the responsibility 
for--all of us in each one of our States who take care of foster 
children. We place them in foster homes, and they run away, and we 
don't find them, and we don't search for them, and they go on the 
streets, and they get scooped up by somebody who says: I love you. Stay 
with me. I will buy you clothes. I will buy you jewelry. I will put you 
on the street, too, and that is how you are going to make the money to 
buy those things--and guess what. You are going to provide me with some 
of those things, too.
  It just makes me sick. It should make every American sick to his 
stomach. We need to stop this.
  I have seen it with my own eyes for 19 years in having been involved 
in this case, trying to bring this monster, who not only took away 
their souls, but who also eventually ended up taking away their lives. 
He ripped those lives out of the families' hands--gone. My 15-year-old 
daughter--gone. Can you imagine?
  That is why we need to help folks. This is such an important piece of 
legislation. One of the young ladies who was one of the first victims 
in this case was Wendy Coffield. She was a foster kid. She ran away 
from her foster home, and she ended up on the street, but nobody looked 
for Wendy Coffield until we found her one day, floating in the river 
just south of Seattle--dead.
  One of the things that I wanted to do as the chair of the Human 
Resources Subcommittee was to help educate this country and other 
Members about this issue. We held hearings, and we had experts from 
DSHS and the State of Washington and human resources all across the 
country who were directors of DSHS, and we had social workers. They all 
provided great information.
  But do you know? One of the most powerful witnesses and speakers we 
had was a young lady named Miss Ortiz Walker Pettigrew. She goes by the 
name of ``T.'' She was recently named by Time magazine as one of the 
100 most influential people in the world. She is a young lady who spent 
the first 18 years of her life in foster care, and 7 of those years 
were in human trafficking. She is now one of the 100 most influential 
people in the world. She was trafficked on the streets. She was 
trafficked on the Internet. She was trafficked on the back pages of 
newspapers. Now she is speaking out, and she is the one--and people 
like her are the ones--who provides us with that information.
  I think that we can all agree that our Nation's children deserve 
better, because her statement was and her comment was: I felt like I 
was part of a family. I identified with my pimp and with the other 
young ladies who were out working the street. That was my family--
versus having a family that could hold them and love them.
  This bill requires States to identify victims of sex trafficking and 
provide them with the services they need to heal. It will also improve 
data on instances of child sex trafficking so better policies can be 
developed to prevent it.
  Also, on the prevention front, this bill makes sure that kids can be 
kids, that foster kids can participate in after-school events, which 
would, I think, make them less vulnerable, anyway, to getting involved 
in street activity and getting sucked into the life of human 
trafficking. It encourages States to move children out of the foster 
care system and into loving families more quickly.
  The approach we are taking is practical. It is bipartisan. It is 
based on experiences from States around the country. It is evidence-
based, and it is also real life experience-based. This bill 
incorporates a wide range of ideas gleaned from bills introduced by 
members of the Ways and Means Committee--like from Mr. Paulsen, who 
will speak soon--and by other Members of the House and from over 150 
pages of public comments received on our December 2013 discussion 
draft.
  I want to thank the subcommittee's ranking member, Mr. Doggett, who 
joins me on the floor today, as well as to thank the chairman, Mr. 
Camp, and the ranking member, Mr. Levin, for their support of this 
legislation and for their help throughout its development.
  I also want to thank the many outside groups that offered their 
feedback and their support. As of today, we have received support for 
this bill from 48 child welfare groups, which is an indication of the 
high importance of this legislation. I can't think of a more important 
or a more bipartisan topic than protecting vulnerable children in 
foster care and working to find loving homes for each of them.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute to join in the 
accolades for our chairman, Dave Camp of Michigan, and to particularly 
recognize the key role he played in helping to create our child abuse 
commission, which is currently holding hearings. They had the first one 
down in San Antonio, in my district. They will be going to Michigan, 
and they have been in Florida. I think they are collecting data that 
will provide us another opportunity to act, to deal with some of the 
same issues that we are concerned with today. I appreciate the 
leadership that he has shown and, certainly, that Mr. Reichert has 
shown.
  I am pleased that among those groups that we have heard from is the 
American Academy of Pediatrics, which plays such a leading role. They 
say that this legislation is an essential step in improving the health 
and well-being of foster youths and in expanding their access to 
appropriate permanency options. The Children's Defense Fund was 
important in this legislation. It emphasized the importance of 
permanent placements for children as they leave foster care and of 
empowering our older youth. I believe that this bipartisan legislation 
is a good step forward.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is 
remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Washington has 4 minutes 
remaining.
  Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Minnesota (Mr. Paulsen).
  Mr. PAULSEN. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker and Members, while there are many issues that divide 
Washington, this is absolutely an area where there is agreement and 
bipartisan and bicameral work being done. We already passed five 
separate antitrafficking bills just a few months ago, in May, and I am 
very pleased we are taking additional action on these pieces of 
legislation tonight.
  More than 100,000 children are at risk of being trafficked for 
commercial sex in the United States. Those most at risk of 
victimization are the vulnerable, including children from our foster 
care system. Many of these children face barriers to a real childhood, 
and they are unable to participate in school activities, to play after-
school sports, or to even spend time with friends. Youths that have 
been involved in the foster care system are much more likely to become 
runaways or homeless at an early age. The preventative measures in this 
legislation will make a difference.
  On any given night, 2,500 youths in Minnesota--my home State--will 
experience homelessness, and a majority of those homeless youths is 
solicited for sex within 48 hours of becoming homeless. In fact, law 
enforcement will say--and tells me--that the overwhelming majority of 
trafficking victims is part of that homeless population and that 60 
percent of those victims were in foster care or group homes when they 
ran away.
  We know, Mr. Speaker, that trafficking is a very complex problem that

[[Page 12778]]

requires many different solutions. It is going after the demand by 
punishing the johns. It is shutting off access to trafficking victims 
through Web sites like backpage.com. It is increasing international 
cooperation and passing safe harbor laws that ensure children are 
treated as victims of these heinous crimes and not as criminals.
  Most importantly, as we have in this legislation, we need to prevent 
children from becoming potential victims in the first place. This bill 
takes important steps to improve the sharing of information as to what 
is happening, where and to whom. By identifying trends and filling in 
the gaps, we can help these children in foster care before they become 
victims in the first place.
  I really want to thank not only Chairman Camp, Ranking Member Levin 
and Ranking Member Doggett, but I want to thank Subcommittee Chairman 
Reichert for his passion, his advocacy, and his hard work on this 
legislation. We brought this together in a bipartisan manner.
  I also want to thank them in particular for including provisions from 
the legislation, which I authored with Congresswoman Slaughter, that 
address the lack of reliable data and reporting to law enforcement as 
it relates to runaway youth from the child welfare system. I look 
forward to its passage and to the passage of all of these bipartisan 
bills this evening because, together, we can end trafficking.
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, would you report on the time I have 
remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Texas has 12\1/2\ minutes 
remaining.
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I am so pleased tonight to hear one colleague after another indicate 
that they are ready to act in a bipartisan way on this issue and that 
it should be a bipartisan commitment to addressing the vulnerability of 
our children. I think that needs to apply to all children. This 
legislation that we are considering at the moment is one of seven bills 
that we are going to approve here in the House today that deal with 
trafficking because trafficking remains a serious problem here and 
around the world.
  Several of the bills that we are considering recognize that there is 
an international dimension to this problem. Therefore, I would 
particularly urge my Republican colleagues and all of our colleagues 
tonight to remember next week the statements that are being made this 
evening and to be as concerned about the vulnerability and the exposure 
to the trafficking of those children who have recently sought refuge in 
our country as we are about foster children or any other children in 
our country.
  While the sex trafficking prevention in this bill addresses, 
specifically, problems within the foster care system, the scourge of 
youth sex trafficking extends far beyond this population. As we are all 
well aware, we have had a recent influx of children come across our 
southern border, many of whom have been abused at home, abused along 
the 1,000-plus-mile track, and could be subject to abuse or to being 
involved again in sex trafficking.

                              {time}  1900

  Polaris, a group that works to help end modern-day slavery, notes 
that undocumented immigrants are ``highly vulnerable'' to sex 
trafficking due to their ``lack of legal status and protections, 
language barriers, limited employment options, immigration-related 
debts, and social isolation.'' Most of these vulnerabilities are 
amplified when the immigrants are children. We have an obligation in 
this Congress to take their unique situation into account and provide 
them with the protection and the care that they deserve.
  The steady drumbeat to remove the very protections that help 
vulnerable children from becoming sex slaves or remaining in slavery is 
wrong, and that is why 37 Latino organizations, including MALDEF, the 
National Council of La Raza, and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, 
among them, all have urged this Congress to assure due process for 
these kids rather than stripping away rights that this Congress 
provided in current United States law.
  A diverse group of faith leaders, including the Southern Baptist 
Convention, the Sojourners, and the National Association of 
Evangelicals have joined with these Latino groups in calling to assure 
that these children are not denied their due process rights, and that 
they do not have rights guaranteed by American law today taken away 
next week.
  Over 50 child development experts from around the country, many of 
the same people that supported our effort in today's legislation, wrote 
this Congress yesterday and urged that we change course before we put 
thousands of traumatized children into danger. They describe an 
expedited screening process that would leave children in danger. It is 
the expedited screening process that applies today to Mexican children, 
and it is flawed.
  Children who fear trafficking, or were previously trafficked, can be 
returned to Mexico to reenter that trafficking trade and come back 
again. We shouldn't subject the Central American children to the same 
process, yet, that is what has been recommended today.
  I am concerned about what happens to children along the Green River, 
about what happens along the Potomac River, about what happens along 
the Colorado River, but I am also concerned about what is happening to 
the many who have just crossed the Rio Grande River.
  When children are asked about whether they have been trafficked by a 
police officer, who may not speak their native language, in a rushed 
interview in what may be a chaotic situation in a detention center that 
is much like a police station, where someone who just abused them or 
who may actually have been involved in the trafficking and smuggling 
process is nearby and can perhaps overhear these tales, they will be 
reluctant to articulate the sexual trauma, the very private trauma to 
which they have been subjected.
  These children who have been traumatized, in some cases, multiple 
times, who may well have left their native country because of abuse, 
deserve to be interviewed and evaluated in an environment that takes 
into consideration their youth, their vulnerability, all of the factors 
that we have been talking about on this piece of legislation, and the 
other six pieces of legislation that the House is about to approve.
  These children deserve the same type of protections, not an 
intimidating environment that is made all the more unfamiliar to them 
by virtue of the fact that they are in a land that they have never been 
to before.
  This special treatment does not occur and happen if you have an 
expedited screening process. That is why we unanimously passed the 
guarantees that are in the 2008 law. If we want to protect these 
children, we should abandon a plan to throw out these children by the 
wayside by abandoning those protections.
  I believe that we shouldn't let our desire, the fears of some, 
perhaps the hate of others, to result in the quick deportation of 
children and return them to a live of sex slavery. They are vulnerable 
children. We don't assure them amnesty. Certainly, we cannot accept 
every child that wants to enter this country.
  I am not in favor of amnesty, but I do think we need a little 
humanity, a little human decency, and that those children deserve the 
same respect and due process as any child that we are talking about 
tonight.
  So I am pleased that we are making progress on this piece of 
legislation and another six bills. I think they are an important step 
forward in dealing with a serious international problem. But it is 
critical that this interest in bipartisan concern for the vulnerability 
of children extend to those children who are now in my home State, and 
about whom we will be talking in the few days that remain in this 
Congress, and that we apply the same kind of standard then as we are 
applying tonight.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I will insert in the Record a list of the 
organizations in support of this legislation.

    Organizations in Support of the Preventing Sex Trafficking and 
                 Strengthening Families Act (H.R. 4980)

       1. American Academy of Pediatrics (letter)

[[Page 12779]]


       2. American Psychological Association (letter)
       3. Association on American Indian Affairs (email)
       4. Central Council Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska 
     (letter)
       5. Cherokee Nation (letter)
       6. Children Awaiting Parents (Senate)
       7. Children's Defense Fund (letter)
       8. Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption (letter)
       9. Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (letter)
       10. Eastern Shashone Tribe (letter)
       11. First Focus Campaign for Children (letter)
       12. Fort Belknap Child Support Program (letter)
       13. Foster Club (letter)
       14. Foster Family-Based Treatment Association (letter)
       15. Generations United (letter)
       16. Holt International (letter)
       17. Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (letter)
       18. Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
       19. Love 146 (letter)
       20. Menominee Tribal Child Support Agency (letter)
       21. Mescalero Apache Tribe (letter)
       22. Meskwaki Nation Child Support Services (letter)
       23. National Adoption Center (letter)
       24. National Child Support Enforcement Association (letter 
     with concerns)
       25. National Children's Alliance (letter)
       26. National Foster Parent Association (letter)
       27. National Indian Child Welfare Association (email)
       28. Nebraska Families Collaborative (letter)
       29. Nez Perce Tribe (letter)
       30. North American Council on Adoptable Children (letter)
       31. NYS Citizens' Coalition for Children (letter)
       32. Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin (letter)
       33. Oregon Post Adoption Resource Center (letter)
       34. Penobscot Nation Child Support Agency (letter)
       35. Red Cliff Tribal Child Support Services Agency (letter)
       36. Rights4Girls (letter)
       37. Stockbridge-Munsee Community (letter)
       38. Suquamish Tribe (letter)
       39. The Adoption Exchange (email)
       40. The Attachment and Trauma Network (Senate)
       41. The California Alliance of Child and Family Services 
     (Senate)
       42. The Child Welfare League of America (letter)
       43. The Donaldson Adoption Institute (letter)
       44. The National Crittenton Foundation (email)
       45. Tribal Child Support Enforcement, Modoc Tribe of 
     Oklahoma (letter)
       46. Voice for Adoption (letter)
       47. You Gotta Believe (letter)
       48. Yurok Tribe (letter).

  Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, this legislation, as I said earlier, 
represents bipartisan, bicameral progress in protecting our Nation's 
most vulnerable children.
  So, in plain language, the House of Representatives cooperated 
together and developed a bill. The Senate cooperated together, Senators 
Hatch and Wyden worked together to develop a bill on the Senate side. 
They agreed and passed a bill, we agreed and passed a bill.
  This bill that we are talking about today is one of those rare 
moments in history where not only did Democrats and Republicans agree, 
but the Senate and the House agreed this was a good bill, and here it 
is today.
  After we pass this bill tonight, it will move to the Senate, and we 
already know we have agreement there. It will be passed in the Senate, 
hopefully, some time early next week, and move on to the President's 
desk for signing.
  We are focused tonight on this bill, with foster kids, because this 
is the jurisdiction that I have, as the chairman of the Human Resources 
Subcommittee, and that Mr. Doggett, as the ranking member, has too. We 
are focused on foster kids and human trafficking, and helping them find 
loving homes so they can have a productive life, so they can have hope, 
hope for the future.
  We need to pass this bill tonight.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 
4980, the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act. 
This bill advances child welfare policy in many important ways. For 
over a decade, I have advocated via the Stronger Families Act or the 
Investing in Permanency for Youth in Foster Care Act that federal 
policy should incentivize permanency for all foster youth regardless of 
how they exit care--adoption, guardianship, or reunification. I am 
especially pleased that H.R. 4980 takes a tremendous step forward in 
recognizing guardianship as an important permanency option for foster 
children who cannot return home. For the first time, the bill provides 
incentives for states for placing foster children with legal guardians.
  Guardianship and kinship caregiving are very significant for Chicago, 
for Illinois, and for the African American community. My Congressional 
District has the highest percentage of children living with grandparent 
caregivers in the nation, followed closely by two other Congressional 
Districts in Illinois. Nearly 400,000 children make up our nation's 
foster care population, with more than one in four (approximately 28%) 
of these vulnerable children living with a grandparent or other 
relative. Research clearly shows that kinship foster care families are 
safer, more stable placements that are more likely to keep children 
connected with their siblings and communities than non-relative 
placements.
  Adoption is not a viable option for many children to exit foster 
care, with courts explicitly ruling out this option for thousands of 
children each year. Moreover, adoption is not equally availed by 
families of all races and ethnicities, especially those in African-
American and Native-American communities. Research--including a report 
by the Government Accountability Office--indicates that African 
American children stay in foster care longer because of difficulties in 
recruiting adoptive parents and a hesitancy to terminate parental 
rights, as is required for adoption. Importantly, a study of the 
Illinois Subsidized Guardianship Demonstration Waiver showed that the 
offer of subsidized guardianship increased overall rates of family 
permanency by six percentage points over and above the level of 
performance in a randomly assigned control group that was limited to 
the option of adoption only. African American and Native American 
families tend to choose guardianship as a route to permanency rather 
than adoption because they do not see a need to legally sever the 
connection between parent and child. A grandmother raising her 
grandchild does not want to erase the legal connection of her child to 
her grandchild. Guardianship affords the same legal responsibility for 
a child as adoption only without legally severing the familial 
connection.
  Thus, I applaud the bill for including an incentive for guardianship 
that is four-fifths the incentive for adoption as well as a 
guardianship incentive equal to that for that for adoption for older 
youth. Rewarding states for helping foster youth find permanent, loving 
homes via guardianship or adoption allows families to make the right 
permanency choice that best fits the particular needs and circumstances 
of their family, rather than incentivizing states to prioritize 
adoption alone.
  To further support relative caregivers, I am very pleased that the 
bill extends the Family Connection Grants for one year. These grants 
provide funding for intensive family finding, kinship navigator 
programs, family group decision-making meetings, and residential family 
treatment programs. These programs promote permanency for children in 
care. In addition to the positive outcomes for foster children in 
relative care, research shows that kinship care placements are cost 
effective. In Illinois, cost studies estimated an average of $4,778 in 
savings of IV-E administrative expenses over an 8 year period compared 
to a matched control group that did not have this option. Extrapolating 
to the 10,000 children in Illinois discharged to guardianship between 
1997 and 2007, the projected savings was approximately $48 million for 
the state of Illinois. Thus, Family Connection Grants improves the 
access of foster youth to safer, more stable family placements and 
reduce costs for state and federal governments.
  Further, I am delighted that the bill includes comparable successor-
guardian protections for children who exit to guardianship as those 
protections provided to youth who exit to adoption. Given that 
guardianship is an important permanency option for grandparent 
caregivers who are older and have health problems, the issue of 
continuity of care via successor guardianship is especially needed to 
protect children. Current law already provides this protection for 
adoptive parents; extending this protection to children in guardianship 
is a reasonable step to protect youth and keep them from re-entering 
the foster care system.
  The bill implements many important changes to child welfare law, 
including: protecting children and youth at risk for sex trafficking; 
ensuring the foster youth have important documents when exiting care; 
empowering foster youth in the development of their

[[Page 12780]]

own case plans; improving information in child welfare reports; 
modifying the calculation of permanency incentives based on 
improvements in rate rather than number to better capture placement 
success; enhancing reporting requirements related to the use of state 
dollars; strengthening benefits and services; and increasing funding 
for the Chafee Independent Living program.
  Given the dramatic improvements to child welfare policy made by this 
bill, I strongly urge my colleagues to support the passage of this 
bill.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support passage of H.R. 4980, 
which would prevent the sex trafficking of foster youth, promote 
adoption, and strengthen international child support
  This measure represents an agreement with Senators Wyden and Hatch on 
three bipartisan bills that the House passed overwhelmingly: the 
Promoting Adoption and Legal Guardianship for Children in Foster Care 
Act, the International Child Support Recovery Improvement Act, and the 
Preventing Sex Trafficking and Improving Opportunities for Youth in 
Foster Care Act. I voted to approve all three.
  While this bill does not address every challenge of foster youth and 
child sex trafficking facing our nation, it is a positive first step. 
It also demonstrates Congress can work together to prevent the negative 
treatment of foster youth that can lead to child sex trafficking. For 
children involved with the state child welfare agency, states must 
develop methods to identify, document, and determine services for 
victims of child sex trafficking and those who are at risk of becoming 
victims. The legislation also requires the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services to establish a national advisory committee which will 
have two years to review, and recommend best practices to states to 
address sex trafficking of children and youth.
  In my home state of Oregon, 8,686 children were in foster care on an 
average daily basis last year and 12,366 children spent at least one 
day in foster care of some kind. Nationally, the average foster child 
will spend nearly two years in foster care and will change homes an 
average of three times. The legislation also provides a much needed 
continuation of adoption incentives and FY14 Family Connection grants. 
It also includes a number of helpful provisions targeted at protecting 
our most vulnerable youth from becoming victims and oftentimes repeat 
victims of trafficking.
  I will continue to work towards further efforts in Congress to end 
child sex trafficking and improve our foster care system so that our 
communities can be safer, healthier, and more economically secure.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Washington (Mr. Reichert) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4980.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________