Adoption Opportunities Reauthorization Act of 2019
This bill extends through FY2026 and revises programs that promote and facilitate state adoption services. Such programs include grants and technical assistance that focus on the placement of underserved or overrepresented youth in the child welfare system.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2969 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2969
To expand adoption opportunities.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 3, 2019
Mr. Jones (for himself and Mr. Isakson) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To expand adoption opportunities.
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 ``Adoption Opportunities
Reauthorization Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS AND DECLARATION OF PURPOSE.
Section 201 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and
Adoption Reform Act of 1978 (42 U.S.C. 5111) is amended--
(1) in the section, heading, by striking ``and declaration
of purpose'' and inserting ``, declaration of purpose, and
definition'';
(2) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``2009, some
424,000'' and inserting ``2018, some 437,000'';
(B) in paragraph (3)--
(i) by striking subparagraphs (A) through
(D); and
(ii) by striking ``services because the
children entering foster care--'' and inserting
``services;'';
(C) in paragraph (6)--
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking
``2009, there were 115,000'' and inserting
``2018, there were 125,000'';
(ii) in subparagraph (C)--
(I) in clause (i), by striking
``2009'' and inserting ``2018''; and
(II) in clause (ii), by striking
``more than 8'' and inserting ``less
than 8''; and
(iii) in subparagraph (D)--
(I) in clause (i)--
(aa) by striking ``25
percent'' and inserting ``17
percent''; and
(bb) by striking ``2009''
and inserting ``2018''; and
(II) in clause (ii)--
(aa) by striking ``30
percent'' and inserting ``22
percent''; and
(bb) by striking ``2009''
and inserting ``2018''; and
(D) in paragraph (9)(B), by striking ``or
institutions'';
(3) in subsection (b)--
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)--
(i) by inserting ``children with
disabilities, underserved or overrepresented
children and youth in the child welfare
system,'' after ``minority children,''; and
(ii) by striking ``including disabled
infants with life-threatening conditions,'';
(B) in paragraph (2)(C), by striking ``; and'' and
inserting a semicolon;
(C) in paragraph (3), by striking the period and
inserting ``; and''; and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
``(4) support the development and implementation of
evidence-based and evidence-informed post-legal adoption
services for families that adopt children in order to increase
permanency.''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(c) Definition.--In this Act, the term `child with special needs'
means a child with special needs as defined in section 473(c) of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 673(c)).''.
SEC. 3. INFORMATION AND SERVICES.
Section 203 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and
Adoption Reform Act of 1978 (42 U.S.C. 5113) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) by striking ``such purposes, including
services'' and all that follows through the period at
the end and inserting the following: ``such purposes,
including--
``(1) services to facilitate the adoption of older
children, minority children, children with disabilities,
underserved or overrepresented children and youth in the child
welfare system, and children with special needs;
``(2) services to families considering adoption of children
with special needs; and
``(3) post-legal adoption services for families to provide
permanent and caring home environments for children who would
benefit from adoption.'';
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) by striking ``on adoption, and'' and
inserting ``on adoption, including the
evaluation of training and accessible education
materials;''; and
(ii) by inserting ``; and update such
training and education materials, as
appropriate'' before the semicolon;
(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``children with
disabilities, underserved or overrepresented children
and youth in the child welfare system,'' after
``minority children,'';
(C) in paragraph (7), by inserting ``children with
disabilities, underserved or overrepresented children
and youth in the child welfare system,'' after
``minority children,'';
(D) in paragraph (9)(D)--
(i) by inserting ``and disseminate'' after
``identify''; and
(ii) by striking ``termination'' and
inserting ``dissolution, and increase
permanency, including related to pre- and post-
legal adoption services'';
(E) in paragraph (10)(A)--
(i) by redesignating clauses (iii) through
(ix) as clauses (iv) through (x), respectively;
(ii) in clause (ii)--
(I) by inserting ``, and finding
such family and relatives willing to
adopt such child to improve
permanency'' before the semicolon; and
(II) by striking ``such children,
including developing'' and inserting
``such children;
``(iii) developing'';
(iii) in clause (vi), as so redesignated,
by inserting ``, including such groups for
individuals who may enter into kinship
caregiver arrangements'' before the semicolon;
(iv) in clause (ix), as so redesignated, by
inserting ``, including such groups for kinship
caregiver arrangements'' before the semicolon;
and
(v) in clause (x), as so redesignated, by
striking ``this Act'' and inserting ``this
title''; and
(F) in paragraph (11)--
(i) in the matter preceding subparagraph
(A), by inserting ``Tribes or Tribal
organizations,'' after ``States,'';
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``;
and'' and inserting a semicolon;
(iii) in subparagraph (C), by striking the
period and inserting ``; and''; and
(iv) by adding at the end the following:
``(D) procedures to identify and support potential
kinship care arrangements.'';
(3) in subsection (c)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``post legal
adoption'' and inserting ``post-legal adoption''; and
(B) in paragraph (2)(G), by inserting ``, including
such parents, children, and siblings in kinship care
arrangements'' before the semicolon;
(4) in subsection (d)--
(A) in the subsection heading, by inserting ``and
Improving Post-Legal Adoption Support Services'' after
``Care'';
(B) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``including
through the improvement of post-legal adoption
services,'' after ``free for adoption,'';
(C) in paragraph (2)--
(i) in subparagraph (A)--
(I) in clause (i), by inserting ``,
including plans to assess the need for
and provide, as appropriate, post-legal
adoption services in order to improve
permanency'' before the semicolon;
(II) in clause (ii), by inserting
``children with disabilities,
underserved or overrepresented children
and youth in the child welfare
system,'' after ``minority children,'';
(III) in clause (iii), by striking
``programs and methods'' and inserting
``programs supported under this
subsection, including methods''; and
(IV) in clause (iv), by striking
``section 473 of the Social Security
Act (42 U.S.C. 673)'' and inserting
``subpart B of part B of title IV of
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 629
et seq.) and part E of such title IV
(42 U.S.C. 670 et seq.)''; and
(ii) in subparagraph (B)--
(I) in clause (i), by inserting
``children with disabilities,
underserved or overrepresented children
and youth in the child welfare
system,'' after ``minority children,'';
and
(II) in clause (ii), by striking
``successful'' and inserting
``evidence-based and evidence-
informed''; and
(D) in paragraph (3)(A), by striking ``Payments
under this subsection shall begin during fiscal year
1989.''; and
(5) in subsection (e)(1), by inserting ``, such as through
the use of an electronic interstate case processing system''
before the period.
SEC. 4. REPORTS.
The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act of
1978 is amended by striking section 204 (42 U.S.C. 5114) and inserting
the following:
``SEC. 204. REPORTS.
``(a) Report on the Outcomes of Individuals Who Were Adopted From
Foster Care.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the
Adoption Opportunities Reauthorization Act of 2019, the Secretary shall
submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of
the Senate and the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of
Representatives a report on research regarding the outcomes of
individuals who were adopted from foster care as children.
``(b) Report on Adoption Disruption and Dissolution.--No later than
18 months after the date of enactment of the Adoption Opportunities
Reauthorization Act of 2019, the Secretary shall submit to the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and
the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives a
report on children who enter into foster care under the supervision of
a State after prior finalization of an adoption or legal guardianship,
including cases involving adoption of foster youth. The Secretary shall
include in such report information, to the extent that such information
is available, regarding the incidence of adoption disruption and
dissolution and factors associated with such circumstances, including
whether affected individuals received pre- or post-legal adoption
services.''.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Section 205 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and
Adoption Reform Act of 1978 (42 U.S.C. 5115) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ``$40,000,000'' and all
that follows through ``2015'' and inserting ``such sums as may
be necessary for fiscal years 2020 through 2026''; and
(2) in subsection (b), by striking ``30 percent'' and
inserting ``35 percent''.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
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