,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #abei  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #bg1     
#bjac ,mr4 ,menendez introduced the     
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,health1 
,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a   
,,bill  ,to amend the ,public ,health   
,services ,act to provide research1     
training1 and navigator services to     
youth and young adults on the verge of  
aging out of the secondary educational  
system1 and for other purposes4  #a4    
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,assistance in ,gaining ,experience1
 ,independence1 and ,navigation ,act of 
#bjac or the ,,age-,,in ,act4  #b4      
,amendment to the ,public ,health       
,service ,act ,part ,r of title ,,iii of
 the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db 
,u4,s4,c4 #bhj;i et seq47 is amended by 
inserting after section #cii;,,cc the   
following3  #cii;,,cc-#a4 ,grants for   
research1 training1 and navigator       
services for youth and young adults  7a7

 ,research grant  7#a7 ,in general ,the 
,secretary1 in consultation with the    
,coordinating ,committee established    
under section #cii;,,cc and the         
,administrator of the ,administration   
for ,community ,living1 shall award a   
grant to a research organization to--   
7,a7 conduct a comprehensive            
meta-analysis on the existing empirical1
 peer-reviewed research on the topic of 
youth and young adults with an autism   
spectrum disorder or other developmental
 disabilities as such individuals       
age-out of the school-based support     
system 7referred to in this section as  
transitioning youth72  7,b7 conduct     
research on the existing infrastructure 
for transitioning youth1 including      
access to health care1 continuing       
education and vocational training       
programs1 supportive and community-based
 integrated housing1 accessible         
transportation services1 and public     
safety and community integration        
programs 7including first responder     

training72 and  7,c7 develop a          
comprehensive strategic plan 7in        
accordance with paragraph 7#b77 for the 
establishment of a ,transition          
,navigator grant program to provide     
transitioning youth with a comprehensive
 and interdisciplinary set of support   
services4  7#b7 ,strategic plan ,the    
strategic plan developed under paragraph
 7#a77;,c7 shall include--  7,a7        
proposals on establishing best practices
 guidelines to ensure interdisciplinary 
coordination between all relevant       
service providers 7including first      
responders71 the transitioning youth1   
and their family1 and in conjunction    
with the transitioning youth's          
,individualized ,education ,plan as     
prescribed in section #fad of the       
,individuals with ,disabilities         
,education ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #adad71  
to maximize the transitioning youth's   
self-determination2  7,b7 comprehensive 
approaches to transitioning1 including--
  7i7 services to increase access to1   

and the successful integration and      
completion of1 postsecondary education1 
peer support1 vocational training 7as   
defined in section #ajc of the          
,rehabilitation ,act of #aigc 7#bi      
,u4,s4,c4 #gbc771 self-advocacy skills1 
and competitive1 integrated employment2 
7ii7 community-based behavioral supports
 and interventions2  7iii7              
community-based integrated residential  
services1 housing1 and transportation2  
7iv7 nutrition1 health and wellness1    
recreational1 and social activities2 and
  7v7 personal safety services that     
consider the specific needs of          
transitioning youth who are at risk of  
becoming involved with public safety    
agencies or the criminal justice system2
  7,c7 culturally and linguistically    
competent and sensitive service delivery
 models2 and  7,d7 proposals which seek 
to--  7i7 increase the effectiveness of 
such practices to provide successful    
transition services2  7ii7 increase the 
ability of the entity to provide        

supports and services to underserved    
populations and regions2  7iii7 increase
 the efficiency of service delivery to  
maximize resources and outcomes2 and    
7iv7 ensure access to all services      
identified as necessary to transitioning
 youth of all capabilities4  7#c7 ,grant
 period ,grants awarded under this      
subsection shall be for a period of #b  
years4  7b7 ,transition navigator       
training grants  7#a7 ,in general ,the  
,secretary1 in consultation with the    
,coordinating ,committee established    
under section #cii;,,cc and the         
,administrator of the ,administration   
for ,community ,living1 shall establish 
a ,transition ,navigator ,grant ,program
 to award multiyear training initiative 
grants to establish and carry out a     
collaborative1 interdisciplinary        
training and services initiative1 that  
is based on the data and best practice  
guidelines developed under subsection   
7a71 to train transition navigators to  
provide transitioning youth with the    

services and skills necessary to lead an
 independent1 integrated life4  7#b7    
,eligibility ,to be eligible for a grant
 under this subsection1 an entity       
shall--  7,a7 be a ,university ,center  
for ,excellence in ,developmental       
,disabilities ,education1 ,research and 
,service or a comparable                
interdisciplinary entity capable of     
fulfilling the scope of activities      
described in section #aec of the        
,developmental ,disabilities ,assistance
 and ,bill of ,rights ,act of #bjjj 7#db
 ,u4,s4,c4 #aejfc72 and  7,b7 prepare   
and submit an application to the        
,secretary in accordance with paragraph 
7#c74  7#c7 ,application ,to be eligible
 to receive a grant under this          
subsection1 an entity shall submit to   
the ,secretary an application           
demonstrating the capacity to           
successfully train an interdisciplinary 
group of service providers on the best  
practice guidelines contained in        
strategic plan under subsection 7a74    

,the application shall include          
additional information1 including--     
7,a7 the number of trainees1 students1  
or providers expected to be trained     
under the grant1 and in what timeframe2 
7,b7 the interdisciplinary scope of     
faculty1 staff1 mentors1 and            
community-based trainers affiliated with
 the applicant2  7,c7 the ability to    
provide training services to a          
culturally diverse set of students and  
in a culturally competent1 culturally   
sensitive manner2 and  7,d7 the ability 
to train providers in underserved areas 
and to serve underserved populations4   
7#d7 ,grant period and annual evaluation
  7,a7 ,grant period ,navigator training
 grants awarded under this subsection   
shall be for a period of #c years4 ,the 
,secretary may renew a grant for an     
additional #c-year period based on the  
results of the evaluations submitted    
under subparagraph 7,b74  7,b7 ,annual  
evaluation ,a grantee under this        
subsection shall submit to the          

,secretary an evaluation of progress    
made during each grant year in achieving
 the purposes for which the grant was   
awarded4 ,such evaluation shall include 
an analysis of--  7i7 any performance   
metrics required by the ,secretary2     
7ii7 the grantees recruitment of        
students into the program2 and  7iii7   
the recruits' cultural diversity and the
 interdisciplinary nature of their      
interests or background4  7#e7          
,longitudinal evaluation  7,a7 ,in      
general ,the ,secretary shall enter into
 a contract with a third-party          
organization with expertise in program  
evaluation for the conduct of an        
evaluation of the success of grantees   
under this subsection in meeting the    
goals of the strategic plan submitted   
under subsection 7a77#b7 and their grant
 application4  7,b7 ,procedure ,a       
third-party organization that enters    
into a contract under subparagraph 7,a7 
shall monitor grantees under this       
subsection and report back to the       

,secretary with a longitudinal analysis 
of the effectiveness of the program     
carried out by the grantee4 ,such       
analysis shall include an examination   
of--  7i7 whether and to what extent the
 training regime sufficiently met the   
goals of the strategic plan under       
subsection 7a77#b72  7ii7 whether and to
 what extent graduates of the training  
program are successfully working to     
provide services to transitional youth  
in an effective1 comprehensive1 and     
appropriate manner2 and  7iii7 the      
long-term efficacy of the program and   
the strategic plan on increasing and    
sustaining transitional youth's--  7,i7 
enrollment in1 and completion of1       
postsecondary education or vocational   
training programs2  7,,ii7 participation
 in integrated1 competitive employment2 
7,,iii7 continued access to peer        
support2  7,,iv7 continued access to1   
and benefitting from1 community-based   
behavioral supports and interventions2  
7,v7 consistent access to               

community-based integrated residential  
services1 housing1 and transportation2  
and  7,,vi7 continued access to         
nutrition1 health and wellness1         
recreational1 and social activities4    
7#f7 ,supplement ,activities carried out
 under a grant under this subsection    
shall supplement1 not supplant1 existing
 programs and activities designed to    
provide interdisciplinary training to   
services providers aimed at serving     
transitional youth4  7c7 ,authorization 
of appropriations ,there is authorized  
to be appropriated to carry out this    
section1 such sums as may be necessary  
for each of fiscal years #bjad through  
#bjba4  4