,,ib ,union ,calendar ,no4 #ceb #aadth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #ddgb ,report ,no4 #aad-dfj ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,february #d1 #bjaf ,mr4 ,young of ,indiana 7for himself and ,mr4 ,danny ,k4 ,davis of ,illinois7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,ways and ,means ,march #ba1 #bjaf ,additional sponsors3 ,mrs4 ,brooks of ,indiana1 ,mr4 ,reichert1 ,mr4 ,nunes1 ,mr4 ,boustany1 ,mr4 ,kelly of ,pennsylvania1 and ,mr4 ,renacci ,march #ba1 #bjaf ,reported with an amendment1 committed to the ,committee of the ,whole ,house on the ,state of the ,union1 and ordered to be printed ,strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic ,for text of introduced bill1 see copy of bill as introduced on ,february #d1 #bjaf ,a ,,bill ,to amend title ,,iv of the ,social ,security ,act to require ,states to adopt a centralized electronic system to help expedite the placement of children in foster care or guardianship1 or for adoption1 across ,state lines1 and to provide grants to aid ,states in developing such a system1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,modernizing the ,interstate ,placement of ,children in ,foster ,care ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,the ,congress finds that-- 7#a7 when a child in foster care cannot return safely home1 the child deserves to be placed in a setting that is best for that child1 regardless of whether it is in the child's ,state or another ,state2 7#b7 the ,interstate ,compact on the ,placement of ,children 7,,icpc7 was established in #aifj to provide a uniform legal framework for the placement of children across ,state lines in foster and adoptive homes2 7#c7 frequently1 children waiting to be placed with an adoptive family1 relative1 or foster parent in another ,state spend more time waiting for this to occur than children who are placed with an adoptive1 family1 relative1 or foster parent in the same ,state1 because of the outdated1 administratively burdensome ,,icpc process2 7#d7 no child should have to wait longer to be placed in a loving home simply because the child must cross a ,state line2 7#e7 the ,national ,electronic ,interstate ,compact ,enterprise 7,,neice7 was launched in ,august #bjad in ,indiana1 ,nevada1 ,florida1 ,south ,carolina1 ,wisconsin1 and the ,district of ,columbia1 and is expected to be expanded into additional ,states to improve the administrative process by which children are placed with families across ,state lines2 7#f7 ,states using this electronic interstate case-processing system have reduced administrative costs and the amount of staff time required to process these cases1 and caseworkers can spend more time helping children instead of copying and mailing paperwork between ,states2 7#g7 since ,,neice was launched1 placement time has decreased by #cj percent for interstate foster care placements2 and 7#h7 on average1 ,states using this electronic interstate case-processing system have been able to reduce from #bd business days to #ac business days the time it takes to identify a family for a child and prepare the paperwork required to start the ,,icpc process4 #c4 ,state plan requirement 7a7 ,in general ,section #dga7;a77#be7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fga7;a77#be77 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking provide and insert provides2 and 7#b7 by inserting 1 which1 not later than ,october #a1 #bjbf1 shall include the use of an electronic interstate case-processing system before the #ast semicolon4 7b7 ,effective date 7#a7 ,in general ,the amendments made by subsection 7a7 shall take effect on the #ast day of the #ast calendar quarter beginning on or after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 and shall apply to payments under part ,e of title ,,iv of the ,social ,security ,act for calendar quarters beginning on or after such date4 7#b7 ,delay permitted if state legislation required ,if the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services determines that ,state legislation 7other than legislation appropriating funds7 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 requirement imposed by the amendments made by subsection 7a71 the plan shall not be regarded as failing to meet any of the additional requirements before the #ast day of the #ast calendar quarter beginning after the first regular session of the ,state legislature that begins after the date of the enactment of this ,act4 ,for purposes of the preceding sentence1 if the ,state has a #b-year legislative session1 each year of the session is deemed to be a separate regular session of the ,state legislature4 #d4 ,grants for the development of an electronic interstate case-processing system to expedite the interstate placement of children in foster care or guardianship1 or for adoption ,section #dcg of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fcg7 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7g7 ,grants for the development of an electronic interstate case-processing system to expedite the interstate placement of children in foster care or guardianship1 or for adoption 7#a7 ,purpose ,the purpose of this subsection is to facilitate the development of an electronic interstate case-processing system for the exchange of data and documents to expedite the placements of children in foster1 guardianship1 or adoptive homes across ,state lines4 7#b7 ,application requirements ,a ,state that desires a grant under this subsection shall submit to the ,secretary an application containing the following3 7,a7 ,a description of the goals and outcomes to be achieved during the period for which grant funds are sought1 which goals and outcomes must result in-- 7i7 reducing the time it takes for a child to be provided with a safe and appropriate permanent living arrangement across ,state lines2 7ii7 improving administrative processes and reducing costs in the foster care system2 and 7iii7 the secure exchange of relevant case files and other necessary materials in real time1 and timely communications and placement decisions regarding interstate placements of children4 7,b7 ,a description of the activities to be funded in whole or in part with the grant funds1 including the sequencing of the activities4 7,c7 ,a description of the strategies for integrating programs and services for children who are placed across ,state lines4 7,d7 ,such other information as the ,secretary may require4 7#c7 ,grant authority ,the ,secretary may make a grant to a ,state that complies with paragraph 7#b74 7#d7 ,use of funds ,a ,state to which a grant is made under this subsection shall use the grant to support the ,state in connecting with the electronic interstate case-processing system described in paragraph 7#a74 7#e7 ,evaluations ,not later than #a year after the final year in which grants are awarded under this subsection1 the ,secretary shall submit to the ,congress1 and make available to the general public by posting on a website1 a report that contains the following information3 7,a7 ,how using the electronic interstate case-processing system developed pursuant to paragraph 7#d7 has changed the time it takes for children to be placed across ,state lines4 7,b7 ,the number of cases subject to the ,interstate ,compact on the ,placement of ,children that were processed through the electronic interstate case-processing system1 and the number of interstate child placement cases that were processed outside the electronic interstate case-processing system1 by each ,state in each year4 7,c7 ,the progress made by ,states in implementing the electronic interstate case-processing system4 7,d7 ,how using the electronic interstate case-processing system has affected various metrics related to child safety and well-being1 including the time it takes for children to be placed across ,state lines4 7,e7 ,how using the electronic interstate case-processing system has affected administrative costs and caseworker time spent on placing children across ,state lines4 7#f7 ,data integration ,the ,secretary1 in consultation with the ,secretariat for the ,interstate ,compact on the ,placement of ,children and the ,states1 shall assess how the electronic interstate case-processing system developed pursuant to paragraph 7#d7 could be used to better serve and protect children that come to the attention of the child welfare system1 by-- 7,a7 connecting the system with other data systems 7such as systems operated by ,state law enforcement and judicial agencies1 systems operated by the ,federal ,bureau of ,investigation for the purposes of the ,innocence ,lost ,national ,initiative1 and other systems72 7,b7 simplifying and improving reporting related to paragraphs 7#cd7 and 7#ce7 of section #dga7;a7 regarding children or youth who have been identified as being a sex trafficking victim or children missing from foster care2 and 7,c7 improving the ability of ,states to quickly comply with background check requirements of section #dga7;a77#bj71 including checks of child abuse and neglect registries as required by section #dga7;a77#bj77;,b74 4 #e4 ,continuation of discretionary funding to promote safe and stable families ,section #dcg7;a7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fcg7;a77 is amended by striking #bjaf and inserting #bjag4 #f4 ,reservation of funds to improve the interstate placement of children ,section #dcg7;b7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fcg7;b77 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7#d7 ,improving the interstate placement of children ,the ,secretary shall reserve #e1jjj1jjj of the amount made available for fiscal year #bjag for grants under subsection 7g71 and the amount so reserved shall remain available through fiscal year #bjba4 4 ,march #ba1 #bjaf ,reported with an amendment1 committed to the ,committee of the ,whole ,house on the ,state of the ,union1 and ordered to be printed