,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ajia  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #aj1 #bjag
 ,ms4 ,collins 7for herself and ,mr4    
,casey7 introduced the following bill2  
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,health1 ,education1     
,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
establish a ,federal ,task ,force to    
,support ,grandparents ,raising         
,grandchildren4  #a4 ,short title  ,this
 ,act may be cited as the ,supporting   
,grandparents ,raising ,grandchildren   
,act4  #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the
 following3 7#a7 ,more than #hj percent 
of ,americans over the age of #fe are   
grandparents and more than #b1ejj1jjj   
grandparents in the ,united ,states are 
the primary caretaker of their          
grandchildren4 ,experts report that such
 numbers are increasing as the opioid   
epidemic expands4  7#b7 ,grandparents'  
lives are enhanced by caring for their  
grandchildren2 the overwhelming majority
 of grandparents report experiencing    

significant benefits in serving as their
 grandchildren's primary caregivers4    
7#c7 ,providing full-time care to their 
grandchildren may increase grandparents'
 likelihood of experiencing physical    
illness and mental health problems and  
decrease their ability to save for      
retirement4  7#d7 ,grandparents raising 
grandchildren may face difficulty       
enrolling their grandchildren in school1
 medical care1 and ,federal assistance  
services4  7#e7 ,the ,older ,americans  
,act of #aife 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #cjja et   
seq47 includes services that support    
grandfamilies1 including the ,national  
,family ,caregiver ,support ,program4   
7#f7 ,grandparents would benefit from   
better coordination and information     
about resources available to support    
them in their caregiving                
responsibilities4  #c4 ,federal ,task   
,force to ,support ,grandparents        
,raising ,grandchildren  7a7            
,establishment ,there is established a  
,federal ,task ,force to ,support       

,grandparents ,raising ,grandchildren   
7referred to in this section as the     
,task ,force74  7b7 ,membership  7#a7   
,in general ,the ,task ,force shall be  
composed of the following members1 or   
their designee3 7,a7 ,the ,secretary of 
,health and ,human ,services4  7,b7 ,the
 ,attorney ,general4  7,c7 ,the         
,administrator of the ,administration   
for ,community ,living4  7,d7 ,the      
,director of the ,centers for ,disease  
,control and ,prevention4  7,e7 ,the    
,assistant ,secretary for ,mental       
,health and ,substance ,use4  7,f7 ,the 
,assistant ,secretary for the           
,administration for ,children and       
,families4  7,g7 ,the head of each      
,federal department1 agency1 or other   
governmental entity identified by the   
,secretary of ,health and ,human        
,services as having responsibilities1 or
 administering programs1 relating to    
current issues affecting grandparents or
 other relatives raising children in    
their care4  7#b7 ,lead agency ,the     

,department of ,health and ,human       
,services shall be the lead agency for  
the ,task ,force4  7#c7 ,requirement    
,each member of the ,task ,force shall  
be an officer or employee of the        
,federal ,government4  7c7 ,duties  7#a7
 ,in general  7,a7 ,information ,the    
,task ,force shall identify1 promote1   
coordinate1 and disseminate information 
publicly about ,federal information1    
resources1 and best practices available1
 on the date of the determination1 to   
help grandparents or other relatives    
raising children in their care meet the 
health1 educational1 nutritional1 and   
other needs of the children in their    
care as well as maintain their own      
physical and mental health and emotional
 well-being1 including those raising    
children in their care as a result of   
the opioid epidemic4  7,b7 ,native      
,americans ,in carrying out the duties  
described in subparagraph 7,a71 the     
,task ,force shall ensure that the needs
 of members of ,native ,american tribes 

are addressed4  7#b7 ,report  7,a7 ,in  
general ,not later than #ahj days after 
the date of enactment of this ,act1 the 
,task ,force shall submit a report to   
the ,special ,committee on ,aging and   
the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1  
,labor1 and ,pensions of the ,senate    
that includes--  7i7 best practices1    
resources1 and other useful information 
for grandparents and other relatives    
raising children in their care2 and     
7ii7 an identification of the gaps in   
needs of grandparents and other         
relatives raising children in their     
care4  7,b7 ,follow-up report ,not later
 than the date that is #b years after   
the date the report under subparagraph  
7,a7 is submitted1 the ,task ,force     
shall submit a follow-up report to the  
,special ,committee on ,aging and the   
,committee on ,health1 ,education1      
,labor1 and ,pensions of the ,senate    
that includes the information described 
in subparagraph 7,a74  7#c7 ,process for
 public input ,the ,task ,force shall   

establish a process for public input to 
inform the development of1 and updates  
to1 the best practices1 resources1 and  
other useful information and the gaps in
 needs described in paragraph 7#b71     
including a process for the public to   
submit recommendations to the ,task     
,force and an opportunity for public    
comment4  7d7 ,sunset ,the ,task ,force 
shall terminate on the date that is #e  
years after the date of enactment of    
this ,act4