,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #cfij  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #aj1 #bjai,mr4 
,smucker introduced the following bill2 
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,education and ,labor  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
authorize the ,secretary of ,health and 
,human ,services to provide services for
 birthmothers who are placing or have   
placed a child for adoption1 and for    
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,improving     
,adoption ,outcomes and ,affordability  
,act of #bjai4  #b4 ,authorization of   
pre-adoption services for birthmothers  
7a7 ,services authorized ,the ,secretary
 of ,health and ,human ,services 7in    
this section referred to as the         
,secretary7 shall1 either directly or by
 grant to or contract with the eligible 
entities described in subsection 7b71   
provide services described in subsection
 7c7 for birthmothers who are placing a 
child for adoption4  7b7 ,eligible      
entities ,the eligible entities referred

 to in subsection 7a7 are ,states1 local
 governmental entities1 and public or   
private agencies or organizations1      
including public or private licensed    
child welfare or adoption agencies or   
adoptive family groups and faith-based  
organizations4  7c7 ,types of services  
,the types of services referred to in   
subsection 7a7 are-- 7#a7 counseling    
services for birthmothers who are       
placing or have placed a child for      
adoption1 including--  7,a7 individual  
counseling2  7,b7 mental health         
counseling2 and  7,c7 substance abuse   
counseling2  7#b7 provide information   
relating to the availability of         
post-adoption services and benefits for 
birthmothers1 including contact         
information for post-adoption services  
and benefits provided by ,states and    
local units of government1 as           
appropriate2 and  7#c7 training of staff
 at hospitals and other appropriate     
birth care facilities relating to       
interaction of such staff with          

birthmothers and adoptive families4  7d7
 ,application ,each eligible entity     
referred to in subsection 7a7 that      
desires to receive a grant or enter into
 a contract with the ,secretary under   
subsection 7a7 shall submit an          
application to the ,secretary that      
describes the manner in which the entity
 will use funds under the grant or      
contract during the #c fiscal years     
subsequent to the date of the           
application to accomplish the purposes  
of this section4 ,such application shall
 be submitted in a form and manner      
determined to be appropriate by the     
,secretary4  7e7 ,reports ,the          
,secretary shall require each eligible  
entity referred to in subsection 7a7    
that receives a grant or enters into a  
contract with the ,secretary under      
subsection 7a7 to submit to the         
,secretary a report on the services     
provided or activities carried out by   
the entity for each fiscal year for     
which the entity receives amounts under 

the grant or contract4 ,the report shall
 contain such information as the        
,secretary determines is necessary to   
provide an accurate description of the  
services provided or activities carried 
out with such amounts4  7f7 ,services   
,to supplement and not supplant         
,services provided under a grant or     
contract under subsection 7a7 shall     
supplement1 and not supplant1 services  
provided using any other funds made     
available for the same general purposes4
  7g7 ,technical assistance and         
administrative provisions ,the          
,secretary shall-- 7#a7 provide         
technical assistance to eligible        
entities referred to in subsection 7a7  
that receive a grant or enter into a    
contract with the ,secretary under      
subsection 7a7 for purposes of providing
 the services described in subsection   
7c72  7#b7 as appropriate1 coordinate   
the provision of services described in  
subsection 7c7 with other               
adoption-related research1 training1    

services1 and assistance activities     
carried out by the ,department of       
,health and ,human ,services2 and  7#c7 
either directly1 or by grant to or      
contract with a public or private agency
 or organization-- 7,a7 evaluate the    
implementation and effectiveness of the 
provision of services described in      
subsection 7c7 and other activities     
carried out under this section2  7,b7   
identify different pre-placement        
services provided for birthmothers1 the 
availability and utilization of such    
services1 and how pre-placement services
 might be improved2 and  7,c7 not later 
than #c years after the date of the     
enactment of this ,act1 submit to       
,congress a report that contains the    
results of the evaluation under         
subparagraph 7,a7 and the information   
described in subparagraph 7,b74  #c4    
,authorization of appropriations  7a7   
,in general ,to carry out this ,act1    
there are authorized to be appropriated 
to the ,secretary of ,health and ,human 

,services--  7#a7 #cj1jjj1jjj for fiscal
 year #bjbj2 and  7#b7 such sums as may 
be necessary for each of the fiscal     
years #bjba through #bjbd4  7b7         
,availability ,amounts appropriated     
pursuant to the authorization of        
appropriations under subsection 7a7 are 
authorized to remain available until    
expended4