,i  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hcce  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #ab1 #bjbb,mr4 
,langevin 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,bass1 ,mr4
 ,bacon1 ,mr4 ,fitzpatrick1 and ,mrs4   
,lawrence7 introduced the following     
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,ways and ,means  ,a      
,,bill  ,to protect individuals with    
disabilities who are parents1 legal     
guardians1 relatives1 other caregivers1 
foster or adoptive parents1 or          
individuals seeking to become foster or 
adoptive parents from discrimination in 
the child welfare system4  #a4 ,short   
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,equality for ,families with            
,disabilities ,act4  #b4 ,finding ,the  
,congress finds that title ,,ii of the  
,americans with ,disabilities ,act of   
#aiij and section #ejd of the           
,rehabilitation ,act of #aigc protect   
qualified individuals with disabilities1
 which can include children1 parents1   
legal guardians1 relatives1 other       

caregivers1 foster and adoptive parents1
 and individuals seeking to become      
foster or adoptive parents1 from        
discrimination by child welfare agencies
 and courts4  #c4 ,state plan           
requirements for protecting individuals 
with disabilities who are parents1 legal
 guardians1 relatives1 other caregivers1
 foster or adoptive parents1 or         
individuals seeking to become foster or 
adoptive parents  7a7 ,in general       
,section #dbb7;b7 of the ,social        
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fbb7;b77 
is amended-- 7#a7 by striking and at the
 end of paragraph 7#ah72  7#b7 by       
striking the period at the end of       
paragraph 7#ai7 and inserting a         
semicolon2 and  7#c7 by adding at the   
end the following3  7#bj7 explain the   
procedural safeguards and supportive    
parenting services provided to          
individuals with disabilities who are   
parents1 legal guardians1 relatives1    
other caregivers1 foster or adoptive    
parents1 or individuals seeking to      

become foster or adoptive parents1 from 
the time of earliest interaction with a 
family through any ongoing judicial or  
administrative proceeding1 including a  
description of how each such individual 
receives-- 7,a7 a fact-specific1        
individualized parenting assessment that
 does not rely on generalizations but   
evaluates the strengths1 needs1 and     
capabilities of the ndividual with a    
disability1 based on objective evidence1
 personal circumstances1 and            
demonstrated competencies2 and  7,b7    
parenting education that is             
peer-reviewed or a best practice for    
use2 and  7#ba7 demonstrate meaningful  
efforts to provide supportive services  
and accommodations1 directly or by      
referral1 to ensure full and equal      
opportunities for participation by      
individuals with disabilities who are   
parents1 legal guardians1 relatives1    
other caregivers1 foster or adoptive    
parents1 or individuals seeking to      
become foster or adoptive parents1      

including by making available training  
on the rights of individuals with       
disabilities who are involved with child
 welfare proceedings and how to ensure  
full and equal participation of the     
individuals in the proceedings1 and1 in 
the case of child welfare professionals 
or court personnel1 how to conduct      
parenting assessments and provide       
parenting education to various          
populations of individuals with         
disabilities to ensure that any         
restrictions on parental rights are not 
imposed solely on the basis of          
disability4  4  7b7 ,effective date     
7#a7 ,in general ,the amendments made by
 subsection 7a7 shall take effect #a    
year after the materials required by    
section #e of this ,act are             
disseminated1 and shall apply to        
payments under subpart #a of part ,b 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 subpart #a of part ,b of    
title ,,iv of the ,social ,security ,act
 to meet the additional requirements    
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 #a year after the materials      
required by section #e of this ,act are 
disseminated4 ,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 ,amendments to the    
,state court improvement program  7a7   
,in general ,section #dch of the ,social

 ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fbi;h7  
is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7a7--   
7,a7 in paragraph 7#a71 by adding at the
 end the following3  7,f7 that determine
 child placements in any case involving 
an individual with a disability who is a
 parent1 legal guardian1 relative1 other
 caregiver1 foster or adoptive parent1  
or an individual seeking to become an   
adoptive or foster parent2  2 and  7,b7 
in paragraph 7#b7-- 7i7 by striking and 
at the end of subparagraph 7,b72  7ii7  
in subparagraph 7,c71 by striking the   
period and inserting and2 and  7iii7 by 
adding at the end the following3  7,d7  
to ensure full and equal opportunities  
for individuals with disabilities who   
are parents1 legal guardians1 relatives1
 other caregivers1 foster or adoptive   
parents1 or individuals seeking to      
become foster or adoptive parents1      
consistent with title ,,ii of the       
,americans with ,disabilities ,act and  
section #ejd of the ,rehabilitation ,act
 of #aigc2  2 and  7#b7 in subsection   

7b7-- 7,a7 by striking and at the end of
 paragraph 7#b72  7,b7 in subparagraph  
7,c7-- 7i7 by striking 7,c7 in the case 
of a grant for any purpose described in 
subsection 7a71 and inserting 7#c72 and 
7ii7 by striking the period and         
inserting 2 and2 and  7,c7 by adding at 
the end the following3  7#d7 a          
demonstration of meaningful efforts by  
the highest court in the ,state to      
ensure that each court in the ,state    
affords full and equal opportunities for
 participation by individuals with      
disabilities who are parents1 legal     
guardians1 relatives1 other caregivers1 
foster or adoptive parents1 or          
individuals seeking to become foster or 
adoptive parents1 including by working  
with the ,state agency administering1 or
 supervising the administration of1 a   
plan under this part or part ,e1 and1 as
 applicable1 ,indian tribes or tribal   
organizations1 to make available        
training on the rights of individuals   
with disabilities who are involved with 

child welfare proceedings and how to    
ensure full and equal participation of  
the individuals in the proceedings1 and1
 in the case of child welfare           
professionals or court personnel1 how to
 conduct parenting assessments and      
provide parenting education to various  
populations of individuals with         
disabilities4  4  7b7 ,effective date   
,the amendments made by subsection 7a7  
shall take effect on the #ast day of the
 #ast ,federal fiscal year that begins  
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act4  #e4 ,education and training      
,subpart #a of part ,b of title ,,iv of 
the ,social ,security ,act 7#db         
,u4,s4,c4 #fbj-fbh;b7 is amended by     
adding at the end the following3        
#dbi;,a4 ,education and training  7a7   
,in general ,the ,secretary and the     
,attorney ,general1 in consultation with
 the entities referred to in subsection 
7b71 shall-- 7#a7 directly or by        
contract1 jointly revise the technical  
assistance provided in ,august #bjae for

 ,state and local child welfare agencies
 and courts on protecting the rights of 
parents and prospective parents with    
disabilities1 to-- 7,a7 include         
recommended minimum guidelines for      
ensuring compliance with protections    
offered under ,federal law1 which shall 
reflect evidence-based or best practices
 in the field2  7,b7 address the        
amendments made by the ,equality for    
,families with ,disabilities ,act2  7,c7
 describe the requirements imposed by or
 under the amendments and the mechanisms
 by which the requirements will be      
enforced2 and  7,d7 include education   
and training materials that include1 at 
minimum1 guidelines for-- 7i7 conducting
 individualized parenting assessments of
 persons with disabilities that-- 7,i7  
are1 where possible1 peer-reviewed or a 
best practice1 and always fact-specific2
 and  7,,ii7 evaluate the strengths1    
needs1 and capabilities of a particular 
person with disabilities based on       
objective evidence1 personal            

circumstances1 demonstrated             
competencies1 and other factors that are
 divorced from generalizations and      
stereotypes regarding people with       
disabilities2  7ii7 providing full and  
equal opportunities to benefit from or  
participate in child welfare programs1  
services1 and activities that are equal 
to those extended to individuals without
 disabilities1 including the use of     
disability-specific1 peer-reviewed1 or  
best practice parenting training tools  
and reasonable modifications in         
policies1 practices1 and procedures when
 necessary to avoid discrimination2 and 
7iii7 reunifying families in cases      
involving individuals with disabilities2
  7#b7 ensure that the revised technical
 assistance is addressed to ,states1    
,indian tribes1 and courts2 and  7#c7   
within #a year after the date of the    
enactment of this section1 disseminate  
the revised technical assistance to     
,states1 tribes1 and courts4  7b7       
,consultation entities ,the entities    

referred to in this subsection shall    
include3 7#a7 ,federal entities1 such   
as-- 7,a7 the ,assistant ,secretary for 
the ,administration for ,children and   
,families of the ,department of ,health 
and ,human ,services2  7,b7 the         
,administrator of the ,administration   
for ,community ,living of the           
,department of ,health and ,human       
,services2  7,c7 the ,assistant         
,attorney ,general for the ,civil       
,rights ,division of the ,department of 
,justice2  7,d7 the ,chairperson of the 
,national ,council on ,disability2 and  
7,e7 the ,commissioner of               
,administration for ,native ,americans2 
7#b7 ,state1 local1 and tribal entities1
 such as-- 7,a7 ,state1 local1 and      
tribal child welfare agencies2  7,b7    
,protection and ,advocacy ,systems2     
7,c7 a representative of the ,state     
,councils on ,developmental             
,disabilities2  7,d7 a representative of
 the ,conference of ,chief ,justices2   
and  7,e7 a representative of the       

,conference of ,state ,court            
,administrators2  7#c7 disability and   
child welfare community entities1 such  
as-- 7,a7 individuals representing the  
disability community and reflecting the 
diverse characteristics of the members  
of that community1 including individuals
 with disabilities who have been        
discriminated against in the child      
welfare system2 and  7,b7 child welfare 
professionals2 and  7#d7 representatives
 of such other agencies or entities as  
the ,secretary may designate4  4  #f4   
,report to ,congress ,within #d years   
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,secretary of ,health and     
,human ,services shall submit to the    
,committee on ,ways and ,means of the   
,house of ,representatives and the      
,committee on ,finance of the ,senate a 
written report on the implementation of 
this ,act4 ,the report shall include the
 following3 7#a7 ,a description and     
analysis of amended ,state plans for    
child welfare services that have been   

submitted as a result of this ,act1     
including the effect of the amendments  
on the treatment of and opportunities   
for participation afforded to           
individuals with disabilities who are   
parents1 legal guardians1 relatives1    
other caregivers1 foster or adoptive    
parents1 or individuals seeking to      
become foster or adoptive parents4  7#b7
 ,a description of procedures put in    
place by ,state agencies administering  
or supervising the administration of a  
plan developed or approved under part ,b
 or ,e of title ,,iv of the ,social     
,security ,act to ensure that each      
individual with a disability who is a   
parent1 legal guardian1 relative1 other 
caregiver1 foster or adoptive parent1 or
 individual seeking to become a foster  
or adoptive parent receives a           
fact-specific1 individualized parenting 
assessment and parenting education4     
7#c7 ,a description and analysis of     
efforts made by the highest court of    
each ,state to afford full and equal    

opportunities for participation by      
individuals with disabilities who are   
parents1 legal guardians1 relatives1    
other caregivers1 foster or adoptive    
parents1 or individuals seeking to      
become foster or adoptive parents who   
are involved in child welfare           
proceedings4  7#d7 ,an analysis of the  
outcomes for individuals with           
disabilities who are parents1 legal     
guardians1 relatives1 other caregivers1 
foster or adoptive parents1 or          
individuals seeking to become foster or 
adoptive parents when involved in child 
welfare proceedings before or after the 
enactment of this ,act1 including the   
rate at which the parental rights of the
 individuals are terminated4  7#e7 ,an  
analysis of the specific revisions made 
to the #bjae technical assistance       
referred to in section #e7;a77#a7 of    
this ,act in accordance with the        
requirements of section #e of this ,act1
 and a list of all consultation entities
 that were consulted in the revision    

process4  7#f7 ,an analysis of how      
,state agencies administering or        
supervising the administration of a plan
 developed or approved under part ,b or 
,e of title ,,iv of the ,social         
,security ,act1 as applicable1 ,indian  
tribes or tribal organizations1 and the 
highest court of each ,state have used  
the technical assistance revised as     
required by section #e of this ,act4