,i #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #hgeg ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,may #ab1 #bjbf,mr4 ,moore of ,utah 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,mc,clellan1 and ,ms4 ,foxx7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,ways and ,means1 and in addition to the ,committee on ,education and ,workforce1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to amend subpart #b of part ,b of title ,,iv of the ,social ,security ,act to address child welfare involvement caused by reasonable childhood independence activities1 to amend the ,child ,abuse ,prevention and ,treatment ,act to promote childhood independence1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,promoting ,childhood ,independence and ,resilience ,act of #bjbf4 #b4 ,findings ,the ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,american families are being investigated and criminalized under overzealous civil and criminal child neglect laws for letting their children develop resilience and independence4 ,state child protective services agencies are burdened by frivolous reports that undermine reasonable childhood independence1 parental rights1 and family integrity1 and subject children and their caregivers to the trauma of unnecessary and invasive government investigations4 7#b7 ,in ,illinois1 a woman was cited for child neglect for inadequate supervision after allowing her #aa-1 #i-1 and #e-year-old children to play in a park near their home4 7#c7 ,in ,maryland1 a couple was found responsible for unsubstantiated child neglect after allowing their #aj- and #f-year-old children to play outside and walk home by themselves4 7#d7 ,in ,georgia1 a mother was arrested and accused of reckless conduct when her #aj-year-old son walked a mile away from their home without telling anyone4 7#e7 ,in ,south ,carolina1 a mother was arrested for unlawful conduct towards a child for allowing her #i-year-old daughter to play alone at a popular1 kid-filled park4 7#f7 ,in ,north ,carolina1 a couple was charged with felony involuntary manslaughter and child neglect when a driver hit their #g-year-old son and killed him while walking home from a nearby grocery store4 ,they were held on #a1ejj1jjj bonds each4 7#g7 ,in ,virginia1 ,child ,protective ,services investigated a couple numerous times for allowing their three children to play unsupervised outside1 telling the parents that the children need to always be supervised1 even in their own bedrooms4 7#h7 ,in ,pennsylvania1 a single mother of two was placed on her ,state's child abuse registry after tasking her #ac-year-old brother to babysit her #a-year-old child4 7#i7 ,state legislators who have supported ,state legislation to promote childhood independence have recounted being stopped in their own parenting decisions out of fear of child protective services or police intervention4 ,examples include ,michigan ,state ,senator ,jeff ,irwin's decision to allow a third grader to walk to their nearby school1 ,colorado ,state ,representative ,kim ,ransom's decision to run into a gas station to pay for gas during a snowstorm and leave kids in the van1 and ,south ,carolina ,senator ,wes ,climer's decision to allow a #e-year-old child to be outside in his own yard4 ,in hearings on ,state legislation across the country1 ,democrat and ,republican legislators remarked on growing up with much more freedom to play1 roam1 and run errands without constant adult management of their whereabouts and activities4 7#aj7 ,children spend #ej percent less time in unstructured outdoor actives than children in the #aigjs4 ,the average ,american child spends #d to #g minutes a day outside in unstructured play4 7#aa7 ,less than #be percent of children between ages #f and #ag reach the recommended #fj minutes of physical activity each day1 and childhood obesity has tripled since the #aigjs4 7#ab7 ,cross-age interactions have been shown to develop social skills and the ability to learn4 7#ac7 ,the percentage of teens who meet up with their friends almost every day has been on a steady decline since the #aihjs4 7#ad7 ,face-to-face socializing between teenagers has fallen by over #de percent from #bjjc to #bjbb4 7#ae7 ,more than half of ,generation ,z report that as children they felt lonely at least once or twice a month--nearly double the reported number of ,baby ,boomers when they were young4 7#af7 ,according to the ,american ,academy of ,pediatrics1 children are spending an average of #g hours a day on entertainment media1 including phones1 electronic devices1 and television4 7#ag7 ,excessive screen time for young children increases the risk of attention and behavioral problems1 poor sleep1 anxiety1 depression1 aggression1 and hyperactivity4 7#ah7 ,as childhood independence and free play have decreased over the decades1 the percentage of children suffering from anxiety and depression has increased4 ,the rates of teens with ,major ,depressive ,disorder and ,generalized ,anxiety ,disorder rose by at least #e-;fold from #aiej to #aiij4 7#ai7 ,pediatric hospitalizations due to mental health increased by #be percent between #bjji and #bjai4 7#bj7 ,early screen use has been found to lower academic performance4 7#ba7 ,the ,united ,states ,department of ,health and ,human ,services has prioritized reducing the amount of time that children spend on screens1 citing it as a key health improvement priority4 #c4 ,definitions ,in this ,act1 the term reasonable childhood independence activities has the meaning given such term in section #c of the ,child ,abuse ,prevention and ,treatment ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eaja note71 as amended by section #f of this ,act4 #d4 ,study by the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services 7a7 ,in general ,within #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services shall conduct a study on how ,states and ,state child welfare agencies can best empower parents to give children opportunities to participate in reasonable childhood independence activities without direct adult supervision4 7b7 ,report ,within #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services shall transmit to each ,state and to the ,committees on ,ways and ,means and on ,education and ,workforce of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committees on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor and ,pensions and on ,finance of the ,senate a report that-- 7#a7 sets forth the recommendations of the ,secretary on how reasonable childhood independence activities can promote independence and resilience in ,american children2 7#b7 identifies community supports1 public awareness campaigns1 toolkits1 other resources supporting childhood independence1 or other best practices that could help parents choose to allow their children to participate in reasonable childhood independence activities without direct adult supervision2 7#c7 sets forth recommendations for how child protective services and child welfare agencies could ease parental fear and anxiety and increase the ability and willingness of parents to allow children to participate in reasonable childhood independence activities without direct supervision2 and 7#d7 includes a review of whether the risk assessment protocols or the investigation or prosecutorial practices of ,state child welfare systems penalize1 threaten1 or deter parents who allow their children to participate in reasonable childhood independence activities1 and sets forth recommendations to ensure that the protocols and practices support and empower parents who allow their children to participate in reasonable childhood independence activities4 #e4 ,promoting childhood independence 7a7 ,marylee ,allen ,promoting ,safe and ,stable ,families ,program 7#a7 ,state plan requirement ,section #dcb7;a7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fbi;b7a77 is amended-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#aj71 by striking and after the semicolon2 7,b7 in paragraph 7#aa71 by striking the period and inserting 2 and2 and 7,c7 by adding at the end the following3 7#ab7 provides a description of the ,state policies in place1 including training for employees1 to address child welfare reports and investigations concerning the living arrangements or needs of a child1 with the goal of preventing unnecessary and traumatic investigations of parents or the separation of a child from a parent or custodian of the child solely due to the child participating in reasonable childhood independence activities4 4 7#b7 ,definition of reasonable childhood independence activities ,section #dca7;a7 of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fbi;a7a77 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7#ac7 ,reasonable childhood independence activities ,the term reasonable childhood independence activities has the meaning given such term in section #c of the ,child ,abuse ,prevention and ,treatment ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eaja note74 4 7b7 ,stephanie ,tubbs ,jones ,child ,welfare ,services ,program 7#a7 ,state plan requirement ,section #dbb7;b7 of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fbb7;b77 is amended-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#ah71 by striking and after the semicolon2 7,b7 in paragraph 7#ai71 by striking the period and inserting 2 and2 and 7,c7 by adding at the end the following3 7#bj7 describe the ,state policies in place1 including training for staff of the ,state agency or local agency responsible for furnishing child welfare services1 to address child welfare reports and investigations concerning the living arrangements or needs of a child1 with the goal of preventing unnecessary and traumatic investigations of parents or the separation of a child from a parent or custodian of the child solely due to the child participating in reasonable childhood independence activities4 4 7#b7 ,definition of reasonable childhood independence activities ,section #dbb7;c7 of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fbb7;c77 is amended by redesignating paragraph 7#b7 as paragraph 7#c7 and inserting after paragraph 7#a7 the following3 7#b7 ,reasonable childhood independence activities ,the term reasonable childhood independence activities has the meaning given such term in section #c of the ,child ,abuse ,prevention and ,treatment ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eaja note74 4 #f4 ,amendments to the ,child ,abuse ,prevention and ,treatment ,act 7a7 ,definitions ,section #c of the ,child ,abuse ,prevention and ,treatment ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eaja note7 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#b71 by inserting 1 and does not include a decision by a parent or caretaker to allow a child to participate in reasonable childhood independence activities1 unless such a decision was the result of an unreasonable disregard of a foreseeable risk of serious harm after presents an imminent risk of serious harm2 7#b7 by redesignating paragraphs 7#f7 through 7#h7 as paragraphs 7#g7 through 7#i71 respectively2 and 7#c7 by inserting after paragraph 7#e7 the following new paragraph3 7#f7 ,reasonable childhood independence activities ,the term reasonable childhood independence activities-- 7,a7 means activities that-- 7i7 are carried out by a child1 alone or with other children and without direct supervision by an adult or older child2 and 7ii7 a parent or caregiver reasonably believes are physically and developmentally appropriate for the child without such supervision2 and 7,b7 includes-- 7i7 playing indoors or outdoors2 7ii7 taking public transportation2 7iii7 walking or bicycling to or from school or local commercial or recreational facilities2 7iv7 running errands2 7v7 remaining at home or at any other safe and reasonable location for a reasonable period of time2 7vi7 babysitting younger children2 and 7vii7 remaining in a vehicle for a reasonable period of time and in reasonable conditions while a parent or caregiver is temporarily away from the vehicle1 including to run an errand or to accompany another child to school or daycare drop-off or pick-up4 4 7b7 ,grants to ,states for child abuse or neglect prevention and treatment programs ,section #ajf7;a7 of the ,child ,abuse ,prevention and ,treatment ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eajf;a7a77 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#d71 by striking response2 and inserting response1 and tools and protocols that ensure that risk and safety assessments account for the importance of reasonable childhood independence activities to a child's healthy development1 and make clear that allowing a child to participate in reasonable childhood independence activities is not child abuse or neglect and that allowing such participation does not justify child welfare system intervention1 including separation of any child from the child's parent or guardian22 7#b7 in paragraph 7#h71 by striking neglect2 and inserting neglect1 including strategies and training protocols that ensure such individuals understand the importance of reasonable childhood independence activities to a child's healthy development1 and understand that allowing a child to participate in reasonable childhood independence activities is not child abuse or neglect and that allowing such participation does not justify child welfare system intervention1 including separation of any child from the child's parent or guardian22 and 7#c7 in paragraph 7#aj71 by striking response2 and inserting response1 and helping the public better understand that a parent or guardian allowing a child to participate in reasonable childhood independence activities is not child abuse or neglect and that allowing such participation does not justify child welfare system intervention1 including separation of any child from the child's parent or guardian24 7c7 ,eligibility requirements ,section #ajf7;b77#b77;,b7 of the ,child ,abuse ,prevention and ,treatment ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eajf;a7b77#b77;,b77 is amended-- 7#a7 in clause 7xxiv71 by striking and after the semicolon2 and 7#b7 by adding at the end the following3 7xxvi7 assurances and protections to ensure that parents and legal guardians may allow a child to participate in reasonable childhood independence activities without fear or threat of criminal or civil charges1 custody assessments or investigations1 mandated services1 child abuse registry1 or accusations of child abuse or neglect solely because the parent or legal guardian allows their child to participate in reasonable childhood independence activities2 and 7xxvii7 provisions and procedures for training child protective services workers1 caseworkers1 and other employees or contractual agents of child welfare agencies about the importance of reasonable childhood independence activities to a child's healthy development1 and to understand that a parent or legal guardian allowing a child to participate in reasonable childhood independence activities is not cause to suspect child abuse or neglect and that such activities do not justify the separation of any child from the child's parent or legal guardian2 4 #g4 ,effective date 7a7 ,in general ,the amendments made by this ,act shall take effect on the #ast day of the #ast fiscal year beginning on or after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 and shall apply to payments1 grants1 and ,federal funds for calendar quarters beginning on or after such date4 7b7 ,delay permitted if ,state legislation or policy changes are required ,if the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services determines that ,state legislation 7other than legislation appropriating funds7 is required in order for any ,state plan approved under subpart #b of part ,b of title ,,iv of the ,social ,security ,act to meet the additional requirements imposed by the amendments made by this ,act1 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 #ast 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 ,an extension of a determination that the plan has failed to meet any of the additional requirements shall be granted if the ,state demonstrates its good faith efforts to enact ,state legislation1 or submits a plan to enact rule and policy changes as are within its lawful discretion so as to support reasonable childhood independence activities1 and demonstrates that parents and legal guardians allowing a child to participate in reasonable childhood independence activities are excluded under ,state policy and practices from the threat of criminal or civil charges1 custody assessments or investigations1 mandated services1 child abuse registry1 or accusations of child abuse or neglect4