{"format":1,"id":"118-hr-9076","congress":118,"number":"H.R. 9076","kind":"bill","group":"bills","title":"Supporting America’s Children and Families Act","title_source":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","official_title":"To reauthorize and modernize part B of title IV of the Social Security Act to strengthen child welfare services, expand the availability of prevention services to better meet the needs of vulnerable families, and for other purposes.","titles":[{"type":"Official Title as Introduced","title":"To reauthorize and modernize part B of title IV of the Social Security Act to strengthen child welfare services, expand the availability of prevention services to better meet the needs of vulnerable families, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Short Titles from ENR (Enrolled) bill text","title":"Supporting America’s Children and Families Act"},{"type":"Short Titles from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text","title":"Supporting America’s Children and Families Act"},{"type":"Display Title","title":"Supporting America’s Children and Families Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","title":"Supporting America’s Children and Families Act"},{"type":"Official Titles as Amended by House","title":"To reauthorize child welfare programs under part B of title IV of the Social Security Act and strengthen the State and tribal child support enforcement program under part D of such title, and for other purposes"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Reported to House","title":"Protecting America’s Children by Strengthening Families Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"Protecting America’s Children by Strengthening Families Act"}],"outcome":"became_law","law_number":"Public Law 118-258","introduced":"2024-07-22","chambers":{"house":{"status":"roll_call","date":"2024-09-18","vote":{"id":"118-2024-h423","question":"On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended","title":"Supporting America’s Children and Families Act","result":"Passed","yea":405,"nay":10,"present":0,"not_voting":15,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2024/roll423.xml"}},"senate":{"status":"voice","date":"2024-12-21","vote":null,"how":"unanimous_consent","words":"Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent."}},"president":{"status":"signed","date":"2025-01-04"},"vice_president_tie_breaker":null,"latest_action":{"text":"Became Public Law No: 118-258.","date":"2025-01-04"},"nominees":null,"amendments":[],"other_votes":[],"crs_summary":{"date":"2025-01-04","stage":"Public Law","blocks":[{"k":"h","t":"Supporting America’s Children and Families Act"},{"k":"p","t":"TITLE I--CHILD WELFARE REAUTHORIZATION AND MODERNIZATION"},{"k":"p","t":"Protecting America's Children by Strengthening Families Act"},{"k":"p","t":"This title reauthorizes through FY2029 certain child and family services and modifies programs related to prevention services, youth in foster care, parental substance use disorder, and kinship caregiving, which are generally administered by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF)."},{"k":"p","t":"First, the title reauthorizes funding through FY2029 for the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child Welfare Services and the MaryLee Allen Promoting Safe and Stable Families programs. It also requires 3% of allocated funding to be paid directly to Indian tribes."},{"k":"p","t":"The title also reauthorizes through FY2029 the Court Improvement Program and requires the ACF to issue guidance for technological changes necessary to conduct proceedings remotely."},{"k":"p","t":"The title reauthorizes through FY2029 and revises regional partnership grants for services to families affected by substance use disorders."},{"k":"p","t":"The ACF also must review administrative requirements for state child welfare agencies and explore ways to reduce the compliance time."},{"k":"p","t":"The title also authorizes grants to states and other specified organizations to evaluate child and family services and kinship navigator programs."},{"k":"p","t":"Further, state plans for child welfare services must describe how states may offer virtual caseworker visits to youth in care who are over 18 and have consented to such visits."},{"k":"p","t":"The title also authorizes family preservation and family support services for youth under the age of 26. It also includes within the definition of family preservation services nonrecurring, short-term benefits that address immediate needs related to a specific crisis, such as supports for housing or food assistance."},{"k":"p","t":"The title also reauthorizes grants to states for caseworker support and authorizes demonstration grants to support relationships between foster children and their incarcerated parents."},{"k":"p","t":"Finally, the title modifies certain requirements regarding data collection and technical assistance for programs relating to behavioral health services, and it requires the ACF to report on post-adoption and guardianship services."},{"k":"p","t":"The title takes effect on October 1, 2025."},{"k":"p","t":"TITLE II--STRENGTHENING STATE AND TRIBAL CHILD SUPPORT"},{"k":"p","t":"Strengthening State and Tribal Child Support Enforcement Act"},{"k":"p","t":"This title permits tribal child support enforcement agencies to access the Federal Tax Refund Offset Program to collect past-due child support payments from the federal tax refunds of noncustodial parents."},{"k":"p","t":"Additionally, the title authorizes the Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration to disclose certain tax return information to tribal child support enforcement agencies. Such information may be disclosed to establish and collect child support obligations from, and to locate, those individuals owing such obligations. The title also explicitly authorizes state and tribal child support enforcement agencies to disclose necessary information to contractors for these purposes."},{"k":"p","t":"The title also permits the ACF to reimburse tribal agencies for certain reporting costs related to the Federal Parent Locator Service."}],"words":456},"summary":{"main_subject":{"text":"Reauthorizes and amends the child welfare services and Promoting Safe and Stable Families programs in part B of title IV of the Social Security Act, and extends tax-information access and reimbursement for tribal child support enforcement agencies.","cites":[{"label":"Title I","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/9076/text/enr#toc-H3F2E4C1E782442DF8FD8C31B01205921"},{"label":"Title II","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/9076/text/enr#H270EF87ADEDB4E0E9E72FF6FBC2BC6A2"}]},"core_areas":["Reauthorization of child welfare services and Promoting Safe and Stable Families funding through fiscal year 2029","Court improvement program and remote court hearings","Regional partnership grants for parental substance use disorder","Funding and Indian Child Welfare Act requirements for Indian tribes","Prevention services evaluation grants and kinship navigator programs","Caseworker visits and support for caseworkers","Demonstration grants for foster children and incarcerated parents","Tribal child support enforcement access to tax information"],"what_it_does":[{"text":"Changes the fiscal years in the authorizations for subpart 1 and subpart 2 discretionary funding from 2017 through 2023 to 2025 through 2029, and sets mandatory funding at $420,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2029.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 103","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/9076/text/enr#toc-HC152EBA1C41C47C5B74457578738CE8F:~:text=103.%20Reauthorization%20of%20child%20welfare%20programs"}},{"text":"Requires the Secretary to reserve 3 percent of subpart 1 funds for grants paid directly to Indian tribes and tribal organizations, and requires a plan and technical assistance on implementing the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 by October 1, 2025.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 107","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/9076/text/enr#toc-H17C5D70323AD4E1F9BFF9002E8371E39:~:text=107.%20Streamlining%20funding%20for%20Indian%20tribes"}},{"text":"Authorizes competitive grants to evaluate prevention services and kinship navigator programs, and requires the Secretary to reserve $5,000,000 for these grants for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2029.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 108","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/9076/text/enr#toc-H2872BBE97AE243119B2CE9A98DACB509:~:text=108.%20Accelerating%20access%20to%20Family%20First%20prevention"}},{"text":"Requires the Secretary to reduce the administrative burden of part B programs on funding recipients, including by exploring how to cut their paperwork compliance hours by at least 15 percent, and to post State plans on a public website.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 106","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/9076/text/enr#toc-HAE1DB14AFBA64825B1A5032C82502C01"}},{"text":"Authorizes demonstration grants to State partnerships for programs supporting relationships between foster children and their incarcerated parents, with up to $35,000,000 authorized for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2029.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 113","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/9076/text/enr#toc-HC2E38E3EFC924AEA8965251F6B6A2277:~:text=113.%20Demonstration%20projects%20for%20improving%20relationships%20between"}},{"text":"Allows Indian tribes and tribal organizations receiving child support grants to use the federal tax refund offset and to receive federal tax return information for establishing and collecting child support.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 202","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/9076/text/enr#H5D9004CA4D9549C9B86902F6C0D58B10:~:text=202.%20Improving%20the%20effectiveness%20of%20tribal%20child"}}],"unexpected":[{"category":"off_subject","items":[{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 114","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/9076/text/enr#toc-HF963E56BF35549A7AEF7E274E6D2BC01:~:text=114.%20Guidance%20to%20States%20on%20improving%20data"},"heading":"Guidance to States on improving data collection and reporting for youth in residential treatment programs","effect":"Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue guidance to State agencies within 2 years on data collection, maltreatment data sharing, and oversight for youth in residential treatment facilities.","amount":null,"quote":"Best practices for Federal and State agencies to collect data and share information related to the well-being of youth residing in residential treatment facilities"},{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 116","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/9076/text/enr#toc-H4BAC439DAC274D139DF2A1C87B078354:~:text=116.%20Report%20on%20post%20adoption%20and%20subsidized"},"heading":"Report on post adoption and subsidized guardianship services","effect":"Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to submit a report within 2 years on children who enter foster care after an adoption or legal guardianship is finalized, and on post-adoption and guardianship services in each State.","amount":null,"quote":"a report on children who enter into foster care under the supervision of a State administering a plan approved under part B or E"}]},{"category":"place_specific_amount","items":[{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 107","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/9076/text/enr#toc-H17C5D70323AD4E1F9BFF9002E8371E39:~:text=107.%20Streamlining%20funding%20for%20Indian%20tribes"},"heading":"Streamlining funding for Indian tribes","effect":"Sets tribe-specific funding terms: a 3 percent reserve of subpart 1 funds for Indian tribes and tribal organizations, reporting changes for tribes allotted not more than $50,000, and $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2029 for the tribal court improvement program.","amount":null,"quote":"for fiscal year 2025, and $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2029,"}]},{"category":"selective_carve_out","items":[{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 117","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/9076/text/enr#toc-H0CD6782DE31148F589CA6E4A8D414D0E:~:text=117.%20Effective%20date"},"heading":"Effective date","effect":"Sets an October 1, 2025 effective date, but allows delayed compliance for States needing legislation and gives Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and consortia additional time as the Secretary determines.","amount":null,"quote":"the Secretary shall provide the tribe, organization, or tribal consortium with such additional time as the Secretary determines is necessary"}]},{"category":"process_change","items":[{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 106","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/9076/text/enr#toc-HAE1DB14AFBA64825B1A5032C82502C01"},"heading":"Modernization; reducing administrative burden","effect":"Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to revise data collection forms and reporting requirements for recipients of part B of title IV funds, aiming to reduce paperwork hours by at least 15 percent, and to publish State plans on a public website.","amount":null,"quote":"exploring, in consultation with the recipients, how to reduce the number of hours required for the compliance by at least 15 percent"}]}],"version":{"type":"Enrolled Bill","date":null,"rule":"enrolled","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/9076/text/enr"},"current":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","approved":"2026-10-01","approved_by":"checks"},"sources":{"congress_gov":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/9076","text":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/9076/text"},"card":{"image":"card/item/118-hr-9076.png","v":"20641780cd77","alt":"Votes on Record. H.R. 9076, 118th Congress: Supporting America’s Children and Families Act. House: 405 Yea, 10 Nay. Senate: unanimous consent. Outcome: Became law, 4 Jan 2025."}}