Supporting Grandfamilies Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9796 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9796

   To amend the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to reestablish the
   National Technical Assistance Center on Grandfamilies and Kinship
                               Families.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 21, 2026

 Ms. Bonamici (for herself, Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania, Mr. Davis of
 Illinois, and Mr. Nunn of Iowa) introduced the following bill; which
   was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in
 addition to the Committees on Financial Services, the Judiciary, and
Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

   To amend the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to reestablish the
   National Technical Assistance Center on Grandfamilies and Kinship
                               Families.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Supporting Grandfamilies Act of
2026''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS.

    Section 2922 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (20 U.S.C.
3020g) is amended--
            (1) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
    ``(a) In General.--In addition to amounts otherwise available,
there is authorized to be appropriated, and there is appropriated, to
the Secretary of Health and Human Services for fiscal year 2027, out of
any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $10,000,000, to
remain available through September 30, 2031, for the Secretary, acting
through the Assistant Secretary for Aging and in consultation with the
Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families,
to operate, through a grant or contract, a National Technical
Assistance Center on Grandfamilies and Kinship Families (in this
section referred to as the `Center') to conduct the activities
described in subsection (c).'',
            (2) redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c),
            (3) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
    ``(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Center shall be to provide
training, technical assistance, coordination, and resources to
community-based organizations, government programs, and other
organizations that serve grandfamilies and kinship families, to support
the health, academic achievement, and well-being, including economic
well-being, of members of these families, including caregivers,
children, and their parents. The Center shall focus primarily on
serving grandfamilies or kinship families in which the primary
caregiver is an adult age 55 or older, or on grandfamilies or kinship
families in which the child has one or more disabilities, as defined
under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act
of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 15002).'',
            (4) in subsection (c), as so redesignated--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) by striking ``stimulate the development
                        of'' and inserting ``develop'', and
                            (ii) by striking ``and substance use'' and
                        inserting ``, opioid and other substance
                        use,'',
                    (B) in paragraph (2) by striking ``and to promote''
                and all that follows through ``them'', and inserting
                ``with a priority on evidence-based practices or
                programs developed or identified under paragraph (1)'',
                    (C) by amending paragraphs (3), (4), and (5) to
                read as follows:
            ``(3) promote coordination of services for grandfamilies
        and kinship families across systems that support them;
            ``(4) facilitate learning across States, territories,
        Indian Tribes, urban Indian organizations, and Tribal
        organizations, for providing technical assistance, resources,
        and training related to issues described in paragraph (1) to
        individuals and entities across systems that directly work with
        grandfamilies and kinship families;
            ``(5) help community-based organizations, government
        programs, Indian Tribes, urban Indian organizations, and Tribal
        organizations, serving grandfamilies and kinship families, to
        plan and coordinate programs and services to assist
        grandfamilies and kinship families; and'', and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(6) assist community-based organizations and government
        programs in tailoring services to the unique needs of
        grandfamilies and kinship families to serve them most
        effectively and efficiently.'', and
            (5) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(d) Grant or Contract Requirements.--The organization that
carries out the activities of the Center with a grant or contract made
under subsection (a) shall be a nonprofit organization that has--
            ``(1) a history of demonstrated expertise in issues
        impacting grandfamilies and kinship families, including those
        in contact with the child welfare system;
            ``(2) experience providing technical assistance to a range
        of organizations that serve grandfamilies, kinship families,
        and kinship families, including Indian Tribes, urban Tribal
        organizations, and Tribal organizations;
            ``(3) experience facilitating peer to peer learning
        networks and building connections between providers across
        systems of care;
            ``(4) an established process and history of engagement of
        grandfamilies and kinship families in providing guidance,
        input, and feedback into the organization's work; and
            ``(5) experience assisting community-based organizations,
        government programs, and other organizations serving
        grandfamilies and kinship families in tailoring services to
        their unique needs.''.
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