December 2006
Volume 5, Number 9
Summary Report of the 2nd Session of the 109th Congress
Inside this Issue:
109th Congress Adjourns Without Completing Appropriations
Major Congressional Prevention Activities in 2006
---Home Visiting Legislation Makes Gains
---Promoting Safe and Stable Families Reauthorized
---National Child Abuse and Sex Offender Registries Established
---Foster Children Exempted from New Medicaid Rules
---Respite Care Bill Passed
---Shaken Baby Syndrome Legislation Introduced
Join the 20,000 Signatures in 20 Days Campaign
109th Congress Adjourns Without Completing Appropriations
The 109th Congress adjourned on December 9th having passed just two out of 11 appropriations bills for federal fiscal year (FY) 2007, leaving the rest of the spending bills for the 110th Congress to complete. Federal spending not yet approved is being covered by a resolution that allows for the continuation of federal funding to programs through February 15th. The continuing resolution (CR) provides funding at the lowest of the House-passed, the Senate-passed, or the FY 2006 funding level.
Long-Term Continuing Resolution Expected
Senator Byrd (D-WV) and Representative Obey (D-WI-7), incoming Chairs of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees recently announced their plans for finishing up the FY 2007 spending bills in the 110th Congress. Instead of passing the remaining nine bills separately, or bundling them into an “omnibus” bill, the leaders of the 110th Congress plan to pass a long-term CR that will expire on September 30th the official end of the federal fiscal year. Though details are not yet available, the CR is expected to address two issues:
- Additional Funding. Under the “lowest level” structure of the current CR, federal funding for FY 2007 is about $7 billion below the $873 billion discretionary spending cap Congress agreed to earlier this year. Appropriators intend to add that $7 billion to the next CR, likely directing much of the money towards health, education, and veterans programs.
- No Earmarks. Sen. Byrd and Rep. Obey announced that the long-term CR will not include earmarks for special projects. They are placing congressional earmarks on a moratorium until transparency and accountability processes are put into place.
Major Congressional Prevention Activities in 2006
Home Visiting Legislation Makes Gains
The Education Begins at Home Act (EBAH; S 503 and HR 3628), which would provide federal funding for early childhood home visitation programs, was a high priority for Prevent Child Abuse America in the 109th Congress. The bill earned significant Congressional support in 2006 and is well positioned for reintroduction and action next year. The major accomplishments for EBAH this year include:
- Congressional Hearing. The Education Reform Subcommittee of the House Education & Workforce Committee held the first-ever Congressional hearing on early childhood home visitation programs. The committee examined the many benefits of home visitation, including improved school readiness, improved child health and development, improved parenting practices, and reductions in child maltreatment. This was an important step in bringing increased visibility to the service delivery model that is the centerpiece of the EBAH. Turnout among members of Congress was extraordinary a bipartisan mix of eleven out of twenty subcommittee members, plus the full committee chair, were in attendance. For more information on the EBAH hearing, visit the Education Reform subcommittee's website, or read a more detailed report included in the October Prevention Advocate.
- Congressional Briefings. Prevent Child Abuse America cosponsored two well-attended Capitol Hill briefings in early April to draw attention to the home visiting field, educate congressional staffers on the value and benefits of home visitation, and increase support for EBAH. Panelists at the briefings included home visitation program participants, program site administrators, and a researcher who discussed the evidence supporting the home visitation service delivery model.
- Increased Support. At the close of the 109th Congress, EBAH had 67 cosponsors in the House, 18 cosponsors in the Senate, and endorsements from more than 30 national organizations. You can view the full text EBAH and the final list of cosponsors at http://thomas.loc.gov/.
EBAH in the 110th Congress. Legislation does not carry over from one Congress to the next, so EBAH will have to be reintroduced next year. EBAH will receive new bill numbers in the House and Senate, and we will have to start from scratch to garner cosponsors. Luckily, only eight of the 85 House and Senate cosponsors will not be returning to Congress next year. Still, we’ll have to remind cosponsors from the 109th Congress of their support and ask them to cosponsor the bill again in the 110th Congress. Prevent Child Abuse America will issue specific action steps as we approach reintroduction. Please stay tuned to future Prevention Advocates for more details.
Promoting Safe and Stable Families Reauthorized
Congress reauthorized the Promoting Safe and Stable Families program (PSSF), which provides the largest federal funding source dedicated to prevention and family support services in child welfare. The Child and Family Services Improvement Act of 2006 (Public Law No. 109-288) continued the current authorized funding levels for PSSF of $305 million in mandatory funding and $200 million in discretionary funding (i.e. subject to annual appropriations), placing the total authorized funding for PSSF at $505 million through FY 2011. States must continue to spend 20 percent of their PSSF allotments on each of four categories: family support services; family preservation; time-limited family reunification; and adoption promotion and support.
Details are available in the October Prevention Advocate.
National Child Abuse and Sex Offender Registries Established
In July, Congress passed the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (Public Law No. 109-248), an anti-crime bill establishing a national child abuse and neglect registry and a national sex offender registry, among other provisions.
Details on the national registries are included in the August Prevention Advocate.
Foster Children Exempted from New Medicaid Rules
As one of its last acts before adjournment, Congress passed legislation exempting foster children and children receiving adoption assistance payments from new citizenship documentation requirements for enrollment in Medicaid. The exemption was included in the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 (HR 6111).
American citizenship or legal immigration status has always been required for federal Medicaid eligibility, but the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) passed in February -- upped the ante in terms of documentary evidence required to verify citizenship status and identity. Over the summer, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published regulations for implementing the new requirements that would have placed onerous documentation requirements on children, including children in foster care, children who have been abandoned, homeless children, children with disabilities, and children being raised by grandparents or other relatives. Prevent Child Abuse America recommended that the rules be amended to exempt children who are eligible for Medicaid on the basis of their eligibility for foster care or adoption assistance payments. We are pleased to see that Congress implemented this change.
Please see the June and October Prevention Advocates for more information.
Respite Care Bill Passed
Just prior to adjournment, Congress passed legislation authorizing federal grants to support respite care for children and adults. Respite care programs provide planned or emergency care to a child in order to provide temporary relief to the caregiver of that child. The Lifespan Respite Care Act (HR 3248 and S 1283) introduced in the House by Representative Ferguson (R-NJ-7) and in the Senate by Senator Clinton (D-NY) authorizes federal grants to develop lifespan respite care at the state and local levels. The grant authorized at $30 million in FY 2007 and will expand each year to a high of $94.8 million in FY 2011. More information on the bill and the benefits of respite care is available at the National Respite Coalition’s website.
Shaken Baby Syndrome Legislation Introduced
On September 14th, Representative Sue Kelly (R-NY-19) introduced the Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention Act (HR 6070). Among other provisions, the legislation would provide $5 million to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop and implement a public information and educational campaign about the harmful effects of shaking infants and children under the age of five, and about healthy strategies to cope with a crying baby and related frustrations. Representative Kelly will not be returning to Congress next year; however we do anticipate that this bill will be re-introduced in the next Congress, along with a Senate companion bill.
Join the 20,000 Signatures in 20 Days Campaign
On January 4th, 10 new Senators, 56 new Representatives, and a new slate of congressional leaders will be sworn into the U.S. Congress. Prevent Child Abuse America is committed to working with the new Congress on a comprehensive approach to prevention that supports all parents and families so that they can provide healthy, safe and nurturing environments for children. We need your help to garner Congressional support for this movement!
Please Sign Our Petition to Congress
Prevent Child Abuse America is asking people who believe that the prevention of child abuse and neglect is a national priority to sign our petition to Congress and to forward the petition on to friends and family.
Our goal is to get 20,000 signatures in 20 Days.
With your support, we will deliver to members of the 110th Congress a message outlining the leadership role they can play in supporting healthy community and family development in order to prevent the abuse and neglect of our nation’s children.
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