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ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

PAYMENTS TO STATES FOR CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT AND FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAMS

The Committee provides $2,121,643,000 for the Child Support Enforcement and Family Support programs, the same as the budget request. The bill also provides $1,200,000,000 in advance funding for the first quarter of fiscal year 2007 to ensure timely payments for the child support enforcement program, the same as the request. The bill provides estimated funding of $33,000,000 for Payments to Territories, $10,000,000 above the fiscal year 2005 level and the same as the budget request. The bill provides $1,300,000 for the repatriation program, $300,000 more than the fiscal year 2005 level and the same as the budget request.

LOW-INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE

The Committee provides an appropriation of $1,984,799,000 for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance State formula grants. This is $100,000,000 more than the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and $184,799,000 above the budget request. The Committee provides all of these funds through the regular formula program and does not include funding for the contingent emergency reserve. The budget request included $1,800,000,000 in formula grants and $100,000,000 in contingent emergency funding.

The low-income home energy assistance program (LIHEAP) provides assistance to low-income households to help pay the costs of home energy. Funds are provided through grants to States, Indian Tribes and territories, and are used for summer cooling and winter heating/crisis assistance programs.

The Committee is concerned that rising natural gas prices are limiting the effectiveness and impact of LIHEAP. While American consumers pay the highest natural gas prices in the world, the rest of the world, on average, pays many times less per thousand cubic feet for natural gas. The Committee directs that not less than 150 days after the date of enactment of this Act the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit a report on the estimated percentage of LIHEAP funds currently expended to assist consumers with natural gas bills; the degree to which this percentage will rise relative to future increases in the price of natural gas paid by American consumers; and the degree to which additional consumers may be served by LIHEAP should Congress enact policy changes which cause domestic natural gas prices to decrease in the future by 5 percent, 10 percent, 20 percent, or 50 percent.

REFUGEE AND ENTRANT ASSISTANCE

The Committee provides $560,919,000 for refugee assistance programs. This is $76,525,000 more than the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and $8,879,000 more than the budget request. In addition, the bill provides the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) the authority to carry over unexpended funds from fiscal year 2006 to reimburse the costs of services provided through September 30, 2008 for all programs within ORR's jurisdiction.

Transitional and medical services

The Committee provides $264,129,000 for transitional and medical services. This is $72,101,000 more than the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and the same as the budget request. The transitional and medical services program provides funding for the State administered cash and medical assistance program that assists refugees who are not categorically eligible for TANF or Medicaid, the unaccompanied minors program that reimburses States for the cost of foster care, and the voluntary agency grant program in which participating National refugee resettlement agencies provide resettlement assistance with a combination of Federal and matched funds.

Victims of trafficking

The Committee provides up to $9,915,000 for the victims of trafficking program. This is the same as the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and the budget request. The funds will ensure continued administration of a National network for identification, tracking and certification of trafficking victims.

Social Services

The Committee provides $160,000,000 for social services. This is $8,879,000 more than the budget request and $4,888,000 less than the fiscal year 2005 comparable level. Funds are distributed by formula as well as through the discretionary grant making process for special projects. The Committee intends that funds provided above the request shall be used for Refugee School Impact Grants and for additional assistance in resettling and meeting the needs of the Hmong refugees expected to arrive during 2006 and 2007.

Within the funds provided, the Committee has included $19,000,000 for support to communities with large concentrations of Cuban and Haitian entrants of varying ages whose cultural differences make assimilation especially difficult, justifying a more intense level and longer duration of Federal assistance.

Preventive health

The Committee provides $4,796,000 for preventive health services. This is the same as the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and the budget request. These funds are awarded to the States to ensure adequate health assessment activities for refugees.

Targeted assistance

The Committee provides $49,081,000 for the targeted assistance program. This is the same as the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and the budget request. These grants provide assistance to areas with high concentrations of refugees.

Unaccompanied minors

The Committee provides $63,083,000 for the unaccompanied minors program. This is $9,312,000 more than the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and the same as the budget request. The program is designed to provide for the care and placement of unaccompanied alien minors who are apprehended in the U.S. pending resolution of their claims for relief under U.S. immigration law or released to an adult family member or responsible adult guardian.

The Committee urges the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of all information gathered in the course of the care, custody and placement of unaccompanied alien children consistent with ORR's role and responsibility under the Homeland Security Act to act as guardian in loco parentis in the best interests of the unaccompanied alien child. ORR should consider the needs and privacy of these children to guarantee the confidentiality of their information in order to be trusting and truthful to ORR, clinicians, and its agents for purposes of receiving appropriate quality care and placement services.

The Committee urges ORR to allow individual abused, abandoned or neglected children in its custody, when appropriate, to access State dependency proceedings for ultimate care and placement in State foster care or under legal guardianship as a necessary predicate for their eligibility for special immigrant juvenile status. The Committee encourages ORR to fund pilot programs to study and assess the benefits of providing pro bono counsel to children in ORR custody. The Committee also encourages ORR to give high priority to the availability of pro bono legal counsel when selecting facilities for housing unaccompanied children in ORR custody. The Committee understands that ORR carried out a successful pilot program in Chicago, Illinois through Heartland Alliance on the benefits of child advocates for unaccompanied children.The Committee encourages ORR to implement follow-up pilot programs to further develop the findings and best practices of the Chicago pilot program regarding the utilization of child advocates to identify the child's best interests from a child welfare perspective so that such information can be taken into consideration by attorneys and judges involved in a child's immigration proceedings.

The Committee directs that not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit a report on progress made by ORR and programs funded under this Act to shift children from secured detention facilities to more age-appropriate shelter-based facilities for unaccompanied children in its custody.

Victims of torture

The Committee provides $9,915,000 to provide a comprehensive program of support for domestic centers and programs for victims of torture. This is the same as the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and the budget request.

CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT

The Committee includes $2,082,910,000 for the Child Care and Development Block Grant program, $11,000 below the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and the same as the budget request. The Child Care and Development Block Grant program was originally enacted in the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 to increase the availability, affordability and quality of child care by providing funds to States, Territories and Indian Tribes for child care services for low-income families. The authorization for mandatory appropriations for childcare in the amount of $2,717,000,000 is also requested for fiscal year 2006.

SOCIAL SERVICES BLOCK GRANT

The bill provides $1,700,000,000 for the social services block grant (SSBG). This is the same as the fiscal year 2005 level and the budget request.

SSBGs are designed to encourage States to furnish a variety of social services to needy individuals to prevent and reduce dependency, help individuals achieve and maintain self-sufficiency, prevent or reduce inappropriate institutional care, secure admission or referral for institutional care when other forms of care are not appropriate, and prevent neglect, abuse and exploitation of children and adults.

Funds are distributed to the territories in the same ratio such funds were allocated in fiscal year 1981. The remainder of the appropriation is distributed to the States and the District of Columbia according to population.

The bill includes a provision that modifies the percentage of funds that a State may transfer between the Social Services Block Grant and the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families programs to 10%.

CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES PROGRAMS

The Committee provides a program level total of $8,701,207,000 for children and family services programs. This is $317,063,000 less than the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and $304,414,000 more than the budget request. Within the total provided, $12,500,000 is provided through the evaluation set-aside. This account finances a number of programs aimed at enhancing the well-being of the Nation's children and families, particularly those who are disadvantaged or troubled.

Head Start

The Committee includes $6,899,000,000 for the Head Start program for fiscal year 2005, an increase of $55,886,000 over the fiscal year 2005 comparable amount and $336,000 below the budget request. Of this total, the Committee continues the policy of advancing $1,400,000,000 of this account into fiscal year 2007.

Head Start provides comprehensive child development services to economically disadvantaged children and their families. Intended primarily for preschoolers from low-income families, the program promotes school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of children through the provision of educational, health, nutritional, social and other services. Head Start programs engage parents in their children's learning and help them in making progress toward their educational, literacy and employment goals. At least ten percent of enrollment opportunities in each State are made available to handicapped children.

Grants to carry out Head Start programs are awarded to public and private non-profit and for-profit agencies. Unless a waiver is approved grantees must contribute 20 percent of the total cost of the program from non-Federal funds; this is usually an in-kind contribution. No more than 15 percent of total costs may be for program administration.

The Committee is aware that in May of 2005, the Secretary made $35,000,000 in additional fiscal year 2005 funds available to Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs and that these funds, which will be awarded on competitive basis, will allow for at least 4,000 additional children to access Migrant and Seasonal Head Start. The Committee acknowledges that these expansion funds will increase access to this important program, however additional funding may be necessary to adequately serve this population. The Committee requests that the Secretary submit a report on the Head Start Bureau's ongoing plans to ensure that Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs are able to serve a larger percentage of the children eligible for services. The Committee continues to point to the 2001 study published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that documented that only 19 percent of eligible children were able to access Migrant and Seasonal Head Start.

The Committee supports the provisions included in H.R. 2123, the School Readiness Act of 2005 as approved by the House Education and Workforce Committee, which would address concerns about the potential funding shortfall for Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Programs and would require the Secretary, in consultation with Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Programs, to establish systems to document the demand for Migrant and Seasonal Head Start on an ongoing basis. The system should accurately determine the number of children who are eligible for services across the country and document how many of these children are accessing services so that quantifiable information is available to the Secretary upon which future funding decisions can be made. H.R. 2123 would ensure that additional resources are immediately available for these programs until such time that improved information is available to the Secretary. The Committee supports this effort that will enable policy makers and advocates to more effectively serve migrant and seasonal farmworker families and their children.

The Committee is mindful of the conclusions of the Government Accountability Office in its May 17, 2005 report, ‘‘Head Start: Further Development Could Allow Results of New Test to be Used for Decision Making.'' The Committee expects the Secretary to submit a report to Congress, within one year, that includes: (1) a detailed justification on the planned uses of the National Reporting System results and data, including its use for program evaluation, professional development, technical assistance, and other activities; (2) an itemization of the costs of development, implementation, and analysis of the National Reporting System, detailing by name, amount, and description of activities each contract or grant to persons or entities involved in its design, development, implementation, or analysis; and (3) the recommendations made by the Technical Working Group established by the Secretary, including an explanation of how the Secretary has addressed or plans to address the Working Group's and the GAO's recommendations.

The Committee notes that the current Head Start Act includes the provision of training and technical assistance in the area of family literacy services—a provision that is retained in the House version of Head Start reauthorization legislation. Pending the final resolution of the Head Start reauthorization process, the Committee encourages the Secretary to ensure the continuity of the important services that are being provided through the Head Start Family Literacy Project.

The Committee is aware that approximately one-third of Head Start programs are affiliated with public school systems and often combine or coordinate the transportation of Head Start, preschool, and K–12 students. In addition, many center-based Head Start programs coordinate with local transit authorities to provide supervised transportation to Head Start children whose parents work non-traditional hours or whose geographical distance from the parent's place of employment creates a barrier to Head Start participation. Differences between Head Start transportation regulations, promulgated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and those promulgated by State and local authorities, may have the unintended consequence of reducing transportation services for Head Start students, and in turn, decrease transportation options for children. These differences may leave Head Start children without transportation or relying on parents to provide transportation in their vehicles.

The Committee recognizes that children's safety is the most important consideration and that many students participating in Head Start programs need access to safe and reliable transportation provided by public schools or local transit systems. The Committee is aware that the Department of Health and Human Services currently offers a waiver option to local education agencies that dually serve as Head Start contractors, which will expire on January 1, 2006 . In the absence of a permanent solution to this problem, the Committee directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to extend another waiver option to local education agency-contracted Head Start programs that provide integrated transportation to Head Start students. In cases where public schools or local transit authorities provide Head Start services, local educational agencies should have the option to comply with transportation standards for preschool students mandated by the State or local education agencies a, transit agencies, State departments of Transportation or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Furthermore, the Committee directs the Department to work towards a permanent fix to this problem in order to provide clearer standards and options to local education agencies transporting both Head Start and regular preschool and K–12 children.

Consolidated runaway and homeless youth program

The Committee provides $88,728,000 for runaway and homeless youth activities, an increase of $4,000 more than the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and the same as the budget request. The Runaway, Homeless, and Missing Children Protection Act of 2003 reauthorized the runaway and homeless youth programs and established a statutory formula distribution between the Basic Center Program and the Transitional Living Program.

The runaway and homeless youth programs provide grants to local public and private organizations to establish and operate runaway and homeless youth shelters to address the crisis needs of runaway and homeless youth and their families. Grants are used to develop or strengthen community-based shelters, which are outside the law enforcement, juvenile justice, child welfare, and mental health systems.

It is the Committee's continued expectation that current transitional living program grantees will continue to provide transitional living opportunities and supports to pregnant and parenting homeless youth, as is their current practice. To further ensure that pregnant and parenting homeless youth are able to access transitional living opportunities and supports in their communities, the Committee encourages the Secretary, acting through the network of federally-funded runaway and homeless youth training and technical assistance providers, to offer guidance to grantees and others on the programmatic modifications required to address the unique needs of pregnant and parenting youth and on the various sources of funding available for residential services to this population.

Maternity group homes

The Committee has not included funding for this new program. The budget request is $10,000,000.

The Committee is aware of the need for and shares the Administration's interest in funding residential services for young mothers and their children who are unable to live with their own families because of abuse, neglect, or other circumstances. The Committee notes that pregnant and parenting youth are currently eligible for and served through the Transitional Living Program.

Prevention grants to reduce abuse of runaway youth

The Committee provides $15,179,000 for prevention grants to reduce abuse of runaway youth. This is $1,000 more than the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and the same as the budget request. This program is designed to reduce the sexual abuse of runaway youth by providing grants to support street-based outreach and education to runaway, homeless, and street youth who have been sexually abused or who are at-risk of sexual abuse, in order to connect these young people with services so that they have a chance for a safe and healthy future. The street outreach program ensures rapid engagement with young people in an effort to prevent the most terrible situations that take place when they are subjected to life on the streets—physical and sexual abuse, assault, commercial sexual exploitation, disease, long-term homelessness, and even death.

Child abuse state grants and discretionary activities

For child abuse State grants and discretionary activities, the Committee provides $58,925,000. This is $5,000 more than the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and the same as the budget request. Within this total, the recommendation includes $27,280,000 for State grants and $31,645,000 for child abuse discretionary activities.

Community-based child abuse prevention

The Committee provides $42,859,000 for community-based child abuse prevention. This is $1,000 more than the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and the same as the budget request. The Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003 reauthorized and renamed this program and added voluntary home visiting programs as a core local service. Funds are provided to lead State agencies and are used to develop, operate, expand, and enhance community based efforts to strengthen and support families in order to prevent child abuse and neglect.

Abandoned infants assistance

The Committee provides $11,955,000 for the Abandoned Infants Assistance program. This is the same as the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and the budget request. The purpose of this program is to provide financial support to public and private community and faith-based entities to develop, implement, and operate demonstration projects that will prevent the abandonment of infants and young children exposed to HIV/AIDS and drugs; identify and address their needs; assist such children to reside with their natural families or in foster care; recruit, train and retain foster parents as well as health and social services personnel; provide respite care for families and foster families; and prevent the abandonment of infants and young children.

Child welfare services and training

The Committee provides $289,650,000 for child welfare services. This is the same as the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and the budget request. This program, authorized by title IV B of the Social Security Act, provides grants to States to assist public welfare agencies to improve child welfare services. State services include preventive intervention in order for children to stay in their homes, alternative placement like foster care or adoption if it is not possible for children to remain at home, and reunification programs so that, if appropriate, children can return home.

The Committee provides $7,409,000 for child welfare training. This is the same as the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and the budget request. The Committee recognizes the need for trained, skilled and qualified child welfare service workers. This program provides grants to institutions of higher education to develop and improve education and training programs and resources for child welfare service providers as well as students seeking degrees in social work.

Adoption opportunities

The Committee provides $27,119,000 for adoption opportunities. This is $3,000 more than the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and the same as the budget request. The Adoption Opportunities Program provides funding specifically targeted to improving the adoption of children, particularly those with special needs, and for providing innovative services that support families involved in adoption.

Adoption incentives

The Committee provides $31,846,000 for the adoption incentives program. This is the same as the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and the budget request. The Adoption Promotion Act of 2003 reauthorized this program and now targets incentives specifically for older children. Funds are awarded to States using three baselines: one for the total number of children adopted, one for children with special needs under the age of nine, and one for children aged nine and older. The goal of this program is to increase the number of adoptions nationwide.

Adoption awareness

The Committee provides $12,802,000 for the adoption awareness program. This is the same as the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and the budget request. This program was authorized in the Children's Health Act of 2000. The adoption awareness program provides training to designated staff of eligible health centers in providing adoption information and referrals to pregnant women on an equal basis with all other courses of action included in non-directive counseling to pregnant women.

Compassion capital fund

The Committee provides $75,000,000 for the compassion capital fund. This is $20,451,000 more than the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and $25,000,000 less than the budget request. This program supports the creation of grants to public/private partnerships to support charitable organizations in expanding or emulating model social services agencies and provides capacity-building funds directly to faith- and community-based organizations.

The Committee is pleased that the budget request included funding to focus on street outreach strategies to prevent youth gang involvement. Within the total provided for the compassion capital fund it is the Committee's intention that $25,000,000 be provided for the youth gang prevention initiative.

Social services and income maintenance research

The Committee provides a program level total of $10,621,000 for social services and income maintenance research, $8,000,000 of which is through the evaluation set-aside. This is $4,621,000 more than the budget request and $21,391,000 less than the fiscal year 2005 comparable level. These funds support research, demonstration, evaluation and dissemination activities. Recent topics funded through this program include welfare-to-work strategies and programs to strengthen family relationships and promote healthy marriages.

The Committee notes the Administration for Children and Family's (ACF) efforts to assist States with meeting the extensive record-keeping, reporting and tracking requirements of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Working through the State information technology consortium, ACF is providing States with the tools necessary to strengthen and improve the complex IT systems required to support TANF. Plans are now underway to pilot test a data exchange program that will offer States a faster, less expensive means of validating, accessing, modifying and recording TANF data elements. Similarly, on behalf of Child Support Enforcement, the consortium is helping to expand data exchange capabilities between the courts and State child support enforcement agencies as well as increase collection efficiency in States and tribal organizations. Next steps include accessing existing databases used as primary sources for collection-related data of non-custodial parents, and enhancing data-matching capabilities to ensure the integrity of the information being collected.

Developmental disabilities

For programs authorized by the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 as well as by the Help America Vote Act, the Committee provides $170,561,000. This is $1,986,000 more than the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and $2,000,000 more than the budget request.

The account total includes $72,496,000 for allotments to the States to fund State Councils, the same as the budget request and the fiscal year 2005 comparable level. These Councils engage in such activities as planning, policy analysis, demonstrations, training, outreach, interagency coordination, and public education. They do not provide direct services to the developmentally disabled population.

In addition, $38,109,000 will be available to the States to be used for operating a protection and advocacy system to protect the legal and human rights of the developmentally disabled. This is the same as the budget request and the fiscal year 2005 level.

The Committee provides $14,879,000 for voting access for individuals with disabilities programs. This is the same as the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and the budget request. Within the funds provided, $9,919,000 is for payments to States to promote access voters with disabilities and $4,960,000 is for State protection and advocacy systems. These programs are intended to make polling places accessible and provide equal access and participation for individuals with disabilities. The protection and advocacy program will ensure that individuals can fully participate in the electoral process, including registering to vote, accessing polling places, and casting a vote.

The Committee provides $11,529,000 for developmental disabilities projects of National significance. This is $13,000 less than the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and the same as the budget request.

The Committee provides a total of $33,548,000 for the university centers for excellence in developmental disabilities. This is $1,999,000 more than the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and $2,000,000 more than the budget request. This funding provides discretionary grants to public or not-for-profit entities associated with universities. The grants provide basic operational and administrative core support for these agencies. In addition, these funds support interdisciplinary training, community services, research and technical assistance and information dissemination. Funding above the request is provided to fully fund the new centers established in fiscal year 2005 and to establish one to two new centers in fiscal year 2006.

Native American programs

The Committee provides $44,780,000 for Native American programs. This is the same as the budget request and $6,000 less than the fiscal year 2005 comparable level. The Native American programs assist Tribal and Village governments, Native American institutions and organizations to support and develop stable, diversified local economies. In promoting social and economic self-sufficiency, this organization provides financial assistance through direct grants for individual projects, training and technical assistance, and research and demonstration programs.

Community services

The Committee provides $384,672,000 for community services activities. This is $359,973,000 more than the budget request and $341,834,000 less than the fiscal year 2005 comparable level.

State block grant

For the State block grant, the Committee provides $320,000,000. This is $316,793,000 less than the fiscal year 2005 comparable level. No funds were requested for this program. This program provides grants to States, territories and Indian Tribes for services to meet employment, housing, nutrition, energy, emergency services, and health needs of low-income people. By law, 90 percent of these funds are passed directly through to local community action agencies that have previously received block grant funds.

Community economic development

The Committee provides $32,731,000 for community economic development grants. This is the same as the fiscal year 2005 comparable level. No funds were requested for this program. These activities provide assistance to private, locally-initiated community development corporations that sponsor enterprises providing employment, training and business development opportunities for low income residents in poor communities. Within the total, $5,436,000 is provided for the Job Opportunities for Low-Income Individuals program, which provides competitive grant to non-profit organizations to create new employment and business opportunities for TANF recipients and other low-income individuals.

Individual development accounts

The Committee provides $24,699,000 for individual development accounts. This is $5,000 less than the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and the same as the budget request. Individual development accounts are dedicated savings accounts that can be used by families with limited means for purchasing a first home, paying for postsecondary education or capitalizing a business. The intent of the program is to encourage participants to develop and reinforce strong habits for saving money. 501(c)(3) organizations are eligible to apply for the funds and applicants must match Federal funds with non-Federal funds.

Rural community facilities

The Committee provides $7,242,000 for the rural community facilities program. This is the same as the fiscal year 2005 comparable amount. No funds were requested for this program. The Committee includes these funds to be used solely for the purpose of improving water and wastewater facilities in poor, rural communities. As in the past, these funds should be allocated to regional, rural community assistance programs.

National youth sports

The Committee concurs with the budget request not to include funding for National youth sports. The fiscal year 2005 funding level for this program is $17,856,000. These funds are made available to a private, non-profit organization to provide recreational activities for low-income youth, primarily in the summer months. College and university athletic facilities are employed in the program.

Community food and nutrition

The Committee concurs with the budget request not to include funding for the community food and nutrition program. The fiscal year 2005 funding level for this program is $7,180,000. This program provides grants to public and private agencies to coordinate existing food assistance programs, to identify sponsors of child nutrition programs and attempt to initiate new programs and to do advocacy work at the State and local levels.

Violent crime reduction programs

The Committee provides $125,991,000 for family violence prevention and services and battered women's shelters. This is the same as the budget request and $361,000 more than the fiscal year 2005 comparable level. This program is designed to assist States and Indian Tribes in efforts to prevent family violence and to provide immediate shelter and related assistance for victims of family violence and their dependents, and to provide for technical assistance and training relating to family violence programs to State and local public agencies (including law enforcement agencies), nonprofit private organizations, and persons seeking such assistance.

The Committee also includes $3,000,000 to continue funding the National domestic violence hotline. This is $224,000 less than the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and the same as the budget request.

Early learning fund

The Committee concurs with the budget request and does not provide funding for the early learning fund. The fiscal year 2005 level for this program is $35,712,000. This program was begun in fiscal year 2001 to help facilitate the development of learning readiness in young children.

Mentoring children of prisoners

The Committee provides $49,993,000 for the mentoring children of prisoners program. This is $395,000 above the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and the same as the budget request. This program supports competitively awarded grants to States and local governments, Indian tribes and consortia, and faith- and community-based organizations to mentor children of prisoners and those recently released from prison.

Independent living training vouchers

The Committee provides $50,000,000 for independent living training vouchers. This is $3,377,000 more than the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and $9,999,000 less than the budget request. These funds support vouchers for college tuition or vocational training for individuals who age out of the foster care system, so they can be better prepared to live independently.

Abstinence education

The Committee provides a program level total of $114,500,000 for the community-based abstinence education program, which is $10,802,000 above the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and $28,045,000 below the budget request. Within the total, $4,500,000 is provided through the evaluation set-aside as requested. The program provides support to public and private entities for implementation of community-based abstinence education programs for adolescents aged 12 through 18 as defined in sections (A) through (H) of Title 5, section 510(b)(2) of the Social Security Act. The entire focus of these programs is to educate young people and create an environment within communities that supports teen decisions to postpone sexual activity until marriage. There is no funding match requirement for these grants. The Committee intends that up to five percent of these funds be used to provide technical assistance and capacity-building support to grantees. Within the total, up to $10,000,000 may be used to carry out a National Abstinence Education Campaign.

The Committee is concerned that the funding for training and technical assistance is not being used effectively to help communities develop abstinence-only programs and to support existing community-based programs. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) should fully utilize the set-aside to ensure that programs around the country are using appropriate and approved curricula that are evidence-based and comply with the appropriate Federal legislation. To that end, the Committee directs ACF to issue a report to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations by no later than 90 days of enactment of this Act on the use of the five percent set-aside since the transfer of the program from the Health Resources and Services Administration and the intended use of the fiscal year 2006 funds. Also include in this report the funds from the National Abstinence Education Campaign that are being used for training and technical assistance.

The Committee reinforces the guidance from its report accompanying the fiscal year 2005 appropriation with respect to the abstinence messages given by the public health entities that are grantees in the community-based abstinence education program and to the conduct of evaluation activities for the program.

The Committee encourages ACF to seek appropriate partnerships with the Corporation for National and Community Service to utilize its corps of volunteers to support and strengthen the community-based abstinence education program. The Corporation's programs include volunteer and mentoring personnel that could be accessed to further bolster the goals of abstinence-only education.

Faith-based center

The Committee provides $1,400,000 for the faith-based center. This is the same as the budget request and $25,000 more than the fiscal year 2005 comparable level. The center will support implementation of faith-based and community initiatives in accordance with the President's executive order.

Program direction

The Committee provides $185,217,000 for program direction expenses for the Administration for Children and Families. This is $7,000 more than the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and the same as the budget request.

PROMOTING SAFE AND STABLE FAMILIES

The Committee provides $404,000,000 for the promoting safe and stable families program. This is $414,000 more than the fiscal year 2005 comparable level and $6,000,000 less than the budget request.

PAYMENTS TO STATES FOR FOSTER CARE AND ASSISTANCE

The bill provides $4,852,800,000 for payments to States for foster care and adoption assistance. This is $185,100,000 less than the fiscal year 2005 level and the same as the budget request. The bill also includes an advance appropriation of $1,730,000,000 for the first quarter of fiscal year 2007 to ensure timely completion of first quarter grant awards.

Of the total appropriation, including the advance appropriation from the prior year, the bill provides $4,685,000,000 for the foster care program to provide maintenance payments to States on behalf of children who must live outside their homes. This is the same as the budget request and $210,500,000 less than the fiscal year 2005 level.

Within the total appropriation, the bill provides $1,795,000,000 for adoption assistance. This is $24,900,000 more than the fiscal year 2005 level and the same as the budget request. This program provides training for parents and State administrative staff as well as payments on behalf of categorically eligible children considered difficult to adopt. This annually appropriated entitlement is designed to provide alternatives to long, inappropriate stays in foster care by developing permanent placements with families.

Within the total appropriation for this account, the bill provides $140,000,000 for the independent living program. This is the same as the fiscal year 2005 level and the budget request. The program is designed to assist foster children age 16 or older to make successful transitions to independence. Funds assist children to earn high school diplomas, receive vocational training, and obtain training in daily living skills. Funds are awarded to States on the basis of the number of children on behalf of whom Federal foster care payments are received.

GENERAL PROVISIONS

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TITLE II—DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

PAYMENTS TO STATES FOR CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT AND

FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAMS

Language providing that the sum of the amounts available to a State with respect to expenditures under title IV–A of the Social Security Act in fiscal year 1997 under this appropriation and under such title IV–A as amended by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 shall not exceed the limitations under section 116(b) of such Act.

SOCIAL SERVICES BLOCK GRANT

Language providing that States may transfer up to 10 percent of Temporary Assistance for Needy Family funds to the Social Services Block Grant.

CHILDREN AND FAMILIES SERVICES PROGRAMS

Language making $6,000,000 available under section 241 of the Public Health Service Act to carry out provisions of section 1110 of the Social Security Act. Language providing that unexpended Community Services Block Grant funds may be carried over to the next fiscal year by local grantees.

Language making $4,500,000 available under section 241 of the Public Health Service Act to carry out evaluations of adolescent pregnancy prevention approaches.

APPROPRIATIONS NOT AUTHORIZED BY LAW

Pursuant to clause 3 of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the following table lists the appropriations in the accompanying bill which are not authorized by law:

 

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