Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to contract with a nonprofit fatherhood promotion organization to: (1) develop and distribute a media campaign that addresses the issue of responsible fatherhood to States, local governments, public agencies, and private entities; and (2) develop a national clearinghouse to assist States and community efforts to promote and support marriage and responsible fatherhood by disseminating information regarding media campaigns and programs instituted by States using grant funds under this Act.
[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 604 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 604
To amend part D of title IV of the Social Security Act to provide
grants to promote responsible fatherhood, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 12, 2003
Mr. Bayh (for himself, Mr. Domenici, and Mr. Santorum) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Finance
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend part D of title IV of the Social Security Act to provide
grants to promote responsible fatherhood, and for other purposes.
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 ``Responsible Fatherhood Act of
2003''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Nearly 24,000,000 children in the United States, or 34
percent of all such children, live apart from their biological
father.
(2) Sixty percent of couples who divorce have at least 1
child.
(3) The number of children living with only a mother
increased from just over 5,000,000 in 1960, to 17,000,000 in
1999, and between 1981 and 1991 the percentage of children
living with only 1 parent increased from 19 percent to 25
percent.
(4) Forty percent of children who live in households
without a father have not seen their father in at least 1 year
and 50 percent of such children have never visited their
father's home.
(5) The most important factor in a child's upbringing is
whether the child is brought up in a loving, healthy,
supportive environment.
(6) Children who live without contact with their biological
father are, in comparison to children who have such contact--
(A) 5 times more likely to live in poverty;
(B) more likely to bring weapons and drugs into the
classroom;
(C) twice as likely to commit crime;
(D) twice as likely to drop out of school;
(E) more likely to commit suicide;
(F) more than twice as likely to abuse alcohol or
drugs; and
(G) more likely to become pregnant as teenagers.
(7) Violent criminals are overwhelmingly males who grew up
without fathers.
(8) Between 20 and 30 percent of families in poverty are
headed by women who have suffered domestic violence during the
past year and between 40 and 60 percent of women with children
receiving welfare were abused sometime during their life.
(9) Responsible fatherhood includes active participation in
financial support and child care, as well as the formation and
maintenance of a positive, healthy, and nonviolent relationship
between father and child and a cooperative relationship between
parents.
(10) States should be encouraged to implement programs that
provide support for responsible fatherhood, promote marriage,
and increase the incidence of marriage, and should not be
restricted from implementing such programs.
(11) Fatherhood programs should promote and provide support
services for--
(A) loving and healthy relationships between
parents and children; and
(B) cooperative parenting.
(12) There is a social need to reconnect children and
fathers.
(13) The promotion of responsible fatherhood and
encouragement of married 2-parent families should not--
(A) denigrate the standing or parenting efforts of
single mothers or other caregivers;
(B) lessen the protection of children from abusive
parents; or
(C) compromise the safety or health of the
custodial parent;
but should increase the chance that children will have two
caring parents to help them grow up healthy and secure.
(14) The promotion of responsible fatherhood must always
recognize and promote the values of nonviolence.
(15) For the future of the United States and the future of
our children, Congress, States, and local communities should
assist parents to become more actively involved in their
children's lives.
(16) Child support is an important means by which a parent
can take financial responsibility for a child and emotional
support is an important means by which a parent can take social
responsibility for a child.
SEC. 3. RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD GRANTS.
Part D of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 651 et
seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 469C. RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD GRANTS.
``(a) Grants to States To Conduct Demonstration Programs.--
``(1) Authority to award grants.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall award grants
to up to 10 eligible States to conduct demonstration
programs to carry out the purposes described in
paragraph (2).
``(B) Eligible state.--For purposes of this
subsection, an eligible State is a State that submits
to the Secretary the following:
``(i) Application.--An application for a
grant under this subsection, at such time, in
such manner, and containing such information as
the Secretary may require.
``(ii) State plan.--A State plan that
includes the following:
``(I) Project description.--A
description of the types of projects
the State will fund under the grant,
including a good faith estimate of the
number and characteristics of clients
to be served under such projects and
how the State intends to achieve at
least 2 of the purposes described in
paragraph (2).
``(II) Coordination efforts.--A
description of how the State will
coordinate and cooperate with State and
local entities responsible for carrying
out other programs that relate to the
purposes intended to be achieved under
the demonstration program, including as
appropriate, entities responsible for
carrying out jobs programs and programs
serving children and families.
``(III) Records, reports, and
audits.--An agreement to maintain such
records, submit such reports, and
cooperate with such reviews and audits
as the Secretary finds necessary for
purposes of oversight of the
demonstration program.
``(iii) Certifications.--The following
certifications from the chief executive officer
of the State:
``(I) A certification that the
State will use funds provided under the
grant to promote at least 2 of the
purposes described in paragraph (2).
``(II) A certification that the
State will return any unused funds to
the Secretary in accordance with the
reconciliation process under paragraph
(4).
``(III) A certification that the
funds provided under the grant will be
used for programs and activities that
target low-income participants and that
not less than 50 percent of the
participants in each program or
activity funded under the grant shall
be--
``(aa) parents of a child
who is, or within the past 24
months has been, a recipient of
assistance or services under a
State program funded under this
part and is described in
section 454(4)(A)(i); or
``(bb) parents, including
an expectant parent or a
married parent, whose income
(after adjustment for court-
ordered child support paid or
received) does not exceed 150
percent of the poverty line.
``(IV) A certification that
programs or activities funded under the
grant will be provided with information
regarding the prevention of domestic
violence and that the State will
consult with representatives of State
and local domestic violence centers.
``(V) A certification that funds
provided to a State under this
subsection shall not be used to
supplement or supplant other Federal,
State, or local funds that are used to
support programs or activities that are
related to the purposes described in
paragraph (2).
``(C) Preferences and factors of consideration.--In
awarding grants under this subsection, the Secretary
shall take into consideration the following:
``(i) Diversity of entities used to conduct
programs and activities.--The Secretary shall,
to the extent practicable, achieve a balance
among the eligible States awarded grants under
this subsection with respect to the size, urban
or rural location, and employment of differing
or unique methods of the entities that the
States intend to use to conduct the programs
and activities funded under the grants.
``(ii) Priority for certain states.--The
Secretary shall give priority to awarding
grants to eligible States that have--
``(I) demonstrated progress in
achieving at least 1 of the purposes
described in paragraph (2) through
previous State initiatives; or
``(II) demonstrated need with
respect to reducing the incidence of
out-of-wedlock births or absent fathers
in the State.
``(2) Purposes.--The purposes described in this paragraph
are the following:
``(A) Promoting responsible fatherhood through
marriage promotion.--To promote marriage or sustain
marriage through such activities as counseling,
mentoring, disseminating information about the benefits
of marriage and 2-parent involvement for children,
enhancing relationship skills, education regarding how
to control aggressive behavior, disseminating
information on the causes of domestic violence and
child abuse, marriage preparation programs, premarital
counseling, marital inventories, skills-based marriage
education, financial planning seminars, including
improving a family's ability to effectively manage
family business affairs by means such as education,
counseling, or mentoring on matters related to family
finances, including household management, budgeting,
banking, and handling of financial transactions and
home maintenance, and divorce education and reduction
programs, including mediation and counseling.
``(B) Promoting responsible fatherhood through
parenting promotion.--To promote responsible parenting
through such activities as counseling, mentoring, and
mediation, disseminating information about good
parenting practices, skills-based parenting education,
encouraging child support payments, and other methods.
``(C) Promoting responsible fatherhood through
fostering economic stability of fathers.--To foster
economic stability by helping fathers improve their
economic status by providing such activities as work
first services, job search, job training, subsidized
employment, job retention, job enhancement, and
encouraging education, including career-advancing
education, dissemination of employment materials,
coordination with existing employment services such as
welfare-to-work programs, referrals to local employment
training initiatives, and other methods.
``(3) Restriction on use of funds.--No funds provided under
this subsection may be used for costs attributable to court
proceedings regarding matters of child visitation or custody, or for
legislative advocacy.
``(4) Reconciliation process.--
``(A) 3-year availability of amounts allotted.--
Each eligible State that receives a grant under this
subsection for a fiscal year shall return to the
Secretary any unused portion of the grant for such
fiscal year not later than the last day of the second
succeeding fiscal year, together with any earnings on
such unused portion.
``(B) Procedure for redistribution.--The Secretary
shall establish an appropriate procedure for
redistributing to eligible entities that have expended
the entire amount of a grant made under this subsection
for a fiscal year any amount that is returned to the
Secretary by eligible States under subparagraph (A).
``(5) Amount of grants.--
``(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the
amount of each grant awarded under this subsection
shall be an amount sufficient to implement the State
plan submitted under paragraph (1)(B)(ii).
``(B) Minimum amounts.--No eligible State shall--
``(i) in the case of the District of
Columbia or a State other than the Commonwealth
of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin
Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,
receive a grant for a fiscal year in an amount
that is less than $1,000,000; and
``(ii) in the case of the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands,
Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of
the Northern Mariana Islands, receive a grant
for a fiscal year in an amount that is less
than $500,000.
``(6) Definition of state.--In this subsection the term
`State' means each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia,
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin
Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands.
``(7) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2004
through 2008 for purposes of making grants to States under this
subsection.
``(b) Grants to Eligible Entities To Conduct Demonstration
Programs.--
``(1) Authority to award grants.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall award grants
to eligible entities to conduct demonstration programs
to carry out the purposes described in (a)(2).
``(B) Eligible entity.--For purposes of this
subsection, an eligible entity is a local government,
local public agency, community-based or nonprofit
organization, or private entity, including any
charitable or faith-based organization that submits to
the Secretary the following:
``(i) Application.--An application for a
grant under this subsection, at such time, in
such manner, and containing such information as
the Secretary may require.
``(ii) Project description.--A description
of the programs or activities the entity
intends to carry out with funds provided under
the grant, including a good faith estimate of
the number and characteristics of clients to be
served under such programs or activities and
how the entity intends to achieve at least 2 of
the purposes described in subsection (a)(2).
``(iii) Coordination efforts.--A
description of how the entity will coordinate
and cooperate with State and local entities
responsible for carrying out other programs
that relate to the purposes intended to be
achieved under the demonstration program,
including as appropriate, entities responsible
for carrying out jobs programs and programs
serving children and families.
``(iv) Records, reports, and audits.--An
agreement to maintain such records, submit such
reports, and cooperate with such reviews and
audits as the Secretary finds necessary for
purposes of oversight of the demonstration
program.
``(v) Certifications.--The following
certifications:
``(I) A certification that the
entity will use funds provided under
the grant to promote at least 2 of the
purposes described in subsection
(a)(2).
``(II) A certification that the
entity will return any unused funds to
the Secretary in accordance with the
reconciliation process under paragraph
(3).
``(III) A certification that the
funds provided under the grant will be
used for programs and activities that
target low-income participants and that
not less than 50 percent of the
participants in each program or
activity funded under the grant shall
be--
``(aa) parents of a child
who is, or within the past 24
months has been, a recipient of
assistance or services under a
State program funded under this
part and is described in
section 454(4)(A)(i); or
``(bb) parents, including
an expectant parent or a
married parent, whose income
(after adjustment for court-
ordered child support paid or
received) does not exceed 150
percent of the poverty line.
``(IV) A certification that the
entity will consult with
representatives of State and local
domestic violence centers.
``(V) A certification that funds
provided to an entity under this
subsection shall not be used to
supplement or supplant other Federal,
State, or local funds provided to the
entity that are used to support
programs or activities that are related
to the purposes described in subsection
(a)(2).
``(C) Preferences and factors of consideration.--In
awarding grants under this subsection, the Secretary
shall, to the extent practicable, achieve a balance
among the eligible entities awarded grants under this
subsection with respect to the size, urban or rural
location, and employment of differing or unique methods
of the entities.
``(2) Restriction on use of funds.--No funds provided under
this subsection may be used for costs attributable to court
proceedings regarding matters of child visitation or custody,
or for legislative advocacy.
``(3) Reconciliation process.--
``(A) 3-year availability of amounts allotted.--
Each eligible entity that receives a grant under this
subsection for a fiscal year shall return to the
Secretary any unused portion of the grant for such
fiscal year not later than the last day of the second
succeeding fiscal year, together with any earnings on
such unused portion.
``(B) Procedure for redistribution.--The Secretary
shall establish an appropriate procedure for
redistributing to eligible entities that have expended
the entire amount of a grant made under this subsection
for a fiscal year any amount that is returned to the
Secretary by eligible entities under subparagraph (A).
``(4) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2004
through 2008 for purposes of making grants to eligible entities
under this subsection.''.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE FOR RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD PROGRAMS.
Section 469C of the Social Security Act, as added by section 3, is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(c) Media Campaign National Clearinghouse for Responsible
Fatherhood.--
``(1) Media campaign and national clearinghouse.--
``(A) In general.--From any funds appropriated
under paragraph (3), the Secretary shall contract with
a nationally recognized, nonprofit fatherhood promotion
organization described in paragraph (2) to--
``(i) develop, promote, and distribute to
interested States, local governments, public
agencies, and private entities a media campaign
that encourages the appropriate involvement of
both parents in the life of any child of the
parents, with a priority for programs that
specifically address the issue of responsible
fatherhood; and
``(ii) develop a national clearinghouse to
assist States and communities in efforts to
promote and support marriage and responsible
fatherhood by collecting, evaluating, and
making available (through the Internet and by
other means) to other States information
regarding the media campaigns established under
subsection (d).
``(B) Coordination with domestic violence
programs.--The Secretary shall ensure that the
nationally recognized nonprofit fatherhood promotion
organization with a contract under subparagraph (A)
coordinates the media campaign developed under clause
(i) of such paragraph and the national clearinghouse
developed under clause (ii) of such paragraph with a
national, State, or local domestic violence program.
``(2) Nationally recognized, nonprofit fatherhood promotion
organization described.--The nationally recognized, nonprofit
fatherhood promotion organization described in this paragraph
is an organization that has at least 4 years of experience in--
``(A) designing and disseminating a national public
education campaign, as evidenced by the production and
successful placement of television, radio, and print
public service announcements that promote the
importance of responsible fatherhood, a track record of
service to Spanish-speaking populations and
historically underserved or minority populations, the
capacity to fulfill requests for information and a
proven history of fulfilling such requests, and a
mechanism through which the public can request
additional information about the campaign; and
``(B) providing consultation and training to
community-based organizations interested in
implementing fatherhood outreach, support, or skill
development programs with an emphasis on promoting
married fatherhood as the ideal.
``(3) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2004
through 2008 to carry out this subsection.''.
SEC. 5. BLOCK GRANTS TO STATES TO ENCOURAGE MEDIA CAMPAIGNS.
(a) In General.--Section 469C of the Social Security Act, as added
by section 3 and amended by section 4, is amended by adding at the end
the following:
``(d) Block Grants to States for Media Campaigns Promoting
Responsible Fatherhood.--
``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Broadcast advertisement.--The term `broadcast
advertisement' means a communication intended to be
aired by a television or radio broadcast station,
including a communication intended to be transmitted
through a cable channel.
``(B) Child at risk.--The term `child at risk'
means each young child whose family income does not
exceed the poverty line.
``(C) Poverty line.--The term `poverty line' has
the meaning given such term in section 673(2) of the
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 (including
any revision required by such section) that is
applicable to a family of the size involved.
``(D) Printed or other advertisement.--The term
`printed or other advertisement' includes any
communication intended to be distributed through a
newspaper, magazine, outdoor advertising facility,
mailing, or any other type of general public
advertising, but does not include any broadcast
advertisement.
``(E) State.--The term `State' means each of the 50
States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam,
American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands.
``(F) Young child.--The term `young child' means an
individual under age 5.
``(2) State certifications.--Not later than October 1 of
each of fiscal year for which a State desires to receive an
allotment under this subsection, the chief executive officer of
the State shall submit to the Secretary a certification that
the State shall--
``(A) use such funds to promote the formation and
maintenance of married 2-parent families, strengthen
fragile families, and promote responsible fatherhood
through media campaigns conducted in accordance with
the requirements of paragraph (4);
``(B) return any unused funds to the Secretary in
accordance with the reconciliation process under
paragraph (5); and
``(C) comply with the reporting requirements under
paragraph (6).
``(3) Payments to states.--For each of fiscal years 2004
through 2008, the Secretary shall pay to each State that
submits a certification under paragraph (2), from any funds
appropriated under paragraph (8), for the fiscal year an amount
equal to the amount of the allotment determined for the fiscal
year under paragraph (7).
``(4) Establishment of media campaigns.--Each State
receiving an allotment under this subsection for a fiscal year
shall use the allotment to conduct media campaigns as follows:
``(A) Conduct of media campaigns.--
``(i) Radio and television media
campaigns.--
``(I) Production of broadcast
advertisements.--At the option of the
State, to produce broadcast
advertisements that promote the
formation and maintenance of married 2-
parent families, strengthen fragile
families, and promote responsible
fatherhood.
``(II) Air-time challenge
program.--At the option of the State,
to establish an air-time challenge
program under which the State may spend
amounts allotted under this section to
purchase time from a broadcast station
to air a broadcast advertisement
produced under clause (i), but only if
the State obtains an amount of time of
the same class and during a comparable
period to air the advertisement using
non-Federal contributions.
``(ii) Other media campaigns.--At the
option of the state, to conduct a media
campaign that consists of the production and
distribution of printed or other advertisements
that promote the formation and maintenance of
married 2-parent families, strengthen fragile
families, and promote responsible fatherhood.
``(B) Administration of media campaigns.--A State
may administer media campaigns funded under this
subsection directly or through grants, contracts, or
cooperative agreements with public agencies, local
governments, or private entities, including charitable
and faith-based organizations.
``(C) Consultation with domestic violence
assistance centers.--In developing broadcast and
printed advertisements to be used in the media
campaigns conducted under subparagraph (A), the State
or other entity administering the campaign shall
consult with representatives of State and local
domestic violence centers.
``(D) Non-federal contributions.--In this
subsection, the term `non-Federal contributions'
includes contributions by the State and by public and
private entities. Such contributions may be in cash or
in kind. Such term does not include any amounts
provided by the Federal Government, or services
assisted or subsidized to any significant extent by the
Federal Government, or any amount expended by a State
before October 1, 2003.
``(5) Reconciliation process.--
``(A) 3-year availability of amounts allotted.--
Each State that receives an allotment under this
subsection shall return to the Secretary any unused
portion of the amount allotted to a State for a fiscal
year not later than the last day of the second
succeeding fiscal year together with any earnings on
such unused portion.
``(B) Procedure for redistribution of unused
allotments.--The Secretary shall establish an
appropriate procedure for redistributing to States that
have expended the entire amount allotted under this
subsection any amount that is--
``(i) returned to the Secretary by States
under subparagraph (A); or
``(ii) not allotted to a State under this
section because the State did not submit a
certification under paragraph (2) by October 1
of a fiscal year.
``(6) Reporting requirements.--
``(A) Monitoring and evaluation.--Each State
receiving an allotment under this subsection for a
fiscal year shall monitor and evaluate the media
campaigns conducted using funds made available under
this subsection in such manner as the Secretary, in
consultation with the States, determines appropriate.
``(B) Annual reports.--Not less frequently than
annually, each State receiving an allotment under this
subsection for a fiscal year shall submit to the
Secretary reports on the media campaigns conducted
under this subsection at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Secretary may
require.
``(7) Amount of allotments.--
``(A) In general.--Except as provided in
subparagraph (B), of the amount appropriated for the
purpose of making allotments under this subsection for
a fiscal year, the Secretary shall allot to each State
that submits a certification under paragraph (2) for
the fiscal year an amount equal to the sum of--
``(i) the amount that bears the same ratio
to 50 percent of such funds as the number of
young children in the State (as determined by
the Secretary based on the most recent March
supplement to the Current Population Survey of
the Bureau of the Census before the beginning
of the calendar year in which such fiscal year
begins) as bears to the number of such children
in all States; and
``(ii) the amount that bears the same ratio
to 50 percent of such funds as the number of
children at risk in the State (as determined by
the Secretary based on the most recent March
supplement to the Current Population Survey of
the Bureau of the Census before the beginning
of the calendar year in which such fiscal year
begins) bears to the number of such children in
all States.
``(B) Minimum allotments.--No allotment for a
fiscal year under this subsection shall be less than--
``(i) in the case of the District of
Columbia or a State other than the Commonwealth
of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin
Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 1
percent of the amount appropriated for the
fiscal year under paragraph (8); and
``(ii) in the case of the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands,
Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of
the Northern Mariana Islands, 0.5 percent of
such amount.
``(C) Pro rata reductions.--The Secretary shall
make such pro rata reductions to the allotments
determined under subparagraph (A) as are necessary to
comply with the requirements of subparagraph (B).
``(8) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2004
through 2008 for purposes of making allotments to States under
this subsection.''.
(b) Evaluation.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services
shall conduct an evaluation of the impact of the media
campaigns funded under section 469C(d) of the Social Security
Act, as added by subsection (a).
(2) Report.--Not later than December 31, 2006, the
Secretary of Health and Human Services shall report to Congress
the results of the evaluation under paragraph (1).
(3) Funding.--Of the amount appropriated in accordance with
section 469C(d)(8) of the Social Security Act (as added by
subsection (a)) for fiscal year 2004, $1,000,000 of such amount
shall be transferred and made available for purposes of
conducting the evaluation required under this subsection, and
shall remain available until expended.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
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