Assistance in Gaining Experience, Independence, and Navigation Act of 2014 or the AGE-IN Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award a grant to: (1) analyze existing research on youth and young adults with an autism spectrum disorder or other developmental disabilities as they transition out of the school-based support system; (2) research existing infrastructure for transitioning youth, including access to health care, continuing education programs, and community integration programs; and (3) develop a strategic plan for a Transition Navigator Grant Program to provide transitioning youth with support services.
Requires the Secretary to establish a Transition Navigator Grant Program to award grants to provide services based on the strategic plan. Directs the Secretary to contract a third party to evaluate the effectiveness of grantees in meeting the goals of the strategic plan.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5436 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5436
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide research, training,
and navigator services to youth and young adults on the verge of aging
out of the secondary educational system, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 10, 2014
Mr. Gibson introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide research, training,
and navigator services to youth and young adults on the verge of aging
out of the secondary educational system, 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 ``Assistance in Gaining Experience,
Independence, and Navigation Act of 2014'' or the ``AGE-IN Act''.
SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT.
Part R of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
280i et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 399CC the
following:
``SEC. 399CC-1. GRANTS FOR RESEARCH, TRAINING, AND NAVIGATOR SERVICES
FOR YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS.
``(a) Research Grant.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation with the
Coordinating Committee established under section 399CC and the
Administrator of the Administration for Community Living, shall
award a grant to a research organization to--
``(A) conduct a comprehensive meta-analysis on the
existing empirical, peer-reviewed research on the topic
of youth and young adults with an autism spectrum
disorder or other developmental disabilities as such
individuals age-out of the school-based support system
(referred to in this section as `transitioning youth');
``(B) conduct research on the existing
infrastructure for transitioning youth, including
access to health care, continuing education and
vocational training programs, supportive and community-
based integrated housing, accessible transportation
services, and public safety and community integration
programs (including first responder training); and
``(C) develop a comprehensive strategic plan (in
accordance with paragraph (2)) for the establishment of
a Transition Navigator grant program to provide
transitioning youth with a comprehensive and
interdisciplinary set of support services.
``(2) Strategic plan.--The strategic plan developed under
paragraph (1)(C) shall include--
``(A) proposals on establishing best practices
guidelines to ensure interdisciplinary coordination
between all relevant service providers (including first
responders), the transitioning youth, and their family,
and in conjunction with the transitioning youth's
Individualized Education Plan as prescribed in section
614 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(20 U.S.C. 1414), to maximize the transitioning youth's
self-determination;
``(B) comprehensive approaches to transitioning,
including--
``(i) services to increase access to, and
the successful integration and completion of,
postsecondary education, peer support,
vocational training (as defined in section 103
of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C.
723)), self-advocacy skills, and competitive,
integrated employment;
``(ii) community-based behavioral supports
and interventions;
``(iii) community-based integrated
residential services, housing, and
transportation;
``(iv) nutrition, health and wellness,
recreational, and social activities; and
``(v) personal safety services that
consider the specific needs of transitioning
youth who are at risk of becoming involved with
public safety agencies or the criminal justice
system;
``(C) culturally and linguistically competent and
sensitive service delivery models; and
``(D) proposals which seek to--
``(i) increase the effectiveness of such
practices to provide successful transition
services;
``(ii) increase the ability of the entity
to provide supports and services to underserved
populations and regions;
``(iii) increase the efficiency of service
delivery to maximize resources and outcomes;
and
``(iv) ensure access to all services
identified as necessary to transitioning youth
of all capabilities.
``(3) Grant period.--Grants awarded under this subsection
shall be for a period of 2 years.
``(b) Transition Navigator Training Grants.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation with the
Coordinating Committee established under section 399CC and the
Administrator of the Administration for Community Living, shall
establish a Transition Navigator Grant Program to award
multiyear training initiative grants to establish and carry out
a collaborative, interdisciplinary training and services
initiative, that is based on the data and best practice
guidelines developed under subsection (a), to train transition
navigators to provide transitioning youth with the services and
skills necessary to lead an independent, integrated life.
``(2) Eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant under this
subsection, an entity shall--
``(A) be a University Center for Excellence in
Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and
Service or a comparable interdisciplinary entity
capable of fulfilling the scope of activities described
in section 153 of the Developmental Disabilities
Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C.
15063); and
``(B) prepare and submit an application to the
Secretary in accordance with paragraph (3).
``(3) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
this subsection, an entity shall submit to the Secretary an
application demonstrating the capacity to successfully train an
interdisciplinary group of service providers on the best
practice guidelines contained in strategic plan under
subsection (a). The application shall include additional
information, including--
``(A) the number of trainees, students, or
providers expected to be trained under the grant, and
in what timeframe;
``(B) the interdisciplinary scope of faculty,
staff, mentors, and community-based trainers affiliated
with the applicant;
``(C) the ability to provide training services to a
culturally diverse set of students and in a culturally
competent, culturally sensitive manner; and
``(D) the ability to train providers in underserved
areas and to serve underserved populations.
``(4) Grant period and annual evaluation.--
``(A) Grant period.--Navigator training grants
awarded under this subsection shall be for a period of
3 years. The Secretary may renew a grant for an
additional 3-year period based on the results of the
evaluations submitted under subparagraph (B).
``(B) Annual evaluation.--A grantee under this
subsection shall submit to the Secretary an evaluation
of progress made during each grant year in achieving
the purposes for which the grant was awarded. Such
evaluation shall include an analysis of--
``(i) any performance metrics required by
the Secretary;
``(ii) the grantees recruitment of students
into the program; and
``(iii) the recruits' cultural diversity
and the interdisciplinary nature of their
interests or background.
``(5) Longitudinal evaluation.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall enter into a
contract with a third-party organization with expertise
in program evaluation for the conduct of an evaluation
of the success of grantees under this subsection in
meeting the goals of the strategic plan submitted under
subsection (a)(2) and their grant application.
``(B) Procedure.--A third-party organization that
enters into a contract under subparagraph (A) shall
monitor grantees under this subsection and report back
to the Secretary with a longitudinal analysis of the
effectiveness of the program carried out by the
grantee. Such analysis shall include an examination
of--
``(i) whether and to what extent the
training regime sufficiently met the goals of
the strategic plan under subsection (a)(2);
``(ii) whether and to what extent graduates
of the training program are successfully
working to provide services to transitional
youth in an effective, comprehensive, and
appropriate manner; and
``(iii) the long-term efficacy of the
program and the strategic plan on increasing
and sustaining transitional youth's--
``(I) enrollment in, and completion
of, postsecondary education or
vocational training programs;
``(II) participation in integrated,
competitive employment;
``(III) continued access to peer
support;
``(IV) continued access to, and
benefitting from, community-based
behavioral supports and interventions;
``(V) consistent access to
community-based integrated residential
services, housing, and transportation;
and
``(VI) continued access to
nutrition, health and wellness,
recreational, and social activities.
``(6) Supplement.--Activities carried out under a grant
under this subsection shall supplement, not supplant, existing
programs and activities designed to provide interdisciplinary
training to services providers aimed at serving transitional
youth.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
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