2006 Initiative /
 TANF Reauthorization

Healthy Marriage

Effective Parenting

Economic Stability

Access, Visitation,
 & Child Support

Incarceration

Research, Evaluation,
 & Data

Program Development

Other Resources

S. 1932

Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (Enrolled as Agreed to or Passed by Both House and Senate)

SEC. 7103.  GRANTS FOR HEALTHY MARRIAGE PROMOTION AND RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD.

(a) Healthy Marriage and Family Funds — Section 403(a)(2) (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(2)) is amended to read as follows:

'(2) HEALTHY MARRIAGE PROMOTION AND RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD GRANTS —

'(A) IN GENERAL —

'(i) USE OF FUNDS — Subject to subparagraphs (B) and (C), the Secretary may use the funds made available under subparagraph (D) for the purpose of conducting and supporting research and demonstration projects by public or private entities, and providing technical assistance to States, Indian tribes and tribal organizations, and such other entities as the Secretary may specify that are receiving a grant under another provision of this part.

'(ii) LIMITATIONS — The Secretary may not award funds made available under this paragraph on a noncompetitive basis, and may not provide any such funds to an entity for the purpose of carrying out healthy marriage promotion activities or for the purpose of carrying out activities promoting responsible fatherhood unless the entity has submitted to the Secretary an application which —

'(I) describes —
'(aa) how the programs or activities proposed in the application will address, as appropriate, issues of domestic violence; and

'(bb) what the applicant will do, to the extent relevant, to ensure that participation in the programs or activities is voluntary, and to inform potential participants that their participation is voluntary; and

'(II) contains a commitment by the entity —
'(aa) to not use the funds for any other purpose; and

'(bb) to consult with experts in domestic violence or relevant community domestic violence coalitions in developing the programs and activities.

'(iii) HEALTHY MARRIAGE PROMOTION ACTIVITIES — In clause (ii), the term 'healthy marriage promotion activities' means the following:

'(I) Public advertising campaigns on the value of marriage and the skills needed to increase marital stability and health.

'(II) Education in high schools on the value of marriage, relationship skills, and budgeting.

'(III) Marriage education, marriage skills, and relationship skills programs, that may include parenting skills, financial management, conflict resolution, and job and career advancement, for non-married pregnant women and non-married expectant fathers.

'(IV) Pre-marital education and marriage skills training for engaged couples and for couples or individuals interested in marriage.

'(V) Marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs for married couples.

'(VI) Divorce reduction programs that teach relationship skills.

'(VII) Marriage mentoring programs which use married couples as role models and mentors in at-risk communities.

'(VIII) Programs to reduce the disincentives to marriage in means-tested aid programs, if offered in conjunction with any activity described in this subparagraph.

'(B) LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS FOR DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS FOR COORDINATION OF PROVISION OF CHILD WELFARE AND TANF SERVICES TO TRIBAL FAMILIES AT RISK OF CHILD ABUSE OR NEGLECT —

'(i) IN GENERAL — Of the amounts made available under subparagraph (D) for a fiscal year, the Secretary may not award more than $2,000,000 on a competitive basis to fund demonstration projects designed to test the effectiveness of tribal governments or tribal consortia in coordinating the provision to tribal families at risk of child abuse or neglect of child welfare services and services under tribal programs funded under this part.

'(ii) LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS — A grant made pursuant to clause (i) to such a project shall not be used for any purpose other than —

'(I) to improve case management for families eligible for assistance from such a tribal program;

'(II) for supportive services and assistance to tribal children in out-of-home placements and the tribal families caring for such children, including families who adopt such children; and

'(III) for prevention services and assistance to tribal families at risk of child abuse and neglect.

'(iii) REPORTS — The Secretary may require a recipient of funds awarded under this subparagraph to provide the Secretary with such information as the Secretary deems relevant to enable the Secretary to facilitate and oversee the administration of any project for which funds are provided under this subparagraph.

'(C) LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS FOR ACTIVITIES PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD —

'(i) IN GENERAL — Of the amounts made available under subparagraph (D) for a fiscal year, the Secretary may not award more than $50,000,000 on a competitive basis to States, territories, Indian tribes and tribal organizations, and public and nonprofit community entities, including religious organizations, for activities promoting responsible fatherhood.

'(ii) ACTIVITIES PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD — In this paragraph, the term 'activities promoting responsible fatherhood' means the following:

'(I) Activities to promote marriage or sustain marriage through activities such 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.

'(II) Activities to promote responsible parenting through activities such as counseling, mentoring, and mediation, disseminating information about good parenting practices, skills-based parenting education, encouraging child support payments, and other methods.

'(III) Activities to foster economic stability by helping fathers improve their economic status by providing activities such 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.

'(IV) Activities to promote responsible fatherhood that are conducted through a contract with a nationally recognized, nonprofit fatherhood promotion organization, such as the development, promotion, and distribution of a media campaign to encourage the appropriate involvement of parents in the life of any child and specifically the issue of responsible fatherhood, and the development of a national clearinghouse to assist States and communities in efforts to promote and support marriage and responsible fatherhood.

'(D) APPROPRIATION — Out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, there are appropriated $150,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010, for expenditure in accordance with this paragraph.

(b) Counting of Spending on Certain Pro-Family Activities — Section 409(a)(7)(B)(i) (42 U.S.C. 609(a)(7)(B)(i)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

'(V) COUNTING OF SPENDING ON CERTAIN PRO-FAMILY ACTIVITIES — The term 'qualified State expenditures' includes the total expenditures by the State during the fiscal year under all State programs for a purpose described in paragraph (3) or (4) of section 401(a).