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II
117TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 304
To provide targeted funding for States and other eligible entities through
the Social Services Block Grant program to address the increased burden
that maintaining the health and hygiene of infants and toddlers, medi-
cally complex children, and low-income adults or adults with disabilities
who rely on adult incontinence materials and supplies place on families
in need, the resultant adverse health effects on children and families,
and the limited child care options available for infants and toddlers
who lack sufficient diapers and diapering supplies, and for other pur-
poses.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
FEBRUARY 8, 2021
Ms. DUCKWORTH (for herself, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. CASEY, Mr. DURBIN, Mrs.
GILLIBRAND, and Ms. SMITH) introduced the following bill; which was
read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance
A BILL
To provide targeted funding for States and other eligible
entities through the Social Services Block Grant program
to address the increased burden that maintaining the
health and hygiene of infants and toddlers, medically
complex children, and low-income adults or adults with
disabilities who rely on adult incontinence materials and
supplies place on families in need, the resultant adverse
health effects on children and families, and the limited
child care options available for infants and toddlers who
lack sufficient diapers and diapering supplies, and for
other purposes.
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘End Diaper Need Act
4
of 2021’’.
5
SEC. 2. TARGETED FUNDING FOR DIAPER ASSISTANCE (IN-
6
CLUDING DIAPERING SUPPLIES AND ADULT
7
INCONTINENCE MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES)
8
THROUGH THE SOCIAL SERVICES BLOCK
9
GRANT PROGRAM.
10
(a) INCREASE IN FUNDING FOR SOCIAL SERVICES
11
BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM.—
12
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The amount specified in
13
subsection (c) of section 2003 of the Social Security
14
Act (42 U.S.C. 1397b) for purposes of subsections
15
(a) and (b) of such section is deemed to be
16
$1,900,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022
17
through 2025, of which, the amount equal to
18
$200,000,000, reduced by the amounts reserved
19
under paragraph (2)(B) for each such fiscal year,
20
shall be obligated by States in accordance with sub-
21
section (b).
22
(2) APPROPRIATION.—
23
(A) IN GENERAL.—Out of any money in
24
the Treasury of the United States not otherwise
25
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•S 304 IS
appropriated,
there
is
appropriated
1
$200,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022
2
through 2025, to carry out this section.
3
(B) RESERVATIONS.—
4
(i) PURPOSES.—The Secretary shall
5
reserve, from the amount appropriated
6
under subparagraph (A) to carry out this
7
section—
8
(I) for each of fiscal years 2022
9
through 2025, not more than 2 per-
10
cent of the amount appropriated for
11
the fiscal year for purposes of enter-
12
ing into an agreement with a national
13
entity described in subparagraph (C)
14
to assist in providing technical assist-
15
ance and training, to support effective
16
policy, practice, research, and cross-
17
system collaboration among grantees
18
and subgrantees, and to assist in the
19
administration of the program de-
20
scribed in this section; and
21
(II) for fiscal year 2022, an
22
amount, not to exceed $2,000,000, for
23
purposes of conducting an evaluation
24
under subsection (d).
25
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(ii) NO STATE ENTITLEMENT TO RE-
1
SERVED
FUNDS.—The State entitlement
2
under section 2002(a) of the Social Secu-
3
rity Act (42 U.S.C. 1397a(a)) shall not
4
apply to the amounts reserved under clause
5
(i).
6
(C) NATIONAL ENTITY DESCRIBED.—A na-
7
tional entity described in this subparagraph is
8
a nonprofit organization described in section
9
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986
10
and exempt from taxation under section 501(a)
11
of such Code, that—
12
(i) has experience in more than 1
13
State in the area of—
14
(I) community distributions of
15
basic need services, including experi-
16
ence collecting, warehousing, and dis-
17
tributing basic necessities such as dia-
18
pers, food, or menstrual products;
19
(II) child care;
20
(III) child development activities
21
in low-income communities; or
22
(IV) motherhood, fatherhood, or
23
parent education efforts serving low-
24
income parents of young children;
25
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(ii) demonstrates competency to im-
1
plement a project, provide fiscal account-
2
ability, collect data, and prepare reports
3
and other necessary documentation; and
4
(iii) demonstrates a willingness to
5
share information with researchers, practi-
6
tioners, and other interested parties.
7
(b) RULES
GOVERNING
USE
OF
ADDITIONAL
8
FUNDS.—
9
(1) IN GENERAL.—Funds are used in accord-
10
ance with this subsection if—
11
(A) the State, in consultation with relevant
12
stakeholders, including agencies, professional
13
associations, and nonprofit organizations, dis-
14
tributes the funds to eligible entities to—
15
(i) decrease the need for diapers and
16
diapering supplies and adult incontinence
17
materials and supplies in low-income fami-
18
lies and meet such unmet needs of infants
19
and toddlers, medically complex children,
20
and low-income adults and adults with dis-
21
abilities in such families through—
22
(I) the distribution of free dia-
23
pers and diapering supplies, medically
24
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necessary diapers, and adult inconti-
1
nence materials and supplies;
2
(II) community outreach to assist
3
in participation in existing diaper dis-
4
tribution programs or programs that
5
distribute medically necessary diapers
6
or adult incontinence materials and
7
supplies; or
8
(III) improving access to diapers
9
and diapering supplies, medically nec-
10
essary diapers, and adult incontinence
11
materials and supplies; and
12
(ii) increase the ability of communities
13
and low-income families in such commu-
14
nities to provide for the need for diapers
15
and diapering supplies, medically necessary
16
diapers, and adult continence materials
17
and supplies, of infants and toddlers, medi-
18
cally complex children, and low-income
19
adults and adults with disabilities;
20
(B) the funds are used subject to the limi-
21
tations in section 2005 of the Social Security
22
Act (42 U.S.C. 1397d);
23
(C) the funds are used to supplement, not
24
supplant, State general revenue funds provided
25
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for the purposes described in subparagraph (A);
1
and
2
(D) the funds are not used for costs that
3
are reimbursable by the Federal Emergency
4
Management Agency, under a contract for in-
5
surance, or by self-insurance.
6
(2) ALLOWABLE
USES
BY
ELIGIBLE
ENTI-
7
TIES.—An eligible entity receiving funds made avail-
8
able under subsection (a) shall use the funds for any
9
of the following:
10
(A) To pay for the purchase and distribu-
11
tion of diapers and diapering supplies, medically
12
necessary diapers, and funding diaper (includ-
13
ing medically necessary diapers) distribution
14
that serves low-income families with—
15
(i) 1 or more children 3 years of age
16
or younger; or
17
(ii) 1 or more medically complex chil-
18
dren.
19
(B) To pay for the purchase and distribu-
20
tion of adult incontinence materials and sup-
21
plies and funding distribution of such materials
22
and supplies that serves low-income families
23
with 1 or more low-income adults or adults with
24
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disabilities who rely on adult incontinence mate-
1
rials and supplies.
2
(C) To integrate activities carried out
3
under subparagraph (A) with other basic needs
4
assistance programs serving eligible children
5
and their families, including the following:
6
(i) Programs funded by the temporary
7
assistance for needy families program
8
under part A of title IV of the Social Secu-
9
rity Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), including
10
the State maintenance of effort provisions
11
of such program.
12
(ii) Programs designed to support the
13
health of eligible children, such as the Chil-
14
dren’s Health Insurance Program under
15
title XXI of the Social Security Act, the
16
Medicaid program under title XIX of such
17
Act, or State funded health care programs.
18
(iii) Programs funded through the
19
special supplemental nutrition program for
20
women, infants, and children under section
21
17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966.
22
(iv) Programs that offer early home
23
visiting services, including the maternal,
24
infant, and early childhood home visiting
25
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program (including the Tribal home vis-
1
iting program) under section 511 of the
2
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 711).
3
(v) Programs to provide improved and
4
affordable access to child care, including
5
programs funded through the Child Care
6
and Development Fund, the temporary as-
7
sistance for needy families program under
8
part A of title IV of the Social Security
9
Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), or a State-
10
funded program.
11
(3) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—
12
(A) FUNDS
DISTRIBUTED
TO
ELIGIBLE
13
ENTITIES.—Funds made available under sub-
14
section (a) that are distributed to an eligible en-
15
tity by a State for a fiscal year may be ex-
16
pended by the eligible entity only in such fiscal
17
year or the succeeding fiscal year.
18
(B) EVALUATION.—Funds reserved under
19
subsection (a)(2)(B)(i)(II) to carry out the eval-
20
uation under subsection (d) shall be available
21
for expenditure during the 3-year period that
22
begins on the date of enactment of this Act.
23
(4) NO EFFECT ON OTHER PROGRAMS.—Any
24
assistance or benefits received by a family through
25
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funds made available under subsection (a) shall be
1
disregarded for purposes of determining the family’s
2
eligibility for, or amount of, benefits under any other
3
Federal needs-based programs.
4
(c) ANNUAL REPORTS.—A State shall include in the
5
annual report required under section 2006 of the Social
6
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397e) covering each of fiscal
7
years 2022 through 2025, information detailing how eligi-
8
ble entities, including subgrantees, used funds made avail-
9
able under subsection (a) to distribute diapers and dia-
10
pering supplies and adult incontinence materials and sup-
11
plies to families in need. Each such report shall include
12
the following:
13
(1) The number and age of infants, toddlers,
14
medically complex children, and low-income adults
15
and adults with disabilities who received assistance
16
or benefits through such funds.
17
(2) The number of families that have received
18
assistance or benefits through such funds.
19
(3) The number of diapers, medically necessary
20
diapers, or adult incontinence materials and supplies
21
(such as adult diapers, briefs, protective underwear,
22
pull-ons, pull-ups, liners, shields, guards, pads, un-
23
dergarments), and the number of each type of dia-
24
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pering or adult incontinence supply, distributed
1
through the use of such funds.
2
(4) The ZIP Code or ZIP Codes where the eli-
3
gible entity (or subgrantee) distributed diapers and
4
diapering supplies and adult incontinence materials
5
and supplies.
6
(5) The method or methods the eligible entity
7
(or subgrantee) uses to distribute diapers and dia-
8
pering supplies and, adult incontinence materials
9
and supplies.
10
(6) Such other information as the Secretary
11
may specify.
12
(d) EVALUATION.—The Secretary, in consultation
13
with States, the national entity described in subsection
14
(a)(2)(C), and eligible entities receiving funds made avail-
15
able under this section, shall—
16
(1) not later than 2 years after the date of en-
17
actment of this Act—
18
(A) complete an evaluation of the effective-
19
ness of the assistance program carried out pur-
20
suant to this section, such as the effect of ac-
21
tivities carried out under this Act on mitigating
22
the health and developmental risks of unmet di-
23
aper need among infants, toddlers, medically
24
complex children, and other family members in
25
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low-income families, including the risks of dia-
1
per dermatitis, urinary tract infections, and pa-
2
rental and child depression and anxiety;
3
(B) submit to the relevant congressional
4
committees a report on the results of such eval-
5
uation; and
6
(C) publish the results of the evaluation on
7
the internet website of the Department of
8
Health and Human Services;
9
(2) not later than 3 years after the date of en-
10
actment of this Act, update the evaluation required
11
by paragraph (1)(A); and
12
(3) not later than 90 days after completion of
13
the updated evaluation under paragraph (2)—
14
(A) submit to the relevant congressional
15
committees a report describing the results of
16
such updated evaluation; and
17
(B) publish the results of such evaluation
18
on the internet website of the Department of
19
Health and Human Services.
20
(e) GUIDANCE.—Not later than 180 days after enact-
21
ment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue guidance re-
22
garding how the provisions of this section should be car-
23
ried out, including information regarding eligible entities,
24
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