To provide grants to promote healthy marriages.

1. Adds SEC. __. PROMOTION OF FAMILY FORMATION AND HEALTHY MARRIAGE wherever appropriate

   Adds a section

   Inserted: SEC. __. PROMOTION OF FAMILY FORMATION AND HEALTHY MARRIAGE.

   Inserted: (a) State Plans.--Section 402(a)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.

   Inserted: 602(a)(1)(A)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

   Inserted: "(vii) Encourage equitable treatment of healthy 2-parent married families under the program referred to in clause (i).".

   Inserted: (b) Healthy Marriage Promotion Grants; Repeal of Bonus for Reduction of Illegitimacy Ratio.--Section 403(a)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(2)) is amended to read as follows:

   Inserted: "(2) Healthy marriage promotion grants.--

   Inserted: "(A) Authority.--

   Inserted: "(i) In general.--The Secretary shall award competitive grants to States and Indian tribes [and tribal organizations] for not more than 50 percent of the cost of developing and implementing innovative programs to promote and support healthy 2-parent married families.

   Inserted: "(ii) Use of other tanf funds.--A State or Indian tribe with an approved tribal family assistance plan may use funds provided under other grants made under this part for all or part of the expenditures incurred for the remainder of the costs described in clause (i). In the case of a State, any such funds expended shall not be considered qualified State expenditures for purposes of section 409(a)(7).

   Inserted: "(B) Healthy marriage promotion activities.--Funds provided under subparagraph (A) and corresponding State matching funds shall be used to support any of the following programs or activities:

   Inserted: "(i) Public advertising campaigns on the value of marriage and the skills needed to increase marital stability and health.

   Inserted: "(ii) Education in high schools on the importance of healthy marriages and the characteristics of other healthy relationships experienced throughout life, including education on the importance of grounding all relationships in mutual respect and how earlier healthy relationships are the building blocks for later healthy marital relationships.

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   Inserted: "(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, non-married expectant fathers, and non-married recent parents.

   Inserted: "(iv) Pre-marital education and marriage skills training for engaged couples and for couples or individuals interested in marriage.

   Inserted: "(v) Marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs for married couples.

   Inserted: "(vi) Divorce reduction programs that teach relationship skills.

   Inserted: "(vii) Marriage mentoring programs which use married couples as role models and mentors.

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

   Inserted: "(C) Voluntary participation.--

   Inserted: "(i) In general.--Participation in programs or activities described in any of clauses (iii) through (vii) of subparagraph (B) shall be voluntary.

   Inserted: "(ii) Assurance of informed consent and option to disenroll.--Each State or Indian tribe or tribal organization that carries out programs or activities described in any of clauses (iii) through (vii) of subparagraph (B) shall provide the Secretary with an assurance that each recipient of assistance under a State or tribal program funded under this part who elects to participate in such programs or activities shall be informed, prior to making such election--

   Inserted: "(I) that such participation is voluntary;

   Inserted: "(II) that the recipient may elect at any time to disenroll from such programs or activities by notifying the State or Indian tribe or tribal organization that the recipient no longer wants to participate in such programs or activities; "(III) of the process, if any, by which a recipient who chooses to withdraw from, or fails to participate in, such programs or activities may be required to follow to become engaged in other programs or activities that are not programs or activities described in clauses (iii) through (vii) of subparagraph (B); and

   Inserted: "(IV) that the State may reassign a recipient at any time to other activities that are not programs or activities described in clauses (iii) through (vii) of subparagraph (B).

   Inserted: "(iii) No sanction for refusal or failure to participate.--

   Inserted: "(I) In general.--No State or Indian tribe shall deny or reduce assistance to a recipient of assistance under a State or tribal program funded under this part solely on the basis of the recipient's withdrawal from, or failure to, participate in programs or activities described in clauses (iii) through (vii) of subparagraph (B).

   Inserted: "(II) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subparagraph shall be construed as precluding a State or Indian tribe from requiring a recipient of assistance under a State or tribal program funded under this part to engage in programs or activities that are not programs or activities described in clauses (iii) through (vii) of subparagraph (B) or to sanction a recipient for failure to engage in such programs or activities or to follow any such procedures the State may establish to enroll a recipient in such other programs or activities.

   Inserted: "(D) General rules governing use of funds.--The rules of section 404, other than subsection (b) of that section, shall not apply to a grant made under this paragraph.

   Inserted: "(E) Requirements for receipt of funds.--A State or Indian tribe or tribal organization may not be awarded a grant under this paragraph unless the State or Indian tribe or tribal organization, as a condition of receiving funds under such a grant--

   Inserted: "(i) consults with domestic violence organizations that have demonstrated expertise working with survivors of domestic violence in developing policies, procedures, programs and training necessary to appropriately address domestic violence in families served by programs and activities funded under such grant;

   Inserted: "(ii) describes in the application for a grant under this paragraph--

   Inserted: "(I) how the programs or activities proposed to be conducted will appropriately address issues of domestic violence; and

   Inserted: "(II) what the State or Indian tribe or tribal organization, will do, to the extent relevant, to ensure that participation in such programs or activities is voluntary, and to inform potential participants that their involvement is voluntary;

   Inserted: "(iii) establishes a written protocol for providers and administrators of programs and activities relevant to the grant that--

   Inserted: "(I) provides for helping identify instances or risks of domestic violence; and

   Inserted: "(II) specifies the procedures for making service referrals and providing protections and appropriate assistance for identified individuals and families;

   Inserted: "(iv) establishes performance goals for funded programs and activities that clarify the primary objective of such funded programs and activities is to increase the incidence and quality of healthy marriages and not solely to expand the number or percentage of married couples; and

   Inserted: "(v) submits the annual reports required under subparagraph (F).

   Inserted: "(F) Annual reports to the secretary.--Each State and Indian tribe or tribal organization awarded a grant under this paragraph shall submit to the Secretary an annual report on the programs and activities funded under the grant that includes the following:

   Inserted: "(i) A description of the written protocols developed in accordance with the requirements of subparagraph (E)(iii) for each program or activity funded under the grant and how such protocols are used, including specific policies and procedures for addressing domestic violence issues within each program or activity funded under the grant and how confidentiality issues are addressed.

   Inserted: "(ii) The name of each individual, organization, or entity that was consulted in the development of such protocols.

   Inserted: "(iii) A description of each individual, organization, or entity (if any) that provided training on domestic violence for the State, Indian tribe or tribal organization, or for any subgrantees.

   Inserted: "(iv) A description of any implementation issues identified with respect to domestic violence and how such issues were addressed.

   Inserted: "(G) Biannual reports to congress.--Not later than 24 months after the date of enactment of the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006, and every 6 months thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report regarding the programs and activities funded with grants awarded under this paragraph. Each report submitted in accordance with this subparagraph shall include the following:

   Inserted: "(i) The name of each program or activity funded with such grants and the name of each grantee and subgrantee.

   Inserted: "(ii) The total number of individuals served under programs or activities funded under the grant.

   Inserted: "(iii) The total number of individuals who--

   Inserted: "(I) completed a program or activity funded under the grant, including the number of such individuals who received assistance under a State or tribal program funded under this part or with qualified State expenditures (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)) while participating in such program or activity; and

   Inserted: "(II) did not complete such a program or activity, including due to ceasing to receive assistance under a State or tribal program funded under this part or with qualified State expenditures (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)) or for other reasons.

   Inserted: "(iv) A description of the types of services offered under such programs or activities.

   Inserted: "(v) The criteria for selection of programs or activities to be funded under such grant with respect to the award of grants by the Secretary and the awarding of funds to subgrantees.

   Inserted: "(vi) A description of the activities carried out by the Secretary to support grantees and subgrantees in responding to domestic violence issues.

   Inserted: "(v) A summary of the written domestic violence protocols used by grantees and subgrantees.

   Inserted: "(vii) A summary of who the grantees and subgrantees consulted with in developing such protocols.

   Inserted: "(viii) A summary of the training provided to grantees and subgrantees on domestic violence.

   Inserted: "(ix) A list of the organizations, entities, and activities funded under section 413(k).

   Inserted: "(H) Domestic violence defined.--In this paragraph, the term 'domestic violence' has the meaning given that term in section 402(a)(7)(B).

   Inserted: "(I) Appropriation.--

   Inserted: "(i) In general.--Out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, there are appropriated for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2011, $100,000,000 for grants under this paragraph.

   Inserted: "(ii) Extended availability of funds.--

   Inserted: "(I) In general.--Funds appropriated under clause (i) for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2011 shall remain available to the Secretary until expended.

   Inserted: "(II) Authority for grant recipients.--A State or Indian tribe or tribal organization may use funds made available under a grant awarded under this paragraph without fiscal year limitation pursuant to the terms of the grant.".

   Inserted: (c) Counting of Spending on Non-Eligible Families To Prevent and Reduce Incidence of Out-of-Wedlock Births, Encourage Formation and Maintenance of Healthy 2-Parent Married Families, or Encourage Responsible Fatherhood.--Section 409(a)(7)(B)(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 609(a)(7)(B)(i)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

   Inserted: "(V) Counting of spending on non-eligible families to prevent and reduce incidence of out-of-wedlock births, encourage formation and maintenance of healthy 2-parent married families, or encourage responsible fatherhood.--Subject to subclauses (II) and (III), 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).".

   Inserted: (d) Purposes.--Section 401(a)(4) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 601(a)(4)) is amended by striking "two-parent families" and inserting "healthy 2-parent married families, and encourage responsible fatherhood".

   Inserted: (e) Secretary's Fund for Research, Demonstrations, and Technical Assistance.--Section 413 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 613) is amended by adding at the end the following:

   Inserted: "(k) Funding for Research, Demonstrations, and Technical Assistance.--

   Inserted: "(1) Appropriation.--

   Inserted: "(A) In general.--Out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, there are appropriated $80,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2011, which shall remain available to the Secretary until expended.

   Inserted: "(B) Use of funds.--

   Inserted: "(i) In general.--Funds appropriated under subparagraph (A) for a fiscal year shall be expended for the purpose of conducting or supporting research and demonstration projects by public or private entities in connection with activities described in section 403(a)(2)(B), or for providing technical assistance in connection with such activities, to States, Indian tribal organizations, sub-State entities, and such other entities as the Secretary may specify.

   Inserted: "(ii) Amounts in addition to other funds.--Funds appropriated under subparagraph (A) and expended in accordance with this subsection shall be in addition to any other funds made available under this part for activities described in section 403(a)(2)(B).

   Inserted: "(2) Secretary's authority.--The Secretary may conduct activities authorized by this subsection directly or through grants, contracts, or interagency agreements with public or private entities.

   Inserted: "(3) Requirement for use of funds.--The Secretary shall not pay any funds appropriated under paragraph (1)(A) to an entity for the purpose of conducting or supporting research and demonstration projects involving activities described in section 403(a)(2)(B) unless the entity, as a condition of receiving funds under such a grant--

   Inserted: "(A) describes in the application for a grant under this subsection--

   Inserted: "(i) how the programs or activities proposed to be conducted will appropriately address issues of domestic violence; and

   Inserted: "(ii) what the organization will do to ensure that participation in such programs or activities is voluntary, in accordance with the provisions of section 403(a)(2)(C), and to inform potential participants that their involvement is voluntary; and

   Inserted: "(B) establishes a written protocol for providers and administrators of programs and activities relevant to the grant that--

   Inserted: "(i) provides for helping identify instances or risks of domestic violence; and

   Inserted: "(ii) specifies the procedures for making service referrals and providing protections and appropriate assistance for identified individuals and families.".

   Inserted: (f) Reduction in Bonus To Reward High Performance States.--Section 403(a)(4) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(4)) is amended--

   Inserted: (1) in subparagraph (D)(ii)--

   Inserted: (A) in subclause (I), by striking "$200,000,000" and inserting "$120,000,000"; and

   Inserted: (B) in subclause (II), by striking "$1,000,000,000" and inserting "$720,000,000";

   Inserted: (2) in subparagraph (E)(i), by striking "1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003" and inserting "2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011"; and

   Inserted: (3) in subparagraph (F), by striking "1999 through 2003 $1,000,000,000" and inserting "2006 through 2011, $720,000,000".

   Inserted: (g) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall be effective as if enacted on October 1, 2005, and shall apply without fiscal year limitation.

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As printed