S. 2923Senate115th Congress (2017-2019)In Committee

Building Capacity for Family-Focused Residential Treatment Act

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Updated April 15, 2026 at 9:59 PM UTC

The Building Capacity for Family-Focused Residential Treatment Act would create a federal grant program to expand and improve residential treatment centers that serve pregnant and postpartum women, as well as parents and guardians, with substance‑use disorders. The grants would help these programs allow children to stay with their parents during treatment and would require evaluations to see if they meet evidence‑based standards. Funding of $20 million per year would be available from FY 2019 through FY 2023.

Key Provisions

The Secretary of Health and Human Services may award grants to "eligible entities" – such as state, local, tribal agencies, nonprofits, research groups, treatment providers, and colleges – to develop, enhance, or evaluate family‑focused residential treatment programs.
A "family‑focused residential treatment program" is defined as a trauma‑informed residential setting that treats substance‑use disorders for pregnant/postpartum women and parents, allowing children to reside with them when appropriate.
Any program evaluation funded by these grants must be designed to determine whether the program qualifies as a promising, supported, or well‑supported practice under the Social Security Act.
The bill authorizes up to $20 million in annual appropriations for the grant program, available for fiscal years 2019 through 2023.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Finance Committee

May 22, 2018

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

May 22, 2018

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Finance Committee

May 22, 2018

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued May 22, 2018

115th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 2923

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

May 22, 2018

Mr. Grassley (for himself and Mr. Menendez) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

A BILL

To support the development of evidence-based family-focused residential treatment programs.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Building Capacity for Family-Focused Residential Treatment Act.

Definitions

In this Act:

(1)

Eligible entity

The term eligible entity means a State, county, local, or tribal health or child welfare agency, a private nonprofit organization, a research organization, a treatment service provider, an institution of higher education (as defined under section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)), or another entity specified by the Secretary.

(2)

Family-focused residential treatment program

The term family-focused residential treatment program means a trauma-informed residential program primarily for substance use disorder treatment for pregnant and postpartum women and parents and guardians that allows children to reside with such women or their parents or guardians during treatment to the extent appropriate and applicable.

(3)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Support for the development of evidence-based family-focused residential treatment programs

(a)

Authority To award grants

The Secretary shall award grants to eligible entities for purposes of developing, enhancing, or evaluating family-focused residential treatment programs to increase the availability of such programs that meet the requirements for promising, supported, or well-supported practices specified in section 471(e)(4)(C) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 671(e)(4)(C)) (as added by the Family First Prevention Services Act enacted under title VII of division E of Public Law 115–123).

(b)

Evaluation requirement

The Secretary shall require any evaluation of a family-focused residential treatment program by an eligible entity that uses funds awarded under this section for all or part of the costs of the evaluation be designed to assist in the determination of whether the program may qualify as a promising, supported, or well-supported practice in accordance with the requirements of such section 471(e)(4)(C).

Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this Act, $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2019, which shall remain available through fiscal year 2023.