In the early hours of December 21, 2024, the Senate wrapped up the 118th Congress by passing a Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government until March 14th, extending the Appropriations deadline into the new Congress.
The Senate passed several House-passed bills in their wrap-up session, including the Supporting America’s Children and Families Act, which reauthorizes Title IV-B and increases funding for the Promoting Safe and Stable Families program; CWLA endorsed this bill and released this statement on its passage. Congress passed other child welfare legislation last year, including:
The Native American Child Protection Act. Introduced by Representative Gallego (D-AZ) and Senators Lujan (D-NM) and Collins (R-ME), this bill revises the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Program to encourage the use of culturally appropriate treatment services and programs. It also directs the newly renamed National Indian Child Resource and Family Services Center to develop model intergovernmental agreements between tribes and states to ensure maximum cooperation to prevent, treat, and prosecute incidents of family violence and child abuse and child neglect involving Indian children and families.
The Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act (SICAA). Championed by Paris Hilton, this act requires the Department of Health and Human Services to contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to identify the nature, prevalence, severity, and scope of child abuse, neglect, and deaths in youth residential programs and to make recommendations. CWLA endorsed this legislation.