As part of the Senate HELP Committee’s debate of a mental health reform measure (see below), senators also endorsed S 2687, the Plan of Safe Care Improvements Act. The legislation, introduced by Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) would alter CAPTA and the current language around safe care plans and existing directives to states to have a
While the Senate HELP Committee was debating mental health legislations and amendments to CAPTA, on Tuesday, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce used testimony from Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell to raise questions in regard to enforcement of the same CAPTA provisions. In his opening remarks Chairman John Kelley
On Wednesday, March 16 the Senate HELP Committee passed out of committee S 2680, the Mental Health Reform Act of 2016. The bill taken up was based on a staff discussion draft. In prepared remarks Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ranking Member Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), sponsors highlighted the overall changes in the authorization legislation,
The Senate finished its work on S 524, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), when it approved the legislation on Thursday by a vote of 94 to 1. The bill was introduced by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) with the bipartisan co-sponsorship of Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Senator Kelley Ayotte (R-NH),
On Wednesday, March 16 the Senate HELP Committee will take up a major draft bill to strengthen mental health services in the United States. The committee will also address other legislation, including an amendment to CAPTA, building on that body’s recent attempts to address substance abuse. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)
In an effort to garner enough conservative Republican votes, House leadership is pushing a strategy this week that would enact cuts to mandatory and entitlement programs including the elimination of SSBG through legislation by the House Ways and Means Committee. The House was not in session last week but Senate leaders indicated that they may
The criticism of SSBG leveled by some members of Congress and even a few advocates in recent years has been that it lacks accountability and outcomes. One legislative committee report described it as “no-strings-attached slush fund for states with no accountability…Ending this program …continues efforts to focus limited taxpayers’ dollars on outcomes, not inputs, of
By Dusty Murphy On Tuesday, March 8, the Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) and the National Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) held a briefing to highlight the importance of their two programs and the need for full appropriations in FY 2017. The briefing, cosponsored by Congressman Ted Poe (R-TX) and Congressman Jim Costa (D-CA), co-chairs of
On Monday, March 7, the United States Supreme Court in E.L v E.L. upheld the requirement that one state has to recognize the adoption of a child under another state’s law. In a somewhat unusual move the Court issued the ruling without signature and without an oral argument before the Court. The case involved two
The Center on American Progress has released a new website, TalkPoverty.org that includes a number of tools that can provide an in-depth analysis and educational resource about poverty in America. The site is actually a redesign of the website but it includes new interactive features mapping poverty data at the state and congressional district levels.
