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How Federal Legislation Impacts Child Welfare Service Delivery
Factsheet

Author(s):  Child Welfare Information Gateway

Year Published:  2009

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This factsheet provides an overview of the process by which legislative actions and policy changes at the Federal level impact State and Tribal child welfare systems and service delivery. Links to pertinent resources are provided for each step of the process. The steps in the process described in this document do not always occur in the same sequence listed here.

Step 1: Congress passes and the President signs legislation that creates or amends a federally funded child welfare program.

Enactment of a new act is the result of a long legislative process that begins when a member of the House or Senate introduces a bill to his or her respective legislative body. Only a Member of Congress can introduce a bill, but the idea may be developed by constituents, academics, interest groups, lobbyists, State legislatures, executive branch departments, Federal agencies, and/or the President of the United States.

For more information:

• Federal Laws
  Children's Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  Provides descriptions of significant Federal child protection, child welfare, foster care, and adoption laws, as well as links to the full text of selected acts and other resources.
• Major Federal Legislation Concerned With Child Protection, Child Welfare, and Adoption
  Child Welfare Information Gateway (2009)
  Summarizes the major provisions of key Federal laws regarding child protection, child welfare, foster care, and adoption, including a timeline, links to the full text of each act, and an index page that allows users to browse or search the acts included in the publication.
• Thomas
  Library of Congress
  Tracks legislative activity in the U.S. Congress and provides links to summaries and full-text versions of bills, the Congressional Record, committee reports, and other resources.
• How Our Laws Are Made
  Parliamentarian, U.S. House of Representatives
  Describes the organization, operation, and legislative process in the House of Representatives.
• Enactment of a Law
  Parliamentarian, U.S. Senate
  Describes the organization, operation, and legislative process in the Senate.

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Updated on October 9, 2009