Substance Use-Disorder Prevention That Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act or the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act - P.L. 115-271

Date: October 2018

Overview

H.R. 6 
Enacted October 24, 2018 

Note: The Children's Bureau offers guidance on section 8082(b) of this legislation in Program Instructions ACYF-CB-PI-18-09 and ACYF-CB-PI-18-10, both of which were issued November 30, 2018.

Major Provisions of the Act

  • Amended title IV-B to require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to create a family recovery and reunification program replication project to replicate a 'recovery coach' program for parents with children in foster care due to parental substance abuse and authorized $15 million to carry out the project
  • Amended title IV-E so that receipt of prevention and family services and programs (1) is not considered receipt of aid for the purposes of eligibility of any other program under the Social Security Act and (2) does not permit a State to reduce medical or other assistance available to a title IV-E prevention recipient
  • Clarified that, if the cost of providing a title IV-E prevention service to an individual would have been paid from another public or private source if not for the enactment of P.L. 115-123, a title IV-E agency is not considered to be a legally liable third party for the cost of providing such a service to that individual
  • Amended CAPTA to authorize the Secretary of HHS to make grants to States to assist child welfare agencies and other service providers to facilitate collaboration in developing, updating, implementing, and monitoring plans of safe care
  • Required HHS to provide written guidance and technical assistance to support States in complying with and implementing plans of safe care and to improve the long-term safety and well-being of children
  • Created an interagency task force (to include the HHS Administration for Children and Families) to make recommendations regarding best practices to identify, prevent, and mitigate the effects of trauma on infants, children, youth, and their families and to better coordinate the Federal response to families impacted by substance use disorders and other forms of trauma
  • Required the Secretary of HHS, in consultation with the divisions of HHS administering substance use disorder or child welfare programs, to develop and issue guidance to States that identifies opportunities to support family-focused residential substance use treatment programs
  • Amended title XIX (Medicaid) to require States to ensure that former foster youth are able to keep their Medicaid coverage across State lines until age 26
  • Required the Secretary of HHS to award grants to develop, enhance, or evaluate 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 this act
  • Repealed the Abandoned Infants Assistance Act of 1988