In conducting the statewide needs assessment required under paragraph (1), the State shall coordinate with, and take into account, other appropriate needs assessments conducted by the State, as determined by the Secretary, including the needs assessment required under section 705(a) of this title (both the most recently completed assessment and any such assessment in progress), the communitywide strategic planning and needs assessments conducted in accordance with section 9835(g)(1)(C) of this title, and the inventory of current unmet needs and current community-based and prevention-focused programs and activities to prevent child abuse and neglect, and other family resource services operating in the State required under section 205(3) of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act [42 U.S.C. 5116d(3)].
In addition to any other payments made under this subchapter to a State, the Secretary shall make grants to eligible entities to enable the entities to deliver services under early childhood home visitation programs that satisfy the requirements of subsection (d) to eligible families in order to promote improvements in maternal and prenatal health, infant health, child health and development, parenting related to child development outcomes, school readiness, and the socioeconomic status of such families, and reductions in child abuse, neglect, and injuries.
An eligible entity that receives a grant under paragraph (1) may use a portion of the funds made available to the entity during the first 6 months of the period for which the grant is made for planning or implementation activities to assist with the establishment of early childhood home visitation programs that satisfy the requirements of subsection (d).
An eligible entity to which a grant is made under paragraph (1) may use up to 25 percent of the grant for outcomes or success payments related to a pay for outcomes initiative that will not result in a reduction of funding for services delivered by the entity under a childhood home visitation program under this section while the eligible entity develops or operates such an initiative.
The Secretary shall determine the period of years for which a grant is made to an eligible entity under paragraph (1).
The Secretary shall provide an eligible entity that receives a grant under paragraph (1) with technical assistance in administering programs or activities conducted in whole or in part with grant funds.
Not later than 30 days after the end of the 3rd year in which the eligible entity conducts the program, the entity submits to the Secretary a report demonstrating improvement in at least 4 of the areas specified in subparagraph (A).
If the report submitted by the eligible entity under clause (i) fails to demonstrate improvement in at least 4 of the areas specified in subparagraph (A), the entity shall develop and implement a plan to improve outcomes in each of the areas specified in subparagraph (A), subject to approval by the Secretary. The plan shall include provisions for the Secretary to monitor implementation of the plan and conduct continued oversight of the program, including through submission by the entity of regular reports to the Secretary.
The Secretary shall provide an eligible entity required to develop and implement an improvement plan under clause (ii) with technical assistance to develop and implement the plan. The Secretary may provide the technical assistance directly or through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements.
The Secretary shall establish an advisory panel for purposes of obtaining recommendations regarding the technical assistance provided to entities in accordance with subclause (I).
If the Secretary determines after a period of time specified by the Secretary that an eligible entity implementing an improvement plan under clause (ii) has failed to demonstrate any improvement in the areas specified in subparagraph (A), or if the Secretary determines that an eligible entity has failed to submit the report required under clause (i), the Secretary shall terminate the entity’s grant and may include any unexpended grant funds in grants made to nonprofit organizations under subsection (h)(2)(B).
Not later than December 31, 2015, the eligible entity shall submit a report to the Secretary demonstrating improvements (if any) in each of the areas specified in subparagraph (A).
The eligible entity, after demonstrating improvements for eligible families as specified in subparagraphs (A) and (B), shall continue to track and report, not later than 30 days after the end of fiscal year 2020 and every 3 years thereafter, information demonstrating that the program results in improvements for the eligible families participating in the program in at least 4 of the areas specified in subparagraph (A) that the service delivery model or models selected by the entity are intended to improve.
If the eligible entity fails to demonstrate improvement in at least 4 of the areas specified in subparagraph (A), as compared to eligible families who do not receive services under an early childhood home visitation program, the entity shall develop and implement a plan to improve outcomes in each of the areas specified in subparagraph (A) that the service delivery model or models selected by the entity are intended to improve, subject to approval by the Secretary. The plan shall include provisions for the Secretary to monitor implementation of the plan and conduct continued oversight of the program, including through submission by the entity of regular reports to the Secretary.
The Secretary shall provide an eligible entity required to develop and implement an improvement plan under clause (ii) with technical assistance to develop and implement the plan. The Secretary may provide the technical assistance directly or through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements.
If the Secretary determines after a period of time specified by the Secretary that an eligible entity implementing an improvement plan under clause (ii) has failed to demonstrate any improvement in at least 4 of the areas specified in subparagraph (A), or if the Secretary determines that an eligible entity has failed to submit the report required by clause (i), the Secretary shall terminate the grant made to the entity under this section and may include any unexpended grant funds in grants made to nonprofit organizations under subsection (h)(2)(B).
The program is designed, with respect to an eligible family participating in the program, to result in the participant outcomes described in subparagraph (B) that the eligible entity identifies on the basis of an individualized assessment of the family, are relevant for that family.
An eligible entity shall use not more than 25 percent of the amount of the grant paid to the entity for a fiscal year for purposes of conducting a program using the service delivery model described in clause (i)(II).
The Secretary shall establish criteria for evidence of effectiveness of the service delivery models and shall ensure that the process for establishing the criteria is transparent and provides the opportunity for public comment.
Funds provided to an eligible entity receiving a grant under this section shall supplement, and not supplant, funds from other sources for early childhood home visitation programs or initiatives.
Not later than March 31, 2015, the Secretary shall submit a report to Congress on the results of the evaluation conducted under paragraph (2) and shall make the report publicly available.
The Secretary shall carry out a continuous program of research and evaluation activities in order to increase knowledge about the implementation and effectiveness of home visiting programs, using random assignment designs to the maximum extent feasible. The Secretary may carry out such activities directly, or through grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts.
The head of the department or agency responsible for administering a program funded under this section shall, in consultation with an interagency work group established by the Office of Management and Budget and considering State government perspectives, designate data exchange standards for necessary categories of information that a State agency operating the program is required to electronically exchange with another State agency under applicable Federal law.
The data exchange standards designated under clause (i) shall, to the extent practicable, be nonproprietary and interoperable.
The head of the department or agency responsible for administering a program referred to in this section shall, in consultation with an interagency work group established by the Office of Management and Budget, and considering State government perspectives, designate data exchange standards to govern Federal reporting and exchange requirements under applicable Federal law.
In designating data exchange standards under this paragraph, the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, incorporate existing nonproprietary standards, such as the eXtensible Mark up Language.
Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to require a change to existing data exchange standards for Federal reporting about a program referred to in this section, if the head of the department or agency responsible for administering the program finds the standards to be effective and efficient.
Except as provided in paragraph (2), the other provisions of this subchapter shall not apply to a grant made under this section.
Except as provided in subparagraph (B), funds made available to an eligible entity under this section for a fiscal year (or portion of a fiscal year) shall remain available for expenditure by the eligible entity through the end of the second succeeding fiscal year after award. Any funds that are not expended by the eligible entity during the period in which the funds are available under the preceding sentence may be used for grants to nonprofit organizations under subsection (h)(2)(B).
Funds made available to an eligible entity under this section for a fiscal year (or portion of a fiscal year) for a pay for outcomes initiative shall remain available for expenditure by the eligible entity for not more than 10 years after the funds are so made available.
To the extent that the grant amount awarded under this section to an eligible entity is determined on the basis of relative population or poverty considerations, the Secretary shall make the determination using the most accurate Federal data available for the eligible entity.
The term “eligible entity” means a State, an Indian Tribe, Tribal Organization, or Urban Indian Organization, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa.
The terms “Indian Tribe” and “Tribal Organization”, and “Urban Indian Organization” have the meanings given such terms in section 1603 of title 25.