Vern Buchanan

Mr. BUCHANAN

Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to pass this bill so that struggling farmers can have the flexibility to use the existing provisions of the Tax Code in a more ownership-type structure. Without this change, we run the risk of losing tens of thousands of jobs. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This bill makes a slight change to the existing law in order to help struggling farmers. The U.S. citrus industry faces a grave threat from an incurable bacterial disease called citrus greening. While not harmful to humans, it results in bitter, hard, misshapen fruit and eventually causes trees to die. The disease arrived in Florida in 2005 and has since infected 99 percent of the commercial citrus groves in my State as well as 50 percent of the groves in Texas. Greening has begun to march across the country and has been found in California, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Georgia. Once infected, trees must be uprooted and destroyed. Replacing citrus trees is costly, but farmers have no choice as they must replant in order to earn a living. This disease has put 62,000 citrus jobs at risk in my State alone. The Tax Code currently allows farmers to fully deduct the cost of replanting trees that are damaged by drought, disease, or pests; but the current rule has a significant limitation: in order to get the deduction, the farmers must bear the costs of replanting the trees themselves. My bill would let farmers bring in investors to help underwrite replanting costs without losing the immediate deduction; and, to ensure that farmers keep working their land, my bill requires them to maintain at least a 50 percent interest in their groves in order to use this deduction. This commonsense, limited change to an existing provision in the Tax Code has broad, bipartisan support. In fact, every member of the Florida delegation, which is about 29 members--Democrats and Republicans alike--support this proposal. Citrus growers in Florida, Texas, and California have all come out in support of the bill for one simple reason: nationwide, nearly 20 million trees will need to be replaced due to greening. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 3957, currently under consideration.

Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3957) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to temporarily allow expensing of certain costs of replanting citrus plants lost by reason of casualty, as amended.

Mr. BUCHANAN

Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my concerns about certain aspects of the Veterans Mobility Safety Act (H.R. 3471) as reported from the Veterans Affairs Committee. Thousands of disabled veterans each month are provided exterior vehicle lifts for their motorized scooters or wheelchairs and/or fully modified vehicles, depending on the degree of their mobility limitations. These serve as essential tools to ensuring that veterans have the freedom they deserve and help them live their lives to the fullest. While it is important to ensure that vehicles are operating safely after they receive VA-funded accessibility benefits, this legislation, which creates a new regulatory regime for the VA to implement, would benefit from some minor improvements. I am pleased that the Veterans Affairs Committee stated that in approving this legislation, Congress intends for the VA to preserve access to residential installations and service of exterior vehicle lifts, which is essential for our veterans. Veterans with limited mobility, as opposed to no mobility, often have an exterior lift installed on their vehicles via a standard trailer hitch that allows for the transport of a scooter or power wheelchair. Currently, the vast majority of these lifts are installed in the driveway of the veteran's home in as little as 30 minutes, as opposed to an equipment dealer's place of business, which is far more convenient for veterans and their families. These simple modifications significantly differ from modifications to the structure or controls of a vehicle, which are not done at a veteran's home and can take days or even weeks. And while the bill would permit manufacturers of vehicle lifts to continue to certify dealers and their employees as compliant with safety requirements, I would like to have seen a more robust conflict of interest provision related to the use of a third party certification organization for the new safety standards. The bill should also have explained more clearly how the new regulatory regime should differentiate between simple modifications, such as the addition of an exterior lift, and complex modifications, which affect the structure and/or operation of the vehicle. These simple changes to the bill could increase veterans' safety while ensuring against unintended consequences that could limit choices and access for our veterans. H.R. 3471 authorizes the VA to allow third party organizations (other than manufacturers) to certify that vendors are meeting the standards created by this bill but only instructs VA to ``minimize'' conflicts of interest. I am troubled because even a ``minimal'' conflict of interest could give segments of the automotive adaptive market a competitive advantage. I am particularly concerned that a trade group, which is dominated by and representative of a fraction of the industry, is seeking to become a certifying organization and could be in a position to certify (or not) the competitors of its members. Accordingly, I am pleased that the Committee Report notes that Congress ``expects VA to take all appropriate steps to minimize the potential for conflicts of interest, particularly if a third party organization who stands to unreasonably gain from designating quality standards high enough so that only the organization itself can certify providers of modification equipment is selected as a certifying body.'

Mr. BUCHANAN

Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize fire and rescue and EMS personnel who have provided distinguished service to the people of Florida's 16th Congressional District. As first responders, fire departments and emergency medical service teams are summoned on short notice to serve their respective communities. Oftentimes, they arrive at scenes of great adversity and trauma, to which they reliably bring strength and composure. These brave men and women spend hundreds of hours in training so that they are prepared when they get ``the call.'' In 2012, I established the 16th District Congressional Fire and Rescue and EMS Awards to honor officers, departments, and units for outstanding achievement. On behalf of the people of Florida's 16th District, it is my privilege to congratulate the following winners, who were selected this year by an independent committee comprised of a cross section of current and retired fire and rescue personnel living in the district. Battalion Chief Scott Blanchard of the City of Venice Fire Department was chosen to receive the Above and Beyond the Call of Duty Award. Firefighter Christopher Carver of the North River Fire District was chosen to receive the Above and Beyond the Call of Duty Award. Chief Brian Gorski of the Southern Manatee Fire and Rescue District was chosen to receive the Career Service Award. Lieutenant David Hawes of the North Port Fire Rescue District was chosen to receive the Above and Beyond the Call of Duty Award. Engineer Mathew Redmond of the North River District was chosen to receive the Above and Beyond the Call of Duty Award.

Mr. BUCHANAN

Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following extraneous materials on H.R. 5456, the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2016: Generations United, Washington, DC, June 13, 2016. Generations United's Statement Supporting the Family First Prevention Services Act Generations United commends House and Senate leaders on the proposed bipartisan, bicameral Family First Prevention Services Act. This groundbreaking legislation takes the bold step to redirect federal funding to support evidence-based, upfront prevention services, making them available to the approximately 2.5 million children whose grandparents or other relatives step in to care for them, keeping them out of foster care and with family. Children raised by relatives experience increased stability, and greater safety and permanency and better behavioral and mental health outcomes than children living with non-relatives. Yet, grandparents or other relatives often take on the care of children with little or no warning. These relatives face unique challenges finding information about resources, policies and services to help them navigate their new role providing full time care for children. Supports offered through the Family First Prevention Services Act such as individual and family therapy, home visiting and kinship navigator programs can offer relatives the support they need to keep children out of foster care and help them thrive. The proposed legislation will benefit children in grandfamilies by: Providing a partial federal match to states offering evidence-based Kinship Navigator programs. Allowing states to use federal funds to support 12 months of prevention services to keep children from needing to enter foster care, including families where a relative is caring for a child. Addressing barriers to licensure for relatives through the promotion of model family foster care licensing standards with a focus on ensuring states promote placements with family members. Reducing the amount of time foster children wait to be adopted or placed with relatives across state lines by encouraging states to replace their outdated child placement systems with a more efficient electronic system. Ensuring more foster children are placed with families by ending federal reimbursement when states inappropriately place children in non-family settings. Promoting permanency for children by extending adoption and legal guardianship incentive payments. The proposed bill also reauthorizes the Regional Partnership Grant Program, which provides funding to state and local evidence-based services aimed at preventing child abuse and child neglect due to parental substance abuse, and it extends existing child welfare services for five years through the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program. This trailblazing child welfare legislation stops short of providing important short-term financial assistance to relatives, as included in previous proposals. Relative caregivers are often retired, living on fixed incomes and unprepared to take on the expense of children who come into their care with no chance to plan in advance. Research shows that caregivers in grandfamilies are experienced and savvy financial managers who forgo their own financial needs and dreams to care for children. They often simply lack the needed resources. Generations United looks forward to working with Members of Congress who are championing federal and state solutions to address these ongoing financial challenges.

Mr. BUCHANAN

Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following extraneous materials on H.R. 5456, the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2016: New York Coalition for Child Welfare Finance Reform, June 20, 2016. Dear New York State Federal Delegation: As a coalition representing numerous child welfare stakeholders, including advocacy organizations, providers, parents' attorneys, children's attorneys and philanthropy in New York, we are writing to express our support for H.R. 5456, the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2016. Every child deserves to grow up in a safe and caring family, and the Family First Prevention Services Act would help ensure that more children have this opportunity. The Family First Prevention Services Act of 2016 contains many important provisions that would strengthen the child welfare system here in New York and make a significant impact in strengthening and keeping families together. For the first time, New York would be able to use federal dollars from Title IV-E of the Social Security Act to provide time- limited, evidence-based services to families. The services are aimed to help prevent children from entering the foster care system by allowing federal reimbursement to families for mental health services, substance abuse treatment, and in- home parent skill-based programs. New York State and New York City are ahead of many other states and localities, having already invested a significant amount of resources to prevent foster care and enable children to live safely in their homes. The ability to access federal funding to enhance the work being done in New York, could enable many more families to remain intact. In addition, the bill incentivizes states to ensure that children are placed in family-based settings by only allowing federal reimbursement after an assessment has occurred and it has been determined that the child should be placed in a quality residential treatment program. In addition, for those youth who are assessed to need to be placed in a congregate care setting, the law will ensure that these settings provide children with the trauma-informed and on-site services they need. The legislation also includes a number of other provisions aimed to reform and strengthen the child welfare system including the extension of the Title IV-B program, improving supports for youth transitioning to adulthood, establishing model foster care licensing standards, and calling for a GAO review to examine compliance of states in reinvesting savings from the federal adoption assistance reimbursement for special needs kids. We look forward to working with you to ensure these new child welfare finance reforms will truly benefit children who come to the attention of the child welfare system and to continue to explore additional improvements on their behalf to ensure they all have safe, permanent families. Thank you for your continuing leadership on behalf of these children. If you have any questions, please contact Stephanie Gendell from Citizens' Committee for Children. The following Coalition members from New York support the Family First Prevention Services Act (H.R. 5456):

Mr. BUCHANAN

Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following extraneous materials on H.R. 5456, the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2016: North American Council on Adoptable Children, St. Paul, MN, June 14, 2016. Hon. Kevin Brady, Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Orrin Hatch, Chairman, Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate, Washington DC. Hon. Vern Buchanan, Chairman, Human Resources Subcommittee, Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Sander Levin, Ranking Member, Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Ron Wyden, Ranking Member, Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate, Washington

Mr. BUCHANAN

Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following extraneous materials on H.R. 5456, the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2016: Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, Washington, DC, June 14, 2016. Hon. Kevin Brady, Chair, House of Representatives, Ways and Means Committee. Hon. Vern Buchanan, Chair, House of Representatives, Human Resources Subcommittee. Hon. Orrin Hatch, Chair, U.S. Senate, Senate Finance Committee. Hon. Sander Levin, Ranking Member, House of Representatives, Ways and Means Committee, Hon. Lloyd Doggett, Ranking Member, House of Representatives, Human Resources Subcommittee. Hon. Ron Wyden, Ranking Member, U.S. Senate, Senate Finance Committee. Dear Chairman Brady and Ranking Member Levin, Chairman Buchannan and Ranking Member Doggett, and Chairman Hatch and Ranking Member Wyden: The Alliance for Strong Families and Communities thanks you for your leadership and for introducing the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2016. The legislation promotes numerous policy priorities that are consistent with our network's guiding principles for improving child and family safety, permanency and well-being. We appreciate efforts you have made to address past concerns and to include components that are informed by effective practices in states and localities, technology updates, and current research. These include: Permitting the use of federal funds to pay for programs across the evidence-based spectrum, and to continue knowledge formation in what works; Making Title IV-B funds available to states so that they may modernize their Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) services so that so that children may be more quickly and effectively placed in appropriate homes across state lines; Supporting the National Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities' recommendation that a 21st Century Child Welfare system require states to develop a statewide plan to prevent child abuse and neglect fatalities; Requiring the use of an age-appropriate, evidence-based, validated needs assessment to help determine a child's need for behavioral health support through a therapeutic residential treatment setting; and Engaging families in a child's residentially-based trauma- informed behavioral health treatment to strengthen the likelihood of their success, including establishing a family and permanency team in the initial needs assessment and ongoing progress monitoring. We are very pleased with the bipartisan, bicameral effort to address child welfare reforms, and specifically, the longstanding policy priority to expand Title IV-E for prevention so that children and parents/caregivers may have access to services and interventions that ensure child safety and build family stability. While the Alliance enthusiastically supports the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2016, we do believe we have identified a significant technical misalignment within the definition of the Qualified Residential Treatment Program (QRTP) that, if addressed, would strengthen the bill, increase its effectiveness and mitigate against what we believe to be unintended consequences for children to whom we want to receive the right treatment, at the right time in the most appropriate setting. We fully support the requirement for a QRTP to use a trauma-informed treatment model, but are concerned about the rigid aspects of the language for QRTP staffing. The prescription of nursing and clinical staff being onsite during business hours is not consistent with Congress' desire to use evidence in its requirements on states and moves further away from a system that is child- and family-centered and community-based. We believe that QRTPs must abide by the fidelity elements of the approved, trauma-informed treatment model that they elect to use in accordance with the requirements in the bill and that the current language regarding staffing is inconsistent with the bill's treatment model requirement. For example, if the fidelity elements of the selected treatment model require licensed or registered nurses to be onsite during business hours and available 24/7, then a QRTP must meet that requirement. Likewise, if fidelity to an approved model requires a different staffing composition and pattern, then the QRTP must meet that model's requirements and needs the flexibility to do so. Therefore, rather than requiring the staff to be onsite during business hours, we recommend an amendment that aligns the treatment model requirement with the staffing requirement. The amendment would require staff to be onsite according to the trauma-informed treatment model being used by the QRTP. Our commonsense amendment acknowledges that high quality trauma-informed treatment models prescribe staffing patterns that are designed to achieve the outcomes proven by the program model. And, it strengthens the bill's effectiveness toward the greatest chance of success and normalcy for children provided in the most family-like settings possible. The Alliance's wholehearted support of the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2016 is unqualified and not contingent upon inclusion of the recommended amendment but, if the bill is passed without this amendment we intend to work to build a coalition to change this aspect of the QRTP requirements prior to implementation of these provisions in Title II in 2019. Thank you very much for your hard work. We look forward to working with you and encourage you to contact Marlo Nash, Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Mobilization with questions or to request additional information. Sincerely, Susan Dreyfus, President and CEO.

Mr. BUCHANAN

Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following extraneous materials on H.R. 5456, the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2016: Foster Family-Based Treatment Association, Hackensack, NJ, June 15, 2016. Re: H.R. 5456 Family First Prevention Service Act Hon. Kevin Brady, Chair, House Ways and Means Committee, Washington, DC. Hon. Vern Buchanan, Chair, House Human Resources Subcommittee, Washington, DC. Hon. Orrin Hatch, Chair, Senate Finance Committee, Washington, DC. Hon. Sander Levin, Ranking Member, Ways and Means, Washington, DC. Hon. Lloyd Doggett, Ranking Member, House Human Resource Subcommittee, Washington, DC. Hon. Ron Wyden, Ranking Member, Senate Finance Ranking Member, Washington,

Mr. BUCHANAN

Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following on H.R. 5456, the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2016: Voice for Adoption, Washington, DC, June 13, 2016. Dear Chairman Brady and Ranking Member Levin: Dear Chairman Hatch and Ranking Member Wyden: Dear Chairman Buchanan and Ranking Member Doggett: Today I offer Voice for Adoption's full support of the proposed Family First Prevention Services Act (H.R. 5456). It takes historic and long overdue steps to direct federal child welfare dollars to improve outcomes for vulnerable children and families. I urge you to move toward a timely mark up in both the House and the Senate so these vulnerable children do not have to wait longer for these important reforms. Voice for Adoption (VFA) is a national advocacy organization with a mission to speak in a single voice with policy-makers, representing the interests of more than 100,000 foster children awaiting adoption and the families who adopt them. The Family First Prevention Services Act would allow adoptive families to receive needed post-adoption services by allowing states to use Title IV-E funds to pay for up to 12 months of family services that can prevent children from reentering foster care, and help keep the children safely in their adoptive families. While the Families First Prevention Services Act would delay final implementation of additional federal adoption assistance reimbursement for the adoptions of infants and toddlers, VFA is willing to support this delay as a way to extend needed services. VFA was pleased to see a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study that will examine compliance with the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-135) requirement that states reinvest the state funds freed up by providing additional federal reimbursement. Beyond the important post-adoption support this Act will provide, the Family First Prevention Services Act takes important steps to ensure children who need care will be placed in the least-restrictive, most family-like setting appropriate to their needs. VFA will offer our continued support in the implementation of the Families First Prevention Services Act to ensure that the voice of the adoption community is heard--specifically to assure that the Act does provide critical post-adoption services that assist in keeping children with their adoptive families and helps children to avoid reentering the foster care system and in crafting the GAO report. VFA looks forward to working with all of you to make the proposed improvements for children in the Family First Prevention Services Act (H.R. 5456) a reality. Thank you for your continuing leadership on behalf of the most vulnerable children and their families. Sincerely yours, Schylar Baber, Executive Director.

Mr. BUCHANAN

Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, I request that the following extraneous materials on H.R. 5456, the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2016 be submitted: CWLA, Together, Making Children and Families a National Priority Washington, DC, June 13,2016. Hon. Kevin Brady, Ways and Means Committee, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Orrin Hatch, Finance Committee, U.S. Senate, Washington DC. Hon. Sander Levin, Ways and Means Committee, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Ron Wyden, Finance Committee, U.S. Senate, Washington DC. Dear Chairman Brady and Ranking Member Levin: Dear Chairman Hatch and Ranking Member Wyden: The Child Welfare League of America endorses the Families First Prevention Services Act. We feel that the legislation offers the important possibility of allowing funds to provide vital mental health, substance use and in-home services that could help children stay with their own families. Current funding for this important part of a continuum of needed services is lacking and we know we must address these areas if we are to strengthen the well-being and outcomes for children and families that come to the child welfare and child protection systems. This legislation provides an important reauthorization of the two Title IV-B programs including an extension of the adoption-kinship incentives, court improvement funds, workforce development funds tied to caseworker visits, and the regional partnership grants. The bill includes some needed improvements to the Chaffee program in regard to the age of eligibility. We hope to work with the Congress and the Administration in the implementation of some of the more challenging aspects of the bill to make sure that the oversight and implementation of the residential care parts of this law are carried out in the most effective way possible. In the years ahead we also hope to push Congress on new strategies that can go beyond simply reallocating current child welfare funds and instead invest in what is truly needed and proven effective. Thank you again for your dedication and hard work. Sincerely, Christine James-Brown, President/CEO, Child Welfare League of America. Children's Defense Fund, Washington, DC, June 13, 2016. Hon. Kevin Brady, Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives. Hon. Orrin Hatch, Chairman, Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate. Hon. Vern Buchanan, Chairman, Human Resources Subcommittee, Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives. Hon. Sandy Levin, Ranking Member, Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives. Hon. Ron Wyden, Ranking Member, Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate. Hon. Lloyd Doggett, Ranking Member, Human Resources Subcommittee, Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives. Dear Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committee Chairmen Brady and Hatch, Ranking Members Levin and Wyden and Human Resources Subcommittee Chairman Buchanan and Ranking Member Doggett: One of the Children's Defense Fund (CDF)'s first reports decades ago was Children without Homes: An Examination of Public Responsibility to Children in Out-of- Home Care and we have been unrelenting since in our advocacy for children who come to the attention of the child welfare system and their families. Today I offer CDF's full support of the proposed Family First Prevention Services Act. It takes historic and long overdue steps to direct federal child welfare dollars to improve outcomes for vulnerable children and families. I urge you to move toward a timely mark up in both the House and Senate so these vulnerable children do not have to wait longer for these important reforms. Especially significant are the redirected funds in the Act for services and programs to assist children at risk of foster care to remain safely with parents or family caregivers. The proposal ensures quality prevention and treatment services for mental health and substance abuse problems that bring many families to the attention of the child welfare system. Such services and treatment are especially critical in responding to the current heroin and opioid epidemic, and we applaud additional provisions to address this crisis. The proposal also helps strengthen families and protect children by providing them in-home skill-based services. At the same time, it requires states to have a plan to track and prevent child maltreatment fatalities. The Family First Prevention Services Act takes important steps to ensure children who need foster care will be placed in the least-restrictive most family-like setting appropriate to their needs, and gives special attention to children whose emotional or other special needs require residential treatment. It continues to recognize and increase supports for grandparents and other relatives who step in to care for children when their parents cannot; addresses the special needs of pregnant and parenting teens and protections for their children; and offers supports to help older youth transition from foster care to adulthood. There is a continued important emphasis on ensuring permanent families for children. This new proposal builds on your Committees' work on previous bipartisan and bicameral child welfare legislation. In fact, it was 36 years ago today, June 13th, 1980 that the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act was passed by Congress and then signed into law on June 17th. You followed that with the Adoption and Safe Families Act, the Foster Care Independence Act, the Fostering Connections to Success and increasing Adoptions Act, and more recently the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act, to name several, all of which included provisions to begin to better align federal funding with improved outcomes for vulnerable children and their families. The Family First Preventive Services Act now takes important next steps. The Children's Defense Fund looks forward to working with all of you to make the proposed improvements for children in the Family First Prevention Services Act a reality. Thank you for your continuing leadership on behalf of these most vulnerable children and their families. Sincerely yours, Marian Wright Edelman, President.

Mr. BUCHANAN

Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Again, this is bipartisan, bicameral legislation. It takes important steps to keep more children safely at home and out of foster care. Under the current law, most Federal funding for child welfare is directed toward reimbursing States after they place a child in foster care. This is the least desirable outcome. This legislation turns this around by putting resources towards preventative services to keep children safely with their parents or relatives. Most importantly, this bill will help ensure that more children grow up in a safe home surrounded by a stable family. Strong families make for a strong community. I urge my colleagues to support the Family First Prevention Services Act. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, having no other speakers, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The Nation is in the grips of an opioid and heroin epidemic, which, according to States, is responsible for recent spikes in the need for out-of-home foster care placement after more than a decade of decline. Under current child welfare financing, when a family is struggling, the majority of Federal dollars are only available if the State removes a child from his or her biological and adoptive home and places that child in foster care. Even though it is often less expensive and more effective to keep a child safely at home, Federal support for these types of prevention services are extremely limited. Children who are raised by the State in foster care face increased risks of substance abuse, homelessness, teen pregnancy, and other negative outcomes. The Family First Prevention Services Act of 2016 will reverse the current trends by supporting early, evidence-based, cost-effective interventions to keep children safely at home. This will increase the likelihood of positive short-term and long-term outcomes for both children and their parents. Moreover, it will ensure that children who do not need foster care are appropriately placed with families whenever possible. Preliminary estimates are that the cost of the up-front prevention services to strengthen families will be more than fully offset by both reducing inappropriate placements into group homes for foster children, as well as briefly delaying additional adoption assistance to allow for a comprehensive GAO review to be completed. In May, the Human Resources Subcommittee heard about challenges and successes of those on the ground as they attempt to fight the opioid and heroin epidemic in their communities. Today, we will move forward to ensure more struggling families get the help they so vitally need. This bill is a result of a bipartisan, bicameral effort. So I would like to thank Ranking Member Levin and our Senate Finance Committee colleagues, Chairman Hatch and Ranking Member Wyden, for working so diligently on this effort. This bill also incorporates bipartisan efforts by Congressman Young and Congressman Davis to improve the exchange of information across State lines to get foster children settled into homes more quickly. I would like to thank my fellow committee members, the bipartisan group of original cosponsors, and those on the committee who have also joined to sponsor this important legislation. Finally, I would like to recognize the overwhelming support we have received from the child welfare community who, I know, have been working on this issue for many, many years, some say as long as 30 years, in terms of the prevention care for our kids. I include in the Record some of these more than 60 letters of support we have received so far on this bill. Children's Home Society of America, Chicago, IL, June 14, 2016. Hon. Kevin Brady, Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, House of Congress, Washington, DC. Hon. Sandy Levin, Ranking Member, Committee on Ways and Means, House of Congress, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Brady and Ranking Member Levin: As a nationwide membership organization comprised of many of the most long standing and respected child and family organizations in the country, Children's Home Society of America is writing in support of your efforts to promote and improve outcomes for many of the hundreds of thousands of children and youth who come to the attention of the child welfare system each year, including children in foster care. Over the decades the House Ways and Means Committee, with bipartisan support, has taken significant steps forward on behalf of our most vulnerable children and the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2016 continues those efforts. Allowing funds under Title IV-E of the Social Security Act, currently used primarily for out-of-home care for children, to be used for the first time for prevention services to help keep children at risk of placement in foster care safely at home with their parents or with kin is a significant move in the right direction. Kinship caregivers play a critical role in protecting children temporarily while their parents are not able to and also in ensuring new permanent families for children who cannot return home. We strongly support the bill's recognition of the importance of quality services for these children, which are evidence-based and trauma-informed and the importance of accountability in tracking the provision of services and their benefits for children. States at different stages in reforming their systems will also have help training staff for the development and delivery of these new services and putting in place the infrastructure needed to administer and oversee their delivery and child outcomes. The Family First Prevention Services Act over time also will take important steps to ensure children who need to enter foster care will be placed in the least restrictive setting appropriate to their needs, by targeting federal dollars only on smaller family-foster homes and on other care settings for children and youth with special treatment needs or those in special circumstances, such as pregnant and parenting teens or older youth in independent living settings. A number of states already have undertaken special efforts to reduce the number of children in congregate care and to preserve group care settings for children with special treatment needs. Children and society pay a high cost when the current systems fail to adequately address the needs of the children who come to the attention of our child welfare systems, nearly 80 percent of whom are victims of neglect. We believe that the specific changes proposed will go far in encouraging state and local child welfare systems, private providers, the courts and youth and families who have been involved in the system to work together to achieve significant change for children over the next decade. We look forward to working with you to ensure these new child welfare finance reforms will truly benefit children who come to the attention of the child welfare system and to continue to explore additional improvements on their behalf to ensure they all have safe, permanent families. Thank you for your continuing leadership on behalf of these children. Sincerely, Sharon Osborne, Board Chair.

Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material on H.R. 5456, currently under consideration.

Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5456) to amend parts B and E of title IV of the Social Security Act to invest in funding prevention and family services to help keep children safe and supported at home, to ensure that children in foster care are placed in the least restrictive, most family-like, and appropriate settings, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BUCHANAN

Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to law enforcement men and women who have provided distinctive service to the people of Florida's 16th Congressional District. Law enforcement is a demanding profession that requires sacrifice, courage and a dedication to serve others. Every day, brave men and women put themselves in harm's way to enforce the laws of our society and protect public safety. They deserve our gratitude and respect. Five years ago, I established the 16th District Congressional Law Enforcement Awards, CLEA, to give special recognition to law enforcement officers, departments, or units for exceptional achievement. This year, I will present congressional law enforcement awards to the following winners chosen by an independent panel comprised of current and retired law enforcement personnel representing a cross-section of the district's law enforcement community. Deputy Billie Wilson of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office and Officer Kenneth Simunovic of the Bradenton Police Department will receive the Above and Beyond the Call of Duty Award. Officer Tim Matthews of the Palmetto Police Department, Officer Michael Walker of the Holmes Beach Police Department, Sergeant Demetri Konstantopoulos of the Sarasota Police Department, Sergeant Donald Kennard of the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office and Detective Jason Friday will receive the Dedication and Professionalism Award. Lieutenant Johnny Yong of the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, Sergeant Matt Kintigh of the North Port Police Department and Trooper Barbara Ehrhart of the Florida Highway Patrol will receive the Career Service Award. The following Members of the Sarasota Police Department's Homeless Outreach Team: Captain Kevin Stiff, Lieutenant Lori Jaress, Sergeant Michael ``Richie'' Schwieterman, Officers David Dubendorf, Matthew Kimball, Matthew Grochowski, Jonathan Misiewicz along with Case Managers Sherree Brown, Calvin Collins and Joseph Polzak will receive the Unit Citation Award. Officer John Parisi of the North Port Police Department will receive the Preservation of Life Award. Leaders of the Harvest House in Sarasota; Pastor Jim Minor and Executive Director Erin Minor will receive the Associate Service Award.

Mr. BUCHANAN

Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of outstanding public school teachers in Florida's 16th Congressional District. I was once told that children are 25 percent of the population, but they are 100 percent of the future. And it's true. The education of a child is an investment, not only in that student, but in the future of our country. Therefore, I established the Congressional Teacher Awards to honor educators for their ability to teach and inspire students. An independent panel has chosen the following teachers for Florida's 16th District 2016 Congressional Teacher Award for their accomplishments as educators: Mr. Lorenzo Browner, for his accomplishments as an ESE teacher at Florine Abel Elementary School in Sarasota. Ms. Charlotte Latham, for her accomplishments as a fifth grade teacher at BD Gullett Elementary School in Bradenton. Mr. Todd Brown, for his accomplishments as a civics teacher at Sarasota Military Academy Prep in Sarasota. Dr. Jennifer Jaso, for her accomplishments as a social studies teacher at Sarasota Middle School in Sarasota. Ms. Judith Black, for her accomplishments as a French teacher at Pine View School in Osprey. Ms. Stacie Cratty for her accomplishments as a dance teacher at Manatee School for the Arts in Palmetto. On behalf of the people of Florida's 16th District I congratulate each of these outstanding teachers and offer my sincere appreciation for their service and dedication.

Mr. BUCHANAN

Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Chair, my understanding is PHAs asked for this, but let me just say my amendment will reduce the burdens on families by using solutions they are already interacting with through other means- tested programs. I encourage all my colleagues to support this amendment and to support the underlying bill. I yield back the balance of my time.