Healthy marriage promotion and responsible fatherhood grants

(i) Use of funds Subject to subparagraphs (B), (C), and (E), the Secretary may use the funds made available under subparagraph (D) for the purpose of conducting and supporting research and demonstration projects by public or private entities, and providing technical assistance to States, Indian tribes and tribal organizations, and such other entities as the Secretary may specify that are receiving a grant under another provision of this part.

(ii) Limitations The Secretary may not award funds made available under this paragraph on a noncompetitive basis, and may not provide any such funds to an entity for the purpose of carrying out healthy marriage promotion activities or for the purpose of carrying out activities promoting responsible fatherhood unless the entity has submitted to the Secretary an application (or, in the case of an entity seeking funding to carry out healthy marriage promotion activities and activities promoting responsible fatherhood, a combined application that contains assurances that the entity will carry out such activities under separate programs and shall not combine any funds awarded to carry out either such activities) which— (I) describes— (aa) how the programs or activities proposed in the application will address, as appropriate, issues of domestic violence; and (bb) what the applicant will do, to the extent relevant, to ensure that participation in the programs or activities is voluntary, and to inform potential participants that their participation is voluntary; and (II) contains a commitment by the entity— (aa) to not use the funds for any other purpose; and (bb) to consult with experts in domestic violence or relevant community domestic violence coalitions in developing the programs and activities.

(iii) Healthy marriage promotion activities In clause (ii), the term “healthy marriage promotion activities” means the following: (I) Public advertising campaigns on the value of marriage and the skills needed to increase marital stability and health. (II) Education in high schools on the value of marriage, relationship skills, and budgeting. (III) Marriage education, marriage skills, and relationship skills programs, that may include parenting skills, financial management, conflict resolution, and job and career advancement. (IV) Pre-marital education and marriage skills training for engaged couples and for couples or individuals interested in marriage. (V) Marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs for married couples. (VI) Divorce reduction programs that teach relationship skills. (VII) Marriage mentoring programs which use married couples as role models and mentors in at-risk communities. (VIII) Programs to reduce the disincentives to marriage in means-tested aid programs, if offered in conjunction with any activity described in this subparagraph.

(i) In general Of the amounts made available under subparagraph (D) for a fiscal year, the Secretary may not award more than $2,000,000 on a competitive basis to fund demonstration projects designed to test the effectiveness of tribal governments or tribal consortia in coordinating the provision to tribal families at risk of child abuse or neglect of child welfare services and services under tribal programs funded under this part.

(ii) Limitation on use of funds A grant made pursuant to clause (i) to such a project shall not be used for any purpose other than— (I) to improve case management for families eligible for assistance from such a tribal program; (II) for supportive services and assistance to tribal children in out-of-home placements and the tribal families caring for such children, including families who adopt such children; and (III) for prevention services and assistance to tribal families at risk of child abuse and neglect.

(iii) Reports The Secretary may require a recipient of funds awarded under this subparagraph to provide the Secretary with such information as the Secretary deems relevant to enable the Secretary to facilitate and oversee the administration of any project for which funds are provided under this subparagraph.

(i) In general Of the amounts made available under subparagraph (D) for a fiscal year, the Secretary may not award more than $75,000,000 on a competitive basis to States, territories, Indian tribes and tribal organizations, and public and nonprofit community entities, including religious organizations, for activities promoting responsible fatherhood.

(ii) Activities promoting responsible fatherhood In this paragraph, the term “activities promoting responsible fatherhood” means the following: (I) Activities to promote marriage or sustain marriage through activities such as counseling, mentoring, disseminating information about the benefits of marriage and 2-parent involvement for children, enhancing relationship skills, education regarding how to control aggressive behavior, disseminating information on the causes of domestic violence and child abuse, marriage preparation programs, premarital counseling, marital inventories, skills-based marriage education, financial planning seminars, including improving a family’s ability to effectively manage family business affairs by means such as education, counseling, or mentoring on matters related to family finances, including household management, budgeting, banking, and handling of financial transactions and home maintenance, and divorce education and reduction programs, including mediation and counseling. (II) Activities to promote responsible parenting through activities such as counseling, mentoring, and mediation, disseminating information about good parenting practices, skills-based parenting education, encouraging child support payments, and other methods. (III) Activities to foster economic stability by helping fathers improve their economic status by providing activities such as work first services, job search, job training, subsidized employment, job retention, job enhancement, and encouraging education, including career-advancing education, dissemination of employment materials, coordination with existing employment services such as welfare-to-work programs, referrals to local employment training initiatives, and other methods. (IV) Activities to promote responsible fatherhood that are conducted through a contract with a nationally recognized, nonprofit fatherhood promotion organization, such as the development, promotion, and distribution of a media campaign to encourage the appropriate involvement of parents in the life of any child and specifically the issue of responsible fatherhood, and the development of a national clearinghouse to assist States and communities in efforts to promote and support marriage and responsible fatherhood.

Out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, there are appropriated for each of fiscal years 2017 and 2018 for expenditure in accordance with this paragraph—

(i) $75,000,000 for awarding funds for the purpose of carrying out healthy marriage promotion activities; and

(ii) $75,000,000 for awarding funds for the purpose of carrying out activities promoting responsible fatherhood.

If the Secretary makes an award under subparagraph (B)(i) for fiscal year 2017 or 2018, the funds for such award shall be taken in equal portion from the amounts appropriated under clauses (i) and (ii).