Lifespan Respite Care Act of 2006
Public Law 109-442 · H.R. 3248 · 109th Congress · began in the House
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Dec 21, 2006 · Health
Sponsor: Rep. Mike Ferguson (R-NJ-7)
Cosponsors (84): Rep. Jim Langevin, Rep. Lee Terry,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Lifespan Respite Care Act of 2006 - (Sec. 2) Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award matching grants or cooperative agreements to eligible state agencies to: (1) expand and enhance respite care services to family caregivers; (2) improve the statewide dissemination and coordination of respite care; and (3) provide, supplement, or improve access and quality of respite care services to family caregivers, thereby reducing family caregiver strain. Defines "respite care" to mean planned or emergency care provided to a child or adult with a special need in order to provide temporary relief to the family caregiver.
Instructs the Secretary to work cooperatively with the National Family Caregiver Support Program of the Administration on Aging and other respite care programs within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ensure coordination of respite care services for family caregivers of children and adults with special needs.
Requires the Secretary to: (1) give priority to eligible state agencies that show the greatest likelihood of implementing or enhancing lifespan respite care statewide; and (2) give consideration to agencies that are building or enhancing the capacity of their long-term care systems to respond to the comprehensive needs, including respite care needs, of their residents.
Directs that funds must be used to: (1) develop or enhance lifespan respite care at the state and local levels; (2) provide respite care services for family caregivers caring for children or adults; (3) train and recruit respite care workers; (4) provide information to caregivers about available respite and support services; and (5) assist caregivers in gaining access to such services.
Permits part of such funds to be used for: (1) training programs for family caregivers to assist in making informed decisions about respite care services; (2) other services essential to the provision of respite care; or (3) training and education for new caregivers.
Allows the Secretary to award a grant or cooperative agreement to a public or private nonprofit entity to establish the National Resource Center on Lifespan Respite Care to: (1) maintain a national database on lifespan respite care; (2) provide training and technical assistance to state, community, and nonprofit respite care programs; and (3) provide information, referral, and educational programs to the public on lifespan respite care.
Sets forth reporting requirements.
Authorizes appropriations.
(Sec. 3) Requires the Comptroller General to conduct an evaluation and report to Congress on the effectiveness of lifespan respite care programs, including an analysis of cost benefits and improved efficiency in service delivery.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Energy and Commerce Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Health Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
S. 1283Related bill
Lifespan Respite Care Act of 2005
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 19 actions.
- Dec 21, 2006Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 109-442.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 20, 2006FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 8, 2006FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Dec 6, 2006FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3248.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Deal (GA) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate, read twice.
- Dec 5, 2006CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 428.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 109-716.
- Sep 20, 2006CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Jul 29, 2005CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- Jul 12, 2005CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.