Respite Care

A bipartisan bill introduced this month known as the Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act of 2019, or H.R.2035, would earmark $200 million over the next five years to boost respite care services across the country. The legislation is an effort to reauthorize an existing law that’s been on the books since 2006 while increasing the funding. Under the measure, $20 million would be authorized for fiscal year 2020 and then funding would increase by $10 million per year, ultimately reaching $60 million in fiscal year 2024. That’s substantially more than the $2.5 million allocated by Congress annually since 2009. There are estimated to be more than 40 million Americans providing care to loved ones with various disabilities or health conditions. Under the existing law, the federal government has provided grants to 37 states and Washington, D.C. to streamline the delivery of services, coordinate resources and offer training to respite providers and family caregivers. Jill Kagan, Director of the ARCH National Respite Coalition which helps administer the federal government’s respite care efforts, said they are working to bring the program to every state. The House bill is sponsored by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash. A Senate version was introduced by Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.