text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Calling for 2-1-1 Act of 2003''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
  
      Congress makes the following findings:
              (1) The Federal Communications Commission has assigned 2-1-
          1 as the national telephone number for telephone service for 
          information and referral on human services, declaring that 2-1-
          1 best satisfies the public interest in allotting the limited 
          resource of this abbreviated number. In 2005, the Commission 
          will assess the widespread utilization of the 2-1-1 telephone 
          number and evaluate whether to continue the assignment of that 
          telephone number for that service.
              (2) The number ``2-1-1'' is an easy-to-remember telephone 
          number that facilitates critical connections between 
          individuals and families seeking services, volunteer 
          opportunities, or both and appropriate human service agencies, 
          including community-based and faith-based organizations and 
          government agencies.
              (3) There are more than 820,000 nonprofit organizations in 
          the United States. Individuals and families often find it 
          difficult to navigate through a complex and ever-growing maze 
          of human service agencies and programs, spending inordinate 
          amounts of time trying to identify an agency or program that 
          provides a service that may be immediately or urgently required 
          and often abandoning the search from frustration or a lack of 
          quality information.
              (4) At the Federal, State, and local levels, government 
          funding supports well-intentioned programs that are not fully 
          utilized because of a lack of access to and information on such 
          programs by the public. Program administrators have indicated 
          that there is a need for a simple way to connect those eligible 
          for programs with available program resources. 2-1-1 telephone 
          service will reduce the number of inappropriate calls to 
          government offices by directing consumers to the appropriate 
          human services agency, resulting in a more effective use of 
          government services.
              (5) Many families need information on government and not-
          for-profit services that address domestic violence, support 
          adequate and stable housing, alleviate hunger, and provide for 
          high-quality day care, afterschool activities, summer 
          activities, job training and assistance, elder care, and 
          disaster recovery.
              (6) Individuals often need support, services, or both when 
          suffering emotional distress, having suicidal thoughts or 
          behavior, contemplating violence, or using drugs or alcohol.
              (7) Americans desire to volunteer and become involved in 
          their communities. This desire, together with a desire to 
          donate to organizations which provide human services, are among 
          the reasons to contact a center which provides information and 
          referral on volunteer opportunities and human services.
              (8) Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, an 
          estimated 400 telephone hotlines were established in New York, 
          New York, for various funds and services, creating a confusing 
          network for victims and volunteers to navigate. A Comptroller 
          General report on charitable aid following the terrorist 
          attacks found that ``families of victims generally believed 
          they had to navigate a maze of service providers in the early 
          months'' and that ``good information about and easy access to 
          available assistance could help survivors in the recovery 
          process''.
              (9) The 107th Congress recognized the importance of 2-1-1 
          telephone service in community preparedness and response by 
          including use of that telephone number for public information 
          as an allowable use of funds under grants for preparedness and 
          response to bioterrorism and other public health emergencies 
          under section 319C-1 of the Public Health Service Act (42 
          U.S.C. 247d-3a), as added by section 131 of the Public Health 
          Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 
          (Public Law 107-188).
              (10) While 20 percent of the population has access to 2-1-1 
          telephone service in 21 States, inadequate funding prevents 
          access to that telephone service throughout each of the States. 
          2-1-1 telephone service is currently available statewide only 
          in Connecticut and Hawaii.
              (11) Rapid deployment nationwide of 2-1-1 telephone service 
          as a means of access to information about and referral on human 
          services requires collaboration among State governments, 
          comprehensive and specialized information and referral centers, 
          human service organizations and service providers, emergency 
          management and homeland security officials, telephone 
          companies, and other relevant entities.
              (12) 2-1-1 telephone service facilitates the availability 
          of a single repository where comprehensive data on all 
          community services is collected, maintained, and updated 
          regularly, reducing costs and duplication of efforts. The 
          reliable data provided through 2-1-1 telephone service helps to 
          better assess the needs of our communities and to immediately 
          mobilize resources toward those needs.
  
  SEC. 3. GRANTS TO FACILITATE NATIONWIDE AVAILABILITY OF 2-1-1 SERVICE 
                FOR INFORMATION AND REFERRAL ON HUMAN SERVICES.
  
      (a) Grants Required.--The Secretary of Commerce shall award a grant 
  to each State to carry out a program for the purpose of making 
  available throughout such State 2-1-1 telephone service for information 
  and referral on human services.
      (b) Grant To Be Available for Each State.--In awarding grants under 
  this section, the Secretary shall develop a formula for allocating 
  grant amounts among the States so that a grant may be awarded to each 
  State seeking a grant.
      (c) Requirement on Share of Activities.--
              (1) Requirement.--A State may not be awarded a grant under 
          this section unless the State ensures that at least 50 percent 
          of the resources of the program funded by the grant will be 
          derived from other sources.
              (2) In-kind contributions.--The requirement in paragraph 
          (1) may be satisfied by in-kind contributions of goods or 
          services.
      (d) Lead Entity.--
              (1) In general.--A State seeking a grant under this section 
          shall carry out this section through a lead entity meeting the 
          requirements of this subsection.
              (2) 2-1-1 Collaborative.--An entity shall be treated as the 
          2-1-1 Collaborative for a State under this subsection if the 
          entity--
                      (A) exists for such purpose under State law;
                      (B) exists for such purpose by order of the State 
                  public utility commission; or
                      (C) is a collaborative entity established by the 
                  State for such purpose from among representatives of--
                              (i) an informal existing 2-1-1 statewide 
                          collaborative, if any, in the State;
                              (ii) State agencies;
                              (iii) community-based organizations;
                              (iv) faith-based organizations;
                              (v) not-for-profit organizations;
                              (vi) comprehensive and specialized 
                          information and referral providers, including 
                          current 2-1-1 call centers;
                              (vii) foundations; and
                              (viii) businesses.
              (3) Requirements for preexisting lead entities.--An entity 
          described by subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (2) may be 
          treated as a lead entity under this subsection only if such 
          entity collaborates, to the extent practicable, with the 
          organizations and entities listed in subparagraph (C) of that 
          paragraph.
      (e) Application.--
              (1) In general.--The lead entity on behalf of each State 
          seeking a grant under this section shall submit to the 
          Secretary an application therefor in such form as the Secretary 
          shall require.
              (2) Information.--An application on behalf of a State under 
          this subsection shall contain information as follows:
                      (A) Information on the program to be carried out by 
                  the lead entity of the State in order to plan to make 
                  available throughout the State 2-1-1 telephone service 
                  for information and referral on human services, 
                  including information on the manner in which the lead 
                  entity will develop, sustain, and evaluate the program.
                      (B) Information on the sources of resources for the 
                  program for purposes of meeting the requirement in 
                  subsection (c).
                      (C) Any additional information that the Secretary 
                  may require for purposes of this section.
      (f) Subgrants.--
              (1) Authority.--In carrying out a program to make 2-1-1 
          telephone service available throughout a State at no charge to 
          the caller, the lead entity of the State may make subgrants to 
          such persons or entities as the lead entity considers 
          appropriate for purposes of the program, including subgrants to 
          provide funds--
                      (A) for the provision of 2-1-1 telephone service;
                      (B) for the operation and maintenance of 2-1-1 call 
                  centers; and
                      (C) for such other purposes as the 2-1-1 
                  Collaborative considers appropriate for purposes of the 
                  program, including planning, public awareness, 
                  training, accreditation, and evaluation.
              (2) Considerations.--In awarding a subgrant under this 
          subsection, a lead entity shall consider--
                      (A) the ability of the person or entity seeking the 
                  subgrant to carry out activities or provide services 
                  consistent with the program;
                      (B) the extent to which the award of the subgrant 
                  will facilitate equitable geographic distribution of 
                  subgrants under this section to ensure that rural 
                  communities have access to 2-1-1 telephone service; and
                      (C) the extent to which the recipient of the 
                  subgrant will establish and maintain cooperative 
                  relationships with specialized information and referral 
                  centers, crisis centers, 9-1-1 call centers, and 3-1-1 
                  call centers, if applicable.
      (g) Use of Grant and Subgrant Amounts.--
              (1) In general.--Amounts awarded as grants or subgrants 
          under this section shall be used solely to make available 2-1-1 
          telephone service for community information and referral on 
          human services, including telephone connections between 
          families and individuals seeking such services and the 
          providers of such services.
              (2) Particular matters.--In making 2-1-1 telephone service 
          available, the recipient of a grant or subgrant shall, to the 
          maximum extent practicable--
                      (A) abide by the Key Standards for 2-1-1 Centers as 
                  specified in the Standards for Professional Information 
                  and Referral Requirements for Alliance of Information 
                  Referral Systems (AIRS) Accreditation and Operating 2-
                  1-1 Systems; and
                      (B) collaborate with human service organizations, 
                  whether public or private, to provide an exhaustive 
                  database of services with which to provide information 
                  or referral to individuals utilizing 2-1-1 telephone 
                  service.
              (3) Use of funds.--Amounts of a subgrant under subsection 
          (e) may be used by grantees for Statewide and regional 
          planning, start-up costs (including costs of software and 
          hardware upgrades and telecommunications costs), training, 
          accreditation, public awareness, evaluation of activities, and 
          the provision of 2-1-1 telephone service.
      (h) Requirement on Allocation of Grant Amounts.--Of the amounts 
  awarded under this section, an aggregate of not less than 10 percent 
  shall be allocated for evaluation, training, and technical assistance, 
  and for management and administration of subgrants awarded under this 
  section.
      (i) Reports.--The lead entity of each State awarded a grant under 
  this section for a fiscal year shall submit to the Secretary, not later 
  than 60 days after the end of such fiscal year, a report on the program 
  funded by the grant. Each report shall--
              (1) describe the program funding by the grant; and
              (2) assess the effectiveness of the program in making 
          available throughout such State 2-1-1 telephone service for 
          information and referral on human services in accordance with 
          the provisions of this section.
      (j) Definitions.--In this section:
              (1) Human services.--The term ``human services'' means 
          services as follows:
                      (A) Services that assist individuals in becoming 
                  more self-sufficient, in preventing dependency, and in 
                  strengthening family relationships.
                      (B) Services that support personal and social 
                  development.
                      (C) Services that help ensure the health and well-
                  being of individuals, families, and communities.
              (2) Information and referral center.--The term 
          ``information and referral center'' means a center that--
                      (A) maintains a database of providers of human 
                  services in a State or locality;
                      (B) assists individuals, families, and communities 
                  in identifying, understanding, and accessing the 
                  providers of human services and the human services 
                  offered by the providers of such services; and
                      (C) tracks types of calls referred and received to 
                  document the demands for services.
              (3) State.--The term ``State'' means the several States, 
          the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the 
          Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of 
          the Northern Mariana Islands.
  
  SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
  
      (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
  out this Act amounts as follows:
              (1) For fiscal year 2004, $200,000,000.
              (2) For each of fiscal years 2005 through 2009, such sums 
          as may be necessary.
      (b) Availability.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to the 
  authorization of appropriations in subsection (a) shall remain 
  available until expended.
target: Calling for 2-1-1 Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to award a grant to each State to carry out a program for making available throughout that State the 2-1-1 telephone service for information and referral on human services. Requires a participating State to ensure that at least 50 percent of the resources of the program funded by the grant will be derived from other sources. Requires a State seeking a grant to carry out its activities through a lead entity to be known as a 2-1-1 Collaborative.
  
  Requires grant amounts to be used solely to make available to a State 2-1-1 telephone service for community information and referral on human services, including telephone connections between families and individuals seeking services and the service providers.
  
  Requires grant recipients to: (1) abide by the Key Standards for 2-1-1 Centers; and (2) collaborate with human service organizations to provide an exhaustive database of services with which to provide information or referral to individuals utilizing the 2-1-1 service.
feat_title: A bill to facilitate nationwide availability of 2-1-1 telephone service for information and referral services, and for other purposes.