H.R. 2035 would authorize appropriations totaling $200 million over the 2020-2024 period to the Administration for Community Living (ACL) for grants to state agencies for lifespan respite care programs. Those programs provide temporary relief for family caregivers of children and adults with special needs. The authorization for this program expired at the end of 2011; in 2019, ACL allocated $4 million for this program. CBO assumes that the bill will be enacted near the end of fiscal year 2019 and that spending will follow historical patterns for similar activities. Assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 2035 would cost $173 million over the 2020-2024 period and $27 million after 2024.
The costs of the legislation (detailed in Table 1) fall within budget function 500 (education, training, employment, and social services).