EVALUATIONS, RESEARCH, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.

SEC. 105. EVALUATIONS, RESEARCH, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. Section 435 (42 U.S.C. 629e) is amended— (1) by striking all that precedes “the effectiveness” in paragraph (1) of subsection (a), including the heading for section 435 and the caption for subsection (a), and inserting the following: “SEC. 435. EVALUATIONS; RESEARCH; TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. “(a) Evaluations.— “(1) In general.—The Secretary shall evaluate and report to the Congress biennially on”; (2) by adding at the end of subsection (a) the following: 115 STAT. 2416 “(3) Timing of report.—Beginning in 2003, the Secretary shall submit the biennial report required by this subsection not later than April 1 of every other year, and shall include in each such report the funding level, the status of ongoing evaluations, findings to date, and the nature of any technical assistance provided to States under subsection (d).”; and (3) by adding at the end the following: “(c) Research.—The Secretary shall give priority consideration to the following topics for research and evaluation under this subsection, using rigorous evaluation methodologies where feasible: “(1) Promising program models in the service categories specified in section 430(b), particularly time-limited reunification services and postadoption services. “(2) Multi-disciplinary service models designed to address parental substance abuse and to reduce its impacts on children. “(3) The efficacy of approaches directed at families with specific problems and with children of specific age ranges. “(4) The outcomes of adoptions finalized after enactment of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997. “(d) Technical Assistance.—To the extent funds are available therefor, the Secretary shall provide technical assistance that helps States and Indian tribes to— “(1) develop research-based protocols for identifying families at risk of abuse and neglect of use in the field; “(2) develop treatment models that address the needs of families at risk, particularly families with substance abuse issues; “(3) implement programs with well-articulated theories of how the intervention will result in desired changes among families at risk; “(4) establish mechanisms to ensure that service provision matches the treatment model; and “(5) establish mechanisms to ensure that postadoption services meet the needs of the individual families and develop models to reduce the disruption rates of adoption.”.