Child Protection Improvements Act of 2017

This bill provides continuing FY2019 appropriations to several federal agencies through February 8, 2019. It also provides additional appropriations for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, extends Medicaid provisions, and provides supplemental appropriations for disaster relief. DIVISION A--FURTHER ADDITIONAL CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019 Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019 (Sec. 101) This division amends the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019 to provide continuing FY2019 appropriations to several federal agencies through the earlier of February 8, 2019 (December 21, 2018, under current law), or the enactment of the applicable appropriations legislation. It is known as a continuing resolution (CR) and prevents a partial government shutdown that would otherwise occur when the existing CR expires if any of the seven remaining FY2019 appropriations bills have not been enacted. (Five of the FY2019 appropriations bills were enacted earlier this year, including: • the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2019; • the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019; • the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019; • the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2019; and • the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019.) The CR extends through February 8, 2019: • the Department of Homeland Security Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards Program; • the authority for the Department of Health and Human Services Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority to withhold from public disclosure certain technical data or scientific information that reveals vulnerabilities of existing medical or public health defenses against biological, chemical, nuclear, or radiological threats; and • an exemption from antitrust laws for meetings and consultations to discuss the development of certain vaccines and drugs related to public health threats such as bioterrorism, pandemics, or epidemics. Additionally, the CR has the effect of extending through February 8, 2019, several authorities and programs that were extended in prior CRs, including: • the National Flood Insurance Program, • the Violence Against Women Act, • the authority for the Environmental Protection Agency to collect and spend certain fees related to pesticides, • the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, and • several authorities related to immigration. The CR also delays the release of required Congressional Budget Office and Office of Management and Budget sequestration reports. This division also provides $5.7 billion in additional FY2019 appropriations to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to remain available through FY2023 for Procurement, Construction, and Improvement, such as the construction of physical barriers at borders. The funds provided by this division are exempt from provisions in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 that: • specify that funds provided to CBP for fencing along the southwest border may only be used for operationally effective designs deployed as of the date of enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (March 23, 2018), such as deployed steel bollard designs that prioritize agent safety; and • prohibit funds from being used to construct a border barrier in the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge. DIVISION B--MEDICAID EXTENDERS (Sec. 101) The division amends the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to make appropriations for FY2019, and otherwise revise, the Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration Program (Under this program, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must award grants to state Medicaid programs to assist states in increasing the use of home and community care for long-term care and decreasing the use of institutional care.) (Sec. 102) Additionally, the division temporarily extends the applicability of…