[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7010 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7010
To provide an incentive for States to extend child welfare support and
services for youth through 21 years of age, and to allow youth to re-
enter foster care after attaining 18 years of age, both without regard
to the AFDC eligibility of their parents or legal guardians, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 17, 2024
Ms. Chu (for herself and Mrs. Houchin) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide an incentive for States to extend child welfare support and
services for youth through 21 years of age, and to allow youth to re-
enter foster care after attaining 18 years of age, both without regard
to the AFDC eligibility of their parents or legal guardians, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Increasing Access to Foster Care
Through Age 21 Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that each additional year in extended foster
care has--
(1) significantly increased the probability that youth
completed a high school credential by approximately 8 percent;
(2) increased their expected probability of enrolling in
college by between 10 percent and 11 percent;
(3) increased the number of quarters that youth have been
employed between their 18th and 21st birthdays;
(4) increased the amount of money youth have had in bank
accounts by an average of approximately $404;
(5) increased the odds that youth have described a
professional as a source of social support;
(6) significantly decreased the amount of money youth have
received in need-based public food assistance by an average of
more than $700;
(7) decreased the odds of having experienced an additional
economic hardship between the ages of 17 and 21 by
approximately 12 percent;
(8) decreased the odds of being homeless or couch-surfing
between the ages of 17 and 21 by approximately 28 percent;
(9) decreased the odds that youth have become pregnant or
impregnated a female between the ages of 17 and 21 by
approximately 28 percent; and
(10) decreased the odds that youth have been arrested
between the ages of 17 and 21 by approximately 41 percent and
decreased the odds that youth have been convicted of a crime
during the same period by approximately 40 percent.
SEC. 3. EXTENDED CHILD WELFARE SUPPORT AND SERVICES FOR YOUTH
TRANSITIONING FROM FOSTER CARE.
(a) In General.--Section 475(8) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 675(8)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``subparagraph (B)'' and inserting
``subparagraphs (B) and (C)'';
(2) by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the
following:
``(B) At the option of the State and youth involved, the
term shall include a youth who is in foster care under the
responsibility of the State.''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(C) The term shall include a youth--
``(i)(I) with respect to whom an adoption
assistance agreement is in effect under section 473 if
the youth had attained 16 years of age before the
agreement became effective; or
``(II) with respect to whom a kinship guardianship
assistance agreement is in effect under section 473(d)
if the youth had attained 16 years of age before the
agreement became effective; and
``(ii) who has not attained 19, 20, 21, or 22 years
of age, as the State may elect.
``(D) In this paragraph, the term `youth' means an
individual--
``(i) who has attained 18 years of age; and
``(ii) who has not attained 22 years of age.''.
(b) Guidance and Technical Assistance.--The Secretary of Health and
Human Services shall provide guidance and technical assistance to
States on best practices for outreach to youth who are newly eligible
for services as a result of the enactment of this section.
SEC. 4. PROMOTING THE RE-ENTRY OF YOUTH INTO EXTENDED FOSTER CARE.
(a) In General.--Section 471(a) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 671(a)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (36);
(2) by adding ``and'' at the end of paragraph (37); and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(38) if the State exercises the option provided for in
section 475(8), shall--
``(A) permit any youth who has attained 18 years of
age and meets the requirements of section 475(8)(C) to
voluntarily re-enter foster care; and
``(B) facilitate the voluntary return of any such
youth to foster care.''.
(b) Guidance and Technical Assistance.--The Secretary of Health and
Human Services shall provide guidance and technical assistance to
States on best practices for outreach to youth who have left foster
care and are otherwise eligible for re-entry into foster care.
SEC. 5. PROVIDING FOR STATES TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR TRANSITION-AGED
YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS.
Section 472(a)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
672(a)(1)(B)) is amended by inserting ``except in the case of a youth
who has attained 18 years of age and meets the requirements of section
475(8)(C),'' before ``the child''.
SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.
(a) In General.--The amendments made by this Act shall take effect
on the 1st day of the 1st fiscal year beginning on or after the date of
the enactment of this Act, and shall apply to payments under part E of
title IV of the Social Security Act for calendar quarters beginning on
or after such date.
(b) Delay Permitted if State Legislation Required.--If the
Secretary of Health and Human Services determines that State
legislation (other than legislation appropriating funds) is required in
order for a State plan developed pursuant to part E of title IV of the
Social Security Act to meet the additional requirements imposed by the
amendments made by this Act, the plan shall not be regarded as failing
to meet any of the additional requirements before the 1st day of the
1st calendar quarter beginning after the first regular session of the
State legislature that begins after the date of the enactment of this
Act. For purposes of the preceding sentence, if the State has a 2-year
legislative session, each year of the session is deemed to be a
separate regular session of the State legislature.
SEC. 7. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
Within 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the Administration for
Children and Families, shall, in consultation with the Secretary of
Labor, develop and issue guidance to State and local agencies operating
a program under a State plan approved under part E of title IV of the
Social Security Act on how case workers can connect youth eligible for
foster care by reason of an amendment made by section 3 or 4 of this
Act to workforce development programs under title I of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act.
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