[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3283 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3283

   To amend part E of title IV of the Social Security Act to require 
    States to provide foster children with court-appointed special 
     advocates who meet national standards, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 1, 2007

 Mr. Cardoza introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend part E of title IV of the Social Security Act to require 
    States to provide foster children with court-appointed special 
     advocates who meet national standards, 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 ``A Casa for Every Child Act of 
2007''.

SEC. 2. FOSTER CHILDREN REQUIRED TO BE PROVIDED WITH COURT-APPOINTED 
              SPECIAL ADVOCATES WHO MEET NATIONAL STANDARDS.

    (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 (26)(C);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (27) and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(28) provide that the State shall have in effect such 
        laws and procedures as are necessary to ensure that each child 
        in foster care under the responsibility of the State has a 
        court-appointed special advocate who is a volunteer in a member 
        program of the National Court Appointed Special Advocate 
        Association which is in compliance with the standards of the 
        Association.''.
    (b) Prohibition on Payments for State Expenditures for Court-
Appointed Special Advocates Who Do Not Meet National Standards.--
Section 474 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 674) is amended by adding at the end 
the following:
    ``(g) The Secretary shall not make a payment to a State under this 
section with respect to expenditures for a court-appointed special 
advocate for a child in foster care under the responsibility of the 
State, unless the advocate is a volunteer described in section 
471(a)(28).''.
    (c) Effective Date.--
            (1) In general.--The amendments made by this section shall 
        apply to payments under part E of title IV of the Social 
        Security Act for calendar quarters beginning on or after the 
        date that is 1 year after the date of the enactment of this 
        Act, without regard to whether regulations to implement the 
        amendments are promulgated by such date.
            (2) 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 approved under such part 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 1 year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act. 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.
                                 <all>