[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1512 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1512

   To amend part E of title IV of the Social Security Act to expand 
 Federal eligibility for children in foster care who have attained age 
                                  18.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 24, 2007

  Mrs. Boxer introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
                  referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend part E of title IV of the Social Security Act to expand 
 Federal eligibility for children in foster care who have attained age 
                                  18.

    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 ``Foster Care Continuing Opportunities 
Act''.

SEC. 2. STATE OPTION FOR YOUTH TO ELECT TO REMAIN IN FOSTER CARE AFTER 
              ATTAINING AGE 18.

    (a) Definition of Child.--Section 475 of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 675) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph:
            ``(8)(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), the term `child' 
        means an individual who has not attained age 18.
            ``(B) At the option of a State, such term may include an 
        individual who--
                    ``(i) has attained age 18; and
                    ``(ii) elects to remain in foster care until 
                attaining age 19, 20, or 21 (as the State may 
                elect).''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 477 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 677) 
is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) by inserting 
                ``(or such higher age as the State has elected under 
                section 475(8)'' after ``of age'' each place it 
                appears; and
                    (B) in paragraph (5), by inserting ``(or between 
                such higher age as the State has elected under section 
                475(8) and 21 years of age)'' after ``18 and 21 years 
                of age''; and
            (2) in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of subsection 
        (b)(3), by inserting ``(or such higher age as the State has 
        elected under section 475(8))'' after ``18 years of age'' each 
        place it appears.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section take 
effect on October 1, 2007.
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