[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2512 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2512

 To amend title IV of the Social Security Act to expand foster parent 
training and provide new appropriations to support the obtainment of a 
                           driver's license.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 18, 2017

  Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois (for himself, Mrs. Dingell, and Ms. 
    Moore) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title IV of the Social Security Act to expand foster parent 
training and provide new appropriations to support the obtainment of a 
                           driver's license.

    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 Youth and Driving Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Transportation is one of the largest barriers foster 
        youth face in their transition to adulthood. It impacts every 
        aspect of well-being, and has been an impediment to meeting 
        their education and employment goals. Public transportation 
        options may provide relief for some, but are not an option for 
        all youth. Certainly for youth in rural areas, public bus stops 
        may not be in walking distance, and in some urban cities, 
        public transportation is not reliable. Impediments to 
        transportation increase the risk of foster youth failing course 
        work in a postsecondary education program due to inability to 
        attend classes on time or at all. For youth that are employed 
        full- or part-time, tardiness due to unreliable transportation 
        is often grounds for dismissal in many employment settings.
            (2) For youth who do not have access to safe and reliable 
        public transportation options, the obtainment of a driver's 
        license is critical. There are many impediments foster youth 
        face in the obtainment of a driver's license. Some young people 
        in various States across the country are required to obtain a 
        court order in order to obtain a driver's license.
            (3) Even after permissions are granted, additional hurdles 
        are the ability for foster youth to enroll in driver's 
        education classes, obtain the necessary driving practice hours 
        to secure a driving permit, find access to a car, and obtain 
        insurance--all of which are ultimately required to obtain a 
        driver's license. There are also numerous financial obstacles 
        associated with obtaining a driver's license, including DMV 
        fees, increased insurance costs for young drivers, and 
        questions about liability and parental permission that can 
        deter foster parents from teaching youth how to drive. These 
        concerns also extend to youth who are placed in residential 
        care where they are supervised by staff who may not be willing 
        to devote time and expense to helping a young person obtain a 
        driver's license.
            (4) Purchasing coverage for a foster youth on a foster 
        parent's car insurance plan may be an undue burden. Average 
        insurance rates to cover a teenager range between $3,600 to 
        $4,000 a year (depending on the gender of the youth). Foster 
        parents currently receive, on average, only $17 a day to care 
        for a youth who has been placed in their home.
            (5) There is a need to clarify and specify that the 
        normalcy provisions enacted under the Preventing Sex 
        Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act (Public Law 113-183) 
        direct States to implement the reasonable and prudent parent 
        standard for foster parents to empower them to make decisions 
        regarding the daily activities of children in their care. These 
        daily activities include the ability to drive a car and obtain 
        a learner's permit and driver's license--appropriate goals for 
        foster youth ages 14 and older (provided the youth is 
        cognitively able to pursue this activity). The obtainment of a 
        driver's license is a normal and healthy experience for foster 
        youth in relation to their non-foster care peers. Active 
        efforts to support this goal should include identification of 
        appropriate car insurance plans to ensure that youth are able 
        to engage in the required number of driving hours and have 
        access to a vehicle to complete a driving test.
            (6) Some States have recognized the need for supporting 
        youth in this process. Currently 12 States (Connecticut, 
        Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Nevada, New Jersey, New 
        Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Texas, and Vermont) and the 
        District of Columbia use State and private funds to provide 
        financial support to cover driver's license fees and tuition 
        for enrollment in driver's education courses. There are no 
        States that currently cover all of the fees associated or 
        concerns around liability.

SEC. 3. FOSTER PARENT TRAINING RELATED TO PREPARING A CHILD TO DRIVE.

    Section 471(a)(24) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
671(a)(24)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and knowledge and skills'' and inserting 
        ``knowledge and skills''; and
            (2) by inserting before the semicolon at the end the 
        following: ``and, when appropriate to the age or other 
        circumstance of the child, knowledge and skills related to 
        preparing the child to drive, including assuring opportunity 
        for practice driving hours and information concerning obtaining 
        a driver's license and automotive insurance''.

SEC. 4. REQUIREMENT TO INCLUDE A PLAN FOR DRIVING PREPARATION IN CASE 
              PLAN.

    Section 475(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 675(1)) is 
amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (G)(ii), by moving subclause (II) 2 ems 
        to the right; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(H) A plan for assuring that the child, when 
                appropriate to the age or other circumstance of the 
                child, receives assistance, knowledge, and skills 
                related to preparing to drive, including opportunity 
                for practice driving hours and information concerning 
                obtaining a driver's license and automotive 
                insurance.''.

SEC. 5. DRIVING AND TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

    (a) Purpose.--Section 477(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
677(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (7), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (8), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(9) to provide driving and transportation assistance to 
        children in foster care and certain former foster care 
        recipients who have attained the appropriate age to begin 
        receiving such assistance.''.
    (b) Driving and Transportation Assistance.--Section 477 of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 677) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
    ``(k) Funds for Driving and Transportation Assistance.--The 
following conditions shall apply to a State driving and transportation 
assistance program under this section:
            ``(1) Assistance under the program may be available to 
        youths otherwise eligible for services under the State program 
        under this section.
            ``(2) For purposes of this assistance program, youths who, 
        after attaining 16 years of age, are adopted from, or enter 
        kinship guardianship from, foster care may be considered to be 
        youths otherwise eligible for services under the State program 
        under this section.
            ``(3) The State may allow youths participating in the 
        assistance program on the date they attain 21 years of age to 
        remain eligible until they attain 26 years of age, as long as 
        they are enrolled in a postsecondary education or other 
        employment training program and are making satisfactory 
        progress toward completion of that program.
            ``(4) The assistance provided for an individual under this 
        section--
                    ``(A) may include vehicle insurance costs, driver's 
                education class and testing fees, practice lessons, 
                practice hours, and driver's license fees; and
                    ``(B) shall not exceed the lesser of $3,000 per 
                year or the total cost of the items described in 
                subparagraph (A).
            ``(5) The amount of assistance under this section may be 
        disregarded for purposes of determining the recipient's 
        eligibility for, or the amount of, any other Federal or 
        federally supported assistance, except that the State agency 
        shall take appropriate steps to prevent duplication of benefits 
        under this and other Federal or federally supported programs.
            ``(6) The program is coordinated with other appropriate 
        programs to support current and former youth in their 
        transition to adulthood.''.
    (c) Certification.--Section 477(b)(3) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 677(b)(3)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(L) A certification by the chief executive 
                officer of the State that the State driving and 
                transportation assistance program under this section is 
                in compliance with the conditions specified in 
                subsection (k), including a statement describing 
                methods the State will use--
                            ``(i) to ensure that the total amount of 
                        driving and transportation assistance to a 
                        youth under this section and under other 
                        Federal and federally supported programs does 
                        not exceed the limitation specified in 
                        subsection (k)(5); and
                            ``(ii) to avoid duplication of benefits 
                        under this and any other Federal or federally 
                        assisted benefit program.''.
    (d) Increased Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 477(h) of 
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 677(h)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) an additional $36,000,000, which are authorized to be 
        available for payments to States for driving and transportation 
        assistance in accordance with subsection (k).''.
    (e) Allotments to States.--Section 477(c) of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 677(c)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (5); and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
            ``(4) Driving and transportation assistance allotment.--
        From the amount, if any, appropriated pursuant to subsection 
        (h)(3) for a fiscal year, the Secretary may allot to each State 
        with an application approved under subsection (b) for the 
        fiscal year an amount equal to the State foster care ratio 
        multiplied by the amount so specified.''.
    (f) Discretionary Grants.--Section 474 of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 674) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (f) and (g) as subsections 
        (g) and (h), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (e) the following:
    ``(f) Discretionary Grants for Driving and Transportation 
Assistance.--From amounts appropriated pursuant to section 477(h)(3), 
the Secretary may make a grant to a State with a plan approved under 
this part, for a calendar quarter, in an amount equal to the lesser 
of--
            ``(1) 80 percent of the amounts expended by the State 
        during the quarter to carry out programs for the purposes 
        described in section 477(a)(9); or
            ``(2) the amount, if any, allotted to the State under 
        section 477(c)(4) for the fiscal year in which the quarter 
        occurs, reduced by the total of the amounts payable to the 
        State under this subsection for such purposes for all prior 
        quarters in the fiscal year.''.
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