[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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