[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8815 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8815

To amend subpart 2 of part B of title IV of the Social Security Act to 
   ensure that youth and parents with lived experience in the child 
 welfare system are consulted on policies, ensuring representation and 
    inclusion of their perspectives in State child welfare program 
                               planning.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 25, 2024

    Mr. Smith of Nebraska (for himself and Ms. Moore of Wisconsin) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend subpart 2 of part B of title IV of the Social Security Act to 
   ensure that youth and parents with lived experience in the child 
 welfare system are consulted on policies, ensuring representation and 
    inclusion of their perspectives in State child welfare program 
                               planning.

    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 ``Youth and Family Engagement in Child 
Welfare Act''.

SEC. 2. YOUTH AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT IN CHILD WELFARE PROGRAM PLANNING.

    Section 432(b)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 629b(b)(1)) 
is amended to read as follows:
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall approve a plan that 
        meets the requirements of subsection (a) only if--
                    ``(A) the plan was developed jointly by the 
                Secretary and the State, and the State, in developing 
                the plan, consulted with--
                            ``(i) appropriate public and nonprofit 
                        private agencies;
                            ``(ii) community-based organizations 
                        involved in providing services for children and 
                        families in the areas of family preservation, 
                        family support, family reunification, foster 
                        care, kinship, and adoption promotion and 
                        support;
                            ``(iii) parents with child welfare 
                        experience, foster parents, adoptive parents, 
                        and kinship caregivers; and
                            ``(iv) children, youth, and young adults 
                        with experience in the child welfare system, 
                        including State boards and councils comprised 
                        of youth with the experience who represent the 
                        diversity of children in the State to whom the 
                        plan would apply; and
                    ``(B) the State has made publicly accessible on a 
                website of the State agency a report that outlines how 
                the State has implemented the suggestions of the 
                children and youth referred to in subparagraph 
                (A)(iv);''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendment made by this Act shall take effect on October 1, 
2026.
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