I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 10522 

To establish an interagency task force to increase vital documents access 

for unaccompanied homeless youth. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 19, 2024 

Mr. CONNOLLY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 

in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To establish an interagency task force to increase vital 

documents access for unaccompanied homeless youth. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Vital Documents Ac5 cess for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Act of 2024’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE 

7 ON VITAL DOCUMENTS ACCESS FOR UNAC8 COMPANIED HOMELESS YOUTH; REPORTS. 

9 (a) INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE.— 


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1 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days 

2 after the date of the enactment of this section, the 

3 covered Secretaries and the Commissioner of the So4 cial Security Administration shall, jointly, establish 

5 the Interagency Task Force on Vital Documents Ac6 cess for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth (referred 

7 to in this section as the ‘‘Task Force’’) to coordinate 

8 efforts and share best policies and practices to in9 crease vital documents access for unaccompanied 

10 homeless youth. 

11 (2) MEMBERSHIP.— 

12 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Task Force shall 

13 be composed of— 

14 (i) the Chair of the Task Force; 

15 (ii) the Commissioner of the Social 

16 Security Administration; 

17 (iii) the covered Secretaries; 

18 (iv) three directors of State depart19 ments of human services, or equivalent 

20 State officials, of whom— 

21 (I) one shall be appointed by the 

22 President; 

23 (II) one shall be appointed by the 

24 majority leader of the Senate, with 


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1 the concurrence of the minority leader 

2 of the Senate; and 

3 (III) one shall be appointed by 

4 the majority leader of the House of 

5 Representatives, with the concurrence 

6 of the minority leader of the House of 

7 Representatives; and 

8 (v) three representatives from national 

9 nonprofit organizations that work on youth 

10 homelessness, who shall be appointed by 

11 the President. 

12 (B) REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN MEM13 BERS.—The members of the Task Force ap14 pointed under clauses (iv) and (v) of subpara15 graph (A) shall each— 

16 (i) have not attained the age of 30; 

17 and 

18 (ii) have lived-in experience for youth 

19 homelessness. 

20 (C) TERMS.—Each member shall serve for 

21 the duration of the Task Force. 

22 (D) VACANCY.—In the case of a vacancy 

23 on the Task Force, such vacancy shall be filled 

24 not later than 30 days after arising and in the 


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1 manner in which the original appointment was 

2 made. 

3 (E) STAFF.— 

4 (i) CHAIR.—The Chair of the Task 

5 Force shall be chosen, jointly, by the Com6 missioner of the Social Security Adminis7 tration and the covered Secretaries and 

8 shall lead the Task Force in executing the 

9 duties described under paragraph (3). 

10 (ii) SUPPORT PERSONNEL.—The Task 

11 Force may appoint additional support per12 sonnel as it considers appropriate to assist 

13 in executing the duties described under 

14 paragraph (3). 

15 (3) DUTIES.—Beginning on the last day of the 

16 first fiscal quarter after the date on which the Task 

17 Force is established under paragraph (1), and quar18 terly thereafter, the Task Force shall meet to— 

19 (A) assess and discuss— 

20 (i) the progress each Task Force 

21 member has made on increasing vital docu22 ments access for unaccompanied homeless 

23 youth; 

24 (ii) each policy and practice imple25 mented by a Task Force member that inVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:41 Jan 26, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H10522.IH H10522

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1 creased vital documents access for unac2 companied homeless youth; 

3 (iii) each challenge faced by a Task 

4 Force member while working towards in5 creasing vital documents access for unac6 companied homeless youth; and 

7 (iv) each method used by a Task 

8 Force member to refine each policy and 

9 practice implemented to improve vital doc10 uments access for unaccompanied homeless 

11 youth; 

12 (B) establish a framework for collecting 

13 data on the effectiveness of each policy and 

14 practice implemented by a Task Force member 

15 to increase vital documents access for unaccom16 panied homeless youth; 

17 (C) using the data collected under sub18 paragraph (B)— 

19 (i) formulate policies and practices to 

20 increase vital documents access for unac21 companied homeless youth; and 

22 (ii) evaluate the success of each such 

23 policy and practice in increasing such ac24 cess; and 


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1 (D) develop policies and practices that can 

2 be implemented by Federal, State, and local 

3 agencies to improve vital documents access for 

4 unaccompanied homeless youth. 

5 (b) REPORTS.— 

6 (1) INITIAL REPORT.— 

7 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year 

8 after the date on which the Task Force is es9 tablished under subsection (a)(1), the covered 

10 Secretaries and the Commissioner of the Social 

11 Security Administration shall, jointly, submit to 

12 Congress an initial report on how to increase 

13 vital documents access for unaccompanied 

14 homeless youth. 

15 (B) ELEMENTS.—The initial report re16 quired under subparagraph (A) shall include 

17 the following: 

18 (i) The covered Secretaries shall, 

19 jointly, provide— 

20 (I) a detailed analysis of each 

21 challenge that unaccompanied home22 less youth without vital documents 

23 face in accessing all programs under 

24 the separate and joint administrative 

25 jurisdictions of the covered SecreVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:41 Jan 26, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H10522.IH H10522

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1 taries, including programs related to 

2 housing assistance, homelessness pre3 vention, health care, child welfare, or 

4 other social services; 

5 (II) any recommendations for 

6 legislation and administrative action 

7 the covered Secretaries determine ap8 propriate to increase access to each 

9 such program by unaccompanied 

10 homeless youth without vital docu11 ments, including enhanced training re12 quirements for agency staff and in13 creased collaboration between the 

14 agencies of the covered Secretaries; 

15 (III) a list of each State and 

16 local policy that increased vital docu17 ments access for unaccompanied 

18 homeless youth, as determined by the 

19 covered Secretaries, and recommenda20 tions for legislation and administra21 tive action to expand such State and 

22 local policy; and 

23 (IV) a detailed assessment of 

24 each such policy identified by the cov25 ered Secretaries under subclause (III) 


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1 and any suggestion the covered Secre2 taries determine appropriate to ex3 pand or replicate each such policy 

4 within the Federal Government. 

5 (ii) The Commissioner of the Social 

6 Security Administration shall provide— 

7 (I) a detailed assessment of each 

8 policy related to issuing social security 

9 cards to unaccompanied homeless 

10 youth, including any discretion the 

11 Commissioner has to waive any docu12 mentation requirement in the social 

13 security card application process; 

14 (II) any recommendation the 

15 Commissioner determines appropriate 

16 to increase social security card access 

17 for unaccompanied homeless youth, 

18 including enhanced training require19 ments for Administration staff on how 

20 to better assist unaccompanied home21 less youth; 

22 (III) any proposal for issuing 

23 new educational materials, or expand24 ing upon existing materials, to assist 

25 unaccompanied homeless youth with 


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1 the social security card application 

2 process; 

3 (IV) a plan to enhance outreach 

4 and collaboration efforts among Fed5 eral, State, and local agencies, as well 

6 as community-based organizations, to 

7 increase social security card access for 

8 unaccompanied homeless youth; and 

9 (V) any recommendation that the 

10 Commissioner determines appropriate 

11 for State legislation and administra12 tive action to increase social security 

13 card access for unaccompanied home14 less youth. 

15 (2) FINAL REPORT.— 

16 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than three 

17 years after the date on which the Task Force 

18 is established under subsection (a)(1), the Task 

19 Force shall submit to Congress a final report. 

20 (B) ELEMENTS.—The final report required 

21 under subparagraph (A) shall include the fol22 lowing: 

23 (i) Each change undertaken by a 

24 Task Force member based on recVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:41 Jan 26, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H10522.IH H10522

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1 ommendations made in the initial report 

2 under paragraph (1). 

3 (ii) The effectiveness of each change 

4 described in clause (i) in increasing vital 

5 documents access for unaccompanied 

6 homeless youth. 

7 (iii) A detailed assessment of the mer8 its of making the Task Force permanent. 

9 (c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

10 (1) COVERED SECRETARIES.—The term ‘‘cov11 ered Secretaries’’ means— 

12 (A) the Secretary of Housing and Urban 

13 Development; and 

14 (B) the Secretary of Health and Human 

15 Services. 

16 (2) UNACCOMPANIED HOMELESS YOUTH.—The 

17 term ‘‘unaccompanied homeless youth’’ means an in18 dividual who is— 

19 (A) a homeless child or youth (as defined 

20 in section 725 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless 

21 Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a)); and 

22 (B) not in the physical custody of a parent 

23 or guardian. 

24 (3) VITAL DOCUMENTS.—The term ‘‘vital docu25 ments’’— 


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1 (A) means any State or Federal document 

2 issued to an individual that can be used to es3 tablish the identity of such individual; and 

4 (B) includes a social security card and a 

5 birth certificate. 

6 (d) TERMINATION.—The Task Force shall terminate 

7 on the date that is three years after the date on which 

8 the Task Force is established under subsection (a)(1). 

Æ 


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