I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3160 

To amend part E of title IV of the Social Security Act to allow States 

that provide foster care for children up to age 21 to serve former 

foster youths through age 23 under the John H. Chafee Foster Care 

Independence Program. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 22, 2015 

Ms. BASS (for herself, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. MARINO, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mrs. 

BLACK, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. RANGEL, Ms. NORTON, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mrs. 

LAWRENCE, Ms. JUDY CHU of California, Ms. LEE, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, 

Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. DOGGETT, 

Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. HONDA, Mr. POCAN, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. NADLER, Mr. BARLETTA, Mr. 

KEATING, and Mrs. HARTZLER) introduced the following bill; which was 

referred to the Committee on Ways and Means 

A BILL 

To amend part E of title IV of the Social Security Act 

to allow States that provide foster care for children up 

to age 21 to serve former foster youths through age 

23 under the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence 

Program. 

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


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Foster Youth Inde3 pendence Act of 2015’’. 

4 SEC. 2. AUTHORITY FOR CERTAIN STATES TO SERVE 

5 FORMER FOSTER YOUTHS UP TO AGE 23 

6 UNDER THE JOHN H. CHAFEE FOSTER CARE 

7 INDEPENDENCE PROGRAM. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 477(b)(3) of the Social 

9 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 677(b)(3)) is amended— 

10 (1) in subparagraph (A)— 

11 (A) by inserting ‘‘(i)’’ before ‘‘A certifi12 cation’’; 

13 (B) by striking ‘‘children who have left fos14 ter care’’ and all that follows through the pe15 riod and inserting ‘‘youths who have aged out 

16 of foster care and have not attained 21 years of 

17 age.’’; and 

18 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

19 ‘‘(ii) If the State has elected under section 

20 475(8)(B) to extend eligibility for foster care to 

21 all children who have not attained 21 years of 

22 age, or if the Secretary determines that the 

23 State agency responsible for administering the 

24 State plans under this part and part B uses 

25 State funds or any other funds not provided 

26 under this part to provide services and assistVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:49 Jul 25, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3160.IH H3160

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1 ance for youths who have aged out of foster 

2 care that are comparable to the services and as3 sistance such youths would receive if the State 

4 had made such an election, the certification re5 quired under clause (i) may provide that the 

6 State will provide assistance and services to 

7 youths who have aged out of foster care and 

8 have not attained 23 years of age.’’; and 

9 (2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘children 

10 who have left foster care’’ and all that follows 

11 through the period and inserting ‘‘youths who have 

12 aged out of foster care and have not attained 21 

13 years of age (or 23 years of age, in the case of a 

14 State with a certification under clause (i) of sub15 paragraph (A) to provide assistance and services to 

16 youths who have aged out of foster care and have 

17 not attained such age, in accordance with clause (ii) 

18 of subparagraph (A)).’’. 

19 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 477(a)(5) 

20 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 677(a)(5)) is amended by inserting 

21 ‘‘(or 23 years of age, in the case of a State with a certifi22 cation under clause (i) of subsection (b)(3)(A) to provide 

23 assistance and services to youths who have aged out of 

24 foster care and have not attained such age, in accordance 


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1 with clause (ii) of such subsection)’’ after ‘‘21 years of 

2 age’’. 

3 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

4 this section take effect on October 1, 2015. 

Æ 


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