II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 2166 

To amend part B of title IV of the Social Security Act to ensure that 

mental health screenings and assessments are provided to children and 

youth upon entry into foster care. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 8, 2015 

Mr. BLUNT (for himself and Ms. STABENOW) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

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

to ensure that mental health screenings and assessments 

are provided to children and youth upon entry into foster 

care. 

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 ‘‘Timely Mental Health 

5 for Foster Youth Act’’. 


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•S 2166 IS

1 SEC. 2. TIMELY MENTAL HEALTH SCREENINGS AND AS2 SESSMENTS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH 

3 UPON ENTRY INTO FOSTER CARE. 

4 (a) STATE PLAN REQUIREMENT.—Section 

5 422(b)(15)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

6 622(b)(15)(A)) is amended— 

7 (1) in clause (i), by inserting ‘‘and that require 

8 that an initial mental health screening of any child 

9 in foster care be completed not later than 30 days 

10 after the date the child enters into foster care and, 

11 in the case of any child in foster care for whom a 

12 mental health issue is identified in such initial 

13 screening, that a comprehensive assessment of the 

14 mental health of the child be completed not later 

15 than 60 days after the date the child enters into fos16 ter care’’ before the semicolon; and 

17 (2) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘screenings’’ and 

18 inserting ‘‘such screenings and assessments’’. 

19 (b) TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.—Section 

20 422(b)(15)(A) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 622(b)(15)(A)) is 

21 further amended in the matter before clause (i), by strik22 ing ‘‘provides’’ and inserting ‘‘provide’’. 

23 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 

24 (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para25 graph (2), the amendments made by this section 

26 shall take effect on January 1, 2016. 


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•S 2166 IS

1 (2) DELAY PERMITTED IF STATE LEGISLATION

2 REQUIRED.—In the case of a State plan approved 

3 under part B of title IV of the Social Security Act 

4 which the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

5 determines requires State legislation (other than leg6 islation appropriating funds) in order for the plan to 

7 meet the additional requirements imposed by this 

8 section, the State plan shall not be regarded as fail9 ing to comply with the requirements of such part 

10 solely on the basis of the failure of the plan to meet 

11 such additional requirements before the first day of 

12 the first calendar quarter beginning after the close 

13 of the first regular session of the State legislature 

14 that begins after the date of enactment of this sec15 tion. For purposes of the previous sentence, in the 

16 case of a State that has a 2-year legislative session, 

17 each year of such session shall be deemed to be a 

18 separate regular session of the State legislature. 

Æ 


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