II 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 961 

To create the income security conditions and family supports needed to 

ensure permanency for the Nation’s unaccompanied youth, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 12, 2011 

Mr. KERRY (for himself, Mrs. MURRAY, and Mr. BEGICH) introduced the 

following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

To create the income security conditions and family supports 

needed to ensure permanency for the Nation’s unaccompanied youth, and for other purposes. 

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; ETC. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘Reconnecting Youth to Prevent Homelessness Act of 

6 2011’’. 

7 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.— 

Sec. 1. Short title; etc. 

TITLE I—PREVENTION OF UNACCOMPANIED SITUATIONS AMONG 

CHILD WELFARE GROUPS 


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Sec. 101. Curtailment of involuntary separation of children from their families. 

Sec. 102. GAO report on unaccompanied youth access to the child welfare system. 

Sec. 103. Discharge from child welfare system. 

Sec. 104. Demonstration project for improving permanency for youth in foster 

care. 

Sec. 105. Expansion of eligibility to participate in Good Neighbor Next Door 

program for foster care alumni. 

Sec. 106. Demonstration project for improving family relationships and reducing homelessness for LGBT youth. 

TITLE II—EXTENSION OF CHILD WELFARE SERVICES TO OLDER 

YOUTH 

Sec. 201. Eligibility for foster care maintenance payments, adoption assistance 

payments, and kinship guardianship assistance through age 20. 

Sec. 202. Improvements to John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program. 

TITLE III—YOUNG FAMILY CONCERNS 

Sec. 301. TANF State plan amendment. 

Sec. 302. Adult-supervised living arrangements. 

Sec. 303. Suspension of time limit for young adult parent involved in education 

or training. 

Sec. 304. Transitional compliance. 

Sec. 305. Sanction protections for minor parents. 

Sec. 306. Teen parent study and report. 

TITLE IV—WORK OPPORTUNITIES 

Sec. 401. Inclusion of homeless youth as qualified population for Work Opportunity Credit. 

TITLE V—SOCIAL SECURITY AND SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY 

INCOME BENEFITS 

Sec. 501. Limitation on use of social security or supplemental security income 

benefits paid to representative payees on behalf of foster children for State costs. 

Sec. 502. Screening of foster children for eligibility for social security and supplemental security income benefits. 

Sec. 503. Notice to attorney or guardian ad litem for foster child of determination to pay social security or supplemental security income benefits to representative payee. 

Sec. 504. Management of social security and supplemental security income benefits for foster children. 

Sec. 505. Support and maintenance furnished in cash or in kind disregarded 

in determining income of foster children under the supplemental security income program. 

Sec. 506. Technical assistance for Child Welfare Agencies. 

Sec. 507. Effective dates. 


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1 TITLE I—PREVENTION OF UNAC2 COMPANIED SITUATIONS 

3 AMONG CHILD WELFARE 

4 GROUPS 

5 SEC. 101. CURTAILMENT OF INVOLUNTARY SEPARATION OF 

6 CHILDREN FROM THEIR FAMILIES. 

7 Section 471(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

8 671(a)) is amended— 

9 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 

10 (26); 

11 (2) by striking the period at the end of para12 graph (27) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

13 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

14 ‘‘(28) provides that the State shall have in ef15 fect such laws and procedures as are necessary to 

16 ensure that— 

17 ‘‘(A) a child may not be placed in foster 

18 care under the responsibility of the State solely 

19 because the family with which the child is living 

20 is homeless (as defined in paragraph (2) of sec21 tion 725 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless As22 sistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a)) or living in 

23 substandard housing (as defined in section 

24 204(b)(11) of the National Housing Act) or a 

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1 ical problems (as defined in subparagraph (F) 

2 of such section); and 

3 ‘‘(B) the State will work with the family 

4 and State housing authorities to secure perma5 nent housing for any family that includes a 

6 minor child and is homeless or at risk of becom7 ing homeless.’’. 

8 SEC. 102. GAO REPORT ON UNACCOMPANIED YOUTH AC9 CESS TO THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM. 

10 Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment 

11 of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 

12 shall submit a report to the Committee on Ways and 

13 Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee 

14 on Finance of the Senate on the policies and practices of 

15 States regarding access to child welfare services (including 

16 services related to foster care and adoption) that are fi17 nanced pursuant to part B or E of title IV of the Social 

18 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) by children who have 

19 attained 13 years of age and that considers the use of 

20 runaway and homeless situations, as well as status as do21 mestic minor victims of sex trafficking, as risk assessment 

22 factors for determining the appropriateness of placement 

23 in the child welfare system. Such report shall include— 

24 (1) an inventory of such policies and practices; 


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1 (2) an assessment of the effectiveness of such 

2 policies and practices; and 

3 (3) recommendations for such Federal or State 

4 legislation or administrative action as the Comp5 troller General determines appropriate. 

6 SEC. 103. DISCHARGE FROM CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM. 

7 (a) STATE PLANS REQUIRED TO DESCRIBE STATE

8 POLICIES AND PROCEDURES REGARDING RUNAWAY OR

9 MISSING FOSTER CHILDREN.—Section 471(a) of the So10 cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 671(a)), as amended by sec11 tion 101, is amended— 

12 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 

13 (27); 

14 (2) by striking the period at the end of para15 graph (28) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

16 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

17 ‘‘(29) describes the written policies and proce18 dures of the State that are designed to reduce the 

19 incidence of children missing or running away from 

20 foster care, and to locate and return such children 

21 to foster placements.’’. 

22 (b) JUDICIAL REVIEW OF PERMANENCY PLAN FOR

23 CHILD LEAVING FOSTER CARE.—Section 475(5)(C) of 

24 such Act (42 U.S.C. 675(5)(C)) is amended— 


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1 (1) by striking ‘‘and (iii)’’ and inserting ‘‘(iii)’’; 

2 and 

3 (2) by inserting before the semicolon at the end 

4 the following: ‘‘; and (iv) procedural safeguards shall 

5 be applied to assure that the final permanency hear6 ing regarding the transition of the child from foster 

7 care to a planned, permanent living arrangement or 

8 independent living is held in a family or juvenile 

9 court or another court (including a tribal court) of 

10 competent jurisdiction;’’. 

11 (c) REVIEW OF STEPS TAKEN TO ENSURE APPRO12 PRIATE HOUSING FOR CHILDREN LEAVING FOSTER

13 CARE.—Section 475(5)(C)(iii) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

14 675(5)(C)(iii)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, and reviews all 

15 documentation of the efforts to secure a permanent living 

16 arrangement for the child upon emancipation from foster 

17 care’’ before ‘‘; and’’. 

18 (d) MODIFICATION OF CASE PLAN REQUIRE19 MENTS.—Section 475(1)(D) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

20 675(1)(D)) is amended to read as follows: 

21 ‘‘(D) Where appropriate, for a child who 

22 has attained 14 years of age (and, at State op23 tion, any other child), a written description of 

24 the programs and services that will facilitate 

25 the transition of the child from foster care to 


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1 independent living, including age-appropriate 

2 adolescent health services, which include serv3 ices to prevent pregnancy and sexually trans4 mitted infections, as part of a general health 

5 plan, and a discussion of the appropriateness of 

6 the services that have been provided to the child 

7 under the plan. The plan for such child shall 

8 also include documentation of the steps the 

9 agency is taking to ensure a permanent place10 ment with a family or other adult connection 

11 for the child, and a permanent living arrange12 ment. In the case of a child who has attained 

13 17 years of age or with a permanency goal of 

14 emancipation, the plan shall include documenta15 tion of the child’s permanent living arrange16 ment upon emancipation.’’. 

17 SEC. 104. DEMONSTRATION PROJECT FOR IMPROVING PER18 MANENCY FOR YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE. 

19 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 

20 a demonstration project to develop multi-State working 

21 groups to conduct research and develop policy rec22 ommendations for the support and enhancement of long23 term permanency planning for children in foster care. 

24 (b) DURATION AND SCOPE.— 


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1 (1) DURATION.—The Secretary shall conduct 

2 the demonstration project for a period of 5 years. 

3 (2) SCOPE.—The Secretary shall designate not 

4 more than 5 working groups to participate in the 

5 demonstration project, with each working group to 

6 be established by and operated between 2 or more 

7 States. 

8 (c) APPLICATION.—A group of 2 or more States that 

9 desires to participate in the demonstration project shall 

10 submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in 

11 such manner, and containing such information as the Sec12 retary may require. 

13 (d) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The recommendations de14 veloped by a working group participating in the dem15 onstration project shall include consideration of methods 

16 for improvement and enhancement in the following areas: 

17 (1) The home study process for screening of 

18 prospective foster care parents, guardians, and adop19 tive parents, including the development of a stand20 ardized home study process. 

21 (2) Visitation policies for children in foster care 

22 and their biological parents. 

23 (3) Standardization of temporary or provisional 

24 licensing for foster care parents. 


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1 (4) Streamlining the application process for 

2 prospective foster care parents and reducing the 

3 length of time required for approval through the ap4 plication process. 

5 (5) Coordination of administrative processes, 

6 including the development of a standard data ex7 change to allow for greater efficiency in the transfer 

8 of relevant data, information, and paperwork be9 tween States, foster care agencies, and other rel10 evant State agencies. 

11 (6) Any other areas determined appropriate by 

12 the Secretary. 

13 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the 

14 period of fiscal years 2012 through 2016, there is author15 ized to be appropriated a total of $50,000,000 to the Sec16 retary to carry out the demonstration project under this 

17 section. 

18 (f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

19 (1) DEMONSTRATION PROJECT.—The term 

20 ‘‘demonstration project’’ means the demonstration 

21 project conducted under this section. 

22 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

23 the Secretary of Health and Human Services. 

24 (3) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means any of 

25 the 50 States or the District of Columbia. 


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1 SEC. 105. EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY TO PARTICIPATE IN 

2 GOOD NEIGHBOR NEXT DOOR PROGRAM FOR 

3 FOSTER CARE ALUMNI. 

4 The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 

5 shall revise subpart F of part 291 of its regulations (24 

6 C.F.R. 291) to provide that individuals who have been 

7 under the responsibility of the State foster care system 

8 but are no longer under the responsibility of the State due 

9 to having attained the age of majority, and who have at10 tained a bachelor’s degree or higher from an institution 

11 of higher education in the United States, qualify to pur12 chase a home through the Good Neighbor Next Door Sales 

13 Program. 

14 SEC. 106. DEMONSTRATION PROJECT FOR IMPROVING 

15 FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS AND REDUCING 

16 HOMELESSNESS FOR LGBT YOUTH. 

17 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 

18 Human Services (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Sec19 retary’’) shall establish a demonstration project to develop 

20 programs that are focused on improving family relation21 ships and reducing homelessness for lesbian, gay, bisexual, 

22 and transgender youth, including— 

23 (1) research-based behavioral interventions that 

24 are designed to decrease rejecting behaviors and in25 crease supportive behaviors in families with lesbian, 

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1 sure that such youth maintain residence in their 

2 homes; 

3 (2) research-based assessment tools to help 

4 identify lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender 

5 youth that are at risk for family conflict or ejection 

6 from their homes; 

7 (3) research-based family educational tools and 

8 resources to help families learn about— 

9 (A) behaviors that may place lesbian, gay, 

10 bisexual, or transgender youth at risk; and 

11 (B) alternative behaviors that promote 

12 positive development for such youth; and 

13 (4) multimedia educational tools and resources 

14 that are— 

15 (A) based on research regarding supportive 

16 and rejecting behaviors in families with lesbian, 

17 gay, bisexual, and transgender youth; and 

18 (B) focused on helping a diverse range of 

19 families understand how their words, actions, 

20 and behaviors affect the survival and well-being 

21 of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender 

22 youth. 

23 (b) DURATION.—The Secretary shall conduct the 

24 demonstration project for a period of 5 years. 


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1 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

2 authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be nec3 essary for purposes of carrying out the demonstration 

4 project under this section. 

5 TITLE II—EXTENSION OF CHILD 

6 WELFARE SERVICES TO 

7 OLDER YOUTH 

8 SEC. 201. ELIGIBILITY FOR FOSTER CARE MAINTENANCE 

9 PAYMENTS, ADOPTION ASSISTANCE PAY10 MENTS, AND KINSHIP GUARDIANSHIP ASSIST11 ANCE THROUGH AGE 20. 

12 (a) DEFINITION OF CHILD.—Effective as if included 

13 in the enactment of the Fostering Connections to Success 

14 and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (Public Law 110– 

15 351), section 475(8) of the Social Security Act (as added 

16 by section 201(a) of the Fostering Connections to Success 

17 and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008) is amended to read 

18 as follows: 

19 ‘‘(8) The term ‘child’ means— 

20 ‘‘(A) a minor child; and 

21 ‘‘(B) an individual who has reached the 

22 legal age of majority but has not attained 21 

23 years of age and is under the responsibility of 

24 the State.’’. 


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1 (b) FOSTER CARE MAINTENANCE PAYMENTS.—Sec2 tion 472 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 672) is 

3 amended— 

4 (1) in subsection (a)— 

5 (A) by striking paragraph (1) and insert6 ing the following: 

7 ‘‘(1) ELIGIBILITY.—Each State with a plan ap8 proved under this part shall make foster care main9 tenance payments on behalf of— 

10 ‘‘(A) each child who is an individual de11 scribed in section 475(8)(A) who has been re12 moved from the home of a relative specified in 

13 section 406(a) (as in effect on July 16, 1996) 

14 into foster care if the removal and foster care 

15 placement met, and the placement continues to 

16 meet, the requirements of paragraph (2) of this 

17 subsection, and the child, while in the home, 

18 would have met the AFDC eligibility require19 ment of paragraph (3); and 

20 ‘‘(B) each child who is an individual de21 scribed in section 475(8)(B) who has entered 

22 foster care under the responsibility of the State 

23 if the child would have met the AFDC eligibility 

24 requirement of paragraph (3) on the day before 

25 the date on which the child reached the legal 


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1 age of majority and the foster care placement 

2 met and continues to meet the requirements of 

3 paragraph (5) of this subsection.’’; 

4 (B) in the heading of paragraph (2), by in5 serting ‘‘APPLICABLE TO MINORS’’ after ‘‘RE6 QUIREMENTS’’; and 

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

8 ‘‘(5) FOSTER CARE PLACEMENT REQUIRE9 MENTS APPLICABLE TO CHILDREN WHO HAVE AT10 TAINED THE AGE OF MAJORITY.—The foster care 

11 placement of a child who is an individual described 

12 in section 475(8)(B) meets the requirements of this 

13 paragraph if— 

14 ‘‘(A) the foster care placement is in ac15 cordance with a voluntary placement agreement 

16 entered into by the individual; 

17 ‘‘(B) the individual’s placement and care 

18 meet the requirement of paragraph (2)(B) of 

19 this subsection; and 

20 ‘‘(C)(i) the individual has been placed in a 

21 foster family home, child-care institution, or 

22 dwelling described in subsection (b)(3)(C); or 

23 ‘‘(ii) the individual has secured a dwelling 

24 described in subsection (b)(3)(D).’’; 

25 (2) in subsection (b)— 


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1 (A) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end of para2 graph (1); 

3 (B) by striking the period at the end of 

4 paragraph (2) and inserting ‘‘, or’’; and 

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

6 ‘‘(3) in the case of a child who is an individual 

7 described in section 475(8)(B)— 

8 ‘‘(A) in a home described in paragraph (1), 

9 in accordance with the payment rules set forth 

10 in paragraph (1); 

11 ‘‘(B) in an institution described in para12 graph (2), in accordance with the payment rules 

13 set forth in paragraph (2); 

14 ‘‘(C) in a dwelling operated by an agency 

15 that provides social services to children and 

16 their families which supplements, supports, or 

17 substitutes parental care and supervision for 

18 the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the 

19 welfare of children, and that meets such stand20 ards for licensure or approval as are established 

21 by the State for the provision of the services, 

22 whether the payments therefor are made to the 

23 agency or directly to the individual; or 

24 ‘‘(D) in housing rented or leased by the in25 dividual.’’; 


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1 (3) in subsection (e), by inserting ‘‘minor’’ be2 fore ‘‘child who’’; and 

3 (4) in subsection (f)— 

4 (A) in paragraph (1)— 

5 (i) by striking ‘‘a minor’’ and insert6 ing ‘‘a child’’; and 

7 (ii) by striking ‘‘the minor’’ and in8 serting ‘‘the child (or, if the child has at9 tained 18 years of age, the child himself or 

10 herself)’’; and 

11 (B) in paragraph (2)— 

12 (i) by striking ‘‘a minor child’’ and in13 serting ‘‘a child (or, if the child has at14 tained 18 years of age, the child himself or 

15 herself)’’; and 

16 (ii) by inserting ‘‘(if the child is a 

17 minor)’’ after ‘‘obligations of the parents 

18 or guardians’’. 

19 (c) ADOPTION ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS.— 

20 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 473(a)(1)(A) of such 

21 Act (42 U.S.C. 673(a)(1)(A)) is amended by insert22 ing ‘‘who have not attained 21 years of age’’ after 

23 ‘‘special needs’’. 

24 (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Effective as if 

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1 tions to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 

2 2008 (Public Law 110–351), section 473(a)(4) of 

3 the Social Security Act (as amended by section 

4 201(c) of the Fostering Connections to Success and 

5 Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008) is amended to 

6 read as follows: 

7 ‘‘(4)(A) Notwithstanding any other provision of this 

8 section, a payment may not be made pursuant to this sec9 tion to parents or relative guardians with respect to a 

10 child— 

11 ‘‘(i) who has attained 21 years of age; 

12 ‘‘(ii) who has not attained 21 years of age, if 

13 the State determines that the parents or relative 

14 guardians, as the case may be, are no longer legally 

15 responsible for the support of the child; or 

16 ‘‘(iii) if the State determines that the child is 

17 no longer receiving any support from the parents or 

18 relative guardians, as the case may be. 

19 ‘‘(B) Parents or relative guardians who have been re20 ceiving adoption assistance payments or kinship guardian21 ship assistance payments under this section shall keep the 

22 State or local agency administering the program under 

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1 ments, or eligible for the payments in a different 

2 amount.’’. 

3 (d) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 474(a)(1) 

4 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 674(a)(1)) is amended by striking 

5 ‘‘under section 472 for children in foster family homes or 

6 child-care institutions’’ and inserting ‘‘in accordance with 

7 section 472’’. 

8 (e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

9 this section shall take effect on October 1, 2011. 

10 SEC. 202. IMPROVEMENTS TO JOHN H. CHAFEE FOSTER 

11 CARE INDEPENDENCE PROGRAM. 

12 (a) INCREASE IN ANNUAL AUTHORIZATION

13 LEVEL.—Section 477(h)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 

14 U.S.C. 677(h)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘$140,000,000’’ 

15 and inserting ‘‘$200,000,000’’. 

16 (b) EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR SERVICES.— 

17 Section 477 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 677) is amended— 

18 (1) in subsection (a)— 

19 (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘18’’ and 

20 inserting ‘‘14’’; 

21 (B) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘between 

22 18 and 21’’ and inserting ‘‘who have attained 

23 18 years of age, and who have not attained 25 

24 years of age’’; and 


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1 (C) in paragraph (7), by striking ‘‘16’’ and 

2 inserting ‘‘14’’; 

3 (2) in each of subsections (b)(3)(A) and 

4 (b)(3)(B), by striking ‘‘21’’ and inserting ‘‘25’’; and 

5 (3) in subsection (i)— 

6 (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘youths 

7 who, after attaining 16 years of age, are adopt8 ed from, or enter kinship guardianship from, 

9 foster care’’ and inserting ‘‘youths in or exiting 

10 from foster care after attaining 14 years of 

11 age’’; and 

12 (B) by striking paragraph (3) and redesig13 nating paragraphs (4) through (6) as para14 graphs (3) through (5), respectively. 

15 (c) ELIGIBILITY OF PRIVATE SERVICE PROVIDERS

16 FOR FUNDS.—Section 477(b)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

17 677(b)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

18 ‘‘(G) Distribute funds provided to the 

19 State under this section among a diverse range 

20 of qualified providers of services that are pri21 vate entities, and ensure that the entities have 

22 equal opportunity to receive the funds.’’. 

23 (d) EXPANSION OF PROGRAM EVALUATIONS.—Sec24 tion 477(g)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 677(g)(1)) is 

25 amended— 


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1 (1) in the first sentence, by inserting ‘‘, and of 

2 model programs that focus on improving outcomes 

3 for youth aging out of care in the areas of edu4 cation, employment, personal development, financial 

5 asset development, financial management skills, and 

6 housing’’ after ‘‘significance’’; 

7 (2) in the second sentence, by striking ‘‘and 

8 personal development’’ and inserting ‘‘mental and 

9 physical health, healthy relationships, personal devel10 opment, and housing, and on the use of room and 

11 board services and how the use of the services im12 prove housing outcomes for youth’’; and 

13 (3) in the third sentence, by inserting ‘‘, where 

14 practicable,’’ before ‘‘random assignment’’. 

15 (e) IMPROVING AWARENESS OF AVAILABLE SERV16 ICES.— 

17 (1) DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY.—Section 477 

18 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 677) is amended by adding 

19 at the end the following new subsection: 

20 ‘‘(k) DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION ABOUT OTHER

21 RELATED PROGRAMS.—To improve access to the array of 

22 services available to youth transitioning out of foster care 

23 and assist States in leveraging available resources, the 

24 Secretary shall provide for the efficient distribution to 

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1 grams, other than the program established by this section, 

2 that may assist youth in their transition to self-sufficiency 

3 and provide guidance on how to access services under the 

4 programs.’’. 

5 (2) DUTIES OF THE STATE.—Section 477(b)(3) 

6 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 677(b)(3)) is amended— 

7 (A) by redesignating subparagraphs (G) 

8 through (K) as subparagraphs (H) through (L), 

9 respectively; and 

10 (B) by inserting after subparagraph (F) 

11 the following: 

12 ‘‘(G) A certification by the chief executive offi13 cer that, when or before a child leaves foster care 

14 under the responsibility of the State, the State will 

15 inform the child of the full range of available finan16 cial asset development, financial management, hous17 ing, counseling, health, public benefit employment, 

18 and education services, and other appropriate sup19 port and services for which the child is eligible.’’. 

20 TITLE III—YOUNG FAMILY 

21 CONCERNS 

22 SEC. 301. TANF STATE PLAN AMENDMENT. 

23 Section 402(a)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 

24 U.S.C. 602(a)(1)(A)) is amended by adding at the end the 

25 following new clause: 


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1 ‘‘(vii) Identify the education and 

2 training, living arrangement, and other 

3 services needs of individuals described in 

4 section 408(a)(5)(B)(ii) who are potentially 

5 eligible to receive assistance under the 

6 State program funded under this part and 

7 establish policies, procedures, and strate8 gies to address the needs.’’. 

9 SEC. 302. ADULT-SUPERVISED LIVING ARRANGEMENTS. 

10 Section 408(a)(5)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 

11 U.S.C. 608(a)(5)(B)) is amended— 

12 (1) by striking clause (i) and inserting the fol13 lowing: 

14 ‘‘(i) PROVISION OF ADULT-SUPER15 VISED LIVING ARRANGEMENT.—In the case 

16 of an individual who is described in clause 

17 (ii), the State agency referred to in section 

18 402(a)(4) shall provide or ensure the pro19 vision of a second chance home, maternity 

20 group home, transitional living youth 

21 project, or other appropriate adult-super22 vised supportive living arrangement, taking 

23 into consideration the needs, concerns, and 

24 wishes of the individual, unless the State 

25 agency determines that the individual’s 


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1 current living arrangement is appropriate, 

2 and therefore, shall require that the indi3 vidual and the minor child referred to in 

4 subparagraph (A)(ii)(II) reside in such liv5 ing arrangement as a condition of the con6 tinued receipt of assistance under the 

7 State program funded under this part at8 tributable to funds provided by the Federal 

9 Government (or in an alternative appro10 priate arrangement, should circumstances 

11 change and the current arrangement cease 

12 to be appropriate).’’; 

13 (2) in clause (ii)— 

14 (A) by redesignating subclauses (III) and 

15 (IV) as subclauses (V) and (VI), respectively; 

16 and 

17 (B) by inserting after subclause (II) the 

18 following: 

19 ‘‘(III) the individual is a home20 less youth; 

21 ‘‘(IV) the individual is a street 

22 youth;’’; 

23 (3) by redesignating clause (iii) as clause (vi) 

24 and inserting after clause (ii) the following: 


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1 ‘‘(iii) DISCLOSURE OF ADULT-SUPER2 VISED LIVING ARRANGEMENT OPTIONS TO

3 INDIVIDUAL.—The State agency shall en4 sure that individuals described in subpara5 graph (A)(ii) who are applicants or recipi6 ents of assistance are fully informed of all 

7 adult-supervised living arrangement op8 tions that satisfy the requirement of this 

9 subsection, and provide the individual the 

10 opportunity to request a specific adult-su11 pervised living arrangement. 

12 ‘‘(iv) DETERMINATION OF ADULT-SU13 PERVISED LIVING ARRANGEMENT.—In de14 termining the appropriateness of the indi15 vidual’s current living arrangement in 

16 clause (i) and considering the individual’s 

17 request for a specific adult-supervised liv18 ing arrangement in clause (iii), the State 

19 agency shall provide a written explanation 

20 of the determination, including a statement 

21 regarding the right to appeal the deter22 mination under clause (v), to the indi23 vidual, if the determination is other than 

24 the adult-supervised living arrangement re25 quested by the individual. 


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1 ‘‘(v) RIGHT TO APPEAL ADULT-SU2 PERVISED LIVING ARRANGEMENT.—If the 

3 State agency’s determination of appro4 priate adult-supervised living arrangement 

5 in clause (i) is other than the adult-super6 vised living arrangement requested by the 

7 individual in clause (iii), the individual 

8 shall have a right to appeal the State agen9 cy’s decision through appeal and dispute 

10 resolution mechanisms available in the 

11 State.’’; and 

12 (4) by adding at the end the following: 

13 ‘‘(vi) DEFINITIONS.—In this subpara14 graph: 

15 ‘‘(I) TRANSITIONAL LIVING

16 YOUTH PROJECT.—The term ‘transi17 tional living youth project’ has the 

18 same meaning as provided in section 

19 387(6) of the Juvenile Justice and 

20 Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974. 

21 ‘‘(II) HOMELESS YOUTH.—The 

22 term ‘homeless youth’ has the same 

23 meaning as provided in section 387(3) 

24 of the Juvenile Justice and Delin25 quency Prevention Act of 1974. 


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1 ‘‘(III) STREET YOUTH.—The 

2 term ‘street youth’ has the same 

3 meaning as provided in section 387(5) 

4 of the Juvenile Justice and Delin5 quency Prevention Act of 1974.’’. 

6 SEC. 303. SUSPENSION OF TIME LIMIT FOR YOUNG ADULT 

7 PARENT INVOLVED IN EDUCATION OR TRAIN8 ING. 

9 Section 408(a)(7)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 

10 U.S.C. 608(a)(7)(B)) is amended— 

11 (1) in the heading, by striking ‘‘MINOR CHILD

12 EXCEPTION’’ and inserting ‘‘AGE EXCEPTIONS’’; and 

13 (2) by striking clauses (i) and (ii) and inserting 

14 the following: 

15 ‘‘(i) a minor child, and not the head 

16 of a household or married to the head of 

17 a household; or 

18 ‘‘(ii) was pregnant or a parent, and— 

19 ‘‘(I) had not attained 20 years of 

20 age, and was meeting all program re21 quirements relating to education, 

22 training and living arrangements; or 

23 ‘‘(II) had attained 20 but not 21 

24 years of age, and was scheduled to 


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1 complete all program requirements re2 lating to education or training.’’. 

3 SEC. 304. TRANSITIONAL COMPLIANCE. 

4 Section 408(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

5 608(a)) is amended— 

6 (1) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘if’’ and all 

7 that follows and inserting ‘‘if— 

8 ‘‘(A) the individual does not participate 

9 in— 

10 ‘‘(i) educational activities directed to11 ward the attainment of a high school di12 ploma or its equivalent; or 

13 ‘‘(ii) an alternative educational or 

14 training program that has been approved 

15 by the State; and 

16 ‘‘(B) 91 days have elapsed since the State 

17 has notified the individual that the individual is 

18 in violation of this paragraph. During the 91- 

19 day period described in the preceding sentence, 

20 if the individual is otherwise (but for this para21 graph) eligible for assistance under the State 

22 program funded under this part, the State shall 

23 treat such individual’s application for such ben24 efits as if the individual satisfied the require25 ments of subparagraph (A).’’; and 


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1 (2) in paragraph (5)(A)(i), by inserting ‘‘, and 

2 91 days have elapsed since the State has notified the 

3 individual that the individual is in violation of this 

4 paragraph. During the 91-day period described in 

5 the preceding sentence, if the individual is otherwise 

6 (but for this paragraph) eligible for assistance under 

7 the State program funded under this part, the State 

8 shall treat such individual’s application for such ben9 efits as if the individual satisfied the residence re10 quirements of the preceding sentence’’ before the pe11 riod. 

12 SEC. 305. SANCTION PROTECTIONS FOR MINOR PARENTS. 

13 Section 408(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

14 608(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

15 ‘‘(12) A State to which a grant is made under 

16 section 403 of this Act shall not impose a sanction 

17 on a recipient of assistance under the State program 

18 funded under this part who is an individual de19 scribed in paragraph (4) or (5)(B)(ii) of this sub20 section and whose household includes a minor who 

21 has received assistance under the State program 

22 funded under this part, under the Supplemental Nu23 trition Assistance Program authorized by the Food 

24 and Nutrition Act of 2008, or under any other State 

25 program funded with qualified State expenditures 


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1 (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)), unless the 

2 State has established procedures that help recipients 

3 of assistance under the State program funded under 

4 this part understand, avoid, or end sanctions, and 

5 has applied the procedures to the recipient.’’. 

6 SEC. 306. TEEN PARENT STUDY AND REPORT. 

7 Section 413 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

8 613) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

9 ‘‘(k) TEEN PARENT STUDY AND REPORT.— 

10 ‘‘(1) STUDY OF TANF RECIPIENTS.—The Sec11 retary shall conduct a study of recipients of assist12 ance under State programs funded under this part 

13 who are parents and have not attained 20 years of 

14 age to determine the following: 

15 ‘‘(A) Whether State data on the number of 

16 such recipients is accurately reflected in Fed17 eral data, including an examination of the ex18 tent to which such recipients who are members 

19 of a family are not reflected in the data, and 

20 an examination of the extent to which Federal 

21 estimation methods do not reflect the number 

22 of such recipients in a State. 

23 ‘‘(B) What assessment procedures are uti24 lized with such recipients, and whether there 

25 appear to be best practices that consider such 


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1 issues as whether the recipient has an edu2 cational barrier such as a learning disability or 

3 mental health problem. 

4 ‘‘(C) Whether localities appear to have 

5 adequate and appropriate services that meet the 

6 needs of such recipients in areas such as infant 

7 care, age-appropriate adolescent health, edu8 cation, training, and mental health, for services 

9 such as appropriate housing, mental health, and 

10 alternative education, whether staff assist teen 

11 parents in researching and locating such serv12 ices including an appropriate living arrange13 ment, and the extent to which such recipients 

14 who have not completed high school or the 

15 equivalent are encouraged to engage in edu16 cation or work. 

17 ‘‘(D) How State rules providing that, in 

18 determining the eligibility of such recipients for 

19 such assistance, the income of the recipient is 

20 deemed to include the income of any parents 

21 with whom such recipient is living appear to 

22 have affected the extent to which such recipi23 ents who are members of a family with income 

24 less than 200 percent of the poverty line (as de25 fined in section 673(2) of the Omnibus Budget 


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1 Reconciliation Act of 1981, including any revi2 sion required by such section, applicable to a 

3 family of the size involved) are able to partici4 pate in State programs funded under this part. 

5 ‘‘(E) Demographic information such as— 

6 ‘‘(i) the age of such recipients; 

7 ‘‘(ii) the amount of time such recipi8 ents received such assistance in a given 

9 year; 

10 ‘‘(iii) the number of children that 

11 such recipients have; 

12 ‘‘(iv) school attainment by such recipi13 ents, by age; 

14 ‘‘(v) the employment status of such 

15 recipients, such as whether a recipient has 

16 ever worked or has worked while in school; 

17 ‘‘(vi) the child care arrangements of 

18 such recipients; and 

19 ‘‘(vii) the living arrangements of such 

20 recipients. 

21 ‘‘(2) STUDY OF LOW-INCOME TEEN PARENTS

22 WHO ARE NOT TANF RECIPIENTS.—The Secretary 

23 shall conduct a study of a representative sample of 

24 low-income (as determined by the Secretary) teen 

25 parents who are not recipients of assistance under a 


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1 State program funded under this part, to determine 

2 the following: 

3 ‘‘(A) Whether the teen parent sought to 

4 apply for such assistance. 

5 ‘‘(B) Whether a teen parent who indicated 

6 to a State a desire to apply for such assistance 

7 received an application for such assistance. 

8 ‘‘(C) Whether a teen parent who applied 

9 for such assistance was subsequently contacted 

10 by the State agency responsible for operating a 

11 State program funded under this part. 

12 ‘‘(3) REPORT TO CONGRESS.— 

13 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years 

14 after the date of enactment of this subsection, 

15 the Secretary shall submit a report to Congress 

16 that contains the findings of the studies re17 quired by this subsection and recommendations 

18 regarding such issues as how to improve data 

19 reporting, State plans, State ‘best practice’ in20 formation sharing, and assessments. 

21 ‘‘(B) ADVISORY GROUP.—The Secretary 

22 shall establish an advisory group consisting of 

23 representatives from organizations that work 

24 with parents who have not attained 20 years of 

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1 tions relating to such parents that should be in2 vestigated and to provide comments to accom3 pany the recommendations contained in the re4 port under subparagraph (A).’’. 

5 TITLE IV—WORK 

6 OPPORTUNITIES 

7 SEC. 401. INCLUSION OF HOMELESS YOUTH AS QUALIFIED 

8 POPULATION FOR WORK OPPORTUNITY 

9 CREDIT. 

10 (a) IN GENERAL.—Paragraph (1) of section 51(d) of 

11 the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking 

12 ‘‘or’’ at the end of subparagraph (H), by striking the pe13 riod at the end of subparagraph (I) and inserting ‘‘, or’’, 

14 and adding at the end the following new subparagraph: 

15 ‘‘(J) a qualified homeless youth.’’. 

16 (b) QUALIFIED HOMELESS YOUTH.—Subsection (d) 

17 of section 51 of such Code is amended by redesignating 

18 paragraphs (11) through (13) as paragraphs (12) through 

19 (14), respectively, and by inserting after paragraph (10) 

20 the following new paragraph: 

21 ‘‘(11) QUALIFIED HOMELESS YOUTH.—The 

22 term ‘qualified homeless youth’ means any individual 

23 who is certified by the designated local agency— 

24 ‘‘(A) as having attained age 16 but not age 

25 25 on the hiring date; and 


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1 ‘‘(B) as being described in paragraph (2) 

2 of section 725 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless 

3 Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a), as in effect 

4 on the date of the enactment of this paragraph, 

5 on the hiring date.’’. 

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

7 this section shall apply to individuals who begin work for 

8 the employer after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

9 TITLE V—SOCIAL SECURITY AND 

10 SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY 

11 INCOME BENEFITS 

12 SEC. 501. LIMITATION ON USE OF SOCIAL SECURITY OR 

13 SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME BENE14 FITS PAID TO REPRESENTATIVE PAYEES ON 

15 BEHALF OF FOSTER CHILDREN FOR STATE 

16 COSTS. 

17 (a) AMENDMENTS TO TITLE II.— 

18 (1) EXCEPTION TO PROHIBITION ON ASSIGN19 MENTS, ETC.—Section 207 of the Social Security 

20 Act (42 U.S.C. 407) is amended by adding at the 

21 end the following: 

22 ‘‘(d) Subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to 

23 a payment made by a representative payee to reimburse 

24 a State as described in section 205(j)(9)(B)(i), but only 

25 to the extent that the payment is— 


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1 ‘‘(1) not prohibited by section 205(j)(9)(B)(i); 

2 and 

3 ‘‘(2) made available, distributed, and applied in 

4 accordance with section 205(j)(9)(B)(iii).’’. 

5 (2) LIMITATION ON USE OF SOCIAL SECURITY

6 BENEFITS.—Section 205(j)(9) of such Act (42 

7 U.S.C. 405(j)(9)) is amended— 

8 (A) by inserting ‘‘(A)’’ after ‘‘(9)’’; and 

9 (B) by adding at the end the following: 

10 ‘‘(B)(i) A State or local government agency serving 

11 in any State as a representative payee under this sub12 section with respect an individual who is in foster care 

13 under the responsibility of the State shall not use any (or, 

14 if the individual has not attained 14 years of age, more 

15 than 50 percent of any) benefits paid to the representative 

16 payee pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection to re17 imburse the State for— 

18 ‘‘(I) foster care maintenance payments made 

19 pursuant to section 472; or 

20 ‘‘(II) other payments made by the State or po21 litical subdivision of the State to cover any other 

22 cost or expense for an individual who is in foster 

23 care under the responsibility of the State. 

24 ‘‘(ii) An expense described in paragraph (4)(A)(i) of 

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1 sidered a cost or expense for purposes of clause (i) of this 

2 subparagraph. 

3 ‘‘(iii) In any case in which the State or local govern4 ment agency referred to in clause (i) determines that any 

5 portion of such individual’s benefit under this title which 

6 is held by such agency in accordance with this subsection 

7 would be available under the provisions of this subsection 

8 (other than this clause) to reimburse government costs in 

9 connection with such foster care, any amount of such por10 tion of such benefit shall be available for such reimburse11 ment only to the extent that such amount is made avail12 able to supplement, and not to replace, any amounts oth13 erwise available from non-Federal sources to meet such 

14 government costs. Any amount of such reimbursement 

15 shall not be distributed into the general funds of the agen16 cy or the State or local government and may be applied 

17 only so as to increase funding for foster care services pro18 vided by the State or local government.’’. 

19 (b) AMENDMENTS TO TITLE XVI.— 

20 (1) APPLICABILITY OF TITLE II EXCEPTION TO

21 PROHIBITION ON ASSIGNMENTS, ETC.—Section 

22 1631(d)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1383(d)(1)) is 

23 amended— 

24 (A) by inserting ‘‘(A)’’ after ‘‘(1)’’; 


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1 (B) by striking ‘‘The provisions of’’ and in2 serting ‘‘Subject to subparagraph (B), the pro3 visions of’’; and 

4 (C) by inserting at the end the following 

5 new subparagraph: 

6 ‘‘(B) Subsection (a) of section 207 shall not apply 

7 to a payment made by a representative payee to reimburse 

8 a State as described in subsection (a)(2)(A)(iv)(II) of this 

9 section, but only to the extent that such payment is— 

10 ‘‘(i) not prohibited by subsection 

11 (a)(2)(A)(iv)(II) of this section; and 

12 ‘‘(ii) made available, distributed, and applied in 

13 accordance with subsection (a)(2)(A)(iv)(IV) of this 

14 section.’’. 

15 (2) LIMITATION ON USE OF SSI BENEFITS.— 

16 Section 1631(a)(2)(A)(iv) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

17 1383(a)(2)(A)(iv)) is amended— 

18 (A) by inserting ‘‘(I)’’ after ‘‘(iv)’’; and 

19 (B) by inserting at the end the following 

20 new subclauses: 

21 ‘‘(II) Subject to subclauses (III) and (IV), a State 

22 or local government agency serving in any State as a rep23 resentative payee under this subsection with respect an eli24 gible individual who is in foster care under the responsi25 bility of the State shall not use any (or, if the individual 


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1 has not attained 14 years of age, more than 50 percent 

2 of any) benefits paid to the representative payee pursuant 

3 to clause (ii) to reimburse the State for— 

4 ‘‘(aa) foster care maintenance payments made 

5 pursuant to section 472; or 

6 ‘‘(bb) other payments made by a State or polit7 ical subdivision of a State to cover any other cost or 

8 expense for an individual who is in foster care under 

9 the responsibility of the State. 

10 ‘‘(III) For purposes of subclause (II)(bb), an expense 

11 described in subparagraph (D) or section 205(j)(4)(A)(i) 

12 shall not be considered a cost or expense. 

13 ‘‘(IV) For purposes of subclause (II), if a State or 

14 local government agency determines that an amount of an 

15 individual’s benefit under this title that is held by the 

16 agency in accordance with this paragraph would be avail17 able under the provisions of this paragraph (other than 

18 this subclause) to reimburse government costs in connec19 tion with the foster care, such amount shall be available 

20 for such reimbursement only to the extent that the amount 

21 is made available to supplement, and not to replace, any 

22 amounts otherwise available from non-Federal sources to 

23 meet the government costs. Any amount of the reimburse24 ment shall not be distributed into the general funds of the 

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1 plied only so as to increase funding for foster care services 

2 provided by such State or local government.’’. 

3 SEC. 502. SCREENING OF FOSTER CHILDREN FOR ELIGI4 BILITY FOR SOCIAL SECURITY AND SUPPLE5 MENTAL SECURITY INCOME BENEFITS. 

6 (a) STATE PLAN REQUIREMENT.—Section 471(a) of 

7 the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 671(a)) is amended— 

8 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 

9 (32); 

10 (2) by striking the period at the end of para11 graph (33) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

12 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

13 ‘‘(34) provides that, not later than 36 months 

14 after the date of enactment of the Reconnecting 

15 Youth to Prevent Homelessness Act of 2011, the 

16 State agency described in paragraph (2) shall— 

17 ‘‘(A) develop and implement procedures to 

18 ensure that, within 60 days after the status of 

19 a child who is in foster care under the responsi20 bility of the State is first reviewed pursuant to 

21 the procedures described in section 475(5)(B), 

22 the child is screened to determine their poten23 tial eligibility for benefits under title II and for 

24 supplemental security income benefits under 

25 title XVI; and 


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1 ‘‘(B) if such screening results in a deter2 mination that the child is potentially eligible for 

3 any such benefits— 

4 ‘‘(i) provide the child with assistance 

5 in applying for and, as necessary, appeal6 ing any decisions made with respect to 

7 such benefits; and 

8 ‘‘(ii) if there is no other suitable can9 didate available, apply to become the rep10 resentative payee for the child with respect 

11 to such benefits.’’. 

12 (b) GAO STUDY.— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of 

14 the United States shall conduct a study to determine 

15 whether States have substantially complied with the 

16 amendments made by this section during the 6-year 

17 period following enactment of this Act, including 

18 whether States have— 

19 (A) established successful procedures that 

20 screen all foster children under the responsi21 bility of the States for their potential eligibility 

22 for benefits under title II of the Social Security 

23 Act and for supplemental security income bene24 fits under title XVI of such Act; 


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1 (B) provided all such potentially eligible 

2 foster children assistance in applying for, and 

3 appealing decisions made with respect to, the 

4 benefits; and 

5 (C) implemented procedures to identify 

6 suitable nongovernmental candidates to serve as 

7 representative payees for children in foster care 

8 with respect to the benefits. 

9 (2) REPORT TO THE CONGRESS.—Not later 

10 than 1 year after completion of the study described 

11 in paragraph (1), the Comptroller General of the 

12 United States shall submit to the Congress a report 

13 containing the results of such study. 

14 SEC. 503. NOTICE TO ATTORNEY OR GUARDIAN AD LITEM 

15 FOR FOSTER CHILD OF DETERMINATION TO 

16 PAY SOCIAL SECURITY OR SUPPLEMENTAL 

17 SECURITY INCOME BENEFITS TO REP18 RESENTATIVE PAYEE. 

19 (a) AMENDMENT TO TITLE II.—Section 

20 205(j)(2)(E)(ii) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

21 405(j)(2)(E)(ii)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, except that, 

22 in the case of an individual who is in foster care under 

23 the responsibility of a State, such notice shall also be pro24 vided to the attorney or guardian ad litem appointed to 

25 represent the individual pursuant to section 


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1 106(b)(2)(A)(xiii) of the Child Abuse Prevention and 

2 Treatment Act and, if the individual has attained 14 years 

3 of age, to the individual’’ before the period. 

4 (b) AMENDMENT TO TITLE XVI.—Section 

5 1631(a)(2)(B)(xii) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

6 1383(a)(2)(B)(xii)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, except 

7 that, in the case of an individual who is in foster care 

8 under the responsibility of a State, such notice shall also 

9 be provided to the attorney or guardian ad litem appointed 

10 to represent the individual pursuant to section 

11 106(b)(2)(A)(xiii) of the Child Abuse Prevention and 

12 Treatment Act and, if the individual has attained 14 years 

13 of age, to the individual’’ before the period. 

14 SEC. 504. MANAGEMENT OF SOCIAL SECURITY AND SUP15 PLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME BENEFITS 

16 FOR FOSTER CHILDREN. 

17 (a) PLAN FOR ACHIEVING SELF-SUPPORT.—Section 

18 471(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 671(a)), as 

19 amended by section 502(a) of this Act, is amended— 

20 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 

21 (33); 

22 (2) by striking the period at the end of para23 graph (34) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

24 (3) by adding at the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘(35) provides that, with respect to each child 

2 in foster care under the responsibility of the State 

3 who is a recipient of benefits under title II or sup4 plemental security income benefits under title XVI, 

5 the State agency shall develop a plan is individually 

6 designed to best meet the current and future needs 

7 of the child and enable the child to achieve self-sup8 port after leaving foster care, in accordance with the 

9 following requirements: 

10 ‘‘(A)(i) The plan shall set forth a strategy 

11 to conserve benefits not necessary for the imme12 diate needs of the child, as determined pursuant 

13 to clause (ii), in a manner that best meets the 

14 future needs and educational and employment 

15 interests of the child, and for the placement of 

16 any such benefits in an account of the type de17 scribed in section 1631(a)(2)(F). 

18 ‘‘(ii) The plan shall provide for a deter19 mination as to whether the child has immediate 

20 needs for which such benefits should be used 

21 consistent with sections 205(j)(10)(B) and 

22 1631(a)(2)(A)(iv). 

23 ‘‘(iii) The plan shall provide that any as24 sets set aside under the plan shall be conserved, 

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1 tion of any allowable expenses described in sec2 tion 1631(a)(2)(F)(ii)(II) or any other use ap3 proved by the Secretary as being in the best in4 terests of the child), and placed in the account 

5 described in clause (i) of this subparagraph, 

6 until the later of the date that the child attains 

7 18 years of age or ceases to be under the re8 sponsibility of the State, at which time any as9 sets subject to the plan shall be accessible to 

10 the child to— 

11 ‘‘(I) secure and maintain stable hous12 ing; 

13 ‘‘(II) pursue educational opportuni14 ties, including job training, vocational 

15 training, or obtaining a professional li16 cense; 

17 ‘‘(III) purchase a vehicle; 

18 ‘‘(IV) operate a business; 

19 ‘‘(V) pay for employment-related 

20 costs, including the cost of uniforms, insur21 ance, licenses, or complying with licensing 

22 requirements; 

23 ‘‘(VI) pay for medical or health-re24 lated expenses; or 


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1 ‘‘(VII) pay for any expenses reason2 ably expected to assist the child in becom3 ing self-sufficient. 

4 ‘‘(B) The State agency shall— 

5 ‘‘(i) develop and implement the plan 

6 in collaboration with the child (on an age7 appropriate basis), the social worker for 

8 the child, the person acting as the rep9 resentative payee for the child pursuant to 

10 section 205(j) or 1631(a)(2), and the at11 torney or guardian ad litem appointed to 

12 represent the child pursuant to section 

13 106(b)(2)(A)(xiii) of the Child Abuse Pre14 vention and Treatment Act; and 

15 ‘‘(ii) in developing and implementing 

16 the plan, make reasonable efforts to seek 

17 input from the parents and caretakers of 

18 the child. 

19 ‘‘(C)(i) The State agency shall complete 

20 the plan not later than 60 days after the status 

21 of the child is first reviewed pursuant to the 

22 procedures described in section 475(5)(B). 

23 ‘‘(ii) The State agency shall ensure that 

24 each subsequent review of the status of the 

25 child includes consideration of an updated 


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1 version of the plan and a report on the progress 

2 made in implementing such plan. 

3 ‘‘(D)(i) Following completion of the plan, 

4 the State agency shall provide a copy of the 

5 plan to the attorney or guardian ad litem ap6 pointed to represent the child pursuant to sec7 tion 106(b)(2)(A)(xiii) of the Child Abuse Pre8 vention and Treatment Act no later than 30 

9 days prior to the subsequent review of the sta10 tus of the child under the procedures described 

11 in section 475(5)(B). 

12 ‘‘(ii) Not later than 30 days prior to each 

13 subsequent review, the State agency shall pro14 vide an updated copy of the plan to the attor15 ney or guardian ad litem so appointed. 

16 ‘‘(E)(i) The child may request the plan to 

17 be modified as part of a review of their status 

18 under the procedures described in section 

19 475(5)(B), through a separate hearing, or as 

20 part of a permanency hearing under the proce21 dures described in section 475(5)(C). 

22 ‘‘(ii) For purposes of any administrative or 

23 judicial review proceeding, the plan shall not be 

24 treated as meeting the requirements of this 

25 paragraph with respect to a child unless the 


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1 plan is determined by the reviewer to be the 

2 best available means of meeting the current and 

3 future needs and educational and employment 

4 interests of the child.’’. 

5 (b) PROVISIONS RELATING TO REPRESENTATIVE

6 PAYEES.— 

7 (1) AMENDMENTS TO TITLE II.—Section 205(j) 

8 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 405(j)), as 

9 amended by sections 501(a)(2) and 503(a), is fur10 ther amended— 

11 (A) by redesignating paragraphs (8), (9), 

12 and (10) as paragraphs (9), (10), and (11), re13 spectively; and 

14 (B) by inserting after paragraph (7) the 

15 following new paragraph: 

16 ‘‘(8) For purposes of benefits paid to a representative 

17 payee under paragraph (1) on behalf of an individual who 

18 is in foster care under the responsibility of a State, the 

19 representative payee shall manage such benefits in accord20 ance with the plan developed for the individual pursuant 

21 to section 471(a)(35).’’. 

22 (2) AMENDMENT TO TITLE XVI.—Section 

23 1631(a)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1383(a)(2)) is 

24 amended by adding at the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘(J) For purposes of benefits paid to a representative 

2 payee under subparagraph (A)(ii) on behalf of an indi3 vidual who is in foster care under the responsibility of a 

4 State, the representative payee shall manage such benefits 

5 in accordance with the plan developed for the individual 

6 pursuant to section 471(a)(35).’’. 

7 (c) EXCLUSION FROM RESOURCES UNDER THE SSI 

8 PROGRAM.—Section 1613(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

9 1382b(a)) is amended— 

10 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 

11 (15); 

12 (2) by striking the period at the end of para13 graph (16) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

14 (3) by inserting after paragraph (16) the fol15 lowing: 

16 ‘‘(17) any assets managed on behalf of an eligi17 ble individual in accordance with a plan developed 

18 for such individual pursuant to section 471(a)(35).’’. 

19 (d) EXCLUSION FROM RESOURCE LIMITATION.— 

20 Subparagraph (B) of section 472(a)(3) of the Social Secu21 rity Act (42 U.S.C. 672(a)(3)) is amended by inserting 

22 ‘‘, and excluding any assets held in an account that has 

23 been established pursuant to paragraph (35) of section 

24 471(a) and managed in accordance with a plan developed 

25 under such paragraph’’ after ‘‘as so in effect’’. 


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1 SEC. 505. SUPPORT AND MAINTENANCE FURNISHED IN 

2 CASH OR IN KIND DISREGARDED IN DETER3 MINING INCOME OF FOSTER CHILDREN 

4 UNDER THE SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY IN5 COME PROGRAM. 

6 Section 1612(a)(2)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 

7 U.S.C. 1382a(a)(2)(A)) is amended— 

8 (1) by striking ‘‘another nonprofit organization, 

9 and’’ and inserting ‘‘another nonprofit organiza10 tion,’’; and 

11 (2) by inserting ‘‘, and (iv) clause (i) shall not 

12 apply in the case of a child who is in foster care 

13 under the responsibility of a State’’ before the semi14 colon at the end. 

15 SEC. 506. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR CHILD WELFARE 

16 AGENCIES. 

17 (a) IN GENERAL.—Pursuant to a request by a State 

18 agency that is responsible for administering, or super19 vising the administration of, the program authorized by 

20 part E of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

21 670 et seq.), the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

22 shall provide such agency with technical assistance in car23 rying out the amendments made by this Act. 

24 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

25 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, 


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1 $4,500,000 for fiscal year 2013, and such sums as may 

2 be necessary for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018. 

3 SEC. 507. EFFECTIVE DATES. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection 

5 (b) or as otherwise provided, the amendments made by 

6 this Act shall apply to benefits payable for months begin7 ning after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

8 (b) STATE PLAN REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO

9 PLANS FOR ACHIEVING SELF-SUPPORT.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by 

11 section 504(a) of this Act shall take effect on the 

12 first day of the first calendar quarter beginning 

13 after the date of the enactment of this Act, and shall 

14 apply to payments under part E of title IV of the 

15 Social Security Act for calendar quarters beginning 

16 after such first day. 

17 (2) DELAY PERMITTED IF STATE LEGISLATION

18 REQUIRED.—If the Secretary of Health and Human 

19 Services determines that State legislation (other 

20 than legislation appropriating funds) is required in 

21 order for a State plan approved under part E of title 

22 IV of the Social Security Act to meet the additional 

23 requirements imposed by the amendments made by 

24 section 504(a) of this Act, the plan shall not be re25 garded as failing to meet any of the additional reVerDate Mar 15 2010 01:11 May 19, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00050 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S961.IS S961

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1 quirements before the first day of the first calendar 

2 quarter beginning after the first regular session of 

3 the State legislature that begins after the date of the 

4 enactment of this Act. If the State has a 2-year leg5 islative session, each year of the session is deemed 

6 to be a separate regular session of the State legisla7 ture. 

Æ 


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