I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4990 
To amend part E of title IV of the Social Security Act to require States 
to follow certain procedures in placing a child who has been removed 
from the custody of his or her parents. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 8, 2018 
Mrs. DINGELL 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 require States to follow certain procedures in placing 
a child who has been removed from the custody of his 
or her parents. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rehab and Ahmed 
Amer Foster Care Improvement Act of 2018’’. 
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SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT THAT STATES FOLLOW CERTAIN 
PROCEDURES 
IN 
PLACING 
A 
CHILD 
RE-
MOVED FROM THE CUSTODY OF HIS OR HER 
PARENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 471(a)(29) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 671(a)(29)) is amended to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(29) provides that— 
‘‘(A) within 30 days after the removal of 
a child from the custody of the parent or par-
ents of the child, the State shall exercise due 
diligence to identify and provide notice to all 
adult grandparents and other adult relatives of 
the child (including any other adult relatives 
suggested by the parents), subject to exceptions 
due to family or domestic violence, that— 
‘‘(i) specifies that the child has been 
or is being removed from the custody of 
the parent or parents of the child; 
‘‘(ii) explains the options the relative 
has under Federal, State, and local law to 
participate in the care and placement of 
the child, including any options that may 
be lost by failing to respond to the notice; 
‘‘(iii) 
describes 
the 
requirements 
under paragraph (10) of this subsection to 
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become a foster family home and the addi-
tional services and supports that are avail-
able for children placed in such a home; 
and 
‘‘(iv) if the State has elected the op-
tion to make kinship guardianship assist-
ance payments under paragraph (28) of 
this subsection, describes how the relative 
guardian of the child may subsequently 
enter into an agreement with the State 
under section 473(d) to receive the pay-
ments; 
‘‘(B) within 90 days after the State makes 
a placement decision with respect to the child, 
the State shall provide notice of the decision 
and the reasons therefor to each parent of the 
child, each relative who has expressed to the 
State an interest in caring for the child, the 
guardian, and the guardian ad litem for the 
child, the attorney for the child, the attorney 
for each parent of the child, the child (if the 
child is able to express an opinion regarding 
placement), and the prosecutor involved; and 
‘‘(C) the State shall establish procedures 
to— 
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‘‘(i) allow a person who receives a no-
tice pursuant to subparagraph (B) to re-
quest, in writing, within 5 days after re-
ceipt of the notice, documentation of the 
reasons for the decision involved; 
‘‘(ii) allow the attorney for the child 
to petition the court involved to review the 
decision; and 
‘‘(iii) require the court to— 
‘‘(I) commence such a review 
within 7 days after receipt of a peti-
tion made pursuant to clause (ii); and 
‘‘(II) conduct such a review on 
the record;’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall take effect on the 1st day of the 
1st fiscal year beginning on or after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and shall apply to payments 
under part E of title IV of the Social Security Act 
for calendar quarters beginning on or after such 
date. 
(2) DELAY PERMITTED IF STATE LEGISLATION 
REQUIRED.—If the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services determines that State legislation (other 
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than legislation appropriating funds) is required in 
order for a State plan approved under part E of title 
IV of the Social Security Act to meet the additional 
requirements imposed by the amendment made by 
subsection (a), the plan shall not be regarded as fail-
ing to meet any of the additional requirements be-
fore the 1st day of the 1st calendar quarter begin-
ning after the first regular session of the State legis-
lature that begins after the date of the enactment of 
this Act. For purposes of the preceding sentence, if 
the State has a 2-year legislative session, each year 
of the session is deemed to be a separate regular 
session of the State legislature. 
Æ 
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