I 
119TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7343 
To amend section 477 of the Social Security Act to expand education and 
workforce training opportunities for youth who have experienced foster care. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 4, 2026 
Mr. MILLER of Ohio (for himself and Mr. EVANS of Pennsylvania) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means 
A BILL 
To amend section 477 of the Social Security Act to expand 
education and workforce training opportunities for youth 
who have experienced foster care. 
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 ‘‘Foster Youth Work-
force Opportunity Act’’. 
SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE 
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH WHO 
HAVE EXPERIENCED FOSTER CARE. 
Section 477 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
677) is amended— 
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(1) in each of subsections (a)(5) and (h)(2), by 
striking ‘‘aged out of foster care’’ and inserting ‘‘ex-
perienced foster care at age 14 or older’’; 
(2) in each of subsections (a)(6) and (i)(2), by 
striking ‘‘16’’ and inserting ‘‘14’’; 
(3) in subsection (i)(3), by striking ‘‘in no event 
may a youth participate in the program for more 
than 5 years (whether or not consecutive)’’ and in-
serting ‘‘may not allow a youth to participate in the 
program for more than 5 years (or, in the case of 
a youth who was involved in a remedial education 
activity referred to in paragraph (4)(B), for more 
than 6 years), whether or not consecutive’’; 
(4) in subsection (i)(4)— 
(A) by amending subparagraph (A) to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(A) may be available for the cost of at-
tendance— 
‘‘(i) at an institution of higher edu-
cation, as defined in section 102 of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965, including a 
community college or postsecondary voca-
tional institution; or 
‘‘(ii) at a short-term training program 
that is eligible for the Workforce Pell pro-
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gram under section 401(k), as described in 
section 481(b)(3) of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1088(b)(3)), as 
added by section 83002(b) of Public Law 
119–21;’’; 
(B) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as 
subparagraph (C); and 
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (A), 
as so amended, the following: 
‘‘(B) may be available for costs— 
‘‘(i) associated with participation in 
an apprenticeship program; 
‘‘(ii) to obtain a general equivalency 
degree; or 
‘‘(iii) to receive remedial education; 
and’’; and 
(5) in subsection (i), by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(7) In this section, the term ‘remedial edu-
cation’ means education or skill training needed to 
support obtaining a high school diploma or quali-
fying for postsecondary education, training, or an 
apprenticeship that is— 
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‘‘(A) not provided by the school district of 
the student or another free local, State, or Fed-
eral program; and 
‘‘(B) is provided by an instructor with cre-
dentials relevant to the subject area of instruc-
tion, as determined by the State.’’. 
SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
The amendments made by this Act shall take effect 
on the date that is 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
Æ 
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