I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1069 
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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 15, 2017 
Mrs. LAWRENCE (for herself, Mr. LANGEVIN, Ms. BASS, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, 
Ms. NORTON, and Ms. WILSON of Florida) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means 
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. 
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 ‘‘Timely Mental Health 
for Foster Youth Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. TIMELY MENTAL HEALTH SCREENINGS AND AS-
SESSMENTS 
FOR 
CHILDREN 
AND 
YOUTH 
UPON ENTRY INTO FOSTER CARE. 
(a) 
STATE
PLAN
REQUIREMENT.—Section 
422(b)(15)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
622(b)(15)(A)) is amended— 
(1) in clause (i), by inserting ‘‘and that require 
that an initial mental health screening of any child 
in foster care be completed not later than 30 days 
after the date the child enters into foster care and, 
in the case of any child in foster care for whom a 
mental health issue is identified in such initial 
screening, that a comprehensive assessment of the 
mental health of the child be completed not later 
than 60 days after the date the child enters into fos-
ter care’’ before the semicolon; and 
(2) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘screenings’’ and 
inserting ‘‘such screenings and assessments’’. 
(b) 
TECHNICAL
AMENDMENT.—Section 
422(b)(15)(A) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 622(b)(15)(A)) is 
further amended in the matter before clause (i), by strik-
ing ‘‘provides’’ and inserting ‘‘provide’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), the amendments made by this section 
shall take effect on January 1, 2018. 
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(2) DELAY PERMITTED IF STATE LEGISLATION 
REQUIRED.—In the case of a State plan approved 
under part B of title IV of the Social Security Act 
which the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
determines requires State legislation (other than leg-
islation appropriating funds) in order for the plan to 
meet the additional requirements imposed by this 
section, the State plan shall not be regarded as fail-
ing to comply with the requirements of such part 
solely on the basis of the failure of the plan to meet 
such additional requirements before the first day of 
the first calendar quarter beginning after the close 
of the first regular session of the State legislature 
that begins after the date of enactment of this sec-
tion. For purposes of the previous sentence, in the 
case of a State that has a 2-year legislative session, 
each year of such session shall be deemed to be a 
separate regular session of the State legislature. 
Æ 
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