H. R. 133—1230 
SUCH ASSISTANCE.—Notwithstanding section 477(b)(3)(B) of the 
Social Security Act, a State may use— 
(A) more than 30 percent of the amounts paid to the 
State from its allotment under section 477(c)(1) of such 
Act for a fiscal year, for room or board payments; and 
(B) any of such amounts for youth otherwise eligible 
for services under section 477 of such Act who— 
(i) have attained 18 years of age and not 27 years 
of age; and 
(ii) experienced foster care at 14 years of age or 
older. 
(4) AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE DRIVING AND TRANSPORTATION 
ASSISTANCE.— 
(A) USE OF FUNDS.—Funds provided under section 477 
of the Social Security Act may be used to provide driving 
and transportation assistance to youth described in para-
graph (3)(B) who have attained 15 years of age with costs 
related to obtaining a driver’s license and driving lawfully 
in a State (such as vehicle insurance costs, driver’s edu-
cation class and testing fees, practice lessons, practice 
hours, license fees, roadside assistance, deductible assist-
ance, and assistance in purchasing an automobile). 
(B) MAXIMUM ALLOWANCE.—The amount of the assist-
ance provided for each eligible youth under subparagraph 
(A) shall not exceed $4,000 per year, and any assistance 
so provided shall be disregarded for purposes of deter-
mining the recipient’s eligibility for, and the amount of, 
any other Federal or federally-supported assistance, except 
that the State agency shall take appropriate steps to pre-
vent duplication of benefits under this and other Federal 
or federally-supported programs. 
(C) REPORT TO THE CONGRESS.—Within 6 months after 
the end of the expenditure period, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Congress a report on the extent to which, 
and the manner in which, the funds to which subsection 
(a)(3) applies were used to provide technical assistance 
to State child welfare programs, monitor State performance 
and foster youth outcomes, and evaluate program effective-
ness. 
SEC. 4. PREVENTING AGING OUT OF FOSTER CARE DURING THE PAN-
DEMIC. 
(a) ADDRESSING FOSTER CARE AGE RESTRICTIONS DURING THE 
PANDEMIC.—A State operating a program under part E of title 
IV of the Social Security Act may not require a child who is 
in foster care under the responsibility of the State to leave foster 
care solely by reason of the child’s age. A child may not be found 
ineligible for foster care maintenance payments under section 472 
of such Act solely due to the age of the child or the failure of 
the child to meet a condition of section 475(8)(B)(iv) of such Act 
before October 1, 2021. 
(b) RE-ENTRY
TO FOSTER CARE
FOR YOUTH WHO AGE OUT 
DURING THE PANDEMIC.—A State operating a program under the 
State plan approved under part E of title IV of the Social Security 
Act (and without regard to whether the State has exercised the 
option provided by section 475(8)(B) of such Act to extend assistance 
under such part to older children) shall—
H. R. 133—1231 
(1) permit any youth who left foster care due to age during 
the COVID–19 public health emergency to voluntarily re-enter 
foster care; 
(2) provide to each such youth who was formally discharged 
from foster care during the COVID–19 public health emergency, 
a notice designed to make the youth aware of the option to 
return to foster care; 
(3) facilitate the voluntary return of any such youth to 
foster care; and 
(4) conduct a public awareness campaign about the option 
to voluntarily re-enter foster care for youth who have not 
attained 22 years of age, who aged out of foster care in fiscal 
year 2020 or fiscal year 2021, and who are otherwise eligible 
to return to foster care. 
(c) PROTECTIONS FOR YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE.—A State oper-
ating a program under the State plan approved under part E 
of title IV of the Social Security Act shall— 
(1) continue to ensure that the safety, permanence, and 
well-being needs of older foster youth, including youth who 
remain in foster care and youth who age out of foster care 
during that period but who re-enter foster care pursuant to 
this section, are met; and 
(2) work with any youth who remains in foster care after 
attaining 18 years of age (or such greater age as the State 
may have elected under section 475(8)(B)(iii) of such Act) to 
develop, or review and revise, a transition plan consistent with 
the plan referred to in section 475(5)(H) of such Act, and 
assist the youth with identifying adults who can offer meaning-
ful, permanent connections. 
(d) AUTHORITY
TO USE ADDITIONAL FUNDING
FOR CERTAIN 
COSTS INCURRED TO PREVENT AGING OUT OF, FACILITATING RE- 
ENTRY
TO, AND PROTECTING YOUTH
IN CARE DURING
THE PAN-
DEMIC.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2) of this sub-
section, a State to which additional funds are made available 
as a result of section 3(a) may use the funds to meet any 
costs incurred in complying with subsections (a), (b), and (c) 
of this section. 
(2) RESTRICTIONS.— 
(A) The costs referred to in paragraph (1) must be 
incurred after the date of the enactment of this section 
and before October 1, 2021. 
(B) The costs of complying with subsection (a) or (c) 
of this section must not be incurred on behalf of children 
eligible for foster care maintenance payments under section 
472 of the Social Security Act, including youth who have 
attained 18 years of age who are eligible for the payments 
by reason of the temporary waiver of the age requirement 
or the conditions of section 475(8)(B)(iv) of such Act. 
(C) A State shall make reasonable efforts to ensure 
that eligibility for foster care maintenance payments under 
section 472 of the Social Security Act is determined when 
a youth remains in, or re-enters, foster care as a result 
of the State complying with subsections (a) and (c) of this 
section.
H. R. 133—1232 
(D) A child who re-enters care during the COVID– 
19 public health emergency period may not be found ineli-
gible for foster care maintenance payments under section 
472 of the Social Security Act solely due to age or the 
requirements of section 475(8)(B)(iv) of such Act before 
October 1, 2021. 
(e) TERMINATION
OF
CERTAIN
PROVISIONS.—The preceding 
provisions of this section shall have no force or effect after Sep-
tember 30, 2021. 
SEC. 5. FAMILY FIRST PREVENTION SERVICES PROGRAM PANDEMIC 
FLEXIBILITY. 
During the COVID–19 public health emergency period, each 
percentage specified in subparagraphs (A)(i) and (B) of section 
474(a)(6) of the Social Security Act is deemed to be 100 percent. 
SEC. 6. EMERGENCY FUNDING FOR THE MARYLEE ALLEN PROMOTING 
SAFE AND STABLE FAMILIES PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Out of any money in the Treasury of the 
United States not otherwise appropriated, there are appropriated 
$85,000,000 to carry out section 436(a) of the Social Security Act 
for fiscal year 2021, in addition to any amounts otherwise made 
available for such purpose. For purposes of section 436(b) of such 
Act, the amount made available by the preceding sentence shall 
be considered part of the amount specified in such section 436(a). 
(b) INAPPLICABILITY
OF STATE MATCHING REQUIREMENT
TO 
ADDITIONAL FUNDS.—In making payments under section 434(a) of 
the Social Security Act from the additional funds made available 
as a result of subsection (a) of this section, the percentage specified 
in section 434(a)(1) of such Act is deemed to be 100 percent. 
SEC. 7. COURT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. 
(a) RESERVATION OF FUNDS.—Of the additional amounts made 
available by reason of section 6 of this Act, the Secretary shall 
reserve $10,000,000 for grants under subsection (b) of this section 
for fiscal year 2021, which shall be considered to be made under 
section 438 of the Social Security Act. 
(b) DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—From the amounts reserved under sub-
section (a) of this section, the Secretary shall— 
(A) reserve not more than $500,000 for Tribal court 
improvement activities; and 
(B) from the amount remaining after the application 
of subparagraph (A), make a grant to each highest State 
court that is approved to receive a grant under section 
438 of the Social Security Act for the purpose described 
in section 438(a)(3) of such Act, for fiscal year 2021. 
(2) AMOUNT.—The amount of the grant awarded to a 
highest State court under this subsection shall be the sum 
of— 
(A) $85,000; and 
(B) the amount that bears the same ratio to the amount 
reserved under subsection (a) that remains after the 
application of paragraph (1)(A) and subparagraph (A) of 
this paragraph, as the number of individuals in the State 
in which the court is located who have not attained 21 
years of age bears to the total number of such individuals 
in all States the highest courts of which were awarded
H. R. 133—1233 
a grant under this subsection (based on the most recent 
year for which data are available from the Bureau of the 
Census). 
(3) OTHER RULES.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The grants awarded to the highest 
State courts under this subsection shall be in addition 
to any grants made to the courts under section 438 of 
the Social Security Act for any fiscal year. 
(B) NO ADDITIONAL APPLICATION.—The Secretary shall 
award grants to the highest State courts under this sub-
section without requiring the courts to submit an additional 
application. 
(C) REPORTS.—The Secretary may establish reporting 
criteria specific to the grants awarded under this sub-
section. 
(D) REDISTRIBUTION
OF
FUNDS.—If a highest State 
court does not accept a grant awarded under this sub-
section, or does not agree to comply with any reporting 
requirements imposed under subparagraph (C) or the use 
of funds requirements specified in subsection (c), the Sec-
retary shall redistribute the grant funds that would have 
been awarded to that court under this subsection among 
the other highest State courts that are awarded grants 
under this subsection and agree to comply with the 
reporting and use of funds requirements. 
(E) NO MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—The limitation on 
the use of funds specified in section 438(d) of such Act 
shall not apply to the grants awarded under this section. 
(c) USE OF FUNDS.—A highest State court awarded a grant 
under subsection (b) shall use the grant funds to address needs 
stemming from the COVID–19 public health emergency, which may 
include any of the following: 
(1) Technology investments to facilitate the transition to 
remote hearings for dependency courts when necessary as a 
direct result of the COVID–19 public health emergency. 
(2) Training for judges, attorneys, and caseworkers on 
facilitating and participating in remote hearings that comply 
with due process and all applicable law, ensure child safety 
and well-being, and help inform judicial decision-making. 
(3) Programs to help families address aspects of the case 
plan to avoid delays in legal proceedings that would occur 
as a direct result of the COVID–19 public health emergency. 
(4) Other purposes to assist courts, court personnel, or 
related staff related to the COVID–19 public health emergency. 
(d) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 438 of the Social Secu-
rity Act (42 U.S.C. 629h) is amended in each of subsections (c)(1) 
and (d) by striking ‘‘2021’’ and inserting ‘‘2022’’. 
SEC. 8. KINSHIP NAVIGATOR PROGRAMS PANDEMIC FLEXIBILITY. 
(a) INAPPLICABILITY
OF MATCHING FUNDS REQUIREMENTS.— 
During the COVID–19 public health emergency period, the percent-
age specified in section 474(a)(7) of the Social Security Act is deemed 
to be 100 percent. 
(b) WAIVER OF EVIDENCE STANDARD.—During the COVID–19 
public health emergency period, the requirement in section 474(a)(7) 
of the Social Security Act that the Secretary determine that a