H. R. 5403—5
with applicable requirements of the State in which the home 
is located, to determine whether a proposed placement of a 
child would meet the individual needs of the child, including 
the child’s safety, permanency, health, well-being, and mental, 
emotional, and physical development. 
‘‘(2) INTERSTATE HOME STUDY.—The term ‘interstate home 
study’ means a home study conducted by a State at the request 
of another State, to facilitate an adoptive or foster placement 
in the State of a child in foster care under the responsibility 
of the State. 
‘‘(3) TIMELY INTERSTATE HOME STUDY.—The term ‘timely 
interstate home study’ means an interstate home study com-
pleted by a State if the State provides to the State that 
requested the study, within 30 days after receipt of the request, 
a report on the results of the study. The preceding sentence 
shall not be construed to require the State to have completed, 
within the 30-day period, the parts of the home study involving 
the education and training of the prospective foster or adoptive 
parents. 
‘‘(h) LIMITATIONS ON AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For payments under this section, there 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary—
‘‘(A) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; 
‘‘(B) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2008; 
‘‘(C) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; and 
‘‘(D) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2010. 
‘‘(2) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts appropriated under para-
graph (1) are authorized to remain available until expended.’’. 
(c) REPEALER.—Effective October 1, 2010, section 473B of the 
Social Security Act is repealed. 
SEC. 5. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of the Congress that State agencies should 
fully cooperate with any court which has authority with respect 
to the placement of a child in foster care or for adoption, for 
the purpose of locating a parent of the child, and such cooperation 
should include making available all information obtained from the 
Federal Parent Locator Service. 
SEC. 6. CASEWORKER VISITS. 
(a) PURCHASE OF SERVICES IN INTERSTATE PLACEMENT CASES.—
Section 475(5)(A)(ii) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
675(5)(A)(ii)) is amended by striking ‘‘or of the State in which 
the child has been placed’’ and inserting ‘‘of the State in which 
the child has been placed, or of a private agency under contract 
with either such State’’. 
(b) INCREASED VISITS.—Section 475(5)(A)(ii) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 675(5)(A)(ii)) is amended by striking ‘‘12’’ and inserting ‘‘6’’. 
SEC. 7. HEALTH AND EDUCATION RECORDS. 
Section 475 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 675) is 
amended—
(1) in paragraph (1)(C)—
(A) by striking ‘‘To the extent available and accessible, 
the’’ and inserting ‘‘The’’; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘the most recent information available 
regarding’’ after ‘‘including’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (5)(D)—
H. R. 5403—6
(A) by inserting ‘‘a copy of the record is’’ before ‘‘sup-
plied’’; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘, and is supplied to the child at 
no cost at the time the child leaves foster care if the 
child is leaving foster care by reason of having attained 
the age of majority under State law’’ before the semicolon. 
SEC. 8. RIGHT TO BE HEARD IN FOSTER CARE PROCEEDINGS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 475(5)(G) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 675(5)(G)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘an opportunity’’ and inserting ‘‘a right’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘and opportunity’’ and inserting ‘‘and right’’; 
and 
(3) by striking ‘‘review or hearing’’ each place it appears 
and inserting ‘‘proceeding’’. 
(b) NOTICE OF PROCEEDING.—Section 438(b) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 638(b)) is amended by inserting ‘‘shall have in effect a 
rule requiring State courts to ensure that foster parents, pre-adop-
tive parents, and relative caregivers of a child in foster care under 
the responsibility of the State are notified of any proceeding to 
be held with respect to the child, and’’ after ‘‘highest State court’’. 
SEC. 9. COURT IMPROVEMENT. 
Section 438(a)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
629h(a)(1)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subparagraph (C); and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(E) that determine the best strategy to use to expedite 
the interstate placement of children, including—
‘‘(i) requiring courts in different States to cooperate 
in the sharing of information; 
‘‘(ii) authorizing courts to obtain information and 
testimony from agencies and parties in other States 
without requiring interstate travel by the agencies and 
parties; and 
‘‘(iii) permitting the participation of parents, chil-
dren, other necessary parties, and attorneys in cases 
involving interstate placement without requiring their 
interstate travel; and’’. 
SEC. 10. REASONABLE EFFORTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 471(a)(15)(C) of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 671(a)(15)(C)) is amended by inserting ‘‘(including, 
if appropriate, through an interstate placement)’’ after ‘‘accordance 
with the permanency plan’’. 
(b) PERMANENCY HEARING.—Section 471(a)(15)(E)(i) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 671(a)(15)(E)(i)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, which con-
siders in-State and out-of-State permanent placement options for 
the child,’’ before ‘‘shall’’. 
(c) CONCURRENT PLANNING.—Section 471(a)(15)(F) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 671(a)(15)(F)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, including identi-
fying appropriate in-State and out-of-State placements’’ before 
‘‘may’’. 
SEC. 11. CASE PLANS. 
Section 475(1)(E) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 675(1)(E)) 
is amended by inserting ‘‘to facilitate orderly and timely in-State 
and interstate placements’’ before the period.
H. R. 5403—7
SEC. 12. CASE REVIEW SYSTEM. 
Section 475(5)(C) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 675(5)(C) 
is amended—
(1) by inserting ‘‘, in the case of a child who will not 
be returned to the parent, the hearing shall consider in-State 
and out-of-State placement options,’’ after ‘‘living arrangement’’; 
and 
(2) by inserting ‘‘the hearing shall determine’’ before 
‘‘whether the’’. 
SEC. 13. USE OF INTERJURISDICTIONAL RESOURCES. 
Section 422(b)(12) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
622(b)(12)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘develop plans for the’’ and inserting ‘‘make’’; 
(2) by inserting ‘‘(including through contracts for the pur-
chase of services)’’ after ‘‘resources’’; and 
(3) by inserting ‘‘, and shall eliminate legal barriers,’’ before 
‘‘to facilitate’’. 
SEC. 14. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise provided in this section, 
the amendments made by this Act shall take effect on October 
1, 2006, and shall apply to payments under parts B and E of 
title IV of the Social Security Act for calendar quarters beginning 
on or after such date, without regard to whether regulations to 
implement the amendments are promulgated by such date. 
(b) DELAY PERMITTED IF STATE LEGISLATION REQUIRED.—If 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services determines that State 
legislation (other than legislation appropriating funds) is required 
in order for a State plan under part B or E of title IV of the 
Social Security Act to meet the additional requirements imposed 
by the amendments made by a provision of this Act, the plan 
shall not be regarded as failing to meet any of the additional 
requirements before the 1st day of the 1st calendar quarter begin-
ning after the first regular session of the State legislature that 
begins after the date of the enactment of this Act. 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.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.