(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473B of the Social Security Act is repealed.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 avail-
able all information obtained from the Federal Parent Lo-
cator Service. 
SEC. 6. CASEWORKER VISITS. 
(a) PURCHASE OF SERVICES IN INTERSTATE PLACE-
MENT CASES.—Section 475(5)(A)(ii) of the Social Secu-
rity 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)— 
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(A) by striking ‘‘To the extent available 
and accessible, the’’ and inserting ‘‘The’’; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘the most recent informa-
tion available regarding’’ after ‘‘including’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (5)(D)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘a copy of the record is’’ 
before ‘‘supplied’’; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘, and is supplied to the 
child at no cost at the time the child leaves fos-
ter 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 PRO-
CEEDINGS. 
(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 en-
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sure that foster parents, pre-adoptive 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 subpara-
graph (C); and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(E) that determine the best strategy to 
use to expedite the interstate placement of chil-
dren, including— 
‘‘(i) requiring courts in different 
States to cooperate in the sharing of infor-
mation; 
‘‘(ii) authorizing courts to obtain in-
formation and testimony from agencies 
and parties in other States without requir-
ing interstate travel by the agencies and 
parties; and 
‘‘(iii) permitting the participation of 
parents, children, other necessary parties, 
and attorneys in cases involving interstate 
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placement without requiring their inter-
state travel; and’’. 
SEC. 10. REASONABLE EFFORTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 471(a)(15)(C) of the So-
cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 671(a)(15)(C)) is amended 
by inserting ‘‘(including, if appropriate, through an inter-
state 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 considers 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 identifying 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’’ be-
fore the period. 
SEC. 12. CASE REVIEW SYSTEM. 
Section 475(5)(C) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 675(5)(C) is amended— 
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(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 op-
tions,’’ 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 in-
serting ‘‘make’’; 
(2) by inserting ‘‘(including through contracts 
for the purchase of services)’’ after ‘‘resources’’; and 
(3) by inserting ‘‘, and shall eliminate legal bar-
riers,’’ 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 RE-
QUIRED.—If the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
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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 addi-
tional requirements before the 1st day of the 1st calendar 
quarter beginning after the first regular session of the 
State legislature that begins after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act. If the State has a 2-year legislative ses-
sion, each year of the session is deemed to be a separate 
regular session of the State legislature. 
Æ 
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