the Nation’s foster care system to provide States a 
flexible, reliable source of Federal funding, as well 
as new options and incentives to seek safety and per-
manence for children in foster care. 
SEC. 3. REFERENCES. 
Except as otherwise expressly provided, wherever in 
this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms 
of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provi-
sion, the amendment or repeal shall be considered to be 
made to a section or other provision of the Social Security 
Act. 
TITLE 
I—EXPANDED 
ELIGI-
BILITY FOR ADOPTION AS-
SISTANCE AND FOSTER CARE 
SEC. 101. ADOPTION ASSISTANCE. 
(a) ELIMINATION OF INCOME ELIGIBILITY REQUIRE-
MENT.—Section 473(a) (42 U.S.C. 673(a)) is amended—
(1) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(2)(A) For purposes of paragraph (1)(B)(ii), a 
child meets the requirements of this paragraph if the 
child—
‘‘(i)(I) at the time adoption proceedings 
were initiated, had been removed from his or 
her home—
‘‘(aa) pursuant to a voluntary place-
ment agreement with respect to which 
Federal payments are provided under sec-
tion 474; or 
‘‘(bb) as a result of a judicial deter-
mination to the effect that continuation 
therein would be contrary to the welfare of 
the child, including such a determination 
made on account of a voluntary relinquish-
ment; 
‘‘(II) is eligible for supplemental security 
income benefits under title XVI; or 
‘‘(III) was residing in a foster family home 
or child care institution with the child’s minor 
parent as described in section 475(4)(B); and 
‘‘(ii) has been determined by the State, 
pursuant to subsection (c), to be a child with 
special needs. 
‘‘(B) A child who meets the requirements 
of subparagraph (A)(ii) of this paragraph, who 
was determined eligible for adoption assistance 
payments under this part with respect to a 
prior adoption, and who is available for adop-
tion because the prior adoption has been dis-
solved and the parental rights of the adoptive
parents have been terminated or because the 
child’s adoptive parents have died, shall be 
treated as meeting the requirements of this 
paragraph 
for 
purposes 
of 
paragraph 
(1)(B)(ii).’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(7)(A) Notwithstanding any other provision of 
this subsection (except as provided in subparagraph 
(B)), payments may not be made under this part to 
parents with respect to—
‘‘(i) a child who is adopted outside of the 
United States; or 
‘‘(ii) a child who is adopted in the United 
States after having been been brought into the 
United States for the purpose of being adopted. 
‘‘(B) Subparagraph (A) shall not be interpreted 
to prohibit payments for a child who is otherwise eli-
gible for adoption assistance payments under section 
473 and who, as a result of the disruption or dis-
solution (as determined by the State) of an adoption, 
or because of the death of the adoptive parents of 
the child, is subsequently available for adoption.’’. 
(b) REDUCTION IN FEDERAL MATCHING RATE TO 
EXPAND ELIGIBILITY.—Section 474(a)(2) (42 U.S.C.
674(a)(1)) is amended by inserting ‘‘85 percent of’’ before 
‘‘the Federal’’. 
SEC. 102. FOSTER CARE MAINTENANCE PAYMENTS. 
(a) ELIMINATION OF INCOME ELIGIBILITY REQUIRE-
MENT.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 472(a) (42 U.S.C. 
672(a)) is amended—
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘child’’ and all that follows through 
‘‘if’’ and inserting ‘‘child, if’’; 
(B) in paragraph (1)—
(i) by striking ‘‘from the home’’ and 
inserting ‘‘of the child from his or her 
home’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘(effective October 1, 
1983)’’; 
(C) by adding ‘‘and’’ at the end of para-
graph (2); 
(D) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘; and’’ 
and inserting a period; and 
(E) by striking all that follows paragraph 
(3). 
(2) CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section 470 
(42 U.S.C. 670) is amended by striking ‘‘who other-
wise would have been eligible for assistance under