Title: Timely Mental Health for Foster Youth Act
Policy area: Social Welfare

Summary:
Timely Mental Health for Foster Youth Act
This bill amends part B (Child and Family Services) of title IV of the Social Security Act with respect to state plans for the ongoing oversight and coordination of health care services for children in a foster care placement.
An initial mental health screening of any child in foster care must be completed within 30 days after the child enters into foster care. In the case of any child for whom a mental health issue is identified in such initial screening, a comprehensive assessment of the child's mental health must be completed within 60 days after the child's entry into foster care.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 439 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 439

 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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

            February 17 (legislative day, February 16), 2017

   Mr. Blunt (for himself, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Boozman, and Mr. Casey) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
                          Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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 Representatives 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''.

SEC. 2. TIMELY MENTAL HEALTH SCREENINGS AND ASSESSMENTS 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 foster 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 striking ``provides'' and inserting ``provide''.
    (c) Effective Date.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
        amendments made by this section shall take effect on January 1, 
        2018.
            (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 
        legislation appropriating funds) in order for the plan to meet 
        the additional requirements imposed by this section, the State 
        plan shall not be regarded as failing 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 section. 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.
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