Sec. 6. Foster care transitional assistance grants

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Part E of title IV of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 670 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 477 the following: In coordination with assistance provided under the programs under sections 477 and 477B, the Secretary shall— administer the programs described in this section; and develop professional guidelines and national standards to be made available for use by foster care transitional services and related programs receiving Federal funding. The Secretary shall develop and maintain a website designed to provide specific information about Federal, State, and local resources available to current and former foster youth.

The website shall include information about the availability of, and the eligibility requirements for, all public resources available to current and former foster youth, including— information about transition planning requirements required by section 475(5)(H); assistance with any program under this section, section 477, or section 477B; assistance with any program established under the Fostering Healthy Transitions into Adulthood Act of 2020 ; the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and other information about Federal financial aid;

Pell Grants; Federal TRIO programs; waivers for applications to institutions of higher education; job training programs available to current or former foster youth; Medicaid; and programs offered by State and local governments aimed at assisting current or former foster youth. The website shall be— accessible with a simple website address that can be used in advertisements and easily remembered; searchable from the public websites of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Labor; compliant with all applicable laws and regulations regarding accessibility, data protection, and privacy for Federal websites; and able to be easily navigated and understood by current and former foster youth.

The Secretary shall develop and maintain a telephone hotline designed to provide specific information about Federal, State, and local resources available to current and former foster youth. The hotline shall— accept calls from current foster youth, former foster youth, and assisting adults; and answer questions and provide guidance about the availability of, and an individual’s eligibility for, all public resources available to current and former foster youth described in paragraph (1)(B).

The hotline shall be— accessible with a toll-free number that can be used in advertisements and easily remembered; compliant with all applicable laws and regulations regarding accessibility, data protection, and privacy for Federal telephone systems; and able to be easily navigated and understood by current and former foster youth. In developing the resources required by this section, the Secretary shall consult with— the Secretary of Education; the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; the Secretary of Labor; other Federal agencies serving current or former foster youth;

State and local government child welfare agencies; State Medicaid agencies; State and local government education and labor agencies; advocacy groups representing current and former foster youth; and nonprofit organizations serving current or former foster youth. After establishing the website and telephone hotline as required by this subsection, the Secretary shall collaborate with agencies and stakeholders identified in paragraph

(3)to publicize the website and the hotline to current foster youth, former foster youth, caseworkers, service providers, mentors, school counselors, foster parents, adoptive parents of former foster youth, and other concerned adults. The requirements of this subsection shall be fully implemented not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act. Subject to paragraph (5), the Secretary shall provide to eligible individuals (as described in paragraph (3)) a basic monthly allowance for housing and transportation in the amount determined under paragraph (2), to be paid in advance on the day preceding the first day of each month in the individual’s independent living transition period. Except as provided in subparagraphs (B), the amount of a basic monthly allowance for housing and transportation with respect to an eligible individual for a month in the individual’s independent living transition period shall be an amount equal to the applicable percentage (as determined under subparagraph (C)) of the sum of the following: The average monthly cost (as determined by the Secretary in coordination with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development) of a one-bedroom apartment in the geographic area in which the eligible individual resides during such month, including the cost of— rent; utilities, including electricity, natural gas, heating oil, water, sewer, trash, recycling, cable television, telephones, and internet access; maintenance fees or other fees commonly paid in connection with a residential property; and renter’s insurance or a similar product. The average monthly cost (as determined by the Secretary in coordination with the Secretary of Transportation) of automobile ownership in the geographic area in which the eligible individual resides during such month, including the cost of— automobile operation, maintenance, registration, and insurance; licensing and insuring a driver; property, ad valorem, or other State or local taxes paid in relation to owning or operating an automobile; and parking an automobile. In the case of an eligible individual who receives a basic monthly allowance under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall provide the individual an initial installment payment for the first month of the individual’s independent living transition period, in an amount equal to and in addition to the basic monthly allowance for such month, for the purpose of paying a security deposit, application fee, or related expenses. For purposes of subparagraph (A), the applicable percentage shall be— 100 percent for any month in the 1st year of the individual’s independent living transition period; 75 percent for any month in the 2nd year of the individual’s independent living transition period; 50 percent for any month in the 3rd year of the individual’s independent living transition period; and 25 percent for any month in the 4th year of the individual’s independent living transition period. In addition to amounts otherwise provided to an eligible individual under this paragraph, the Secretary may use amounts made available to carry out this subsection to make a one-time payment to any eligible individual to purchase items and services and pay fees necessary to establish a household. An eligible individual seeking such a payment shall apply in such a manner and at such time as the Secretary shall prescribe not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to require an eligible individual who receives a basic monthly allowance under subparagraph

(A)to own, operate, maintain, license, permit, insure, park, or pay taxes on an automobile, or license or insure the eligible individual as a driver thereof, in order to receive such allowance. The amount of a basic monthly allowance for housing and transportation with respect to an eligible individual may not be reduced in any month as a result of changes in the average monthly costs, in the geographic area in which the eligible individual resides, of a one-bedroom apartment or automobile ownership, as such costs are described in subparagraph (A). An individual eligible to receive a basic allowance for housing and transportation for a month under this subsection is an individual— who is a former foster care recipient who has attained 21 years of age; who is living independently and not residing— at a Federal, State, local, or private foster home, group home, or similar transitional living facility; or with a parent, foster parent, or legal guardian; and who is— completing secondary education or a program leading to an equivalent credential; enrolled in an institution that provides postsecondary or vocational education; actively seeking employment or participating in a program or activity designed to promote, or remove barriers to, employment; employed for at least 80 hours per month; or incapable of doing any of the activities described in clauses

(i)through

(iv)due to a medical condition demonstrated by regularly updated information submitted to the Secretary. For purposes of this subsection, the term independent living transition period means, with respect to an eligible individual, the 4-year period beginning with the month after the month during which the individual aged out of foster care or left foster care for independent living. To carry out this subsection, there are authorized to be appropriated $217,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025. To the extent amounts are made available to carry out this subsection, the Secretary shall— award grants to eligible entities to establish, expand, or support programs for eligible individuals as described in paragraph (2); ensure that any such programs receiving funding under this subsection use evidence-informed or evidence-based models, practices, and methods that are culturally and linguistically appropriate and can be replicated in other appropriate settings; and provide technical assistance to eligible entities in applying for and administering a grant made under this subsection. An eligible entity may use amounts awarded under a grant under paragraph

(1)to— provide information or services related to housing, nutrition assistance, financial assistance, academic tutoring and guidance, mental health support services, child care, or career preparatory services for eligible individuals; provide training to employees of eligible entities in promising and evidence-based practices and models for the education of current and former foster youth; and evaluate outcomes of current and former foster youth enrolled in institutions of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1001 )). In this subsection: The term eligible individual means an individual at least 14 years of age— who— is in foster care; or was formerly in foster care at any time after attaining 14 years of age; is enrolled at an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1001 )) or a postsecondary vocational institution (as defined in section 102(c) of such Act ( 20 U.S.C. 1002(c) )). The term eligible entity means an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1001 )) or a postsecondary vocational institution (as defined in section 102(c) of such Act ( 20 U.S.C. 1002(c) ). An eligible entity seeking a grant under paragraph

(1)shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. The Secretary may not award a grant under this subsection to an eligible entity unless the eligible entity agrees, with respect to the costs to be incurred by the eligible entity in carrying out the activities described in paragraph (2), to make available non-Federal contributions (in cash or in kind) toward such costs in an amount that is not less than 10 percent of the total amount of Federal funds provided in the grant. An eligible entity awarded a grant under this subsection that also operates a program that receives assistance under chapter 1 of subpart 2 of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1070a–11 et seq.) shall coordinate activities under each such program to ensure that current or former foster youth have maximum access and involvement in such activities. The Secretary shall, by grant, contract, or interagency agreement, conduct rigorous and well-designed evaluations of the programs for which a grant is made under this section. An eligible entity awarded a grant under this section shall— submit interim reports to the Secretary on the activities carried out under the project, including the number of applications received and the number of participants enrolled; and on the conclusion of the project, a final report on the activities, including the number of participants who successfully completed the program. Each such report shall include data on participant outcomes related to employment, educational or credential attainment, participant demographics, and such other data as may be specified by the Secretary. Not later than December 31 of each calendar year, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate Congressional committees a report for the preceding fiscal year on activities funded under this subsection, including— the demographics of the participants in the projects for which a grant is made under this subsection; the amount of funds spent on complying with subparagraphs

(A)and

(B)of paragraph

(2)of this subsection, respectively; the employment and educational credentials acquired by project participants; the employment of participants on completion of activities under the projects, and the earnings of participants at entry into employment; best practices and promising practices used by grantees; the nature of any technical assistance provided to grantees under this subsection; with respect to the period since the period covered in the most recent prior report submitted under this paragraph— the number of applications submitted under this subsection and the number of applications that were approved; and the number of eligible individuals who applied, enrolled, and remained enrolled in programs operated by each eligible entity; and the 10 individual applications not approved for a grant under this subsection that showed the greatest potential to meet the goals of this subsection, including the estimated number of beneficiaries of each such application. In this paragraph, the term appropriate Congressional committees means— the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives; the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives; the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate; the Committee on Finance of the Senate; and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate. To carry out this subsection, there are authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025. To the extent amounts are made available to carry out this subsection, the Secretary shall— make grants to eligible entities to provide assistance to eligible individuals for costs associated with preparing for postsecondary education; and provide technical assistance to eligible entities in applying for and administering a grant made under this subsection. Assistance provided to an eligible individual by a grantee under this subsection may be used for— the cost of an examination required for admission to an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1001 )) or a postsecondary vocational institution (as defined in section 102(c) of such Act ( 20 U.S.C. 1002(c) )); the cost of a preparatory course for an examination required for admission to such an institution; the cost of visiting such an institution prior to attendance, including the associated costs of lodging, transportation, and food; the cost of a preparatory course for a professional licensing or certification examination; or the cost of any applicable application fees for enrollment in such an institution. The amount of assistance provided to an eligible individual by a grantee under this subsection may not exceed— for fiscal year 2021, $1,000; and for each succeeding fiscal year, $1,000 multiplied by the percentage (if any) by which the consumer price index for all urban consumers (CPI–U) for the fiscal year preceding such fiscal year exceeds the CPI–U for fiscal year 2020. Nothing in this paragraph permits the use of assistance provided to an eligible individual under this section to pay for tuition at a private elementary, middle, or secondary school. In this subsection: The term eligible individual means an individual who— is in foster care or was formerly in foster care and is participating in the program under section 477; and is actively seeking or preparing to seek admission to an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965) or a postsecondary vocational institution (as defined in section 102(c) of such Act). The term eligible entity means an entity eligible to receive grants under chapter 1 of subpart 2 of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1070a–11 et seq.). In making grants under this subsection, the Secretary shall ensure that at least one grantee is an eligible entity from which assistance is available to all eligible individuals in the United States. Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall provide guidance to eligible entities— to regulate the process by which an eligible individual receives assistance or reimbursement from an eligible entity; and to ensure that such process is as simple and coordinated for the eligible individual as possible. An eligible entity awarded a grant under this subsection that also operates a program that receives assistance under chapter 1 of subpart 2 of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1070a–11 et seq.) shall coordinate activities under each such program to ensure that current or former foster youth have maximum access and involvement in such activities. To carry out this subsection, there are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025. To the extent amounts are made available to carry out this section, the Secretary shall— award grants to eligible entities to develop, maintain, or enhance foster youth mental health promotion, intervention, and treatment programs for eligible individuals; ensure that any such programs receiving funding under this section use evidence-informed or evidence-based models, practices, and methods that are culturally and linguistically appropriate and can be replicated in other appropriate settings; and provide technical assistance to eligible entities in applying for and administering a grant made under this section. An eligible entity may use amounts awarded under a grant under subsection

(a)to— provide age-appropriate mental health promotion, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment services, including social and behavioral services, for eligible individuals; provide training— to health care professionals with expertise in the mental health care of foster youth and youth suffering traumatic experiences in appropriate and relevant integration with other disciplines such as primary care clinicians, early intervention specialists, child welfare staff, home visitors, and others who work with children, adolescents, and young adults; and to mental health clinicians in promising and evidence-based practices and models for foster youth mental health treatment, including practices for identifying and treating mental illness and behavioral disorders of foster youth resulting from exposure or repeated exposure to adverse experiences or trauma; and provide comprehensive services, including transportation, child care, and replacement of lost wages, to eligible individuals in care in order to facilitate activities described in paragraph (1). In this section: The term eligible individual means an individual at least 5 years of age but not more than 26 years of age— who— is in foster care; or was formerly in foster care at any time after attaining 5 years of age; is at risk for, shows early signs of, or has been diagnosed with a mental illness, including a serious emotional disturbance; and may benefit from intervention, mental health treatment programs, or other services provided by an eligible entity. The term eligible entity means a State agency or nonprofit entity that— employs licensed mental health professionals who have specialized training and experience in childhood or adolescent mental health promotion, assessment, diagnosis, trauma-informed care, and treatment services; is accredited or approved by the State to provide such services for individuals who are or were in foster care at any point between the ages of 5 and 26; and provides such services using methods that are evidence-based or that have been scientifically demonstrated to show promise but would benefit from further applied development. An eligible entity seeking a grant under subsection

(a)shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary may give priority to eligible entities located in or serving areas with— insufficient access to behavioral or mental health services despite demonstrated need, especially among vulnerable populations; or the largest populations of individuals in foster care. The Secretary may not award a grant under this subsection to an eligible entity unless the eligible entity agrees, with respect to the costs to be incurred by the eligible entity in carrying out the activities described in subsection (b), to make available non-Federal contributions (in cash or in kind) toward such costs in an amount that is not less than 10 percent of the total amount of Federal funds provided in the grant. An eligible entity awarded grant under this section shall coordinate activities under each such program with the State Medicaid program to ensure that current or former foster youth have maximum access and involvement in such activities. The Secretary shall, by grant, contract, or interagency agreement, conduct rigorous and well-designed evaluations of the programs for which a grant is made under this section. An eligible entity awarded a grant under this section shall submit interim reports to the Secretary on the activities carried out under the project, including the number of eligible individuals served, and on the conclusion of the project, shall submit a final report to the Secretary on the activities carried out under a grant made under this section. Each such report shall include data on participant outcomes related to earnings, employment, education, credential attainment, participant demographics, and other data specified by the Secretary. Not later than December 31 of each year, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate Congressional committees a report for the preceding fiscal year on— the demographics of the participants in the projects for which a grant is made under this section; results of the evaluations required by subsection (h); best practices and promising practices used in the projects; the nature of any technical assistance provided to grantees under this section; and the 10 individual applications not approved for a grant under this subsection that showed the greatest potential to meet the goals of this subsection, including the estimated number of beneficiaries of each such application. Upon submission to Congress of a report under this subsection, the Secretary shall make such report available to the public on an internet website of the Department of Health and Human Services in a manner that is user friendly and able to be searched and downloaded by users of the website. To carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025. During any qualifying emergency period, the following rules apply with respect to areas affected by such qualifying emergency period: Eligibility for services or assistance under a State program operated pursuant to sections 477 or 477A shall be provided without regard to the age of the recipient. Sections 477(i)(3), 477A(c)(3)(C), and 477A(d) shall be applied and administered without regard to any work or education requirement. The Secretary shall apply and administer section 477 without regard to subsection (b)(3)(B) of such section. The applicable percentage described in section 477A(c)(2)(C) shall be 100 percent. In subsection (a), the term State has the meaning given the term in section 1101(a) of the Social Security Act for purposes of title IV of such Act, and includes an Indian tribe, tribal organization, or tribal consortium with an application and plan approved under section 477(j) of such Act for fiscal year 2020. For purposes of subsection (a), the term qualifying emergency period means the period beginning on the date on which an emergency is declared under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 247d ) or under section 401 or section 501 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) and ending on the date that is 180 days after the date on which such emergency terminates. .

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20 USC 1070a–11

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Sec. 6

Foster care transitional assistance grants

Cite20 USC 1070a–11

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