January 23, 2025
Mr. Connolly (for himself, Ms. Norton, and Ms. Ansari) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
To establish an interagency task force to increase vital documents access for unaccompanied homeless youth.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Vital Documents Access for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Act of 2025
.
Sec. 2. Establishment of Interagency Task Force on Vital Documents Access for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth; reports
(a) Interagency task force
(1) Establishment
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the covered Secretaries and the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration shall, jointly, establish the Interagency Task Force on Vital Documents Access for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth (referred to in this section as the Task Force
) to coordinate efforts and share best policies and practices to increase vital documents access for unaccompanied homeless youth.
(2) Membership
(A) In general
The Task Force shall be composed of—
(i)
the Chair of the Task Force;
(ii)
the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration;
(iii)
the covered Secretaries;
(iv)
three directors of State departments of human services, or equivalent State officials, of whom—
(I)
one shall be appointed by the President;
(II)
one shall be appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, with the concurrence of the minority leader of the Senate; and
(III)
one shall be appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, with the concurrence of the minority leader of the House of Representatives; and
(v)
three representatives from national nonprofit organizations that work on youth homelessness, who shall be appointed by the President.
(B) Requirements for certain Members
The members of the Task Force appointed under clauses (iv) and (v) of subparagraph (A) shall each—
(i)
have not attained the age of 30; and
(ii)
have lived-in experience for youth homelessness.
(C) Terms
Each member shall serve for the duration of the Task Force.
(D) Vacancy
In the case of a vacancy on the Task Force, such vacancy shall be filled not later than 30 days after arising and in the manner in which the original appointment was made.
(E) Staff
(i) Chair
The Chair of the Task Force shall be chosen, jointly, by the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration and the covered Secretaries and shall lead the Task Force in executing the duties described in paragraph (3).
(ii) Support personnel
The Task Force may appoint additional support personnel as it considers appropriate to assist in executing the duties described in paragraph (3).
(3) Duties
Beginning on the last day of the first fiscal quarter after the date on which the Task Force is established under paragraph (1), and quarterly thereafter, the Task Force shall meet to—
(A)
assess and discuss—
(i)
the progress each Task Force member has made on increasing vital documents access for unaccompanied homeless youth;
(ii)
each policy and practice implemented by a Task Force member that increased vital documents access for unaccompanied homeless youth;
(iii)
each challenge faced by a Task Force member while working towards increasing vital documents access for unaccompanied homeless youth; and
(iv)
each method used by a Task Force member to refine each policy and practice implemented to improve vital documents access for unaccompanied homeless youth;
(B)
establish a framework for collecting data on the effectiveness of each policy and practice implemented by a Task Force member to increase vital documents access for unaccompanied homeless youth;
(C)
using the data collected under subparagraph (B)—
(i)
formulate policies and practices to increase vital documents access for unaccompanied homeless youth; and
(ii)
evaluate the success of each such policy and practice in increasing such access; and
(D)
develop policies and practices that can be implemented by Federal, State, and local agencies to improve vital documents access for unaccompanied homeless youth.
(b) Reports
(1) Initial report
(A) In general
Not later than one year after the date on which the Task Force is established under subsection (a)(1), the covered Secretaries and the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration shall, jointly, submit to Congress an initial report on how to increase vital documents access for unaccompanied homeless youth.
(B) Elements
The initial report required under subparagraph (A) shall include the following:
(i)
The covered Secretaries shall, jointly, provide—
(I)
a detailed analysis of each challenge that unaccompanied homeless youth without vital documents face in accessing all programs under the separate and joint administrative jurisdictions of the covered Secretaries, including programs related to housing assistance, homelessness prevention, health care, child welfare, or other social services;
(II)
any recommendations for legislation and administrative action the covered Secretaries determine appropriate to increase access to each such program by unaccompanied homeless youth without vital documents, including enhanced training requirements for agency staff and increased collaboration between the agencies of the covered Secretaries;
(III)
a list of each State and local policy that increased vital documents access for unaccompanied homeless youth, as determined by the covered Secretaries, and recommendations for legislation and administrative action to expand such State and local policy; and
(IV)
a detailed assessment of each such policy identified by the covered Secretaries under subclause (III) and any suggestion the covered Secretaries determine appropriate to expand or replicate each such policy within the Federal Government.
(ii)
The Commissioner of the Social Security Administration shall provide—
(I)
a detailed assessment of each policy related to issuing social security cards to unaccompanied homeless youth, including any discretion the Commissioner has to waive any documentation requirement in the social security card application process;
(II)
any recommendation the Commissioner determines appropriate to increase social security card access for unaccompanied homeless youth, including enhanced training requirements for Administration staff on how to better assist unaccompanied homeless youth;
(III)
any proposal for issuing new educational materials, or expanding upon existing materials, to assist unaccompanied homeless youth with the social security card application process;
(IV)
a plan to enhance outreach and collaboration efforts among Federal, State, and local agencies, as well as community-based organizations, to increase social security card access for unaccompanied homeless youth; and
(V)
any recommendation that the Commissioner determines appropriate for State legislation and administrative action to increase social security card access for unaccompanied homeless youth.
(2) Final report
(A) In general
Not later than three years after the date on which the Task Force is established under subsection (a)(1), the Task Force shall submit to Congress a final report.
(B) Elements
The final report required under subparagraph (A) shall include the following:
(i)
Each change undertaken by a Task Force member based on recommendations made in the initial report under paragraph (1).
(ii)
The effectiveness of each change described in clause (i) in increasing vital documents access for unaccompanied homeless youth.
(iii)
A detailed assessment of the merits of making the Task Force permanent.
(c) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Covered Secretaries
The term covered Secretaries means—
(A)
the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; and
(B)
the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
(2) Unaccompanied homeless youth
The term unaccompanied homeless youth means an individual who is—
(A)
a homeless child or youth (as defined in section 725 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a)); and
(B)
not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian.
(3) Vital documents
The term vital documents—
(A)
means any State or Federal document issued to an individual that can be used to establish the identity of such individual; and
(B)
includes a social security card and a birth certificate.
(d) Termination
The Task Force shall terminate on the date that is three years after the date on which the Task Force is established under subsection (a)(1).