June 16, 2026
Mr. Cornyn (for himself and Mr. Whitehouse) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance
To require States to consider legal issues affecting youth as part of case planning and to provide States with the option to use funds from the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood to support access to legal services and counseling.
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 Fresh Starts for Foster Youth Act
.
Sec. 2. Legal consulting and access under the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood
Section 477 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 677) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (a)(4), by inserting legal counseling access,
after education,
; and
(2)
in subsection (b)(3), by adding at the end the following:
(L)
A certification by the chief executive officer of the State that the relevant case planning and other processes employed by the State take into consideration certain legal issues affecting housing, education, entry into employment, and family connections of current and former foster youth and the efforts required to address the issues, including with respect to State court records, legal recognition of family relationships, and matters relating to custody and permanency.
Sec. 3. Effective date
(a) In general
The amendments made by this Act shall take effect on the date that is 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act and shall apply to payments under section 477 of the Social Security Act pursuant to plans approved by the Secretary of Health and Human Services on or after such date.
(b) Delay permitted if State legislation required
If the Secretary of Health and Human Services determines that State legislation (other than legislation appropriating funds) is required in order for a State plan developed pursuant to section 477 of the Social Security Act to meet the additional requirements imposed by the amendments made by this Act, the plan shall not be regarded as failing to meet any of the additional 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 enactment of this Act. For purposes of the preceding sentence, if the State has a 2-year legislative session, each year of the session is deemed to be a separate regular session of the State legislature.