,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ajb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,january #c1 #bjac   
,mr4 ,conyers 7for himself and ,mr4     
,peters of ,michigan7 introduced the    
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,ways and ,means  ,a  
,,bill  ,to amend part ,e of title ,,iv 
of the ,social ,security ,act to require
 ,states to follow certain procedures in
 placing a child who has been removed   
from the custody of his or her parents4 
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,rehab and ,ahmed ,amer ,foster 
,care ,improvement ,act of #bjac4  #b4  
,requirement that ,states follow certain
 procedures in placing a child removed  
from the custody of his or her parents  
7a7 ,in general ,section #dga7;a77#bi7  
of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db      
,u4,s4,c4 #fga7;a77#bi77 is amended to  
read as follows3  7#bi7 provides that-- 
7,a7 within #cj days after the removal  
of a child from the custody of the      
parent or parents of the child1 the     

,state shall exercise due diligence to  
identify and provide notice to all adult
 grandparents and other adult relatives 
of the child 7including any other adult 
relatives suggested by the parents71    
subject to exceptions due to family or  
domestic violence1 that--  7i7 specifies
 that the child has been or is being    
removed from the custody of the parent  
or parents of the child2  7ii7 explains 
the options the relative has under      
,federal1 ,state1 and local law to      
participate in the care and placement of
 the child1 including any options that  
may be lost by failing to respond to the
 notice2  7iii7 describes the           
requirements under paragraph 7#aj7 of   
this subsection to become a foster      
family home and the additional services 
and supports that are available for     
children placed in such a home2 and     
7iv7 if the ,state has elected the      
option to make kinship guardianship     
assistance payments under paragraph     
7#bh7 of this subsection1 describes how 

the relative guardian of the child may  
subsequently enter into an agreement    
with the ,state under section #dgc7;d7  
to receive the payments2  7,b7 within   
#ij days after the ,state makes a       
placement decision with respect to the  
child1 the ,state shall provide notice  
of the decision and the reasons therefor
 to each parent of the child1 each      
relative who has expressed to the ,state
 an interest in caring for the child1   
the guardian1 and the guardian ad litem 
for the child1 the attorney for the     
child1 the attorney for each parent of  
the child1 the child 7if the child is   
able to express an opinion regarding    
placement71 and the prosecutor involved2
 and  7,c7 the ,state shall establish   
procedures to--  7i7 allow a person who 
receives a notice pursuant to           
subparagraph 7,b7 to request1 in        
writing1 within #e days after receipt of
 the notice1 documentation of the       
reasons for the decision involved2  7ii7
 allow the attorney for the child to    

petition the court involved to review   
the decision2 and  7iii7 require the    
court to--  7,i7 commence such a review 
within #g days after receipt of a       
petition made pursuant to clause 7ii72  
and  7,,ii7 conduct such a review on the
 record2  4  7b7 ,effective date  7#a7  
,in general ,the amendment made by      
subsection 7a7 shall take effect on the 
#ast day of the #ast fiscal year        
beginning on or after the date of the   
enactment of this ,act1 and shall apply 
to payments under part ,e of title ,,iv 
of the ,social ,security ,act for       
calendar quarters beginning on or after 
such date4  7#b7 ,delay permitted if    
state legislation required ,if the      
,secretary of ,health and ,human        
,services determines that ,state        
legislation 7other than legislation     
appropriating funds7 is required in     
order for a ,state plan approved under  
part ,e of title ,,iv of the ,social    
,security ,act to meet the additional   
requirements imposed by the amendment   

made by subsection 7a71 the plan shall  
not be regarded as failing to meet any  
of the additional requirements before   
the #ast day of the #ast calendar       
quarter beginning after the first       
regular session of the ,state           
legislature that begins after the date  
of the enactment of this ,act4 ,for     
purposes of the preceding sentence1 if  
the ,state has a #b-year legislative    
session1 each year of the session is    
deemed to be a separate regular session 
of the ,state legislature4