,i #aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #bjcf ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,may #af1 #bjac ,mr4 ,o',rourke 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,bass1 ,mr4 ,lewis1 ,ms4 ,roybal-,allard1 ,ms4 ,slaughter1 and ,mr4 ,grijalva7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,ways and ,means1 and in addition to the ,committee on ,agriculture1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to amend part ,e of title ,,iv of the ,social ,security ,act to require ,states to help alien children in the child welfare system apply for all available forms of immigration relief1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,foster ,children ,opportunity ,act4 #b4 ,state plan requirement to have procedures to help alien children in the child welfare system achieve special immigrant juvenile status and lawful permanent resident status ,section #dga7;a77#bg7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fga7;a77#bg77 is amended by inserting 1 and if the child is an alien without a lawful immigration status1 for reviewing the child's eligibility for special immigrant juvenile status1 lawful permanent resident status1 and other forms of relief under immigration law1 within #a year after the status of the child is first reviewed pursuant to section #dge7e77;,b71 and annually thereafter1 and for assisting the child in applying for special immigrant juvenile status1 lawful permanent resident status1 and other forms of relief under immigration law1 so that the child can reasonably be expected to achieve such relief before exiting foster care1 if doing so would be in the best interests of the child before the period4 #c4 ,requirement that ,state child welfare agencies document their efforts to pursue lawful immigrant status for eligible alien foster children ,section #dge7a7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fge7a77 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7,h7 ,in the case of an alien child who1 after a review conducted pursuant to section #dga7;a77#bg71 is determined to be a child who may qualify for special immigrant juvenile status1 lawful permanent resident status1 or other forms of relief under immigration law1 documentation of the steps the agency is taking in assisting the child to obtain the status before exiting foster care1 including whether the requisite petitions have been filed on behalf of the child1 and whether assistance has been provided to secure immigration legal counsel for the child4 4 #d4 ,requirment to determine whether filing petitions for special immigrant juvenile status and lawful permanent resident status for alien foster children is in the child's best interest in appropriate cases ,section #dge7e77;,c77i7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fge7e77;,c77i77 is amended by inserting 1 and1 in the case of an alien child without lawful immigration status1 the hearing shall determine whether a petition for special immigrant juvenile status or lawful permanent resident status has been filed on behalf of the child and1 if such a petition has not been so filed1 whether it is in the best interests of the child1 including consideration of the potential effects on family reunification efforts1 to have such a petition so filed or to have immigration counsel appointed before the semicolon at the end4 #e4 ,authority to use court improvement program grant funds to educate and train child welfare and court staff1 including judges1 social workers1 court-appointed special advocates1 and lawyers to assist alien children in achieving special immigrant juvenile status1 lawful permanent resident status1 and other forms of relief under immigration law ,section #dch7;a77#b7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fbi;h7a77#b77 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking and at the end of subparagraph 7,b72 7#b7 by adding and at the end of subparagraph 7,c72 and 7#c7 by adding at the end the following3 7,d7 to educate and train child welfare and court staff1 including judges1 social workers1 court-appointed special advocates1 and attorneys to assist alien children in achieving special immigrant juvenile status1 lawful permanent resident status1 and other forms of relief under immigration law in a timely manner2 4 #f4 ,technical assistance for child welfare agencies ,on request of a ,state child welfare agency for technical assistance in carrying out the amendments made by this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services1 in consultation with the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security and the ,secretary of ,state1 shall provide the assistance1 and may award grants to and enter into contracts with qualified non-profit or other community-based service providers with substantive expertise to perform the assistance4 #g4 ,eligibility for assistance 7a7 ,public benefits 7#a7 ,federal means-tested public benefits ,section #djc7;b7 of the ,personal ,responsibility and ,work ,opportunity ,reconciliation ,act of #aiif 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #afac7;b77 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7#c7 ,exception for individuals who have obtained special immigrant juvenile status ,an alien who is granted special immigrant juvenile status under section #aja7;a77#bg77;,j7 of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaja7;a77#bg77;,j774 4 7#b7 ,other ,federal programs ,section #djb of such ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #afab7 is amended-- 7,a7 in subsection 7a77#b71 by adding at the end the following3 7,n7 ,exception for individuals who have obtained special immigrant juvenile status ,with respect to eligibility for benefits for the specified ,federal programs described in paragraph 7#c71 paragraph 7#a7 shall not apply to any alien who is granted special immigrant juvenile status under section #aja7;a77#bg77;,j7 of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaja7;a77#bg77;,j774 2 and 7,b7 in subsection 7b77#b71 by adding at the end the following3 7,g7 ,exception for individuals who have obtained special immigrant juvenile status ,an alien who is granted special immigrant juvenile status under section #aja7;a77#bg77;,j7 of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaja7;a77#bg77;,j774 4 7b7 ,state reimbursement ,section #dgb7;a77#d7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fgb7;a77#d77 is amended by inserting 1 and if the child is an alien who has obtained special immigrant juvenile status under section #aja7;a77#bg77;,j7 of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act and would have been qualified to receive aid under the ,state plan approved under section #djb of this ,act in or for the month in which the agreement described in paragraph 7#b77;,a77i7 of this subsection was entered into or court proceedings leading to the determination described in paragraph 7#b77;,a77ii7 of this subsection were initiated if the child had been a ,united ,states citizen1 the child shall be considered to satisfy the requirements of paragraph 7#c7 with respect to the month before the period4 #h4 ,effective date 7a7 ,in general ,the amendments made by this ,act1 other than by section #g1 shall take effect on 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 quarters beginning on or after such date4 7b7 ,delay permitted if ,state legislation required ,in the case of a ,state plan approved under part ,e of title ,,iv of the ,social ,security ,act which the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services determines requires ,state legislation 7other than legislation appropriating funds7 in order for the plan to meet the additional requirements imposed by this ,act1 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 #ast day of the #ast calendar quarter beginning after the close of the #ast regular session of the ,state legislature that ends after the #a-year period beginning with the date of the enactment of this ,act4 ,for purposes of the preceding sentence1 in the case of a ,state that has a #b-year legislative session1 each year of the session is deemed to be a separate regular session of the ,state legislature4