,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #cdeb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #bd1 #bjai,ms4 
,roybal-,allard 7for herself1 ,mrs4     
,torres of ,california1 ,ms4 ,velzquez1 
,ms4 ,titus1 and ,mr4 ,espaillat7       
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 ensure that immigration status  
alone does not disqualify a parent1     
legal guardian1 or relative from being a
 placement for a foster child1 to       
authorize discretion to a ,state1       
county1 or other political subdivision  
of a ,state to delay filing for         
termination of parental rights in foster
 care cases in which an otherwise fit   
and willing parent or legal guardian has
 been deported or is involved in        
7including detention pursuant to7 an    
immigration proceeding1 unless certain  
conditions have been met1 and for other 
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  

may be cited as the ,help ,separated    
,families ,act of #bjai4  #b4           
,immigration status alone not a         
disqualification from being a placement 
for a foster child ,section             
#dga7;a77#ai7 of the ,social ,security  
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fga7;a77#ai77 is   
amended--  7#a7 by striking 7#ai7       
provides that the ,state and inserting  
the following3  7#ai7 provides that--   
7,a7 the ,state  2  7#b7 by adding at   
the end the following3 and2 and  7#c7 by
 adding after and below the end the     
following3  7,b7 such standards shall   
ensure that the immigration status alone
 of a parent1 legal guardian1 or        
relative shall not disqualify the       
parent1 legal guardian1 or relative from
 being a placement for a child2  4  #c4 
,state plan requirement to accept       
certain documents issued by foreign     
entities as sufficient identification   
for purposes of initiating a criminal   
records check or a fingerprint-based    
check ,section #dga7;a77#bj7 of the     

,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#fga7;a77#bj77 is amended-- 7#a7 in     
subparagraph 7,a71 by inserting which   
procedures shall require the ,state     
7including the ,state agency1 the child 
welfare agency of any county or other   
political subdivision of the ,state1 and
 caseworkers and supervisors of any such
 agency7 to accept a foreign consulate  
identification card or a foreign        
passport as sufficient identification   
for purposes of initiating a criminal   
records check or a fingerprint-based    
check1 before including procedures2 and 
7#b7 in subparagraph 7,c71 by inserting 
1 which procedures shall require the    
,state 7including the ,state agency1 the
 child welfare agency of any county or  
other political subdivision of the      
,state1 and caseworkers and supervisors 
of any such agency7 to accept a foreign 
consulate identification card or a      
foreign passport as sufficient          
identification for purposes of          
initiating a criminal records check or a

 fingerprint-based check before the     
semicolon4  #d4 ,state plan requirement 
to notify relatives seeking placement of
 a child that their immigration status  
will not be questioned ,section         
#dga7;a77#bi7 of the ,social ,security  
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fga7;a77#bi77 is   
amended-- 7#a7 by striking and at the   
end of subparagraph 7,c72  7#b7 by      
adding and at the end of subparagraph   
7,d72 and  7#c7 by adding at the end the
 following3  7,e7 the immigration status
 of any such relative seeking placement 
of the child with the relative shall not
 be questioned1 except to the extent    
necessary in determining eligibility for
 relevant services or programs2  4  #e4 
,authorize state discretion to delay    
filing for termination of parental      
rights in foster care cases in which    
otherwise fit and willing parent or     
legal guardian has been removed or is   
involved in an immigration proceeding1  
unless certain conditions have been met 
,section #dge7e77;,e77ii7 of the ,social

 ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4          
#fge7e77;,e77ii77 is amended by striking
 2 or and inserting the following3 and a
 compelling reason in section           
#dge7e77;,e7 for the ,state to not file 
7or join in the filing of such a        
petition7 shall include the removal of  
the parent from the ,united ,states or  
the involvement of the parent in        
7including detention pursuant to7 an    
immigration proceeding1 unless the      
parent is unfit or unwilling to be a    
parent of the child4 ,before a ,state   
may file to terminate the parental      
rights under such section #dge7e77;,e71 
the ,state 7or the county or other      
political subdivision of the ,state1 as 
the case may be7 shall make reasonable  
efforts-- 7,i7 to identify1 locate1 and 
contact 7including1 if appropriate1     
through the diplomatic or consular      
offices of the country to which the     
parent was removed or a parent or       
relative resides7 any parent of the     
child1 who has been removed from the    

,united ,states1 and where possible1 any
 potential adult relative of the child  
7as described in section #dga7;a77#bi772
  7,,ii7 to notify such a parent or     
legal guardian of the intent of the     
,state 7or the county or other political
 subdivision of the ,state1 as          
applicable7 to file 7or join in the     
filing of7 such a petition2  7,,iii7 to 
reunify the child with any such parent  
or legal guardian2 and  7,,iv7 provide  
and document appropriate services to the
 parent or legal guardian2 or  4  #f4   
,child welfare services for children    
separated from parents detained or      
removed from the united states for      
immigration violations  7a7 ,state plan 
requirements ,section #dga7;a7 of the   
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#fga7;a77 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking 
and at the end of paragraph 7#cd72  7#b7
 by striking the period at the end of   
paragraph 7#ce7 and inserting 2 and2 and
  7#c7 by adding at the end the         
following3  7#cf7 provides that the     

,state shall-- 7,a7 ensure that the case
 manager for a separated child is       
capable of communicating in the native  
language of such child and of the family
 of such child1 or an interpreter who is
 so capable is provided to communicate  
with such child and the family of such  
child at no cost to the child or the    
family of such child2  7,b7 coordinate  
with the ,department of ,homeland       
,security to make every effort to ensure
 that parents who wish for their child  
to accompany them to their country of   
origin are given adequate time and      
assistance to obtain a passport and     
visa1 and to collect all relevant vital 
documents such as birth certificate1    
health1 and educational records1 and    
other information2  7,c7 preserve1 to   
the greatest extent possible1 the       
privacy and confidentiality of all      
information gathered in the course of   
administering the care1 custody1 and    
placement of1 and follow-up services    
provided to1 a separated child1         

consistent with the best interest of    
such child1 by not disclosing such      
information to other government agencies
 or persons 7other than a parent1 legal 
guardian1 or relative caregiver of such 
child71 except that the head of the     
,state agency 7or the county or other   
political subdivision of the ,state1 as 
applicable7 may disclose such           
information1 after placing a written    
record of the disclosure in the file of 
the child--  7i7 to a consular official 
for the purpose of reunification of a   
child with a parent1 legal guardian1 or 
relative caregiver who has been removed 
or is involved in an immigration        
proceeding1 unless the child1 or their  
parent1 legal guardian1 or relative has 
refused contact with1 or the sharing of 
personal or identifying information     
with1 the government of their country of
 origin2 or  7ii7 when authorized to do 
so by the child 7if the child has       
attained #ah years of age7 if the       
disclosure is consistent with the best  

interest of the child2 and  7,d7 not    
less frequently than annually1 compile1 
update1 and publish a list of entities  
in the ,state that are qualified to     
provide legal representation services   
for a separated child1 in a language    
such that a child can read and          
understand4  4  7b7 ,additional         
information ,to be included in case plan
 ,section #dge7a7 of such ,act 7#db     
,u4,s4,c4 #fge7a77 is amended by adding 
at the end the following3  7,h7 ,in the 
case of a separated child with respect  
to whom the ,state plan requires the    
,state to provide services pursuant to  
section #dga7;a77#cf7--  7i7 the        
location of the parent or legal guardian
 referred to in paragraph 7#ac77;,a7 of 
this subsection from whom the child has 
been separated2 and  7ii7 a written     
record of each disclosure to a          
government agency or person 7other than 
such a parent or legal guardian7 of     
information gathered in the course of   
tracking the care1 custody1 and         

placement of1 and follow-up services    
provided to1 the child4  4  7c7         
,separated child defined ,section #dge  
of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fge7 is    
amended by adding at the end the        
following3  7#ac7 ,the term separated   
child means an individual who--  7,a7   
has a parent or legal guardian who has  
been detained by a ,federal1 ,state1 or 
local law enforcement agency in the     
enforcement of an immigration law1 or   
removed from the ,united ,states as a   
result of a violation of such a law2 and
  7,b7 is in the care or supervision of 
a ,state4  4  7d7 ,effective date ,the  
amendments made by this section shall   
take effect on the first day of the     
first calendar quarter that begins after
 the #a-year period that begins with the
 date of the enactment of this ,act4    
#g4 ,effective date  7a7 ,in general    
,except as otherwise provided in this   
,act1 the amendments made by this ,act  
shall take effect on the first day of   
the first 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  7b7   
,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  
amendments made by this ,act1 the plan  
shall not be regarded as failing to meet
 any of the additional requirements     
before the first day of the first       
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