,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hddc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,september #cj1      
#bjbj,mr4 ,dunn 7for himself and ,mr4   
,hastings7 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 provide for the placement of
 a foster child in a cottage home1 and  
to make a child so placed eligible for  
foster care maintenance payments4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,cottage ,homes to ,improve ,lives  
for ,dependents 7,,child7 ,act4  #b4    
,placement of foster children in cottage
 homes  7a7 ,state plan requirement     
,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#cf72  7#b7 by       
striking the period at the end of       
paragraph 7#cg7 and inserting 2 and2 and
  7#c7 by adding at the end the         

following3  7#ch7 provides that1 with   
respect to a child who has attained #f  
years of age and who is removed from the
 child's home1 if a suitable relative or
 other designated caregiver is not      
available as a placement for the child1 
placing the child in a foster family    
home or a cottage home shall be         
considered the least restrictive setting
 for the child4  4  7b7 ,eligibility for
 foster care maintenance payments of    
certain children placed in a cottage    
home ,section #dgb7;a77#b77;,c7 of such 
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fgb7;a77#b77;,c77  
is amended-- 7#a7 by striking or2 and   
7#b7 by inserting 1 or 7if the child has
 attained #f years of age and a suitable
 relative or other designated caregiver 
is not available as a placement for the 
child7 in a cottage home that is not a  
foster family home or child-care        
institution before the period4  7c7     
,definition of cottage home ,section    
#dgb7;c7 of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4    
#fgb7;c77 is amended by adding at the   

end the following3  7#c7 ,cottage home  
,the term cottage home means a          
residential operation-- 7,a7 in which   
not more than #ab children reside2  7,b7
 that has and implements a              
trauma-informed care plan for its       
residents2  7,c7 that involves family   
members of a child in the plan of       
service for the child1 and maintains    
contact with the family of the child1 if
 available and if the involvement       
supports the well-being of the child2   
and  7,d7 that is licensed by the ,state
 in which it is situated or has been    
approved1 by the agency of the ,state   
responsible for licensing or approval of
 institutions of this type4  4  7d7     
,effective date  7#a7 ,in general ,the  
amendments made by this section 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 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 under part ,e of title ,,iv of the
 ,social ,security ,act to meet the     
additional requirements imposed by the  
amendments made by this section1 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