,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cfbe  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #f1       
#bjbj,mr4 ,blunt 7for himself1 ,ms4     
,stabenow1 ,mr4 ,boozman1 and ,mr4      
,casey7 introduced the following bill2  
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,finance  ,a ,,bill  ,to 
amend subpart #a of part ,b of title    
,,iv of the ,social ,security ,act to   
ensure that mental health screenings and
 assessments are provided to children   
and youth upon entry into foster care4  
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,timely ,mental ,health for     
,foster ,youth ,act4  #b4 ,timely mental
 health screenings and assessments for  
children and youth upon entry into      
foster care  7a7 ,state and ,tribal plan
 requirement ,section #dbb7;b77#ae77;,a7
 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db     
,u4,s4,c4 #fbb7;b77#ae77;,a77 is        
amended-- 7#a7 in clause 7i71 by        
inserting and that require that an      
initial mental health screening of any  

child in foster care be completed not   
later than #cj days after the date the  
child enters into foster care and1 in   
the case of any child in foster care for
 whom a mental health issue is          
identified in such initial screening1   
that a comprehensive assessment of the  
mental health of the child be completed 
not later than #fj days after the date  
the child enters into foster care before
 the semicolon2 and  7#b7 in clause     
7ii71 by striking screenings and        
inserting such screenings and           
assessments4  7b7 ,technical amendment  
,section #dbb7;b77#ae77;,a7 of such ,act
 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fbb7;b77#ae77;,a77 is  
further amended in the matter before    
clause 7i71 by striking provides and    
inserting provide4  7c7 ,effective date 
7#a7 ,in general ,except as provided in 
paragraph 7#b71 the amendments made by  
this section shall take effect on       
,october #a1 #bjbj4  7#b7 ,delay        
permitted if ,state legislation required
 ,in the case of a ,state plan approved 

under subpart #a of part ,b 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 section1 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 first day of the
 first calendar quarter beginning after 
the close of the first regular session  
of the ,state legislature that begins   
after the date of enactment of this     
section4 ,for purposes of the previous  
sentence1 in the case of a ,state that  
has a #b-year legislative session1 each 
year of such session shall be deemed to 
be a separate regular session of the    
,state legislature4  #c4 ,technical     
assistance to ,states ,the ,assistant   
,secretary for the ,administration for  

,children and ,families and the         
,administrator for the ,centers for     
,medicare  ,medicaid ,services jointly  
shall provide technical assistance to   
,states on how to comply with the       
amendments made by section #b7;a7 of    
this ,act4 ,the ,assistant ,secretary   
and ,administrator should consult with  
other relevant ,federal agencies on the 
development of such technical           
assistance1 which should take into      
account evidence-based best practices4  
#d4 ,data collection  7a7 ,in general   
,the ,secretary of ,health and ,human   
,services1 in consultation with ,state  
and local public officials responsible  
for administering child welfare         
programs1 child welfare advocates1      
pediatric mental health experts1 and    
researchers shall-- 7#a7 identify data  
elements needed to track-- 7,a7 the     
number of children receiving an initial 
mental health screening required under  
section #dbb7;b77#ae77;,a77i7 of the    
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   

#fbb7;b77#ae77;,a77 7as amended by      
section #b7;a7 of this ,act72  7,b7     
whether or not such required initial    
mental health screening occurs within   
#cj days of a child's entry or re-entry 
into foster care2  7,c7 the number of   
children who receive a follow-up        
comprehensive assessment required under 
section #dbb7;b77#ae77;,a77i7 of the    
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#fbb7;b77#ae77;,a77 7as so amended72    
7,d7 whether or not such required       
follow-up comprehensive assessment      
occurs within #fj days of a child's     
entry or re-entry into foster care2     
7,e7 the number of children in foster   
care who are referred for mental health 
services2 and  7,f7 the number and      
characteristics of such children who    
receive mental health services after    
being referred for such services2 and   
7#b7 develop a plan to collect the      
information described in paragraph 7#a7 
from ,states administering a ,state plan
 under subpart #a of part ,b of title   

,,iv of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db 
,u4,s4,c4 #fba et seq47 beginning with  
the second fiscal year that begins after
 the date of enactment of this ,act4    
7b7 ,report to ,congress ,not later than
 #ab months after the date of enactment 
of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,health 
and ,human ,services shall submit to the
 ,committee on ,finance of the ,senate  
and the ,committee on ,ways and ,means  
of the ,house of ,representatives a     
report detailing the plan and timetable 
for collecting the information described
 in subsection 7a77#a7 from ,states4