,i  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hiig  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #ba1 #bjbf,ms4  
,scanlon 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 ,act1 to require ,states to   
guarantee legal representation to       
children and parents involved in child  
protection proceedings1 under the       
program of ,federal payments for foster 
care1 prevention1 and permanency1 and   
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,right to
 ,representation ,act4  #b4 ,requirement
 that ,states guarantee legal           
representation to children and parents  
involved in child protection            
proceedings1 under the program of       
,federal payments for foster care1      
prevention1 and permanency  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#cf77;,d72  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  7,a7     
provides assurances that the ,state     
shall have in effect policies and       
administrative and judicial procedures  
that guarantee that1 for the duration of
 any judicial proceeding involving an   
allegation of child abuse or neglect1   
including a dependency1 adoption1       
guardianship1 or termination of parental
 rights proceeding-- 7i7 an attorney is 
made available to provide independent   
legal representation to any individual  
who is involved in the proceeding by    
reason of being a parent or guardian2   
and  7ii7 an attorney provides          
independent legal representation to any 
individual who is involved in the       
proceeding by reason of being a child   
and who is alleged or found to have been
 abused or neglected2 and  7,b7 for     
purposes of subparagraph 7,a71          

independent legal representation means  
that an attorney-client relationship    
exists between the client and the       
attorney1 pursuant to the ,state's rules
 of professional responsibility for     
lawyers4  4  7b7 ,effective date  7#a7  
,in general ,the amendments made by     
subsection 7a7 shall take effect on     
,october #a1 #bjbf1 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 amendments made by this ,act1   
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       
effective date of this section4 ,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  #c4 ,,gao   
reports ,every #b years after the       
effective date of section #b1 the       
,comptroller ,general shall prepare and 
submit to the ,committee on ,ways and   
,means of the ,house of ,representatives
 and the ,committee on ,finance of the  
,senate a written report that describes 
how section #dga7;a77#ch7 of the ,social
 ,security ,act is being implemented4