Introduced in House

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7343 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7343

To amend section 477 of the Social Security Act to expand education and
workforce training opportunities for youth who have experienced foster
                                 care.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 4, 2026

    Mr. Miller of Ohio (for himself and Mr. Evans of Pennsylvania)
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
                             Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To amend section 477 of the Social Security Act to expand education and
workforce training opportunities for youth who have experienced foster
                                 care.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Foster Youth Workforce Opportunity
Act''.

SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR

SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR
              YOUTH WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED FOSTER CARE.

Section 477 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 677) is amended--

Section 477 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 677) is amended--
            (1) in each of subsections (a)(5) and (h)(2), by striking
        ``aged out of foster care'' and inserting ``experienced foster
        care at age 14 or older'';
            (2) in each of subsections (a)(6) and (i)(2), by striking
        ``16'' and inserting ``14'';
            (3) in subsection (i)(3), by striking ``in no event may a
        youth participate in the program for more than 5 years (whether
        or not consecutive)'' and inserting ``may not allow a youth to
        participate in the program for more than 5 years (or, in the
        case of a youth who was involved in a remedial education
        activity referred to in paragraph (4)(B), for more than 6
        years), whether or not consecutive'';
            (4) in subsection (i)(4)--
                    (A) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as
                follows:
                    ``(A) may be available for the cost of attendance--
                            ``(i) at an institution of higher
                        education, as defined in section 102 of the
                        Higher Education Act of 1965, including a
                        community college or postsecondary vocational
                        institution; or
                            ``(ii) at a short-term training program
                        that is eligible for the Workforce Pell program
                        under section 401(k), as described in section
                        481(b)(3) of the Higher Education Act of 1965
                        (20 U.S.C. 1088(b)(3)), as added by section
                        83002(b) of Public Law 119-21;'';
                    (B) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as
                subparagraph (C); and
                    (C) by inserting after subparagraph (A), as so
                amended, the following:
                    ``(B) may be available for costs--
                            ``(i) associated with participation in an
                        apprenticeship program;
                            ``(ii) to obtain a general equivalency
                        degree; or
                            ``(iii) to receive remedial education;
                        and''; and
            (5) in subsection (i), by adding at the end the following:
            ``(7) In this section, the term `remedial education' means
        education or skill training needed to support obtaining a high
        school diploma or qualifying for postsecondary education,
        training, or an apprenticeship that is--
                    ``(A) not provided by the school district of the
                student or another free local, State, or Federal
                program; and
                    ``(B) is provided by an instructor with credentials
                relevant to the subject area of instruction, as
                determined by the State.''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall take effect on the date that
is 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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