Foster care; local departments to provide independent living services to person between age 18 & 21. (SB415)

Introduced By

Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel (R-Winchester)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Foster care and independent living services.  Requires local departments and child-placing agencies to provide independent living services to any person between 18 and 21 years of age who requests such services and is in the process of transitioning from foster care to self-sufficiency. The bill also extends the time period during which a person between the ages of 18 and 21 may request restoration of independent living services if they previously terminated such services. Local departments are required to provide a person who chooses to leave foster care or terminate independent living services written notice of their right to restore independent living services. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Passed

History

DateAction
01/13/2010Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/13/10
01/13/2010Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/13/10 10100421D
01/13/2010Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
01/14/2010Assigned Courts sub: Civil
01/25/2010Impact statement from DPB (SB415)
02/01/2010Rereferred from Courts of Justice (14-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/01/2010Rereferred to Rehabilitation and Social Services
02/12/2010Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with substitute (15-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/12/2010Committee substitute printed 10104781D-S1
02/12/2010Substitute bill reprinted 10104781D-S1
02/15/2010Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/16/2010Read second time
02/16/2010Reading of substitute waived
02/16/2010Committee substitute agreed to 10104781D-S1
02/16/2010Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute SB415S1
02/16/2010Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/16/2010Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/17/2010Placed on Calendar
02/17/2010Read first time
02/17/2010Referred to Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions
02/19/2010Assigned HWI sub: #3
02/23/2010Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (7-Y 0-N)
02/24/2010Impact statement from DPB (SB415S1)
02/25/2010Reported from Health, Welfare and Institutions with amendment (22-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/26/2010Read second time
03/01/2010Read third time
03/01/2010Committee amendment agreed to
03/01/2010Engrossed by House as amended
03/01/2010Passed House with amendment BLOCK VOTE (99-Y 0-N)
03/01/2010VOTE: BLOCK VOTE PASSAGE (99-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
03/03/2010House amendment agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
03/11/2010Enrolled
03/11/2010Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB415ER)
03/11/2010Signed by Speaker
03/12/2010Impact statement from DPB (SB415ER)
03/13/2010Signed by President
04/08/2010G Approved by Governor-Chapter 257 (effective 7/1/10)
04/08/2010G Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0257)

Video

This bill was discussed on the floor of the General Assembly. Below is all of the video that we have of that discussion, 1 clip in all, totaling 46 seconds.

Comments

Susan Lawrence writes:

This is an outstanding idea to allow children aging out of foster care a second chance to receive services they need. Teenagers and young adults make bad decisions all the time, but former foster youth are struggling enough with the little help they receive, they need an opportunity to change their minds without losing the option of accessing this help and support. Everybody knows somebody who thought they could make it on their own, then only a month or two later realized they still needed help. This is a great, common sense bill that will support former foster youth as they complete school and training while learning to live independently. It will save money in the long run by helping the youth become truly financially independent slowly so as to possibly avoid a lifetime of government support or worse.

Denise Cheeks writes:

I am a social work graduate student and before this bill was introduced or passed I was advocating for change to allow for more time for re-entrance. The expanded allotted time would be more beneficial to serve the population of the foster youth transitioning into independence. By extending the allotted time it may cause a decrease of persons experiencing homelessness, poverty, substance abuse, and criminal activity. Foster care youth transitioning into independence are at a disadvantage compared to their peers due to not having a permanent support system, consequently leaving them at high risk for being incapable of succeeding and reaching their potential goals.
I understand that at the present time our state is experiencing a budget crisis however the state independent living programs is one hundred percent funded by federal monies. By implementing this change it will not cause an increase to Virginia state spending.
As an agent for social change I ask that Gov. McDonnell sign this bill to ensure that persons transitioning out of Virginia’s foster care system have the best future possible and are able to contribute to society.