CT
Connecticut House Bill HB07216

Connecticut 2019 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB07216 Compare Versions

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7-General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 7216
5+General Assembly Raised Bill No. 7216
86 January Session, 2019
7+LCO No. 4639
98
9+
10+Referred to Committee on HIGHER EDUCATION AND
11+EMPLOYMENT ADVANCEMENT
12+
13+
14+Introduced by:
15+(HED)
1016
1117
1218
1319
1420 AN ACT INCREASING THE AGE FOR ELIGIBILITY FOR THE POST-
15-SECONDARY EDUCATION FUNDING PROGRAM OFFE RED BY THE
16-DEPARTMENT OF CHILDR EN AND FAMILIES.
21+SECONDARY EDUCATION PROGRAM IN THE DEPAR TMENT OF
22+CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.
1723 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
1824 Assembly convened:
1925
2026 Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2019) (a) As used in this section: 1
2127 (1) "Department" means the Department of Children and Families; 2
2228 (2) "Post-secondary education program" means any program that 3
2329 leads to an academic degree or certification in a vocation or 4
2430 employment training; and 5
2531 (3) "Post-secondary education funding program" means the 6
2632 program offered by the department under which it funds the post-7
2733 secondary education of a youth who is committed to the department at 8
2834 the age of eighteen or younger and meets the requirements established 9
2935 by the department in its policies and regulations. 10
30-(b) The Commissioner of Children and Families shall amend the 11
36+(b) The Commissioner of Children and Families shall amend the 11 Raised Bill No. 7216
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3142 department policies and regulations regarding the post-secondary 12
32-education funding program to (1) increase the age until which a youth 13
43+education funding program to (1) increase the age at which a youth 13
3344 can voluntarily agree to receive and qualify for services and funding 14
3445 from the department under the post-secondary education funding 15
35-program from twenty-one to twenty-four, and (2) increase the age until 16 Substitute Bill No. 7216
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46+program from twenty-one to twenty-four, and (2) increase the age at 16
4247 which a youth who is enrolled in a post-secondary education program 17
4348 and continues to meet the requirements established by the department 18
44-is eligible for funding to complete such post-secondary education 19
45-program under the post-secondary education funding program from 20
46-twenty-three to twenty-six. 21
49+is eligible for funding to complete such program under the post-19
50+secondary education funding program from twenty-three to twenty-20
51+six. 21
4752 Sec. 2. Subdivisions (4) and (5) of subsection (j) of section 46b-129 of 22
4853 the general statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in 23
4954 lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2019): 24
5055 (4) The commissioner shall be the guardian of such child or youth 25
5156 for the duration of the commitment, provided the child or youth has 26
5257 not reached the age of eighteen years, or until another guardian has 27
5358 been legally appointed, and in like manner, upon such vesting of the 28
5459 care of such child or youth, such other public or private agency or 29
5560 individual shall be the guardian of such child or youth until such child 30
5661 or youth has reached the age of eighteen years or, in the case of a child 31
57-or youth (A) in full-time attendance in a secondary school, a technical 32
62+or youth in full-time attendance in a secondary school, a technical 32
5863 education and career school, a college or a state-accredited job training 33
59-program, until such child or youth has reached the age of twenty-one 34
60-years or until another guardian has been legally appointed, or (B) 35
61-receiving services and funding from the post-secondary education 36
62-funding program, as defined in section 1 of this act, until such child or 37
63-youth has reached the age of twenty-four years or until another 38
64-guardian has been legally appointed. The commissioner may place any 39
65-child or youth so committed to the commissioner in a suitable foster 40
66-home or in the home of a fictive kin caregiver, relative caregiver, or in 41
67-a licensed child-caring institution or in the care and custody of any 42
68-accredited, licensed or approved child-caring agency, within or 43
69-without the state, provided a child shall not be placed outside the state 44
70-except for good cause and unless the parents or guardian of such child 45
71-are notified in advance of such placement and given an opportunity to 46
72-be heard, or in a receiving home maintained and operated by the 47
73-commissioner. When placing such child or youth, the commissioner 48
74-shall provide written notification of the placement, including the 49 Substitute Bill No. 7216
64+program, until such child or youth has reached the age of [twenty-one] 34
65+twenty-four years or until another guardian has been legally 35
66+appointed. The commissioner may place any child or youth so 36
67+committed to the commissioner in a suitable foster home or in the 37
68+home of a fictive kin caregiver, relative caregiver, or in a licensed 38
69+child-caring institution or in the care and custody of any accredited, 39
70+licensed or approved child-caring agency, within or without the state, 40
71+provided a child shall not be placed outside the state except for good 41
72+cause and unless the parents or guardian of such child are notified in 42
73+advance of such placement and given an opportunity to be heard, or in 43
74+a receiving home maintained and operated by the commissioner. 44
75+When placing such child or youth, the commissioner shall provide 45 Raised Bill No. 7216
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81-name, address and other relevant contact information relating to the 50
82-placement, to any attorney or guardian ad litem appointed to represent 51
83-the child or youth pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. The 52
84-commissioner shall provide written notification to such attorney or 53
85-guardian ad litem of any change in placement of such child or youth, 54
86-including a hospitalization or respite placement, and if the child or 55
87-youth absconds from care. The commissioner shall provide such 56
88-written notification not later than ten business days prior to the date of 57
89-change of placement in a nonemergency situation, or not later than 58
90-two business days following the date of a change of placement in an 59
91-emergency situation. In placing such child or youth, the commissioner 60
92-shall, if possible, select a home, agency, institution or person of like 61
93-religious faith to that of a parent of such child or youth, if such faith is 62
94-known or may be ascertained by reasonable inquiry, provided such 63
95-home conforms to the standards of the commissioner and the 64
96-commissioner shall, when placing siblings, if possible, place such 65
97-children together. At least ten days prior to transferring a child or 66
98-youth to a second or subsequent placement, the commissioner shall 67
99-give written notice to such child or youth and such child or youth's 68
100-attorney of said commissioner's intention to make such transfer, unless 69
101-an emergency or risk to such child or youth's well-being necessitates 70
102-the immediate transfer of such child and renders such notice 71
103-impossible. Upon the issuance of an order committing the child or 72
104-youth to the commissioner, or not later than sixty days after the 73
105-issuance of such order, the court shall determine whether the 74
106-department made reasonable efforts to keep the child or youth with his 75
107-or her parents or guardian prior to the issuance of such order and, if 76
108-such efforts were not made, whether such reasonable efforts were not 77
109-possible, taking into consideration the child's or youth's best interests, 78
110-including the child's or youth's health and safety. 79
111-(5) A youth who is committed to the commissioner pursuant to this 80
112-subsection and has reached eighteen years of age may remain in the 81
113-care of the commissioner, by consent of the youth and provided the 82
114-youth (A) has not reached the age of twenty-one years of age, if the 83 Substitute Bill No. 7216
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81+written notification of the placement, including the name, address and 46
82+other relevant contact information relating to the placement, to any 47
83+attorney or guardian ad litem appointed to represent the child or 48
84+youth pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. The commissioner 49
85+shall provide written notification to such attorney or guardian ad litem 50
86+of any change in placement of such child or youth, including a 51
87+hospitalization or respite placement, and if the child or youth absconds 52
88+from care. The commissioner shall provide such written notification 53
89+not later than ten business days prior to the date of change of 54
90+placement in a nonemergency situation, or not later than two business 55
91+days following the date of a change of placement in an emergency 56
92+situation. In placing such child or youth, the commissioner shall, if 57
93+possible, select a home, agency, institution or person of like religious 58
94+faith to that of a parent of such child or youth, if such faith is known or 59
95+may be ascertained by reasonable inquiry, provided such home 60
96+conforms to the standards of the commissioner and the commissioner 61
97+shall, when placing siblings, if possible, place such children together. 62
98+At least ten days prior to transferring a child or youth to a second or 63
99+subsequent placement, the commissioner shall give written notice to 64
100+such child or youth and such child or youth's attorney of said 65
101+commissioner's intention to make such transfer, unless an emergency 66
102+or risk to such child or youth's well-being necessitates the immediate 67
103+transfer of such child and renders such notice impossible. Upon the 68
104+issuance of an order committing the child or youth to the 69
105+commissioner, or not later than sixty days after the issuance of such 70
106+order, the court shall determine whether the department made 71
107+reasonable efforts to keep the child or youth with his or her parents or 72
108+guardian prior to the issuance of such order and, if such efforts were 73
109+not made, whether such reasonable efforts were not possible, taking 74
110+into consideration the child's or youth's best interests, including the 75
111+child's or youth's health and safety. 76
112+(5) A youth who is committed to the commissioner pursuant to this 77
113+subsection and has reached eighteen years of age may remain in the 78
114+care of the commissioner, by consent of the youth and provided the 79 Raised Bill No. 7216
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121-youth is [(A)] (i) enrolled in a full-time approved secondary education 84
122-program or an approved program leading to an equivalent credential; 85
123-[(B)] (ii) enrolled full time in an institution which provides 86
124-postsecondary or vocational education; or [(C)] (iii) participating full 87
125-time in a program or activity approved by said commissioner that is 88
126-designed to promote or remove barriers to employment, or (B) has not 89
127-reached the age of twenty-four years, if the youth receives services and 90
128-funds through the post-secondary education funding program, as 91
129-defined in section 1 of this act. The commissioner, in his or her 92
130-discretion, may waive the provision of full-time enrollment or 93
131-participation based on compelling circumstances. Not more than one 94
132-hundred twenty days after the youth's eighteenth birthday, the 95
133-department shall file a motion in the superior court for juvenile 96
134-matters that had jurisdiction over the youth's case prior to the youth's 97
135-eighteenth birthday for a determination as to whether continuation in 98
136-care is in the youth's best interest and, if so, whether there is an 99
137-appropriate permanency plan. The court, in its discretion, may hold a 100
138-hearing on said motion. 101
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120+youth has not reached the age of [twenty-one] twenty-four years of 80
121+age, if the youth is (A) enrolled in a full-time approved secondary 81
122+education program or an approved program leading to an equivalent 82
123+credential; (B) enrolled full time in an institution which provides 83
124+postsecondary or vocational education; or (C) participating full time in 84
125+a program or activity approved by said commissioner that is designed 85
126+to promote or remove barriers to employment. The commissioner, in 86
127+his or her discretion, may waive the provision of full-time enrollment 87
128+or participation based on compelling circumstances. Not more than 88
129+one hundred twenty days after the youth's eighteenth birthday, the 89
130+department shall file a motion in the superior court for juvenile 90
131+matters that had jurisdiction over the youth's case prior to the youth's 91
132+eighteenth birthday for a determination as to whether continuation in 92
133+care is in the youth's best interest and, if so, whether there is an 93
134+appropriate permanency plan. The court, in its discretion, may hold a 94
135+hearing on said motion. 95
139136 This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
140137 sections:
141138
142139 Section 1 July 1, 2019 New section
143140 Sec. 2 July 1, 2019 46b-129(j)(4) and (5)
144141
145-HED Joint Favorable Subst.
142+Statement of Purpose:
143+To increase the age at which youths who are committed to the
144+Department of Children and Families qualify to receive funding for
145+post-secondary education under a program offered by the department.
146+[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline,
147+except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is
148+not underlined.]
146149