Connecticut 2022 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB05299 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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7		-	General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5299
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	8	+	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 5299
8	9		February Session, 2022
	10	+	LCO No. 2255
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	13	+	Referred to Committee on HIGHER EDUCATION AND
	14	+	EMPLOYMENT ADVANCEMENT
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	16	+
	17	+	Introduced by:
	18	+	(HED)
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14	23		AN ACT INCREASING THE AGE FOR ELIGIBILITY FOR THE
15	24		POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION FUNDING PROGRAM OFFERED BY
16	25		THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.
17	26		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
18	27		Assembly convened:
19	28
20		-	Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, ~~2022~~) (a) As used in this section: 1
	29	+	Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2019) (a) As used in this section: 1
21	30		(1) "Department" means the Department of Children and Families; 2
22	31		(2) "Post-secondary education program" means any program that 3
23	32		leads to an academic degree or certification in a vocation or employment 4
24	33		training; and 5
25	34		(3) "Post-secondary education funding program" means the program 6
26	35		offered by the department under which it funds the post-secondary 7
27	36		education of a youth who is committed to the department at the age of 8
28	37		eighteen or younger and meets the requirements established by the 9
29	38		department in its policies and regulations. 10
30	39		(b) The Commissioner of Children and Families shall amend the 11
31		-	department policies and regulations regarding the post-secondary 12
	40	+	department policies and regulations regarding the post-secondary 12 Raised Bill No. 5299
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32	46		education funding program to (1) increase the age until which a youth 13
33	47		can voluntarily agree to receive and qualify for services and funding 14
34		-	from the department under the post-secondary education funding 15 Substitute Bill No. 5299
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41		-	program from twenty-one to twenty-six, and (2) increase the age until 16
42		-	which a youth who is enrolled in a post-secondary education program 17
43		-	and continues to meet the requirements established by the department 18
44		-	is eligible for funding to complete such post-secondary education 19
	48	+	from the department under the post-secondary education funding 15
	49	+	program from twenty-one to thirty, and (2) increase the age until which 16
	50	+	a youth who is enrolled in a post-secondary education program and 17
	51	+	continues to meet the requirements established by the department is 18
	52	+	eligible for funding to complete such post-secondary education 19
45	53		program under the post-secondary education funding program from 20
46		-	twenty-three to ~~twenty-six~~. 21
	54	+	twenty-three to thirty. 21
47	55		Sec. 2. Subdivisions (4) and (5) of subsection (j) of section 46b-129 of 22
48	56		the 2022 supplement to the general statutes are repealed and the 23
49	57		following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2022): 24
50	58		(4) The commissioner shall be the guardian of such child or youth for 25
51	59		the duration of the commitment, provided the child or youth has not 26
52	60		reached the age of eighteen years, or until another guardian has been 27
53	61		legally appointed, and in like manner, upon such vesting of the care of 28
54	62		such child or youth, such other public or private agency or individual 29
55	63		shall be the guardian of such child or youth until such child or youth 30
56	64		has reached the age of eighteen years or, in the case of a child or youth 31
57	65		(A) in full-time attendance in a secondary school, a technical education 32
58	66		and career school, a college or a state-accredited job training program, 33
59	67		until such child or youth has reached the age of twenty-one years or 34
60	68		until another guardian has been legally appointed, or (B) receiving 35
61	69		services and funding from the post-secondary education funding 36
62	70		program, as defined in section 1 of this act, until such child or youth has 37
63		-	reached ~~twenty-six years~~ of ~~age~~ or until another guardian has been 38
64		-	~~legally~~ appointed. The commissioner may place any child or youth so 39
	71	+	reached the age of thirty years or until another guardian has been legally 38
	72	+	appointed. The commissioner may place any child or youth so 39
65	73		committed to the commissioner in a suitable foster home or in the home 40
66	74		of a fictive kin caregiver, relative caregiver, or in a licensed child-caring 41
67	75		institution or in the care and custody of any accredited, licensed or 42
68	76		approved child-caring agency, within or without the state, provided a 43
69	77		child shall not be placed outside the state except for good cause and 44
70	78		unless the parents or guardian of such child are notified in advance of 45
71		-	such placement and given an opportunity to be heard, or in a receiving 46
72		-	home maintained and operated by the commissioner. When placing 47
73		-	such child or youth, the commissioner shall provide written notification 48 Substitute Bill No. 5299
	79	+	such placement and given an opportunity to be heard, or in a receiving 46 Raised Bill No. 5299
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	85	+	home maintained and operated by the commissioner. When placing 47
	86	+	such child or youth, the commissioner shall provide written notification 48
80	87		of the placement, including the name, address and other relevant 49
81	88		contact information relating to the placement, to any attorney or 50
82	89		guardian ad litem appointed to represent the child or youth pursuant to 51
83	90		subsection (c) of this section. The commissioner shall provide written 52
84	91		notification to such attorney or guardian ad litem of any change in 53
85	92		placement of such child or youth, including a hospitalization or respite 54
86	93		placement, and if the child or youth absconds from care. The 55
87	94		commissioner shall provide such written notification not later than ten 56
88	95		business days prior to the date of change of placement in a 57
89	96		nonemergency situation, or not later than two business days following 58
90	97		the date of a change of placement in an emergency situation. In placing 59
91	98		such child or youth, the commissioner shall, if possible, select a home, 60
92	99		agency, institution or person of like religious faith to that of a parent of 61
93	100		such child or youth, if such faith is known or may be ascertained by 62
94	101		reasonable inquiry, provided such home conforms to the standards of 63
95	102		the commissioner and the commissioner shall, when placing siblings, if 64
96	103		possible, place such children together. At least ten days prior to 65
97	104		transferring a child or youth to a second or subsequent placement, the 66
98	105		commissioner shall give written notice to such child or youth and such 67
99	106		child or youth's attorney of said commissioner's intention to make such 68
100	107		transfer, unless an emergency or risk to such child or youth's well-being 69
101	108		necessitates the immediate transfer of such child and renders such 70
102	109		notice impossible. Upon the issuance of an order committing the child 71
103	110		or youth to the commissioner, or not later than sixty days after the 72
104	111		issuance of such order, the court shall determine whether the 73
105	112		department made reasonable efforts to keep the child or youth with his 74
106	113		or her parents or guardian prior to the issuance of such order and, if 75
107	114		such efforts were not made, whether such reasonable efforts were not 76
108	115		possible, taking into consideration the child's or youth's best interests, 77
109	116		including the child's or youth's health and safety. 78
110	117		(5) A youth who is committed to the commissioner pursuant to this 79
111		-	subsection and has reached eighteen years of age may remain in the care 80
112		-	of the commissioner, by consent of the youth and provided (A) the 81
113		-	youth has not reached [the age of] twenty-one years of age, if the youth 82 Substitute Bill No. 5299
	118	+	subsection and has reached eighteen years of age may remain in the care 80 Raised Bill No. 5299
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	124	+	of the commissioner, by consent of the youth and provided (A) the 81
	125	+	youth has not reached [the age of] twenty-one years of age, if the youth 82
120	126		is [(A)] (i) enrolled in a full-time approved secondary education 83
121	127		program or an approved program leading to an equivalent credential; 84
122	128		[(B)] (ii) enrolled full time in an institution which provides 85
123	129		postsecondary or vocational education; or [(C)] (iii) participating full 86
124	130		time in a program or activity approved by said commissioner that is 87
125	131		designed to promote or remove barriers to employment, or (B) the youth 88
126		-	has not reached ~~twenty-six~~ years of age, if the youth receives services 89
127		-	~~and~~ funds through the post-secondary education funding program, as 90
	132	+	has not reached thirty years of age, if the youth receives services and 89
	133	+	funds through the post-secondary education funding program, as 90
128	134		defined in section 1 of this act. The commissioner, in his or her 91
129	135		discretion, may waive the provision of full-time enrollment or 92
130	136		participation based on compelling circumstances. Not more than one 93
131	137		hundred twenty days after the youth's eighteenth birthday, the 94
132	138		department shall file a motion in the superior court for juvenile matters 95
133	139		that had jurisdiction over the youth's case prior to the youth's eighteenth 96
134	140		birthday for a determination as to whether continuation in care is in the 97
135	141		youth's best interest and, if so, whether there is an appropriate 98
136	142		permanency plan. The court, in its discretion, may hold a hearing on 99
137	143		said motion. 100
138	144		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
139	145		sections:
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141		-	Section 1 July 1, ~~2022~~ New section
	147	+	Section 1 July 1, 2019 New section
142	148		Sec. 2 July 1, 2022 46b-129(j)(4) and (5)
143	149
144		-	HED Joint Favorable Subst.
	150	+	Statement of Purpose:
	151	+	To increase the age for eligibility for the post-secondary education
	152	+	funding program offered by the Department of Children and Families.
	153	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	154	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	155	+	underlined.]
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