Senate File 259 - Introduced SENATE FILE BY COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES (SUCCESSOR TO SF 27) Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act creating a program to provide financial assistance for 2 postsecondary education for young adults who were involved 3 with the state's foster care program. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 1063SV 82 6 jp/sh/8 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 261.2, subsection 6, Code 2007, is 1 2 amended to read as follows: 1 3 6. Develop and implement, in cooperation with the 1 4 department of human services and the judicial branch, a 1 5 program to assist juveniles who are sixteen years of age or 1 6 older and who have a case permanency plan under chapter 232 or 1 7 237 or are otherwise under the jurisdiction of chapter 232 in 1 8 applying for federal and state aid available for higher 1 9 education. The commission shall also develop and implement 1 10 the Iowa foster care education and training program in 1 11 accordance with section 261.6. 1 12 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 261.6 IOWA FOSTER CARE EDUCATION 1 13 AND TRAINING PROGRAM. 1 14 1. The commission shall develop and implement, in 1 15 cooperation with the department of human services and the 1 16 judicial branch, the Iowa foster care education and training 1 17 program in accordance with this section. 1 18 2. The program shall provide financial assistance for 1 19 postsecondary education or training to persons who have a high 1 20 school diploma or a high school equivalency diploma under 1 21 chapter 259A, are age eighteen through twenty=three, and are 1 22 described by any of the following: 1 23 a. On the date the person reached age eighteen or during 1 24 the thirty calendar days preceding or succeeding that date, 1 25 the person was in a licensed foster care placement pursuant to 1 26 a court order entered under chapter 232 under the care and 1 27 custody of the department of human services or juvenile court 1 28 services. 1 29 b. On the date the person reached age eighteen or during 1 30 the thirty calendar days preceding or succeeding that date, 1 31 the person was under a court order under chapter 232 to live 1 32 with a relative or other suitable person. 1 33 c. The person was in a licensed foster care placement 1 34 pursuant to an order entered under chapter 232 prior to being 1 35 legally adopted after reaching age sixteen. 2 1 d. On the date the person reached age eighteen or during 2 2 the thirty calendar days preceding or succeeding that date, 2 3 the person was placed in the state training school or the Iowa 2 4 juvenile home pursuant to a court order entered under chapter 2 5 232 under the care and custody of the department of human 2 6 services. 2 7 3. The program requirements shall include but are not 2 8 limited to all of the following: 2 9 a. Program assistance shall cover a program participant's 2 10 expenses associated with attending an approved postsecondary 2 11 education or training program in this state. The expenses 2 12 shall include tuition and fees, books and supplies, child 2 13 care, transportation, housing, and other expenses approved by 2 14 the commission. If a participant is attending on less than a 2 15 full=time basis, assistance provisions shall be designed to 2 16 cover tuition and fees and books and supplies, and assistance 2 17 for other expenses shall be prorated to reflect the hours 2 18 enrolled. 2 19 b. If the approved education or training program is more 2 20 than one year in length, the program assistance may be 2 21 renewed. To renew the assistance, the participant must 2 22 annually reapply for the program and meet the academic 2 23 progress standards of the postsecondary educational 2 24 institution or make satisfactory progress toward completion of 2 25 the training program. 2 26 c. A person shall be less than age twenty=three upon both 2 27 the date of the person's initial application for the program 2 28 and the start date of the education or training program for 2 29 which the assistance is provided. Eligibility for program 2 30 assistance shall end upon the participant reaching age 2 31 twenty=four. 2 32 d. Assistance under the program shall not be provided for 2 33 expenses that are paid for by other programs for which funding 2 34 is available to assist the participant. 2 35 e. The commission shall implement assistance provisions in 3 1 a manner to ensure that the total amount of assistance 3 2 provided under the program remains within the funding 3 3 available for the program. 3 4 4. The commission shall develop and implement a tracking 3 5 system that maintains a record of the postsecondary and 3 6 workforce participation for those assisted under the program. 3 7 The system shall maintain a record for each participant for up 3 8 to ten years after the first year of assistance. The 3 9 commission shall deliver a report on the outcomes of the 3 10 program to the governor and general assembly by January 1 3 11 annually. 3 12 EXPLANATION 3 13 This bill creates a program under the purview of the 3 14 college student aid commission to provide financial assistance 3 15 for postsecondary education or training for young adults age 3 16 18 through 23 who were involved with the state's foster care 3 17 or juvenile justice programs. A young adult must apply for 3 18 the financial assistance program and commence the education or 3 19 training prior to becoming age 23. 3 20 Code section 261.2, relating to the duties of the 3 21 commission, is amended to include the responsibility for 3 22 developing and implementing the program within the list of the 3 23 commission's duties. 3 24 The program's provisions are codified in new Code section 3 25 261.6. The commission is required to develop and implement 3 26 the program in cooperation with the department of human 3 27 services and the judicial branch. 3 28 To be eligible for the program, a participant must have a 3 29 high school diploma or high school equivalency certificate and 3 30 be described by one of the following: when the person reached 3 31 age 18 or within 30 days preceding or succeeding that date the 3 32 person was under court order for placement in a licensed 3 33 foster care placement, the state training school, or the Iowa 3 34 juvenile home, or with a relative or other suitable adult, or 3 35 the person was in a licensed foster care placement pursuant to 4 1 an order entered under Code chapter 232 prior to being legally 4 2 adopted after reaching age 16. 4 3 Assistance under the program shall cover a program 4 4 participant's expenses associated with attending an approved 4 5 postsecondary education or training program in this state. 4 6 These expenses include tuition and fees, books and supplies, 4 7 child care, transportation, housing, and other expenses 4 8 approved by the commission. For a participant attending less 4 9 than full=time, assistance other than tuition, fees, books, 4 10 and supplies is required to be prorated. 4 11 Program assistance is available for more than one year 4 12 provided a participant reapplies annually and meets the 4 13 academic progress standards of the postsecondary educational 4 14 institution or makes satisfactory progress toward completion 4 15 of the training program. 4 16 Assistance under the program cannot be provided for 4 17 expenses that are paid for by other programs for which funding 4 18 is available to assist a participant. 4 19 The commission is required to submit an annual report to 4 20 the governor and general assembly concerning the program 4 21 outcomes. 4 22 LSB 1063SV 82 4 23 jp:nh/sh/8