S.F. 2284 Section 1. Section 234.46, subsection 1, paragraphs b and c, 1 Code 2024, are amended to read as follows: 2 b. The person is age eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, 3 or twenty-two years of age or younger . 4 c. The person is described by one of the following: 5 (1) At the time the person became age eighteen, the person 6 received foster care services that were paid for by the state 7 under section 234.35 , services at a state training school, 8 services at a juvenile shelter care home, services at a 9 juvenile detention home, or court-ordered care in accordance 10 with chapter 232 by a relative or another person with a 11 significant relationship with the person, and the person is no 12 longer receiving such services or care. 13 (2) The person was sixteen years of age or older when the 14 person exited foster care paid by the state under section 15 234.35. 16 Sec. 2. Section 234.46, subsection 2, unnumbered paragraph 17 1, Code 2024, is amended to read as follows: 18 The department shall establish a preparation for adult 19 living program directed to young adults. The purpose of the 20 program is to assist persons who are leaving foster care 21 and other court-ordered services at age eighteen sixteen or 22 older in making the transition to self-sufficiency. The 23 department shall adopt rules necessary for administration of 24 the program, including but not limited to eligibility criteria 25 for young adult participation and the services and other 26 support available under the program. The rules shall provide 27 for participation of each person who meets the definition of 28 young adult on the same basis, regardless of whether federal 29 financial participation is provided. The services and other 30 support available under the program may include but are not 31 limited to any of the following: 32 Sec. 3. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES —— AFTERCARE 33 SERVICE PROGRAM. 34 1. For purposes of this section: 35 -1- LSB 5954XS (5) 90 dg/ko 1/ 4

S.F. 2284 a. “Department” means the department of health and human 1 services. 2 b. “Foster care” means twenty-four-hour substitute care 3 for a child who is placed away from the child’s parents 4 or guardians and for whom the department or juvenile court 5 services has placement and care responsibility through either a 6 court order or voluntary agreement. 7 (1) A placement may meet the definition of foster care 8 regardless of any of the following: 9 (a) The placement is licensed and the state or a local 10 agency makes payments for the child’s care. 11 (b) Adoption subsidy payments are being made before the 12 finalization of adoption. 13 (c) There is federal matching of any payments made. 14 (2) Foster care may include but is not limited to placement 15 in any of the following: 16 (a) Foster family care. 17 (b) A group home. 18 (c) An emergency shelter. 19 (d) Supervised apartment living. 20 (e) A preadoptive home. 21 (f) The home of a relative or suitable person. 22 (g) A psychiatric medical institution for children. 23 2. Pursuant to chapter 17A, the department shall amend the 24 department’s rules to do all of the following: 25 a. Allow a person to be eligible for the aftercare service 26 program if the person is twenty-two years of age or younger 27 and exited foster care on or after the person attained sixteen 28 years of age. 29 b. Set the start-up allowance offered through the aftercare 30 service program at a one-time payment of nine hundred dollars. 31 c. Set the vendor payments offered through the aftercare 32 service program at two thousand dollars per year. 33 d. Set the extended services allowance offered through 34 the aftercare service program at two thousand dollars for a 35 -2- LSB 5954XS (5) 90 dg/ko 2/ 4

S.F. 2284 one-year period calculated from the date of initiation of 1 extended services. 2 e. Allow each person who is participating in the aftercare 3 service program pursuant to section 234.46 to receive the 4 preparation for adult living stipend regardless of the person’s 5 age, provided that the person meets all other requirements for 6 the preparation for adult living stipend. 7 EXPLANATION 8 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 9 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 10 This bill relates to aftercare service program eligibility 11 and benefits. 12 The aftercare service program was established to assist 13 persons who are leaving foster care and other court-ordered 14 services in making the transition to self-sufficiency. 15 Under current law, a person must be 18, 19, 20, 21, or 22 16 years of age to be eligible for the aftercare service program. 17 The bill changes the age requirement for the aftercare service 18 program so persons 22 years of age and under are eligible for 19 the program. 20 Under current law, to be eligible for the aftercare service 21 program, a person must be 18 years of age when the person exits 22 foster care services paid by the state under Code section 23 234.35 (when state to pay foster care costs), services at a 24 state training school, services at a juvenile shelter care 25 home, services at a juvenile detention home, or court-ordered 26 care in accordance with Code chapter 232 (juvenile justice) by 27 a relative or another person with a significant relationship 28 with the person. The bill allows a person to qualify for the 29 aftercare service program if the person exited foster care 30 services paid by the state under Code section 234.35 when the 31 person was 16 years of age or older. 32 The bill defines the terms “department” and “foster care”. 33 The bill requires the department of health and human 34 services to amend its administrative rules to set the start-up 35 -3- LSB 5954XS (5) 90 dg/ko 3/ 4

S.F. 2284 allowance offered through the aftercare service program at 1 a one-time payment of $900; set the vendor payments offered 2 through the aftercare service program at $2,000 per year; set 3 the extended services allowance offered through the aftercare 4 service program at $2,000 for a one year period calculated from 5 the date of initiation of extended services; and allow each 6 person who is participating in the aftercare service program 7 to receive the preparation for adult living stipend regardless 8 of the person’s age, provided that the person meets all other 9 requirements for the preparation for adult living stipend. 10 The bill makes conforming changes. 11 -4- LSB 5954XS (5) 90 dg/ko 4/ 4