H.R. 7529

Summary

H.R. 7529, the Fresh Starts for Foster Youth Act, was introduced in the House on Feb 12, 2026 by Rep. Danny Davis (D) with 3 co-sponsors. It last saw action on May 11, 2026: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 557.

Record

Text

H.R. 7529 has 3 co-sponsors.

119 HR 7529 IH: Fresh Starts for Foster Youth Act
 U.S. House of Representatives
 2026-02-12
 text/xml
 EN
 Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
 I  119th CONGRESS  2d Session  H. R. 7529  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES   February 12, 2026   Mr. Davis of Illinois  (for himself and  Mr. LaHood ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the  Committee on Ways and Means    A BILL
To require States to consider legal issues affecting youth as part of case planning and to provide States with the option to use funds from the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood to support access to legal services and counseling.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Fresh Starts for Foster Youth Act  .
2.
Legal consulting and access under the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood
Section 477 of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 677 ) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (a)(4), by inserting  legal counseling access,  after  education, ; and
(2)
in subsection (b)(3), by adding at the end the following:
(L)
A certification by the chief executive officer of the State that the relevant case planning and other processes employed by the State take into consideration the effect of certain legal issues affecting housing, education, entry into employment, and family connections of current and former foster youth and the efforts required to address the issues, including with respect to State court records, legal recognition of family relationships, and matters relating to custody and permanency.
 .
3.
Effective date
(a)
In general
The amendments made by this Act shall take effect on the date that is 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act and shall apply to payments under section 477 of the Social Security Act pursuant to plans approved by the Secretary of Health and Human Services on or after such date.
(b)
Delay permitted if State legislation required
If the Secretary of Health and Human Services determines that State legislation (other than legislation appropriating funds) is required in order for a State plan developed pursuant to section 477 of the Social Security Act to meet the additional requirements imposed by the amendments made by this Act, the plan shall not be regarded as failing to meet any of the additional requirements before the 1st day of the 1st calendar quarter beginning after the first regular session of the State legislature that begins after the date of the enactment of this Act. For purposes of the preceding sentence, if the State has a 2-year legislative session, each year of the session is deemed to be a separate regular session of the State legislature.

Tracker

The tracker indicates the progress of this legislation as it moves through the legislative process.

To require States to consider legal issues affecting youth as part of case planning and to provide States with the option to use funds from the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood to support access to legal services and counseling.

Sponsors

Rep. Danny Davis (D) sponsors H.R. 7529, and 3 members have co-sponsored it, 1 of them from the day it was introduced.

Danny Davis

Rep. · D–IL-7 · Sponsor

Introduced Feb 12, 2026

Darin LaHood

Rep. · R–IL-16 · Co-sponsor

Joined Feb 12, 2026 · Original

David Schweikert

Rep. · R–AZ-1 · Co-sponsor

Joined Apr 29, 2026

Michael Lawler

Rep. · R–NY-17 · Co-sponsor

Joined May 11, 2026

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Committees

H.R. 7529 went before 1 committee: Ways and Means.

Ways and Means

Ways and Means

Reported By · May 11, 2026 · 1,160 Bills

Reports

1 committee report has been filed on H.R. 7529, the latest H. Rept. 119-640.

• H. Rept. 119-640 — FRESH STARTS FOR FOSTER YOUTH ACT

Actions

H.R. 7529 has taken 6 actions since Feb 12, 2026, the latest on May 11, 2026.

Votes

H.R. 7529 has not gone to a roll call.

Related bills

2 bills are related to H.R. 7529.

HR 7432Fostering the Future ActMay 20, 2026 · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. · Related billS 4797Fresh Starts for Foster Youth ActJun 16, 2026 · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. · Identical bill

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Titles

H.R. 7529 goes by 4 titles, 2 of them short titles.

• Fresh Starts for Foster Youth Act — Display Title
• To require States to consider legal issues affecting youth as part of case planning and to provide States with the option to use funds from the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood to support access to legal services and counseling. — Official Title as Introduced
• Fresh Starts for Foster Youth Act — Short Title(s) as Reported to House
• Fresh Starts for Foster Youth Act — Short Title(s) as Introduced

Cost estimate

The Congressional Budget Office has filed 1 estimate for H.R. 7529, the latest on May 6, 2026.

• H.R. 7529, Fresh Starts for Foster Youth Act — 2026-05-06As ordered reported by the House Committee on Ways and Means on April 29, 2026

Lobbying

1 client hired 1 firm and 1 registered lobbyist who named H.R. 7529 in 1 quarterly filing, 2026. Reported under the Lobbying Disclosure Act; a filing’s income covers everything its registrant worked that quarter, so the amounts below are the filings’, not this bill’s.

Filed under Budget/Appropriations, Family issues/Abortion/Adoption.

Clients

Who paid to be heard, by how many filings named the bill.

Firms

Registrants who filed on the bill, by filings.

Lobbyists

Named on the filings that cite the bill.

Filings

The documents themselves, on the Senate’s Lobbying Disclosure site, largest reported first.

Classification

The Congressional Research Service files H.R. 7529 under Families, one of its 31 policy areas, and gives it 2 legislative subjects.

CRS Subjects

CRS assigns every bill one policy area from its 31; H.R. 7529’s is Families.

Legislative Subjects

H.R. 7529 carries 2 of CRS’s legislative subjects, from Adoption and foster care to State and local government operations.

Constitutional authority

The clause the sponsor cites as Congress’s power to enact H.R. 7529, as entered in the Congressional Record.

[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 30 (Thursday, February 12, 2026)][House]From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]By Mr. DAVIS of Illinois:H.R. 7529.Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuantto the following:Article 1, Section 8, Clause 18 of the Constitution: Tomake all laws which shall be necessary and proper forcarrying into Execution the powers enumerated under section 8and all other Powers vested by the Constitution in theGovernment of the United States, or in any Department orOfficer thereof.[Page H2220]

Source: congress.gov · legiscan.com