HB 584

ENROLLED
 2026 Regular Session
  ACT No. 655
 HOUSE BILL NO. 584
 BY REPRESENTATIVES BOYD, BAYHAM, BEAULLIEU, BERAULT, BILLINGS,
  BOUDREAUX, BRASS, BRYANT, BUTLER, CARLSON, CARRIER, WILFORD
  CARTER, CHASSION, COX, DESHOTEL, DEWITT, DICKERSON, FISHER,
  FREEMAN, FREIBERG, GREEN, HEBERT, DANA HENRY, ILLG, JACKSON,
  JORDAN, KNOX, LACOMBE, LAFLEUR, JACOB LANDRY, MANDIE
  LANDRY, TERRY LANDRY, LARVADAIN, LYONS, MARCELLE,
  MARTINEZ, MOORE, MURRAY, NEWELL, PHELPS, SCHLEGEL, TAYLOR,
  WALTERS, WYBLE, AND YOUNG AND SENATORS BOUDREAUX, CLOUD,
  HODGES, LUNEAU, AND MCMATH
1AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact the heading of Subpart D-1A of Part II of Chapter 3 of the Louisiana
3Revised Statutes of 1950 and R.S. 46:286.16(A), (B), (C)(introductory paragraph),
4(1), (3) through (7), (9), (12), and (15) through (18) and to enact R.S.
546:286.16(C)(19) through (21), relative to children in foster care, to provide for the
6rights of children in foster care; to provide for age adjustments; to provide for the
7elimination of the practice of providing foster children with garbage bags to move
8between foster homes; to require proper luggage for a foster child's use; to provide
9for the right to safe transportation; to provide for the right to family or other suitable
10individual placement when available; to provide for definitions; to provide for the
11responsibilities of local social services districts; to provide for responsibilities of host
12families; and to provide for related matters.
13 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
14Section 1. The heading of Subpart D-1A of Part II of Chapter 3 of the Louisiana
15 Revised Statutes of 1950 and R.S. 46:286.16(A), (B), (C)(introductory paragraph), (1), (3)
16 through (7), (9), (12), and (15) through (18) are hereby amended and reenacted to read as
17 follows and R.S. 46:286.16(C)(19) through (21) are hereby enacted to read as follows:
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 HB NO. 584  ENROLLED
1SUBPART D-1A. FOSTER YOUTH'S CHILDREN'S BILL OF RIGHTS
2§286.16. Short title; purpose; rights
3A. This Subpart shall be cited as the "Foster Youth's Children's Bill of
4Rights".
5B. The Department of Children and Family Services shall implement,
6promote, and support the rights contained in this Section through the policies and
7practices of the department as applied to youth ages fourteen children from birth
8through age eighteen who are in foster care in this state.
9C. Youth ages fourteen Children from birth through age eighteen in foster
10care in this state are entitled to the following rights granted to them when it is
11determined by the department to be age appropriate and in the best interest of the
12youth child:
13(1) The right to privacy concerning the youth's child's personal and
14confidential information.
15*       *  *
16(3) The right to be in a stable and supportive setting that is free from neglect
17and emotional, verbal, physical, and sexual abuse or exploitation, and that is the least
18restrictive to meet the youth's child's needs.
19(4) The right to participate in all case plan meetings, to include supportive
20adults of the youth's child's choice to be on the planning team, and to be provided a
21copy of the youth's child's case plan every six months or whenever changes are made
22to the plan.
23(5) The right to have the youth's child's medical and mental health needs met
24on a regular and timely basis.
25(6)    The right to be provided adequate trauma-based counseling and
26therapeutic services throughout the youth's child's time in foster care.
27(7) The right to be provided the contact information of the youth's child's
28caseworker, attorney, and CASA volunteer, and to attend meetings with them on a
29regular basis.
30*       *  *
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 HB NO. 584  ENROLLED
1(9) The right to access materials necessary for school and to further the
2youth's child's education, including access to a computer or other electronic devices
3and to the internet when needed to complete assignments, the right to receive
4tutoring services, and the right to access information regarding college admissions.
5*       *  *
6(12) The right to remain in the youth's child's school of origin.
7*       *  *
8(15) The right to refuse involvement in religious-based activities and the
9right to continue the youth's child's cultural, religious, and ethnic traditions and belief
10systems.
11(16) The right to be free from discrimination of any kind on the basis of the
12youth's child's race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national,
13ethnic, or social origin, property, disability, birth, or other status.
14(17) The right to attend and have transportation to services, events, and
15activities provided by the Independent Living Skills Program within the youth's
16child's region, the right to receive timely notification of upcoming youth child
17advocacy and engagement services in the youth's child's region, and the right to be
18provided with the entire amount of the monthly allowance as outlined in department
19policy.
20(18) The right to express and voice the youth's child's needs, concerns, and
21desires about foster care.
22(19)(a) The right to proper luggage that is considered to be durable and
23reusable containers that are in new or like-new condition to move between foster
24homes to ensure the child's dignity and safety. Luggage includes backpacks, boxes,
25duffel bags, or suitcases. The use of garbage bags is strictly prohibited.
26(b) It is the responsibility of the local social services districts to provide
27foster children with proper luggage. These districts along with the Department of
28Children and Family Services shall host biennial luggage donation drives for luggage
29to be distributed to foster children.
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HB NO. 584  ENROLLED
1(c) It is the responsibility of the host family to ensure that the luggage
2provided by the Department of Children and Family Services remains with each
3child.
4(20) The right to reliable and safe transportation, including the right to the
5age appropriate car restraint system necessary to protect the child as required by R.S.
632:295.
7(21) The right to be placed with a suitable family member or other suitable
8individual as defined in Children's Code Article 603, when one has been identified
9and is capable of safely and appropriately caring for the child.
  SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
  PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
  GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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