HB05419 • 2026

AN ACT REQUIRING THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES TO EXPAND ELIGIBILITY FOR POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION BENEFITS FOR CERTAIN YOUTH.

Children Education

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee
Last action: 2026-02-27
Official status: Public Hearing 03/05
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The exact number of months or years for the eligibility extension is not specified in this text; it must be defined later by the Department's policy updates.

Expanding College Funding for Youth Affected by COVID-19

This law requires the Department of Children and Families to extend eligibility deadlines for foster and adopted youth whose college plans were disrupted by the pandemic.

What This Bill Does

Requires the Commissioner of Children and Families to update policies on postsecondary education funding programs.
Provides an extension of time for qualifying for these programs if a youth's education was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Who It Names or Affects

Youth committed to the Department of Children and Families who remain committed at age eighteen.
Youth adopted on or before their eighteenth birthday.
The Commissioner of Children and Families, who must update department policies.

Terms To Know

Postsecondary education program: Any program that leads to an academic degree or certification in a vocation or employment training.
Department of Children and Families: The state agency responsible for the postsecondary education funding programs mentioned in this bill.

Limits and Unknowns

This law does not require the department to provide case management services if a student is older than 21 when they start receiving funding.
The specific length of the time extension will be determined by updated department policies and regulations.

Bill History

2026-02-27 Connecticut General Assembly
Public Hearing 03/05
2026-02-26 Connecticut General Assembly
Referred to Joint Committee on Higher Education and Employment Advancement

Official Summary Text

To require the Department of Children and Families to expand eligibility of postsecondary education benefits for foster and adopted youth whose postsecondary education was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

LCO No. 1910 1 of 2

General Assembly Raised Bill No. 5419
February Session, 2026 LCO No. 1910

Referred to Committee on HIGHER EDUCATION AND
EMPLOYMENT ADVANCEMENT

Introduced by:
(HED)

AN ACT REQUIRING THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND
FAMILIES TO EXPAND ELIGIBILITY FOR POSTSECONDARY
EDUCATION BENEFITS FOR CERTAIN YOUTH.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2026) (a) As used in this section: 1
(1) "Department" means the Department of Children and Families; 2
(2) "Postsecondary education program" means any program that 3
leads to an academic degree or certification in a vocation or employment 4
training; and 5
(3) "Postsecondary education funding programs" means the program 6
set forth in department policy (A) 28 -1 under which the department 7
funds the postsecondary education of a youth who is committed to the 8
department, remains committed at the age of eighteen and meets the 9
requirements established by the department in its policies and 10
regulations, and (B) 25 -2 under which the department funds the 11
postsecondary education of a youth who has been adopted on or before 12

Raised Bill No. 5419

LCO No. 1910 2 of 2

such youth's eighteenth birthday and meets the requirements 13
established by the department in its policies and regulations. 14
(b) The Commissioner of Children and Families shall amend the 15
department policies and regulations regarding the postsecondary 16
education funding program s to provide an extension of time for the 17
qualification under such programs of any youth whose postsecondary 18
education was disrupted by the COVID -19 pandemic. Nothing in this 19
section shall be construed to require the department to continue 20
providing case management services for any youth who begins 21
receiving funding under the postsecondary education funding 22
programs when such youth is older than twenty-one years of age. 23
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 July 1, 2026 New section

Statement of Purpose:
To require the Department of Children and Families to expand
eligibility of postsecondary education benefits for foster and adopted
youth whose postsecondary education was disrupted by the COVID-19
pandemic.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]