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SECOND REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE BILL NO. 2721
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBL Y
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENT A TIVE DOUGLAS.
6265H.01I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
T o amend chapter 173, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to liaisons for
vulnerable students at public institutions of higher education.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 173, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be
2 known as section 173.2542, to read as follows:
173.2542 . 1. This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Success for
2 Homeless and Foster Y outh in Higher Education Act".
3 2. As used in this section, the following terms mean:
4 (1) "Foster youth", any individual in the car e, custody , or guardianship of the
5 childr en's division of the department of social services in the foster car e pr ogram for
6 any six of the seventy-two months immediately prior to such individual's eighteenth
7 birthday;
8 (2) "Homeless youth", any individual under twenty-five years of age who has
9 been verified, at any time during the six years prior to such individual's enr ollment in
10 an institution, as a homeless child or youth as defined in 42 U.S.C. Section 1 1434a(2) by
11 at least one of the following:
12 (a) A governmental or nonprof it agency that r eceives federal, state, or municipal
13 funding to pr ovide services to homeless persons or that is otherwise sanctioned to
14 pr ovide these services by a homeless continuum of care organization;
15 (b) An attorney appointed by the court to r epresent the youth;
16 (c) A local education agency liaison for homeless childr en and youth designated
17 as such pursuant to 42 U.S.C. Section 1 1432(g)(1)(J)(ii) or a school social worker;
EXPLANA TION — Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is
intended to be omitted from the law . Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language.
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18 (d) A human services prov ider or public social services pr ovider funded by the
19 state to pr ovide services for homeless children and youth, including health services,
20 mental or behavioral health services, substance use disorder services, or public
21 assistance or employment services;
22 (e) A law enforcem ent officer designated as a liaison to the homeless population
23 by a law enforcem ent agency or department within the state;
24 (f) The director of a federal TRIO prog ram or his designee;
25 (g) A court-appointed special advocate (CASA) employee or volunteer;
26 (h) A financial aid administrator;
27 (i) An admissions counselor;
28 (3) "Institution", a public institution of higher education that is subject to the
29 coordinating board for higher education under section 173.005.
30 3. (1) Each institution shall designate a homeless and foster student liaison
31 within such institution's financial aid office. The liaison shall be responsible for
32 applying the prov isions of the federal Higher Education Act as set forth in 20 U.S.C.
33 Section 1070, et seq., pertaining to the independent student status and financial aid
34 eligibility of curr ent and former homeless youth and foster youth, and shall assist these
35 students, both curr ent and pr ospective, in applying for federal and state financial aid
36 and other assistance for which they may be eligible.
37 (2) The department of higher education and workforce development shall creat e
38 and publish a sear chable dir ectory of homeless and foster student liaisons designated
39 under subdivision (1) of this subsection. Such list shall be accessible to the public and
40 shall be updated annually by the department.
41 4. Notwithstanding any pr ovision of law to the contrary , an institution may grant
42 r esident status to a student who res ides in Missouri and is nineteen years of age or under
43 at the time of enro llment, reg ardless of how long such student has resi ded in the state, if
44 such student is determined to have been homeless at any time during the two years
45 immediately pr eceding such student's enro llment.
46 5. In order to ensur e that curr ent and former homeless youth and foster youth
47 have access to stable housing, an institution that offers student housing may develop a
48 plan to pr ovide that students who are homeless youth or foster youth have access to
49 housing res our ces as needed during and between academic terms. The plan may grant
50 such students first priority for housing placement and prov ide that they be placed in the
51 institution's housing facility that rem ains open for occupation during the most days in a
52 calendar year .
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HB 2721 2