Establishes the "Success for Homeless and Foster Youth in Higher Education Act"

SECOND REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
HOUSE BILL NO. 2722
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBL Y
6266H.04C JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
T o amend chapter 173, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to vulnerable
students at 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 individuals who ar e:
9 (a) Included within the definition of the term "homeless children and youths" in
10 42 U.S.C. Section 1 1434a(2); or
11 (b) Included within the definition of the term "unaccompanied youth" in 42
12 U.S.C. Section 1 1434a(6);
13 (3) "Liaison", a designated staff member of an institution of higher education
14 who is knowledgeable in the issues and laws relat ing to homeless youth and foster youth
15 including, but not limited to, the McKinney-V ento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, 42
16 U.S.C. Section 1 1431 et seq.
17 3. Each public institution of higher education shall, and each private institution
18 of higher education may , designate a homeless and foster student liaison within such
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.
19 institution's financial aid office. The liaison shall be res ponsible for applying the
20 pr ovisions of the federal Higher Education Act as set forth in 20 U.S.C. Section 1070 et
21 seq., pertaining to the independent student status and financial aid eligibility of curr ent
22 and former homeless youth and foster youth, and shall assist these students, both
23 curr ent and pr ospective, in applying for federal and state financial aid and other
24 assistance for which they may be eligible.
25 4. A public or private institution of higher education may grant re sident status to
26 a student who res ides in this state and is under twenty years of age at the time of
27 enr ollment, regard less of how long such student has res ided in this state, if such student
28 is determined to have been homeless at any time during the two years immediately
29 pr eceding such student's enr ollment and is not proh ibited from r eceiving a
3 0 postsecondary education public benefit under section 173.1 1 10.
31 5. In order to ensur e that curr ent and former homeless youth and foster youth
32 have access to stable housing, a public or private institution of higher education that
33 offers student housing may develop a plan to assist students who are homeless youth or
34 foster youth in navigating the financial aid award package and housing options to
35 maximize access to housing r esources as needed during and between academic terms.
36 The plan may grant such students first priority for housing placement and pr ovide that
37 they be placed in the institution's housing facility that re mains open for occupation
38 during the most days in a calendar year .
39 6. The department of higher education and workforce development shall creat e
40 and publish a sear chable dir ectory of homeless and foster student liaisons designated by
41 public institutions of higher education under this section. Such dir ectory shall be
42 accessible to the public and shall be updated annually by the department. A private
43 institution of higher education that designates a homeless and foster student liaison may
44 pr ovide information to the department for inclusion in the dir ectory .
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HCS HB 2722 2