# 119-hr-7529: Fresh Starts for Foster Youth Act

119-hr-7529, Fresh Starts for Foster Youth Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7] (D-IL); status in_committee; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7529
- As of: 2026-09-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-7529
- Congress: 119
- Title: Fresh Starts for Foster Youth Act
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2026-02-12
- Sponsor: Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7] (D-IL)
- Cosponsors: 3
- Policy area: Families
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-21

## Summary

**This bill would add legal counseling access** to the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program and require states to certify that case planning addresses legal barriers young people face when leaving foster care. - Current and former foster youth would gain covered legal counseling focused on housing, education, entry into employment, and restoring family connections. The bill specifically calls out State court records, legal recognition of family relationships, custody, and permanency. - State chief executive officers would have to certify that case planning and related processes consider these legal issues and that the State has taken steps to address them. - The new requirements would apply to plans approved by the Department of Health and Human Services one year after enactment. A State may request an extension if meeting the requirements requires new state legislation, and two-year legislative sessions count each year separately.

## Cosponsors (3)

- Rep. LaHood, Darin [R-IL-16] (R-IL), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Schweikert, David [R-AZ-1] (R-AZ), 2026-04-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17] (R-NY), 2026-05-11T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- More legal help for foster youth: mixed, low. If enacted, this bill would add legal counseling access to the Chafee program for current and former foster youth. It would also require a State chief executive to certify that case plans consider legal issues affecting housing, education, getting work, and family connections. The certification mus…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-6900: American Affordability Act of 2025
- 119-hr-7432: Fostering the Future Act
- 119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act
- 119-hr-9237: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act
- 119-hr-2725: Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025
- 119-hr-3514: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-7529 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7529)

## Related
- [119-hr-6900: American Affordability Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6900)
- [119-hr-7432: Fostering the Future Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7432)
- [119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage A…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-842)
- [119-hr-9237: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9237)
- [119-hr-2725: Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2725)
- [119-hr-3514: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3514)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7529 (as of 2026-09-21).