# 119-s-2902: Hidden Foster Care Transparency Act

119-s-2902, Hidden Foster Care Transparency Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] (R-TX); status introduced (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2902
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-2902
- Congress: 119
- Title: Hidden Foster Care Transparency Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-09-18
- Sponsor: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] (R-TX)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Families
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**This bill would require nationwide measurement and reporting of hidden foster care arrangements.** It defines those arrangements and would condition a State's eligibility for Part E foster care funds on submitting detailed annual data to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS). - Families and children: States would report counts of children placed in hidden foster care, how many later entered formal foster care, and how many arrangements end without formal entry. Reports must include time in placement including cases longer than 90 days and data on referrals to and receipt of legal counsel within 72 hours, plus a list of services provided to parents, children, and kin caregivers. - States and federal oversight: A State's eligibility for Part E funds would be tied to submitting standardized, non-duplicative AFCARS data each fiscal year. The Secretary of Health and Human Services would compile annual, aggregate reports to Congress, publish them for public access, and use Part E funds to provide guidance and technical assistance to States.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Ossoff, Jon [D-GA] (D-GA), 2025-09-18T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Annual state reports on hidden foster care: benefit, low. If enacted, this bill would require States that get part E child welfare funds to send yearly data about "hidden foster care" to AFCARS. States would report counts of children separated in hidden foster care and how each arrangement ended, including whether the child later entered formal foster car…
- Clear definitions for hidden foster care: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would define key terms used for the new reporting rule. "CPS agency" would mean the State agency that runs parts B and E child welfare plans and any State, county, local, or tribal child protective services agency. "Secretary" would mean the Secretary of Health and Human Servic…

## Related bills

- 119-s-1071: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
- 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act
- 119-s-836: Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act
- 119-s-1333: Strengthening Child Exploitation Enforcement Act
- 119-s-554: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025
- 119-s-539: PROTECT Our Children Reauthorization Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-2902 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2902)

## Related
- [119-s-1071: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1071)
- [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748)
- [119-s-836: Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-836)
- [119-s-1333: Strengthening Child Exploitation Enforcement Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1333)
- [119-s-554: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-554)
- [119-s-539: PROTECT Our Children Reauthorization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-539)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2902 (as of 2026-04-21).