00 SENATE CS FOR CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 209(HES) 01 "An Act directing the Department of Health and Social Services to establish a foster 02 care transition program; relating to that program; and providing for an effective date." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04  * Section 1. AS 36.30.850(b) is amended by adding a new paragraph to read: 05 (42) grants and contracts with qualified entities for services under 06 AS 47.18.330 for the foster care transition program. 07  * Sec. 2. AS 47.18 is amended by adding new sections to read: 08 Article 4A. Foster Care Transition Program.  09 Sec. 47.18.300. Program authorized. (a) The department, in coordination 10 with local public and private agencies, shall design, develop, and implement a foster 11 care transition program to provide support and services to individuals who 12 (1) reach or have reached the age of 16 or older while in state foster 13 care and have not yet reached the age of 21; and 14 (2) meet other eligibility criteria established by the department under 01 (b) of this section. 02 (b) The department may adopt regulations to carry out the purposes of 03 AS 47.18.300 - 47.18.390, including regulations establishing eligibility thresholds, 04 standards, and limits for the program. The department shall develop the regulations in 05 consultation with those public and private organizations considered necessary by the 06 department. 07 Sec. 47.18.310. Program design. The department, in coordination with local 08 public and private agencies, shall design the program as a continuation of the training 09 efforts related to independent living skills that were initiated when the state foster care 10 recipients were identified as being likely to remain in state foster care until reaching 11 the age of 18. The program design must require that program participants are directly 12 involved in identifying the program activities that will prepare them for independent 13 living. 14 Sec. 47.18.320. Program development. (a) Subject to the availability of an 15 appropriation made for the purposes of AS 47.18.300 - 47.18.390, the program may 16 provide 17 (1) education and vocational training; 18 (2) assistance in obtaining basic education and training; 19 (3) career and employment services; 20 (4) training in basic life skills; 21 (5) housing and utility assistance; 22 (6) mentoring and counseling; and 23 (7) other appropriate services to complement the efforts of former state 24 foster care recipients to achieve self-sufficiency. 25 (b) In developing the program, the department shall cooperate with and 26 coordinate the use of the resources available from other state and federal agencies 27 designed to provide support and services consistent with the purposes of the program. 28 Sec. 47.18.330. Program implementation. (a) The department may 29 implement the program through the award of contracts or grants to qualified entities to 30 provide services under the program. The department may award contracts and grants 31 if the contracts and grants further the purposes of and meet the requirements of 01 AS 47.18.300 - 47.18.390 and applicable regulations adopted under those sections. 02 (b) Contracts awarded under this section shall be administered in accordance 03 with AS 47.05.015 and regulations adopted under that section. Grants awarded under 04 this section shall be awarded using requirements established in regulations adopted 05 under AS 47.18.300 - 47.18.390 that are substantially similar to those set out in 06 AS 47.05.015 for contracts. 07 Sec. 47.18.390. Definitions. In AS 47.18.300 - 47.18.390, 08 (1) "program" means the foster care transition program authorized 09 under AS 47.18.300 - 47.18.390; 10 (2) "qualified entities" means municipalities, other political 11 subdivisions of the state, nonprofit corporations formed under AS 10.20, churches and 12 religious organizations, and incorporated and unincorporated entities operating within 13 the state that meet the requirements established by the department in regulation; 14 (3) "state foster care" means foster care, as defined in AS 47.10.990, 15 that is provided to a person who is in the custody of the department under AS 47.10 16 and AS 47.12. 17  * Sec. 3. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 18 read: 19 TRANSITION: REGULATIONS. Notwithstanding sec. 5 of this Act, the 20 Department of Health and Social Services may immediately proceed to adopt regulations 21 necessary to implement the changes made by this Act. The regulations take effect under 22 AS 44.62 (Administrative Procedure Act), but not before July 1, 2002. 23  * Sec. 4. Section 3 of this Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c). 24  * Sec. 5. Except as provided in sec. 4 of this Act, this Act takes effect July 1, 2002.