SB 1612

                                      SECOND REGULAR SESSION
                 SENATE BILL NO. 1612
                                      103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
                                     INTRODUCED BY SENATOR WASHINGTON.
 5653S.01I  KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary
                                                   AN ACT
 To 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:
1Section A. Chapter 173, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto
2  one new section, to be known as section 173.2542, to read as
3  follows:
1173.2542.  1.     This section shall be known and may be
2  cited as the "Success for Homeless and Foster Youth in
3  Higher Education Act".
42.     As used in this section, the following terms mean:
5(1)      "Foster youth", any individual in the care,
6  custody, or guardianship of the children's division of the
7  department of social services in the foster care program for
8  any six of the seventy-two months immediately prior to such
9  individual's eighteenth birthday;
10(2)      "Homeless youth", any individual under twenty-five
11  years of age who has been verified, at any time during the
12  six years prior to such individual's enrollment in an
13  institution, as a homeless child or youth as defined in 42
14  U.S.C. Section 11434a(2) by at least one of the following:
15(a)      A governmental or nonprofit agency that receives
16  federal, state, or municipal funding to provide services to
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17 homeless persons or that is otherwise sanctioned to provide
18 these services by a homeless continuum of care organization;
19(b)    An attorney appointed by the court to represent
20 the youth;
21(c)    A local education agency liaison for homeless
22 children and youth designated as such pursuant to 42 U.S.C.
23 Section 11432(g)(1)(J)(ii) or a school social worker;
24(d)    A human services provider or public social
25 services provider funded by the state to provide services
26 for homeless children and youth, including health services,
27 mental or behavioral health services, substance use disorder
28 services, or public assistance or employment services;
29(e)    A law enforcement officer designated as a liaison
30 to the homeless population by a law enforcement agency or
31 department within the state;
32(f)    The director of a federal TRIO program or his
33 designee;
34(g)    A court-appointed special advocate (CASA) employee
35 or volunteer;
36(h)    A financial aid administrator;
37(i)    An admissions counselor;
38(3)    "Institution", a public institution of higher
39 education that is subject to the coordinating board for
40 higher education under section 173.005.
413.    Each institution shall designate a homeless and
42 foster student liaison within such institution's financial
43 aid office.     The liaison shall be responsible for applying
44 the provisions of the federal Higher Education Act as set
45 forth in 20 U.S.C. Section 1070, et seq., pertaining to the
46 independent student status and financial aid eligibility of
47 current and former homeless youth and foster youth, and
48 shall assist these students, both current and prospective,
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49 in applying for federal and state financial aid and other
50 assistance for which they may be eligible.
514.   Notwithstanding any provision of law to the
52 contrary, an institution may grant resident status to a
53 student who resides in Missouri and is nineteen years of age
54 or under at the time of enrollment, regardless of how long
55 such student has resided in the state, if such student is
56 determined to have been homeless at any time during the two
57 years immediately preceding such student's enrollment.
585.   In order to ensure that current and former homeless
59 youth and foster youth have access to stable housing, an
60 institution that offers student housing may develop a plan
61 to provide that students who are homeless youth or foster
62 youth have access to housing resources as needed during and
63 between academic terms.    The plan may grant such students
64 first priority for housing placement and provide that they
65 be placed in the institution's housing facility that remains
66 open for occupation during the most days in a calendar year.
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