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1 A BILL
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3 _________________________
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6 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
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8 _________________________
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11 To amend the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Act of 1977 to require the Child and
12 Family Services Agency to provide new or slightly-used luggage to children in foster
13 care, to inspect and maintain an inventory of donated luggage, to establish that such
14 luggage shall be the property of the child, to require the Child and Family Services
15 Agency to consider multiple factors when providing luggage, to authorize the Child and
16 Family Services Agency to solicit and accept donations of luggage, to require the Child
17 and Family Services Agency to document the distribution of luggage and use of
18 disposable bags, and to require the Child and Family Services Agency to issue rules to
19 implement this section.
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21 BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
22 act may be cited as the “Luggage for All Youth in Foster Care Amendment Act of 2024”.
23 Sec. 2. Title III of the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Act of 1977, effective
24 September 23, 1977 (D.C. Law 2-22; D.C. Official Code § 4-1303.01 et seq.), is amended by
25 adding a new section 313 to read as follows:
26 “Sec. 313. Luggage for children in foster care.
27 “(a)(1) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Agency shall
28 provide luggage to a child who is:
29 “(A) Entering foster care;
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30 “(B) Moving foster care placements;
31 “(C) Starting higher education or military service; or
32 “(D) Exiting foster care.
33 “(2) The Agency shall not be required to provide luggage to a child who is in
34 possession of luggage previously provided by the Agency unless such luggage is unsuitable to
35 hold and transport the child’s personal belongings due to:
36 “(A) Poor condition of the luggage; or
37 “(B) A material change in the factors listed in subsection (d)(1) of this
38 section that would necessitate the need for additional luggage.
39 “(b) The Agency shall maintain an inventory of new and slightly used luggage and may
40 accept donations of new and slightly used luggage; provided, that the Agency shall inspect all
41 donations to determine if the luggage qualifies as new or slightly used and shall reject all
42 donations that do not qualify as either.
43 “(c) All luggage provided to a child pursuant to this section shall be considered the
44 personal property of the child and may not be reclaimed by the Agency or retained by any
45 individual with whom the child lives while in foster care.
46 “(d)(1) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, when providing
47 luggage to a child, the Agency shall consider among the existing supply of luggage the following
48 factors:
49 “(A) Child’s age;
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50 “(B) Child’s mobility;
51 “(C) Number, size, and weight of personal belongings to be transported;
52 and
53 “(D) Child’s personal preferences; except that the Agency shall not be
54 required to consider the child’s personal preferences if the child is younger than 3 years old.
55 “(2) The Agency shall not be required consider the factors listed in paragraph (1)
56 of this subsection if such consideration would result in a delay in the child’s transportation to,
57 within, or out of foster care.
58 “(e) The Agency may solicit, receive, accept, and expend grants or donations from any
59 source to carry out the provisions of this section.
60 “(f) The Agency shall document:
61 “(1) The number of instances in the 2 most recent calendar years in which the
62 Agency provided luggage to a child;
63 “(2) The number of instances in the 2 most recent calendar years in which a
64 disposable bag was used to transport the personal belongings of a child because the Agency did
65 not provide luggage to the child; and
66 “(3) The reason for each instance in the previous calendar year in which a
67 disposable bag was used to transport the personal belongings of a child.
68 “(g) The Mayor, pursuant to Title I of the District of Columbia Administrative Procedure
69 Act, approved October 21, 1968 (82 Stat. 1204; D.C. Official Code § 2-501 et seq.), shall issue
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70 rules to implement the provisions of this section, including procedures for the inspection,
71 storage, and distribution of luggage that prioritize easing the ability of children, Agency
72 employees, and community partners to access luggage.
73 “(h) For purposes of this section, the term:
74 “(1) “Child” means an individual who is a committed ward of the Child and
75 Family Services Agency.
76 “(2) “Foster care” shall have the same meaning as provided in section 3803(2) of
77 the Adoption Voucher Fund Act of 2000, effective October 19, 2000 (D.C. Law 13-172; D.C.
78 Official Code § 4-342(2)).
79 “(3) “Luggage” means a rolling suitcase, duffle bag, backpack, or carrying bag
80 that is designed to hold and transport an individual’s personal belongings. The term “luggage”
81 does not include disposable bags, including trash bags.
82 “(4) “Slightly-used” means in a state of condition that:
83 “(A) Indicates only light previous usage;
84 “(B) Does not have any major physical alterations, such as dents, scrapes,
85 rips, and patches; and
86 “(C) Is not damaged in any manner that inhibits proper functioning.”.
87 Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement.
88 The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal
89 impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975,
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90 approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a).
91 Sec. 4. Effective date.
92 This act shall take effect after approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the
93 Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto) and a 30-day period of congressional review
94 as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December
95 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)).
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