The bill amends the Guardianship Assistance Act to update the criteria for prospective guardians seeking assistance on behalf of eligible children. It specifies that a prospective guardian must have resided with the eligible child for a minimum of six months prior to applying for guardianship assistance. The bill also clarifies that a prospective guardian can be a relative of the child or a licensed foster parent, and it removes the previous requirement for the guardian to be a legal custodian. Additionally, the approval process for guardianship assistance now includes mandatory criminal record checks and child abuse registry checks for the prospective guardian and all adults living in their home.

Furthermore, the bill introduces provisions for federal funding eligibility under Title IV-E for guardianship assistance, allowing relatives or licensed foster parents to receive assistance for children placed in their care, regardless of the child's Title IV-E eligibility. It also ensures that siblings of eligible children can be placed in the same guardianship arrangement, with Title IV-E assistance payments available for each sibling. The bill will only take effect if related legislation is enacted.

Statutes affected:
House Introduced Bill: 722.874