HOUSE BILL NO. 2721 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE DOUGLAS.
6265H.01I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
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:
Section A. Chapter 173, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be 2 known as section 173.2542, to read as follows: 173.2542. 1. This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Success for 2 Homeless and Foster Youth in Higher Education Act". 3 2. As used in this section, the following terms mean: 4 (1) "Foster youth", any individual in the care, custody, or guardianship of the 5 children's division of the department of social services in the foster care program for 6 any six of the seventy-two months immediately prior to such individual's eighteenth 7 birthday; 8 (2) "Homeless youth", any individual under twenty-five years of age who has 9 been verified, at any time during the six years prior to such individual's enrollment in 10 an institution, as a homeless child or youth as defined in 42 U.S.C. Section 11434a(2) by 11 at least one of the following: 12 (a) A governmental or nonprofit agency that receives federal, state, or municipal 13 funding to provide services to homeless persons or that is otherwise sanctioned to 14 provide these services by a homeless continuum of care organization; 15 (b) An attorney appointed by the court to represent the youth; 16 (c) A local education agency liaison for homeless children and youth designated 17 as such pursuant to 42 U.S.C. Section 11432(g)(1)(J)(ii) or a school social worker;
EXPLANATION — Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is intended to be omitted from the law. Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language. HB 2721 2
18 (d) A human services provider or public social services provider funded by the 19 state to provide services for homeless children and youth, including health services, 20 mental or behavioral health services, substance use disorder services, or public 21 assistance or employment services; 22 (e) A law enforcement officer designated as a liaison to the homeless population 23 by a law enforcement agency or department within the state; 24 (f) The director of a federal TRIO program or his designee; 25 (g) A court-appointed special advocate (CASA) employee or volunteer; 26 (h) A financial aid administrator; 27 (i) An admissions counselor; 28 (3) "Institution", a public institution of higher education that is subject to the 29 coordinating board for higher education under section 173.005. 30 3. (1) Each institution shall designate a homeless and foster student liaison 31 within such institution's financial aid office. The liaison shall be responsible for 32 applying the provisions of the federal Higher Education Act as set forth in 20 U.S.C. 33 Section 1070, et seq., pertaining to the independent student status and financial aid 34 eligibility of current and former homeless youth and foster youth, and shall assist these 35 students, both current and prospective, in applying for federal and state financial aid 36 and other assistance for which they may be eligible. 37 (2) The department of higher education and workforce development shall create 38 and publish a searchable directory of homeless and foster student liaisons designated 39 under subdivision (1) of this subsection. Such list shall be accessible to the public and 40 shall be updated annually by the department. 41 4. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, an institution may grant 42 resident status to a student who resides in Missouri and is nineteen years of age or under 43 at the time of enrollment, regardless of how long such student has resided in the state, if 44 such student is determined to have been homeless at any time during the two years 45 immediately preceding such student's enrollment. 46 5. In order to ensure that current and former homeless youth and foster youth 47 have access to stable housing, an institution that offers student housing may develop a 48 plan to provide that students who are homeless youth or foster youth have access to 49 housing resources as needed during and between academic terms. The plan may grant 50 such students first priority for housing placement and provide that they be placed in the 51 institution's housing facility that remains open for occupation during the most days in a 52 calendar year. ✔
Statutes affected: