Existing law provides that, beginning no later than July 1, 2025, courts retain jurisdiction over certain young adults who are at least 18 years of age but less than 21 years of age and who have been placed outside the home in child welfare proceedings. (NRS 432B.5917) Existing law requires the Division of Child and Family Services of the Department of Health and Human Services to establish the Extended Young Adult Support Services Program to provide extended youth support services to such young adults, which must become operational on the earlier of July 1, 2025, or the date on which there is sufficient money available to carry out the Program. (NRS 432B.5919) Existing law defines the term “young adult” for the purposes of the Program to mean a person who is at least 18 years of age but less than 21 years of age and whose plan for permanent placement, on his or her 18th birthday, did not provide for reunification with his or her parent. (NRS 432B.5915) Section 1 of this bill revises the definition of the term “young adult” to instead refer to a person who: (1) on his or her 18th birthday, was subject to a court order for placement in foster care or proceedings for which a possible outcome is placement in foster care; or (2) exited the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program or an adoption assistance program after attaining 16 years of age and is not currently receiving care from a guardian or adoptive parent. Section 1 thereby provides that such a person remains under the jurisdiction of the court and is eligible to participate in the Program. Existing law requires a court to retain jurisdiction over a young adult until the young adult reaches 21 years of age. (NRS 432B.5917) Section 2 of this bill authorizes an agency which provides child welfare services to, under certain circumstances, petition the court to dismiss its current jurisdiction over a young adult and immediately reassume jurisdiction over the young adult to establish the eligibility of the young adult for certain federal financial participation. Once the Program becomes operational, existing law requires an agency which provides child welfare services that has custody of a child to meet with the child at least 120 days before his or her 18th birthday to determine whether the child wishes to participate in the Program and, if the child does wish to participate, assist the child to enroll in the Program. (NRS 432B.593) After the child requests to participate in the Program, existing law requires the agency to develop and monitor a written extended youth support services plan to assist the child in transitioning to self-sufficiency. (NRS 432B.595) Sections 3-6 of this bill require a child who does not wish to participate in the Program to affirmatively opt out of the Program, while maintaining the existing eligibility requirements to participate in the Program. Sections 5 and 6 revise the duties of an agency which provides child welfare services with respect to a young adult who participates in the Program. Existing law requires a court that has jurisdiction over a young adult who is participating in the Program to hold an annual hearing to: (1) review the extended youth support services plan developed for the young adult; and (2) determine whether the agency which provides child welfare services has made reasonable efforts to assist the young adult in meeting the goals prescribed in the plan. Existing law authorizes the court to direct that the hearing be conducted by a panel of three or more persons appointed by mutual consent of the judge or judges of the court. (NRS 432B.601) Section 7 of this bill requires the court to hold such a hearing every 6 months instead of annually. If the court directs a panel to conduct such a hearing, section 7 requires that at least one member of the panel be a person who is not responsible for the case management of or delivery of services to the young adult. Section 8 of this bill revises certain terminology and statutory references related to the Program.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 432B.5915, 432B.5917, 432B.592, 432B.593, 432B.594, 432B.595, 432B.601, 392.287
As Enrolled: 432B.5915, 432B.5917, 432B.592, 432B.593, 432B.594, 432B.595, 432B.601, 392.287
BDR: 432B.5915, 432B.5917, 432B.592, 432B.593, 432B.594, 432B.595, 432B.601, 392.287