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Senate votes unanimously to let foster youth keep personal income under SB 18
Summary
Senate Bill 18, which prevents the state from diverting certain income of children in foster care, passed the Michigan Senate unanimously among those voting (36-0-1). Sponsor Senator Irwin said the bill restores income to foster youth to help with education, housing and transition to independence.
The Michigan Senate gave final passage to Senate Bill 18 on April 15 to preserve certain income for children in foster care rather than allowing the state to appropriate those funds into the general foster-care budget. The final recorded vote was 36 aye, 0 no, and 1 excused.
Senator Irwin, a Michigan state senator, urged support on the floor and described the bill as “right[ing] a long standing wrong in our state foster care system.” Irwin said that when children in foster care receive income — for example Social Security survivor benefits tied to a deceased parent — that income is currently taken by the state and used in the foster-care system. “I think that the income of these foster care kids is their income, and it should be reserved for their needs,” Irwin said.
Irwin framed the bill as a bipartisan effort that had passed the Senate in a prior session and asked colleagues to complete the policy this year so foster youth would have funds available during care or when they age out. The sponsor said retaining those funds could help with education, housing and financial stability and reduce the risk that youth later fall into homelessness or the criminal-justice system.
The bill had no amendments pending on final passage, and the sponsor requested that her remarks be printed in the journal. The measure now moves to the next steps required for enactment.
