Committee reviews H‑657 omnibus bill to change DCF rules on Reach Up, homeless youth, restraints and aftercare

A legislative committee held a walkthrough of H‑657, an omnibus bill that would make multiple changes to Department for Children and Families (DCF) law, including removing the $9,000 asset limit in the Reach Up program, allowing certified unaccompanied homeless youth to obtain identification and certain services without parental consent, tightening rules and reporting for restraints and secure transport, and creating a process for judicial review of aftercare placements to enable federal funding. The committee reserved detailed markup until it hears witnesses and resolves drafting and implementation questions.

Katie McGlenn of the Office of Legislative Council, who presented the draft, said the bill bundles several interlocking pieces ‘‘because they had some interlocking pieces, that sort of built on each other.’’ She described key provisions: repeal of the statutory $9,000 Reach Up asset cap and elimination of the current carve-outs that specify which savings accounts are excluded from asset calculations; new definitions and protections related to Social Security benefits for youth in foster care; a certification pathway for ‘‘unaccompanied homeless youth’’ to access IDs, vital records and certain services without parental consent; and expanded reporting and rulemaking around restraints and secure transport.

Why it matters: Committee members emphasized that the changes could affect youth’ s eligibility for benefits, the state’s liability exposure, and DCF’s ability to draw down federal match money for transition services. Representative members repeatedly asked for clearer drafting so the law does what is intended and produces accessible, auditable data for oversight.

Major provisions and committee concerns

Reach Up asset limit: McGlenn explained the draft ‘‘removes the asset limit in Reach Up’’ and would delete subdivision language that currently sets a $9,000 cap and lists excluded savings accounts. Members asked whether deleting the carve‑outs could have drafting side‑effects and sought rewording to preserve program eligibility rules while eliminating the cap.

Social Security benefits for foster youth: The draft specifies that a department acting as a Social Security representative payee…