JUVENILE PROCEEDINGS – Adds to existing law to provide requirements for the Department of Health and Welfare to apply and reserve federal benefits for children in the department’s legal custody.

Summary

The bill requires the department to check within 60 days and each year whether a child in its custody is receiving or eligible for Social Security or Veterans Affairs benefits. If a child is eligible, the department must apply for the benefits or become the child’s representative payee, and it must handle the money according to strict rules, including milestone‑based payouts and a plan for any remaining funds when custody ends. The measure aims to ensure children in state care receive entitled federal support while protecting the funds from misuse.

AI-generated summary — may be incomplete or inaccurate. Verify against the official bill text.

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