The CONNECT Act (H.R. 7995)
March 19, 2026
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The Frame
This bill changes the federal objectives for foster care transition programs, requiring states and tribal agencies to focus on building lifelong support networks for youth aged 14 and older, with new federal guidance on service eligibility and documentation due within one year of enactment.
Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.
Youth in foster care (age 14+)
The bill mandates new focus on their participation in permanency planning and the development of support networks.
State and Tribal child welfare agencies
These agencies must follow new federal guidance regarding service eligibility, documentation, and outreach standards.
Department of Health and Human Services
The agency is tasked with creating and issuing new guidance to states and tribes within one year.
Last recorded activity March 19, 2026.
Introduced.
Summary
Key Facts
- The bill amends Section 477(a) of the Social Security Act to prioritize sustained, supportive relationships for foster youth aged 14 and older.
- New program purposes include helping youth develop connections with kin, fictive kin, mentors, and peers to reduce isolation.
- The bill mandates that youth in foster care be supported in exercising their rights to participate in developing their own permanency plans.
- The Secretary of Health and Human Services must issue guidance to states and tribal child welfare agencies within one year of enactment.
- The guidance must include examples of services eligible for federal funding, including individual, family, and peer support.
- The guidance must establish best practices for mentoring, peer support, and maintaining sibling, tribal, and community connections.
- The guidance must include standards for outreach and notification to ensure youth are referred to appropriate services.
- The guidance must establish protocols for documenting relationship-building activities in a child's case plan.
- The amendments to the Social Security Act take effect one year after the date of enactment.
- The Secretary is required to consult with youth with lived experience in foster care before issuing the mandated guidance.
Why It Matters
This bill changes the federal objectives for foster care transition programs, requiring states and tribal agencies to focus on building lifelong support networks for youth aged 14 and older, with new federal guidance on service eligibility and documentation due within one year of enactment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who does this bill affect?
When do these changes take effect?
What is the role of the Department of Health and Human Services under this bill?
News Coverage
Lobbying Activity
AARP
2026
“P.L. 119-21, One Big Beautiful Bill Act H.R. 8867, Planning for Long-term Aging Needs (PLAN) Act H.R. 5861, Legacy Act of 2025 H.R. 9393, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act. H.R. 9396, the Prior Authorization Accountability Act. S. 4916, the Aging with Artificial Intelligence Act. H.R. 8100, Safe Staffing Saves Lives Act. S. 3886, Nurses Belong in Nursing Homes Act. H.R. 6766/S. 3492, the Essential Caregivers Act of 2025. H.R. 7966/S. 4118, Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act. S. 2120, the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025 H.R. 5575, the Firefighters Assisting Seniors to Emergency Response (FASTER) Act of 2025. H.R. 3954/S. 4641, Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act. H.R.5554/S.2831, Stand Strong for Medicare Act. S. 3439/H.R. 6735, Connecting Caregivers to Medicare Act and efforts related to the bill S. 1227/H.R. 2491, Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act S. 668/H.R. 3183, Supporting Access to Falls Education and Prevention and Strengthening Training Efforts and Promoting Safety Initiatives (SAFE STEPS) for Veterans Act of 2025 CMS-1851-P, Hospice Proposed rule. CMS-1843-P, Skilled Nursing Facility Proposed rule. CMS-1844-P, Home Health Proposed rule. No bill number. Health care transparency. No bill number. Discussed use of artificial intelligence and health data technology. No bill number. Discussed health-related policies and activities around the fall respiratory virus season. No bill number. Discussed health insurance affordability proposals. No bill number. Discussed Nursing Home staffing standards, safety, and quality. No bill number. Discussed Nursing home transparency and ownership requirements. No bill number. Discussed home health, hospice, and long-term care. No bill number. Discussed falls prevention. No bill number. Discussed social isolation. No bill number. Discussed HUD Assisted Living Requirements No bill number. Discussed family caregiving. No bill number. Discussed AARP paper on Medicare Caregiver Training Services. No bill number. Discussed Medicaid community engagement interim final rule, including the family caregiver exemption. No bill number. Discussed the paid direct care workforce in long-term care. No bill number. Discussed the unaffordability of long-term care. No bill number. Discussed Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration Program and Medicaid HCBS spousal impoverishment protections. No bill number. Discussed Medicaid fraud and family caregivers, Medicaid self-direction programs. No bill number. Discussed sandwich generation family caregiver hearing and submitted a statement for the record discussing family caregivers and sandwich generation caregivers, programs that support them, AARP caregiving resources, and federal policies to support sandwich generation caregivers and caregivers more broadly. No bill number. Discussed long-term care. No bill number. CMS-2453-NC; Medicaid Program; 2028 Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Quality Measure Set Submitted comments No bill number. Discussed expanding access to home care. No bill number. Discussed the increasing cost of home care No bill number. Discussed HSA use for telehealth chronic care management services/subscriptions. No bill number. Discussed artificial intelligence and technology”
KOUNTOUPES DENHAM CARR & REID, LLC
on behalf of ECKERD CONNECTS
HOLLAND & KNIGHT LLP
on behalf of MONROE COUNTY, FL ON BEHALF OF KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
HOLLAND & KNIGHT LLP
on behalf of CHARGEPOINT, INC.
1607 STRATEGIES, LLC
on behalf of Stonington Global OBO Maxsip Tel LLC
2024
“H.R. 8466, Affordable Connectivity Program Improvement and Extension Act of 2024, all provisions. S. 4317, Secure and Affordable Broadband Extension Act, all provisions. Issues related to Supply Chain Reimbursement Program (aka Rip and Replace Program). Issues related to the Affordable Connectivity Program.”
1607 STRATEGIES, LLC
on behalf of Stonington Global OBO Maxsip Tel LLC
2024
“H.R. 8466, Affordable Connectivity Program Improvement and Extension Act of 2024, all provisions. S. 4317, Secure and Affordable Broadband Extension Act, all provisions. Issues related to Supply Chain Reimbursement Program (aka Rip and Replace Program). Issues related to the Affordable Connectivity Program.”
1607 STRATEGIES, LLC
on behalf of Maxsip Tel LLC
2024
“Issues related to the Affordable Connectivity Program. H.R. 6929, Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act of 2024, all provisions. H.R. 3935, FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, provisions affecting broadband providers.”
1607 STRATEGIES, LLC
on behalf of Maxsip Tel LLC
2024
“Issues related to the Affordable Connectivity Program. H.R. 6929, Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act of 2024, all provisions.”
Cleveland Clinic Foundation
on behalf of The Cleveland Clinic Foundation
2019
“The CONNECT Act CMS proposed cuts to Video EEG monitoring”
121 Strategies & Government Relations
on behalf of Zebra Technologies
2020
“Consumer privacy, Connected enterprise devices. ”
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Shift toward relational permanency
The bill marks a formal policy shift from purely administrative permanency planning to prioritizing the development of long-term, informal support networks for foster youth.
Connected Entities
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance60How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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