summary
Introduced
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
In Committee
02/10/2026
02/10/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026 Regular Regular Session
Bill Summary
Foster care; federal benefits; representative payees. Requires local departments of social services to screen any child in foster care for eligibility for certain federal benefits and to apply for such benefits for which the child may be eligible. Under the bill, local departments are required to review existing representative payees to ensure that the representative payee is adequately representing the child's best interests and take appropriate actions necessary to appoint a different representative payee if necessary. The bill specifies that a local department shall only serve as representative payee when no other suitable candidate is available. The bill places limitations on the use of such federal benefits by local departments. Under the bill, if the local department serves as representative payee, it is required to provide an annual accounting detailing the use of such benefits to the child and certain individuals. The bill requires the Department of Social Services to develop and provide training sessions for (i) representative payees serving children in foster care regarding fiduciary obligations associated with serving as a representative payee and (ii) children in foster care who are age 14 and older regarding accessing, managing, and using certain federal benefits.
AI Summary
This bill requires local social services departments to actively identify children in foster care who are eligible for federal benefits from sources like the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, and to apply for these benefits on their behalf. It also mandates a review of current "representative payees," who are individuals or entities appointed to manage these benefits for a child, to ensure they are acting in the child's best interest, and to appoint new ones if necessary, with local departments only serving as representative payee as a last resort. The bill places specific limitations on how these federal benefits can be used by local departments, requiring them to be spent only on the child's direct needs and not for services the state is already obligated to provide, and mandates annual accountings of how the funds were used. Furthermore, it requires the Department of Social Services to provide training for representative payees on their responsibilities and for foster care children aged 14 and older on how to manage their own benefits.
Committee Categories
Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Left in Committee Appropriations (on 02/18/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB578 |
| Fiscal Note/Analysis - Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB578) | https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1116099.PDF |
| BillText | https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB578/text/HB578 |
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