Today, U.S. Representative Tony Gonzales’ (R-TX-23) bipartisan legislation, the Find and Protect Foster Youth Act, passed in the U.S. House of Representatives and will be signed into law within the coming days.  This bipartisan legislation seeks to create an improved feedback mechanism between states and the Administration of Children and Families (ACF) to provide better oversight and information-sharing related to missing and runaway foster youth. 

 

“Far too many foster children have gone missing in Texas and across the nation,” said Representative Tony Gonzales. “The Find and Protect Foster Youth Act will improve communication between state and federal agencies to help find missing foster children, strengthen reporting standards, and investigate if missing foster youth were victims of abuse, sex trafficking, and other forms of harm. The passage of this bipartisan bill will put laws on the books that protect the most vulnerable children among us.”

 

U.S. Representatives Shontel Brown (D-OH-11), Erin Houchin (R-IN-09), Gwen Moore (D-WI-04), Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-05), Don Bacon (R-NE-02), and Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA-37) signed on as original sponsors of the Find and Protect Foster Youth Act. 

 

In September 2023, Congressman Tony Gonzales testified on the Find and Protect Foster Youth Act at a House Ways and Means Committee Member Day hearing. To view his testimony, click here. 

 

To view bill text, click here.