HF 3024 Minnesota House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Foster youth bill of rights established.

HF 3024 establishes a "Foster Youth Bill of Rights" in Minnesota for children and youth in foster care, including those up to age 21 in extended foster care. It guarantees specific rights, such as receiving care matching what non-foster youth peers receive, protection from abuse (including verbal harassment and hate speech), access to belongings, and culturally appropriate services. The bill explicitly prohibits physical discipline, chemical restraints, excessive medication, group punishment, and neglect that denies these rights. These provisions aim to standardize care quality and ensure foster youth receive support aligned with their age, development, and cultural background.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Apr 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Apr 1, 2025 Last action May 14, 2026

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What changed between versions

Introduction → 1st Engrossment · 7 edits · Apr 7, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was revised from an 'Introduction' draft to a '1st Engrossment' version, incorporating significant substantive changes to the Foster Youth Bill of Rights. The revision reorganized the structure, updated the effective date to November 1, 2026, and expanded the scope of protections by adding new rights related to financial services, sibling connections, and specific accommodations for youth with disabilities. Several definitions were clarified or renumbered, and the language regarding physical restraints and law enforcement intervention was tightened to limit their use to immediate safety threats.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to explicitly include additional rights for foster youth, such as financial autonomy (bank accounts, credit freezes), enhanced sibling relationship support, and specific protections for youth with disabilities. The applicability timeline was set to begin on November 1, 2026.

TIMELINE

The effective date was changed from an unspecified date in the introduction to November 1, 2026.

DEFINITION

Definitions for key terms like 'Foster youth', 'Discipline', and 'Physical restraint' were updated to provide clearer boundaries and align with specific state statutes.

REQUIREMENT

New rights were added requiring agencies to support youth in opening bank accounts, freezing credit, and accessing financial benefits, as well as ensuring timely sibling contact and visitation.

Restrictions on the use of physical and chemical restraints were strengthened, limiting them strictly to cases of immediate threat to life or safety and requiring de-escalation attempts first.

Rights regarding law enforcement intervention were clarified to prohibit using police presence as a threat or form of discipline for foster youth.

New provisions were added to protect the privacy of foster youth's gender identity and sexual orientation, prohibiting disclosure without consent.

The bill now explicitly includes rights for foster youth to participate in cultural, religious, and spiritual practices and to receive care from staff trained in trauma-informed approaches.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 7, 2026

Lower · Passed

Committee report, to adopt as amended

lower

Apr 1, 2025

Introduced

Introduction and first reading, referred to Children and Families Finance and Policy

lower

1 primary · 2 co-sponsors