Latest News from State Capitol and 55th District

October 2, 2026

A Fair Shot for Foster Youth

For many, turning 18 comes with excitement and uncertainty. You’ve been looking forward to “adulthood,” but now that you’re actually there, it can almost be frightening.

Starting a job, heading to school, moving into a first apartment – these are all the first real steps toward independence. Most young adults have someone to call when the car breaks down, rent comes due or an unexpected bill arrives.

For young people leaving foster care, a support system may not be there.

That is why I voted in favor of House Bill 151, a bipartisan measure aimed at protecting financial benefits that belong to foster youth and making sure those resources are there when young people need them most.

Some children in foster care qualify for federal benefits because a parent has died, they have a disability or served in the military. These can include Social Security survivor benefits, Supplemental Security Income and veterans’ benefits. The money is intended to help the child. County agencies, in some cases, have collected those benefits and used them to help offset the child’s care.

A recent investigation by Spotlight PA revealed that at least 1,300 foster children in Pennsylvania had more than $15.7 million in benefits taken from them over four years, with counties depositing the funds into their own budgets. These benefits often include survivor checks or disability payments issued because of profound hardship in a child’s life. Former foster youth frequently discover this only as adults, when they apply for federal benefits and learn that their accounts were drained years earlier.

House Bill 151 changes that practice.  Rather than allowing benefits belonging to foster youth to be used for government expenses, the proposal would ensure eligible funds are protected in savings accounts for the young person. When they leave foster care, those funds would be available to help them take the next step.

That could mean help with a security deposit for a first apartment, books for school, work clothes, transportation, groceries or training for a new career. These are ordinary expenses, but for a young adult without family support to fall back on, they can become major obstacles.

The legislation is rooted in a straightforward idea: If money belongs to a child, it should remain available for that child. It also aligns with new federal guidance, issued in December by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, urging states to preserve foster youths’ benefits rather than seize them to offset local costs. Ten states have already moved to end the practice, and Pennsylvania’s bill follows this growing national consensus.

House Bill 151 passed with bipartisan support, and that is encouraging. Protecting the benefits of foster youth should not be a partisan issue. It is a matter of fairness, accountability and making sure Pennsylvania lives up to its responsibility to the children in its care.

Having taken this important step toward becoming law, I hope House Bill 151 will be moved quickly by the Senate to help future foster youth leave the system with resources that were intended to help them. As children, they may have experienced lives very different from most, but as adults, the resources that are rightfully theirs can help to build a life of happiness and success.

On an unrelated topic, in a major victory for parental rights, medical privacy and constitutional liberties, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) has withdrawn its aggressive, overreaching regulatory proposal governing communicable and noncommunicable diseases in the Commonwealth.

I joined 80 of my fellow House members in submitting comments to the Independent Regulatory Review Commission raising serious questions about this extreme proposal. Our voices were just some of the nearly 6,000 people who weighed in on the plan, the overwhelming majority of whom opposed the regulations.

Pennsylvanians have not forgotten the consequences of one-size-fits-all mandates and unchecked executive action. The withdrawal of these regulations is a reminder that public input matters and that government agencies must remain accountable to the people they serve. 

Department officials indicate they plan to resubmit the updated regulations once Pennsylvanians’ feedback has been addressed. The Legislature must continue to closely review any future DOH proposals to ensure public-health policy respects individual rights, family autonomy and the constitutional safeguards owed to every Pennsylvanian. 

Here are some additional news topics and reminders I would like to share.
 
Firearms Safety and Rights Seminar on Oct. 8 - Interested in learning more about the laws and regulations related to firearms? Mark your calendar and come to my Firearms Safety and Rights Seminar! It will take place Thursday, Oct. 8, 6-8 p.m., at the Delmont Volunteer Fire Department, 2360 PA Route 66, Delmont. Firearms Owners Against Crime’s Jim Stoker will lead the discussion and be ready to answer questions. Registration is suggested but not required. Walk-ins are welcome. To register, call the Washington Township/Export office at 724-387-9113 or email aadams@pahousegop.com.
 
Veterans, Mark Your Calendars for Oct. 31! - If you’re a veteran, be certain to mark your calendar for my annual Veterans Appreciation Breakfast on Saturday, Oct. 31, 8:30-11 a.m. Open to all veterans in the 55th District and one guest each, the event includes retired Rear Adm. Charles Kubic as guest speaker. He served in the U.S. Navy for 34 years and established Kubic Engineer Group in 2012. Register by Oct. 26 by emailing aadams@pahousegop.com, or calling 724-472-4102 or 724-387-9113.



Representative Jill Cooper
55th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Jordan Frei
724.875.8450
jfrei@pahousegop.com