Amends TCA Title 37, Chapter 2 and Title 37, Chapter 5.

Under present law, the Tennessee's Transitioning Youth Empowerment Act of 2010 authorizes the department of children's services to develop a program to provide services, on a voluntary basis, to youth between the ages of 18 and 21 years who are transitioning to adulthood from state custody. This bill removes the short title from the law, establishes four minimum responsibilities of a young adult enrolled in extension of foster care services, specifies five examples of extended foster care services that may be provided to a young adult, and specifies five examples of living arrangements that may be made available to a young adult enrolled in the extension of foster care services. This bill requires the department of children's services to pay a reimbursement to eligible relative caregivers to support the cost of raising the child. This bill defines "relative caregiver" to mean a person with a first, second, or third degree of relationship to the parent or stepparent of a child who may be related to the child through blood, marriage, or adoption. This bill requires that a relative caregiver receive an amount equal to 50 percent of the full foster care board rate for the care of a child, if the following conditions are met: (1) The child is not in state custody; (2) The relative caregiver is 21 years of age or older; (3) The relative caregiver has been awarded custody of the child by a final order of a court; (4) The relative caregiver's total household income does not exceed twice the current federal poverty guidelines based on the size of the family unit; (5) A parent of the child does not reside in the relative caregiver's home; (6) The relative caregiver agrees to seek the establishment and enforcement of child support, including the naming of the father of a child for the purposes of paternity establishment; and (7) The relative caregiver and the child meet all other requirements as prescribed by rules promulgated by the department. Relative caregiver payments will be subject to the initial and continuing eligibility of the relative caregiver and the child, as determined by the department. The relative caregiver payments will be subject to appropriations. This bill authorizes the department to establish procedures for dispersing available funds in the event that the department or other paying agency does not receive sufficient appropriations to make relative caregiver payments. This bill requires the department to publish on its website an annual report concerning the relative caregiver reimbursement program for as long as the program is in effect. The full text of this bill specifies four data points that must be included in the reports. This bill takes effect upon becoming a law for purposes of promulgating rules, and January 1, 2023, for all other purposes.