Luggage for All Youth in Foster Care Amendment Act of 2024 (Lisa's Law)

25th Council Period (2023-2024) Introduced by Janeese Lewis George

DC foster care must provide durable luggage or storage to youth entering, moving between, or aging out; bans trash bags and tracks issuance to protect dignity.

Final Reading, CC

Purpose / Intent

The bill, known as the "Luggage for All Youth in Foster Care Amendment Act of 2024" (Lisa’s Law), is intended to ensure that children and youth in the District of Columbia’s foster care system are provided a safe, dignified means to transport and store their personal belongings when they enter, move between, or exit placements. The measure responds to longstanding concerns about youth being moved with trash bags or otherwise lacking adequate personal storage during transitions.

Key provisions (what the bill would do)

Require the District agency responsible for foster care (e.g., Child and Family Services Agency or designated provider) to provide durable luggage, backpacks, or comparable personal storage containers to every child or youth who:

Enters foster care for the first time,
Moves between placements, or
Exits foster care (including emancipation/aging out).

Establish standards for the type, size, and condition of luggage (durability, privacy, and youth-appropriate considerations) or require the agency to adopt such standards by policy.

Prohibit the routine use of non-dignified containers (commonly cited: trash bags) for transporting youth belongings.

Require caseworkers and providers to document issuance of luggage and maintain an inventory or receipt acknowledging items provided to the youth.

Include provisions for training or guidance to caseworkers and foster providers on implementation, youth-centered practices, and culturally appropriate supports.

Require periodic reporting to the Council on implementation, including numbers served and any cost or operational impacts.

(Note: the bill text itself would specify exact definitions, standards, and reporting intervals. Those specifics are not included in the provided summary materials.)

Who is affected

Primary beneficiaries: children and youth in the District’s foster care system (including those entering, moving between, and aging out of care).

Responsible parties: the Child and Family Services Agency (or equivalent agency/providers), foster parents, group home operators, caseworkers, and contracted placement providers.

Fiscal/administrative impact: the agency may incur costs to purchase luggage, establish policies, provide training, and maintain documentation. Implementation could require budgetary adjustments or appropriations.

Implementation & Timeline

The bill was introduced on September 16, 2024.

Committee referral and activity: Referred to the Facilities and Family Services Committee (Oct 1, 2024); public hearing held (Nov 7, 2024); committee mark-up and report filed (Nov 18–20, 2024).

Council readings: First Reading (Nov 26, 2024); Final Reading (Dec 17, 2024), status listed as "Final Reading, CC."

Specific effective dates or mandated implementation timelines would be set in the bill text (not provided here).

Legislative history (key actions)

2024-09-16: Introduced by Councilmember Lewis George

2024-10-01: Referred to Facilities and Family Services Committee

2024-11-07: Public hearing

2024-11-18–20: Committee mark-up and report filed

2024-11-26: First Reading, Council

2024-12-17: Final Reading, Council

If you would like, I can produce a plain-language explainer for foster families and providers, or draft potential implementation steps the agency could take to comply with the bill.

Bill