During the first quarter of 2026, states introduced and advanced legislation to improve support for children and youth experiencing homelessness.

One significant trend was continued state efforts to codify key educational protections aligned with the federal McKinney-Vento Act. Major wins this session included Oregon’s HB 4149 and Washington’s HB 2594. Similar bills were introduced in Connecticut, Hawaii, Minnesota, and Vermont, signaling growing momentum for state-level alignment with federal law.

A second trend was legislation to expand access to vital documents for youth experiencing homelessness. West Virginia’s SB 947, which removes barriers to obtaining birth certificates for unaccompanied youth, was enacted this session. Beyond West Virginia, bills addressing access to state IDs, birth certificates, and driver’s licenses were introduced or advanced in more than a dozen states, reflecting a broad, cross-regional push to address this critical gap.

The summary below highlights selected bills across early childhood, PreK-12 education, higher education, health care, vital documents, and related supports. For more information or to get involved in state advocacy, contact Rodd Monts, Director of State Policy.

Early Childhood, Family Stability, and Housing

• Hawaii (HB 2560): Would create a pilot program using TANF funds to provide short-term financial stabilization assistance to families of students experiencing homelessness, helping address urgent needs that threaten housing stability and school attendance. (Passed two House committees; deferred in House Finance)
• Maryland (HB 849): Would protect access to the Child Care Scholarship Program for certain families, including children who are homeless, by exempting them from enrollment freezes and prioritizing certain applicants on the waitlist. (Passed the House; pending in the Senate)
• Massachusetts (H.5090): Would require automatic referral for an early intervention assessment within 30 days for children ages 0 to 3 entering temporary emergency assistance shelters, domestic violence shelters, substance use and recovery shelters, or non-emergency assistance shelters, and require the department to adopt policies or regulations and remove procedural barriers to implementation. (Reported favorably by committee; referred to House Ways and Means.)
• Oklahoma (HB 3698): Would create the “Student Eviction Assistance Revolving Fund” to help school districts address chronic absenteeism linked to unstable housing. (Passed House committees; did not advance to final House passage)
• Rhode Island (H 7044): Would strengthen standards for homeless shelters, including shelters serving families, by addressing the support, activity, and school-related needs of resident children and youth. (Held for further study in the House Municipal Government & Housing Committee.)

Improving PreK-12 Outcomes

• California (AB 673): Would create a pilot grant program administered by the California Department of Education to award competitive grants to local educational agencies for temporary housing and related supports for unaccompanied homeless youth ages 16 and 17 who are not in foster care. (Passed the Assembly; in the Senate.)
• Connecticut (HB 5259): Would establish state-level educational protections for public school students experiencing homelessness aligned with the McKinney-Vento Act.  (Introduced)
• Hawaii (HB 2168): Would require the state Department of Education to establish a program to support students experiencing homelessness, including designation of a state coordinator and state navigator positions. (Passed the House; in the Senate.)
• Hawaii (HB 2427): Would codify key rights for unaccompanied homeless youth, including immediate enrollment, full participation in school activities, access to comparable educational services, and a student-centered, safety-first protocol for school enrollment and attendance. (Passed the House; in the Senate.)
• Illinois (HB 4521/SB 3260): Would provide $5M for the state Education of Homeless Children and Youth State Grant Program to support students at risk of or experiencing homelessness. (Introduced)
• Minnesota (HF3730/SF3870): Would establish state-level educational protections for public school students experiencing homelessness aligned with the McKinney-Vento Act. (Introduced)
• New Jersey (S2620/ A1197): Would require state financial support for transporting students experiencing homelessness to school. (Introduced)
• New York (A9048): Would add students experiencing homelessness into the extraordinary needs count for funding of school districts with eight or more teachers. (Introduced)
• Oregon (HB 4149): Establishes state-level educational protections for public school students experiencing homelessness aligned with the McKinney-Vento Act. (Enacted)
• Vermont (H.835): Would establish state-level educational protections for public school students experiencing homelessness aligned with the McKinney-Vento Act.  (Introduced)
• Virginia (HB 38): Requires teachers and other school personnel to complete specialized training to address the needs of youth who could experience mental health challenges, including youth experiencing homelessness. (Enacted)
• Washington (HB 2594): Establishes state-level educational protections for public school students experiencing homelessness aligned with the McKinney-Vento Act. (Enacted)

Improving Access to Vital Documents

• Maryland (HB 1353): Would waive fees for vital records and certain motor vehicle-related costs for homeless individuals, and shorten the waiting period before certain unaccompanied homeless youth may take examinations for a provisional driver’s license. (Introduced; hearing held in the House.)
• Massachusetts (H.3750): Would allow youth and adults experiencing homelessness, including youth experiencing homelessness on their own, to obtain a state identification card at no cost. (Introduced)
• Michigan (HB 5403): Would allow youth experiencing homelessness on their own to obtain a state ID at no cost, with the assistance of homeless liaisons, designated educators and youth service providers. (Introduced)
• Michigan (HB 5471): Would allow youth experiencing homelessness on their own to obtain a birth certificate at no cost, with the assistance of homeless liaisons, designated educators and youth service providers. (Introduced)
• Missouri (HB 2718): Would allow youth experiencing homelessness on their own to obtain state IDs, driver’s exams and driver’s licenses at no cost. (Introduced)
• Ohio (HB 472): Would allow individuals experiencing homelessness, including youth, to obtain a state identification card or birth certificate at no cost. (Passed in the House; in the Senate)
• Pennsylvania (HB 472): Would allow youth experiencing homelessness to obtain a driver’s license, learner’s permit, or state ID at no cost. (Passed in the House; in the Senate)
• Rhode Island (SB 2048): Would allow youth experiencing homelessness to obtain a state ID or birth certificate at no cost. (Introduced)
• South Carolina (SB 766): Would allow youth experiencing homelessness to obtain a state ID or birth certificate at no cost. (Introduced)
• Utah: (SB 103) Would allow individuals experiencing homelessness, including youth, to obtain a driver’s license at no cost. (Passed in the Senate. Session ended)
• Utah: (SB 224) Would allow public school homeless liaisons to obtain birth certificates for youth experiencing homelessness. (Passed in the Senate. Session ended)
• Vermont (H.657): Would allow youth experiencing homelessness on their own to obtain vital documents at no cost and consent to medical care, financial services, housing, and other essential supports. (Passed in the House; in the Senate)
• West Virginia (SB 947): Would allow youth experiencing homelessness who are under 18 to receive a copy of their birth certificate at no cost. (Enacted)

Supporting Homeless Students in Higher Education

• California
  •  SB 492 – Would fund the Youth Housing Program to support acquisition, renovation, and construction of housing and youth centers. (Passed in the Senate; In the Assembly)
  •  AB 2766 – Would require California Community Colleges to give campus housing priority and other support to youth experiencing homelessness and foster youth. (Introduced)
  • AB 2251 – Would require schools in the Cal Grant Program to develop and implement a cost of attendance policy and an adjustment process meeting federal standards. (Introduced)
• Maryland (HB 818): Would create fee waivers for housing, books, and academic supplies for youth experiencing homelessness and foster youth who qualify for a tuition exemption. (Introduced)
• Missouri (HB 2722): Would require each public institution of higher education to designate a homeless and foster student liaison in its financial aid office to help current and prospective students access financial aid and other assistance. (Passed House committee)
• Pennsylvania (HB 1748): Would create a pilot program to assist college students experiencing homelessness with access to housing (including during breaks), food, technology, storage, case management and other supportive resources. (Introduced)
• Washington (SB 5963): Modifies funding for the Passport to Careers Program and allows students eligible for the program, including unaccompanied homeless youth, to automatically qualify as income-eligible for the Washington College Grant. (Enacted)

Expanding Health Care Access

• Alaska (HB 232): Would allow an unaccompanied homeless minor to consent to medical, behavioral, mental health, and dental services with documentation that may be provided by a homeless school district liaison or other authorized professional, and would also allow minors age 16 and older to consent to certain outpatient behavioral and mental health treatment. (Advanced from committee; referred to House Rules.)
• Wisconsin (SB 70): Would grant youth experiencing homelessness on their own the ability to consent to health care. (Passed out of committee; stalled on Senate floor)

Increasing Access to Services

• Massachusetts (H. 290): Would allow minors at-risk or experiencing homelessness on their own to consent to supportive services. (Introduced)
• Vermont (H.657): Would allow youth experiencing homelessness on their own to  consent to medical care, financial services, housing, and other essential supports and to obtain vital documents at no cost. (Passed in the House)