HR10943Referred to Committee

Counsel for Kids Act of 2026

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Introduced
In Committee
3
Passed One Chamber
4
Passed Both
5
Signed into Law
119th
Congress
2026-10-29
Introduced
0
Cosponsors
HR
ⓘ
Type

Sponsor

Hillary J. Scholten
Hillary J. Scholten
Democrat · MI · Representative
Votes with party: 93.6% (644 recorded votes)

Full profile: /officials/S001221

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

Cosponsors (0)

Members who have signed on to support this bill since introduction. Source: Congress.gov.

No cosponsors on record. Bills can pass without cosponsors — this often means the sponsor introduced the bill alone, either because it's a messaging bill, a chairman's mark, or simply early in the legislative cycle.

Latest Action

The most recent step in the bill's legislative path. Committee Activity below shows referrals and reports; the full action-by-action history including floor proceedings lives at Congress.gov →

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

2026-10-29

Source: Congress.gov

Committee Activity

Currently in

Plain-English Summary

Plain-English summary pending. Introduced on 2026-10-29. Check back soon — summaries are generated as bills progress through Congress.

Full Bill Text

Verbatim text published on Congress.gov via GovInfo. Use Cmd+F / Ctrl+F to search within this excerpt.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 10943 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 10943 To amend the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide counsel for unaccompanied alien children in immigration proceedings, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 29, 2026 Ms. Scholten introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide counsel for unaccompanied alien children in immigration proceedings, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Counsel for Kids Act of 2026''. SEC. 2. PROVISION OF COUNSEL FOR UNACCOMPANIED ALIEN CHILDREN. Section 235(c) of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (8 U.S.C. 1232) is amended by amending paragraph (5) to read as follows: ``(5) The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall-- ``(A) ensure that all unaccompanied alien children who are or have been in the custody of the Secretary or the Secretary of Homeland Security, and who are not described in subsection (a)(2)(A), are provided in- person legal counsel in all immigration proceedings by an independent third party at no cost to such children; and ``(B) protect all unaccompanied alien children who are or have been in the custody of the Secretary or the Secretary of Homeland Security from mistreatment, exploitation, and trafficking.''. SEC. 3. RIGHT TO COUNSEL DURING IMMIGRATION PROCEEDINGS. The Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) is amended-- (1) in section 240(b)(4)(A), by striking ``, at no expense to the Government,''; and (2) in section 292, by striking ``(at no expense to the Government)''. <all>
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