[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5524 Engrossed in House (EH)]

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5524

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
       To amend the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act to authorize 
                appropriations, 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 ``Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act of 
2008''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Section 302 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5701) 
is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (3), (4), and (5) as 
        paragraphs (4), (5), and (6), respectively, and
            (2) inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
            ``(3) services to such young people should be developed and 
        provided using a positive youth development approach that 
        ensures the young person a sense of--
                    ``(A) safety and structure;
                    ``(B) belonging and membership;
                    ``(C) self-worth and social contribution;
                    ``(D) independence and control over one's life; and
                    ``(E) closeness in interpersonal relationships;''.

SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR CENTERS AND SERVICES.

    Section 311 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5711) 
is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(2)(B)(i) by inserting before the 
        semicolon the following:
                        ``provided for a continuous period not to 
                        exceed 15 days, except that such shelter may be 
                        provided for a continuous period not to exceed 
                        21 days if the State where the center is 
                        located has an applicable State or local law or 
                        regulation that permits a length of stay in 
                        excess of such 15 days in compliance with 
                        licensure requirements for child and youth 
                        serving facilities'',
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) by striking ``The'' and inserting ``(A) 
                        Except as provided in subparagraph (B) and to 
                        the extent that sufficient funds are available, 
                        the'',
                            (ii) by striking ``$100,000'' and inserting 
                        ``$150,000'',
                            (iii) by striking ``$45,000'' and inserting 
                        ``$70,000'', and
                            (iv) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(B) For fiscal years 2009 and 2010, the amount allotted 
        under paragraph (1) with respect to a State for a fiscal year 
        shall be not less than the amount alotted with respect to such 
        State for fiscal year 2008.'',
                    (B) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph 
                (4), and
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
            ``(3) Whenever the Secretary determines that any part of 
        the amount allotted under paragraph (1) with respect to a State 
        will not be obligated before the end of the fiscal year, the 
        Secretary shall reallot such part under paragraph (1) with 
        respect to the remaining States for obligation for such fiscal 
        year.''.

SEC. 4. BASIC CENTER GRANT PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY.

    Section 312(b) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 
5712(b)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (11) by striking ``and'' at the end,
            (2) in paragraph (12) by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and'', and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(13) shall develop an adequate emergency preparedness and 
        management plan.''.

SEC. 5. TRANSITIONAL LIVING GRANT PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY.

    Section 322(a) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 
2714-2(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) by striking ``indirectly'' the 1st place it 
                appears and inserting ``by contract'', and
                    (B) by striking ``and services'' and inserting ``, 
                and to provide, directly or indirectly, services'',
            (2) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) by striking ``except that a youth'' and 
                inserting the following:
        ``except that in the case of--
                            ``(i) a youth'',
                    (B) by inserting ``such youth may'' after 
                ``program,'', and
                    (C) by striking ``period;'' and inserting the 
                following:
                        ``period; and
                            ``(ii) a program that is located in a State 
                        that has an applicable State or local law or 
                        regulation that permits a length of stay in 
                        excess of such 540-day period in compliance 
                        with licensure requirements for child and youth 
                        serving facilities, a youth may remain in such 
                        program throughout a continuous period not to 
                        exceed 635 days;'',
            (3) in paragraph (14) by striking ``and'' at the end,
            (4) in paragraph (15) by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and'', and
            (5) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(16) to develop an adequate emergency preparedness and 
        management plan.''.

SEC. 6. RESEARCH, EVALUATION, DEMONSTRATION, AND SERVICE PROJECTS.

    Section 343 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5714-
23)) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)--
                            (i) by striking ``special consideration'' 
                        and inserting ``priority'', and
                            (ii) by striking ``relating to'' and 
                        inserting ``focused on'',
                    (B) in paragraph (8)--
                            (i) by inserting ``quality'' after ``access 
                        to'',
                            (ii) by striking ``mental'' and inserting 
                        ``behavioral'', and
                            (iii) by striking ``and'' at the end,
                    (C) in paragraph (9) by striking the period at the 
                end and inserting the following:
        ``, including educational and workforce programs with outcomes 
        such as decreasing the secondary school drop-out rate, 
        increasing diploma or equivalent attainment rates, or 
        increasing placement and retention in postsecondary education 
        or advanced workforce training; or'', and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(10) programs, including innovative programs, that assist 
        youth in obtaining and maintaining safe and stable housing, and 
        may include programs with supportive services that continue 
        after program completion.'', and
            (2) by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:
    ``(c) In selecting among applicants for grants under subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall--
            ``(1) give priority to applicants who have experience 
        working with runaway youth or homeless youth; and
            ``(2) ensure that the applicants selected--
                    ``(A) are geographically representative of 
                different regions of the United States; and
                    ``(B) carry out projects that serve diverse 
                populations of runaway or homeless youth.''.

SEC. 7. ESTIMATE OF INCIDENCE AND PREVALENCE OF YOUTH HOMELESSNESS.

    Part D of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5714-21-
5714-24) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 345. PERIODIC ESTIMATE OF INCIDENCE AND PREVALENCE OF YOUTH 
              HOMELESSNESS.

    ``(a) Periodic Estimate.--Not later than 2 years after the 
effective date of this section, and at 5-year intervals thereafter, the 
Secretary, in coordination with the United States Interagency Council 
on Homelessness, shall prepare and submit to the Committee on Education 
and Labor of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Judiciary of the Senate, and make public, a report--
            ``(1) by using the best quantitative and qualitative social 
        science research method available, containing an estimate of 
        the incidence and prevalence of runaway and homeless 
        individuals who are less than 26 years of age and not less than 
        13 years of age; and
            ``(2) that includes with such estimate an assessment of the 
        characteristics of such individuals.
    ``(b) Content.--The report required by subsection (a) shall 
include--
            ``(1) the results of conducting a survey of, and direct 
        interviews with, a representative sample of runaway and 
        homeless individuals who are less than 26 years of age and not 
        less than 13 years of age, to determine past and current--
                    ``(A) socioeconomic characteristics of such 
                individuals;
                    ``(B) barriers to such individuals obtaining--
                            ``(i) safe, quality, and affordable 
                        housing;
                            ``(ii) comprehensive and affordable health 
                        insurance and health services; and
                            ``(iii) incomes, public benefits, 
                        supportive services, and connections to caring 
                        adults; and
                    ``(C) such other information that the Secretary 
                determines, in consultation with States, units of local 
                government, and national nongovernmental organizations 
                concerned with homelessness, may be useful.
    ``(c) Implementation.--If the Secretary enters into any contract 
with a non-Federal entity for purposes of carrying out subsection (a), 
such entity shall be a nongovernmental organization, or an individual, 
determined by the Secretary to have appropriate expertise in 
quantitative and qualitative social science research.''.

SEC. 8. SEXUAL ABUSE PREVENTION PROGRAM.

    Section 351(b) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 
5714-41(b)) is amended by inserting ``public and'' after ``priority 
to''.

SEC. 9. NATIONAL HOMELESS YOUTH AWARENESS CAMPAIGN.

    The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5701 et seq.) is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating part F as part G, and
            (2) by inserting after part E the following:

          ``PART F--NATIONAL HOMELESS YOUTH AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

``SEC. 361. NATIONAL HOMELESS YOUTH AWARENESS CAMPAIGN.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall, directly or through grants 
or contracts, conduct a national homeless youth awareness campaign 
(referred to in this section as the `national awareness campaign') in 
accordance with this section for purposes of--
            ``(1) increasing awareness of individuals of all ages, 
        socioeconomic backgrounds, and geographic locations, of the 
        issues facing runway and homeless youth, the resources 
        available for these youth, and the tools available for the 
        prevention of youth runaway and homeless situations; and
            ``(2) encouraging parents, guardians, educators, health 
        care professionals, social service professionals, law 
        enforcement officials, and other community members to seek to 
        prevent runaway youth and youth homelessness by assisting youth 
        in averting or resolving runaway and homeless situations.
    ``(b) Use of Funds.--Funds made available to carry out this section 
for the national awareness campaign may be used only for the following:
            ``(1) The dissemination of educational information and 
        materials through various media, including television, radio, 
        the Internet and related technologies, and emerging 
        technologies.
            ``(2) Partnerships, including outreach activities, with 
        national organizations concerned with youth homelessness, 
        community-based youth service organizations (including faith-
        based organizations), and government organizations related to 
        the national awareness campaign.
            ``(3) In accordance with applicable laws and regulations, 
        the development and placement of public service announcements 
        in telecommunications media, including the Internet and related 
        technologies and emerging technologies, that educate the public 
        on the issues facing runaway and homeless youth (or youth 
        considering running away) and on the opportunities that adults 
        have to assist such youth.
            ``(4) Evaluation of the effectiveness of the national 
        awareness campaign.
    ``(c) Prohibitions.--None of the funds made available under 
subsection (b) may be obligated or expended for any of the following:
            ``(1) To supplant pro bono public service time donated by 
        national or local broadcasting networks, advertising agencies, 
        production companies, or other pro bono work for the national 
        awareness campaign.
            ``(2) For partisan political purposes, or express advocacy 
        in support of or to defeat any clearly identified candidate, 
        clearly identified ballot initiative, or clearly identified 
        legislative or regulatory proposal.
            ``(3) To fund advertising that features any elected 
        officials, persons seeking elected office, cabinet level 
        officials, or other Federal employees employed in positions in 
        schedule C of part 213 of title 5 of the Code of Federal 
        Regulations (January 1, 2008), as amended from time to time.
            ``(4) To fund advertising that does not contain a primary 
        message intended to educate the public on the issues facing 
        runaway and homeless youth (or youth considering running away) 
        or on the opportunities for adults to help such youth.
            ``(5) To fund advertising that solicits contributions to 
        support the national awareness campaign.
    ``(d) Financial and Performance Accountability.--The Secretary 
shall perform--
            ``(1) audits and reviews of costs of the national awareness 
        campaign pursuant to section 304C of the Federal Property and 
        Administrative Services Act of 1949 (41 U.S.C. 254d); and
            ``(2) an audit to determine whether the costs of the 
        national awareness campaign are allowable under section 306 of 
        such Act (41 U.S.C. 256).
    ``(e) Report.--The Secretary shall include in each report submitted 
under section 382 a summary of the national awareness campaign that 
describes--
            ``(1) the activities undertaken by the national awareness 
        campaign;
            ``(2) steps taken to ensure that the national awareness 
        campaign operates in an effective and efficient manner 
        consistent with the overall strategy and focus of the national 
        awareness campaign; and
            ``(3) each grant made to, or contract entered into with, a 
        particular corporation, partnership, or individual working on 
        the national awareness campaign.''.

SEC. 10. DEFINITIONS.

    Section 387 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5732a) 
is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (3)(A)--
                    (A) in clause (i)--
                            (i) by striking ``not more than'' each 
                        place it appears and inserting ``less than'', 
                        and
                            (ii) by inserting after ``age'' the last 
                        place it appears the following:
                        ``, or until attaining a higher maximum age if 
                        the State where the center is located has an 
                        applicable State or local law or regulation 
                        that permits such higher maximum age in 
                        compliance with licensure requirements for 
                        child and youth serving facilities'', and
                    (B) in clause (ii) by striking ``age;'' and 
                inserting the following:
                        ``age and either--
                                    ``(I) less than 22 years of age; or
                                    ``(II) an age exceeding 22 years of 
                                age as of the expiration of the maximum 
                                period of stay permitted under section 
                                322(a)(2)(ii) if such individual 
                                commences such stay before attaining 22 
                                years of age;'', and
            (2) by redesignating paragraphs (4) through (7) as 
        paragraphs (5) through (8), respectively.

SEC. 11. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 388(a) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 
5751(a)) is amended--
            (1) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
            ``(1) Authorization.--There are authorized to be 
        appropriated to carry out this title (other than parts E and F, 
        and section 345) $150,000,000 for fiscal year 2009 and such 
        sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2010, 2011, 2012, and 
        2013.'',
            (2) by amending paragraph (4) to read as follows:
            ``(4) Part e.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
        carry out part E $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2009 and such sums 
        as may be necessary for fiscal years 2010, 2011, 2012, and 
        2013.'', and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(5) Part f.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
        carry out part F $3,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2009, 
        2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013.
            ``(6) Section 345.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
        to carry out section 345 such sums as may be necessary for 
        fiscal years 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013.''.

SEC. 12. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.

    The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5701 et seq.) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 390. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.

    ``(a) Establishment of Performance Standards.--Not later than 1 
year after the effective date of this section, the Secretary shall 
establish by rule performance standards applicable to public and 
nonprofit private entities and agencies that receive grants under 
sections 311, 321, and 351.
    ``(b) Implementation of Performance Standards.--The Secretary shall 
integrate performance standards established under subsection (a) into 
the Secretary's processes for grant-making, monitoring, and evaluation 
for programs under sections 311, 321, and 351.
    ``(c) Consultation.--The Secretary shall consult with 
representatives of public and private entities and agencies that 
receive grants under this title, statewide and regional nonprofit 
organizations (and combinations of such organizations) that receive 
grants under this title, and national nonprofit organizations concerned 
with youth homelessness in developing the performance standards 
required by subsection (a).
    ``(d) Public Comment.--The Secretary shall provide an opportunity 
for public comment concerning the establishment of the performance 
standards required by subsection (a) before issuing rules to establish 
such standards, and shall maintain an official record of such public 
comment.''.

SEC. 13. GAO STUDY AND REPORT.

    (a) Study.--The Comptroller General shall conduct a study of, and 
make findings and recommendations relating to, the process for making 
grants under parts A, B, and E of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, 
with respect to--
            (1) the written responses made by the Secretary of Health 
        and Human Services to (and any other methods for communicating 
        with) grant applicants who are do not receive a grant under 
        part A, B, or E of such Act, to determine if the information 
        provided in such responses to such applicants is conveyed 
        clearly,
            (2) the structure of the grant application and associated 
        documents (including announcements that grants are available 
        under such parts), to determine if such application is 
        structured so that the applicant has a clear understanding of 
        what is required in each provision to successfully complete the 
        application, including a clear explanation of terminology 
        required to be used by the applicant throughout the document,
            (3) the peer review process (if any) used to review grant 
        applications (including the selection of peer reviewers) and 
        the oversight of the peer review process by employees of the 
        Department of Health and Human Services, as well as the extent 
        to which such employees make funding determinations based on 
        the comments and scores of the individuals who perform peer 
        reviews,
            (4) the typical time frame and the process used by such 
        employees, including employee responsibilities, for responding 
        to applicants and the efforts taken to communicate with 
        applicants when there is a delay of decisions on applications 
        or when funds to carry out this title are not appropriated 
        before the beginning of the then current fiscal year, and
            (5) the plans for and implementation of, where practicable, 
        the new training and technical assistance programs and their 
        effect on the grant application process.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit a report to the 
Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Judiciary of the Senate, containing a summary of the 
results of the study conducted under subsection (a), together with the 
findings and recommendations made by the Comptroller General based on 
such results.

            Passed the House of Representatives June 9, 2008.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.
110th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 5524

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

       To amend the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act to authorize 
                appropriations, and for other purposes.