1.This Act may be cited as the
Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act of
2008
.
2.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)by 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
a 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.
.
3.
(a)Section 311 of the Runaway and Homeless
Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5711) is amended—
(1)in subsection (a)(2)(B), by striking clause
(i) and inserting the following:
(i)safe and appropriate shelter provided for
not to exceed 21 days; and
;
and
(2)in subsection (b)(2)—
(A)by striking (2) The
and
inserting (2)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B),
the
;
(B)by striking $100,000
and
inserting $200,000
;
(C)by striking $45,000
and
inserting $70,000
; and
(D)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 allotted under paragraph (1) with respect to such
State for fiscal year 2008.
(C)Whenever the Secretary determines that any
part of the amount allotted under paragraph (1) to a State for a fiscal year
will not be obligated before the end of the fiscal year, the Secretary shall
reallot such part to the remaining States for obligation for the fiscal
year.
.
(b)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
and inserting ; and
; and
(3)by adding at the end the following:
(13)shall develop an adequate emergency
preparedness and management
plan.
.
4.Transitional living grant program
(a)Section 322(a) of the Runaway and Homeless
Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5714–2(a)) is amended—
(1)in paragraph (1)—
(A)by striking directly or
indirectly
and inserting by grant, agreement, or
contract
; and
(B)by striking services
the
first place it appears and inserting provide, by grant, agreement, or
contract, services,
;
(2)in paragraph (2), by striking a
continuous period not to exceed 540 days, except that
and all that
follows and inserting the following: a continuous period not to exceed
540 days, or in exceptional circumstances 635 days, except that a youth in a
program under this part who has not reached 18 years of age on the last day of
the 635-day period may, in exceptional circumstances and if otherwise qualified
for the program, remain in the program until the youth's 18th
birthday;
;
(3)in paragraph (14), by striking
and
at the end;
(4)in paragraph (15), by striking the period
and inserting ; and
; and
(5)by adding at the end the following:
(16)to develop an adequate emergency
preparedness and management
plan.
.
(b)Section 322(c) of the Runaway and Homeless
Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5714–2(c)) is amended by—
(1)striking part, the term
and
inserting the
following:
part—(1)the
term
;
(2)striking the period and inserting ;
and
; and
(3)adding at the end thereof the
following:
(2)the term ‘exceptional circumstances’ means
circumstances in which a youth would benefit to an unusual extent from
additional time in the
program.
.
5.Grants for research evaluation,
demonstration, and service projectsSection 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), by
striking special consideration
and inserting
priority
;
(B)in paragraph (8)—
(i)by striking to health
and
inserting to quality health
;
(ii)by striking mental health
care
and inserting behavioral health care
; and
(iii)by striking and
at the
end;
(C)in paragraph (9), by striking the period at
the end and inserting , including access to educational and workforce
programs to achieve outcomes such as decreasing secondary school dropout rates,
increasing rates of attaining a secondary school diploma or its recognized
equivalent, or increasing placement and retention in postsecondary education or
advanced workforce training programs; and
; and
(D)by adding at the end the following:
(10)providing programs, including innovative
programs, that assist youth in obtaining and maintaining safe and stable
housing, and which may include programs with supportive services that continue
after the youth complete the remainder of the
programs.
;
and
(2)by striking subsection (c) and inserting
the following:
(c)In selecting among applicants for grants
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall—
(1)give priority to applicants who have
experience working with runaway or homeless youth; and
(2)ensure that the applicants selected—
(A)represent diverse geographic regions of the
United States; and
(B)carry out projects that serve diverse
populations of runaway or homeless
youth.
.
6.Coordinating, training, research, and other
activitiesPart D of the
Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5714–21 et seq.) is amended by adding
at the end the following:
345.Periodic estimate of incidence and
prevalence of youth homelessness
(a)Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of the Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act of 2008, and at 5-year
intervals thereafter, the Secretary, in consultation 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 the
Judiciary of the Senate, and make available to the public, a report—
(1)by using the best quantitative and
qualitative social science research methods available, containing an estimate
of the incidence and prevalence of runaway and homeless individuals who are not
less than 13 years of age but are less than 26 years of age; and
(2)that includes with such estimate an
assessment of the characteristics of such individuals.
(b)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 not less than 13 years of age but are less than 26 years of
age, to determine past and current—
(A)socioeconomic characteristics of such
individuals; and
(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
(2)such other information as the Secretary
determines, in consultation with States, units of local government, and
national nongovernmental organizations concerned with homelessness, may be
useful.
(c)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.
.
7.Sexual abuse prevention
programSection 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
.
8.Part F of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act
(42 U.S.C. 5714a et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 386 the
following:
386A.
(a)Establishment of performance
standardsNot later than 1
year after the date of enactment of the Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act of
2008, the Secretary shall issue rules that specify performance standards for
public and nonprofit private entities and agencies that receive grants under
sections 311, 321, and 351.
(b)The Secretary shall consult with
representatives of public and nonprofit private entities and agencies that
receive grants under this title, including statewide and regional nonprofit
organizations (including 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).
(c)Implementation of performance
standardsThe Secretary shall
integrate the performance standards into the processes of the Department of
Health and Human Services for grantmaking, monitoring, and evaluation for
programs under sections 311, 321, and
351.
.
9.Government Accountability Office study and
report
(a)
(1)The Comptroller General of the United
States shall conduct a study, including making findings and recommendations,
relating to the processes for making grants under parts A, B, and E of the
Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5711 et seq., 5714–1 et seq.,
5714–41).
(2)In particular, the Comptroller General
shall study—
(A)the Secretary’s written responses to and
other communications with applicants who do not receive grants under part A, B,
or E of such Act, to determine if the information provided in the responses and
communications is conveyed clearly;
(B)the content and structure of the grant
application documents, and of other associated documents (including grant
announcements), to determine if the requirements of the applications and other
associated documents are presented and structured in a way that gives an
applicant a clear understanding of the information that the applicant must
provide in each portion of an application to successfully complete it, and a
clear understanding of the terminology used throughout the application and
other associated documents;
(C)the peer review process for applications
for the grants, including the selection of peer reviewers, the oversight of the
process by staff of the Department of Health and Human Services, and the extent
to which such staff make funding determinations based on the comments and
scores of the peer reviewers;
(D)the typical timeframe, and the process and
responsibilities of such staff, for responding to applicants for the grants,
and the efforts made by such staff to communicate with the applicants when
funding decisions or funding for the grants is delayed, such as when funding is
delayed due to funding of a program through appropriations made under a
continuing resolution; and
(E)the plans for implementation of, and the
implementation of, where practicable, the technical assistance and training
programs carried out under section 342 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act
(42 U.S.C. 5714–22), and the effect of such programs on the application process
for the grants.
(b)Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall prepare and submit to the
Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate a report containing the findings and
recommendations resulting from the study.
10.
(a)Section 387(3) of the
Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5732a(3)) is amended—
(1)in the matter preceding subparagraph (A),
by striking The
and all that follows through
means
and inserting The term homeless, used
with respect to a youth, means
; and
(2)in subparagraph (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 is less than a higher maximum
age if the State where the center is located has an applicable State or local
law (including a 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)not less than 22 years of age, as of the
expiration of the maximum period of stay permitted under section 322(a)(2) if
such individual commences such stay before reaching 22 years of
age;
.
(b)Section 387 of the Runaway and Homeless
Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5732a) is amended—
(1)by redesignating paragraphs (4), (5), (6),
and (7) as paragraphs (5), (6), (7), and (8), respectively; and
(2)by inserting after paragraph (3) the
following:
(4)The term runaway, used with
respect to a youth, means an individual who is less than 18 years of age and
who absents himself or herself from home or a place of legal residence without
the permission of a parent or legal
guardian.
.
11.Authorization of
appropriationsSection 388(a)
of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5751(a)) is amended—
(1)in paragraph (1)—
(A)by striking is authorized
and inserting are authorized
;
(B)by striking part E) $105,000,000 for
fiscal year 2004
and inserting section 345 and part E)
$140,000,000 for fiscal year 2009
; and
(C)by striking 2005, 2006, 2007, and
2008
and inserting 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013
;
(2)in paragraph (3)—
(A)by striking In
and inserting
the following:
(A)In
;
(B)by inserting (other than section
345)
before the period; and
(C)by adding at the end the following:
(B)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.
;
and
(3)in paragraph (4)—
(A)by striking is authorized
and inserting are authorized
; and
(B)by striking such sums as may be
necessary for fiscal years 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008
and
inserting $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2009 and such sums as may be
necessary for fiscal years 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013
.
Speaker of the House of Representatives
Vice President of the United States and President of the
Senate