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
.
Passed the Senate September 25 (legislative day, September
17), 2008.
Secretary.