[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2982 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2982

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 6, 2008

Mr. Leahy (for himself and Mr. Specter) introduced the following bill; 
  which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
       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 ``Runaway and Homeless Youth 
Protection Act''.

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) 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.''.

SEC. 3. BASIC CENTER PROGRAM.

    (a) Services Provided.--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 ``$100,000'' and inserting 
                ``$200,000'';
                    (B) by striking ``$45,000'' and inserting 
                ``$70,000''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following: ``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) 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 and inserting 
        ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(13) shall develop an adequate emergency preparedness and 
        management plan.''.

SEC. 4. TRANSITIONAL LIVING GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Eligibility.--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 ``indirectly'' and inserting ``by 
                contract''; and
                    (B) by striking ``services'' the first place it 
                appears and inserting ``provide, directly or 
                indirectly, 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 
        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, if otherwise qualified for the program, remain in 
        the program until the earlier of the youth's 18th birthday or 
        the 180th day after the end of the 635-day period;'';
            (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.''.

SEC. 5. GRANTS FOR 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), by 
                striking ``give special consideration to'' and 
                inserting ``prioritize'';
                    (B) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (9) as 
                paragraphs (3) through (10), respectively; and
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
            ``(2) positive youth development service delivery methods, 
        providing links to community services, promoting mental and 
        physical health development, enabling youth to obtain and 
        maintain housing after program completion, and developing self-
        sufficiency competencies;''
            (2) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) by inserting ``for eligibility and selection'' 
                after ``priority'';
                    (B) by striking ``shall give'' and inserting the 
                following: ``shall--''
            ``(A) give'';
                    (C) by striking the period and inserting ``; and''; 
                and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(B) ensure that the applicants selected--
                    ``(i) are geographically representative of regions 
                of the United States; and
                    ``(ii) carry out projects that serve diverse 
                populations of homeless youth.''.

SEC. 6. COORDINATING, TRAINING, RESEARCH, AND OTHER ACTIVITIES.

    Part 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:

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

    ``(a) Periodic Estimate.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
enactment of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Protection Act, and at 5-
year intervals thereafter, the Secretary shall prepare, and submit to 
the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro 
tempore of the Senate, a written report that--
            ``(1) contains an estimate, obtained by using the best 
        quantitative and qualitative social science research methods 
        available, of the incidence and prevalence of runaway and 
        homeless individuals who are not less than 13 years of age but 
        less than 26 years of age; and
            ``(2) includes with such estimate an assessment of the 
        characteristics of such individuals.
    ``(b) Content.--Each assessment 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 
        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) Implementation.--If the Secretary enters into any agreement 
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. 7. 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. 8. 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 runaway and homeless youth (including youth 
        considering running away); and
            ``(2) encouraging parents and guardians, educators, health 
        care professionals, social service professionals, law 
        enforcement officials, stakeholders, and other community 
        members to assist youth described in paragraph (1) in averting 
        or resolving runaway and homeless situations.
    ``(b) Use of Funds.--Amounts made available to carry out this 
section for the national awareness campaign may only be used for the 
following:
            ``(1) Dissemination of educational information and 
        materials through various media, including television, radio, 
        the Internet and related technologies, and emerging 
        technologies.
            ``(2) Evaluation of the effectiveness of the activities 
        described in paragraphs (1) and (5).
            ``(3) Development of partnerships with national 
        organizations concerned with youth homelessness, community-
        based youth service organizations, including faith-based 
        organizations, and Government organizations to carry out the 
        national awareness campaign.
            ``(4) Conducting outreach activities to stakeholders and 
        potential stakeholders in the national awareness campaign.
            ``(5) In accordance with applicable laws (including 
        regulations), development and placement in telecommunications 
        media (including the Internet and related technologies, and 
        emerging technologies) of public service announcements that 
        educate the public on--
                    ``(A) the issues facing runaway and homeless youth 
                (including youth considering running away); and
                    ``(B) the opportunities that adults have to assist 
                youth described in subparagraph (A).
    ``(c) Prohibitions.--None of the amounts made available to carry 
out this section may be obligated or expended for any of the following:
            ``(1) To fund public service time that supplants pro bono 
        public service time donated by national or local broadcasting 
        networks, advertising agencies, or production companies for the 
        national awareness campaign, or to fund activities that 
        supplant pro bono work for the national awareness campaign.
            ``(2) To carry out partisan political purposes, or express 
        advocacy in support of or opposition to any clearly identified 
        candidate, clearly identified ballot initiative, or clearly 
        identified legislative or regulatory proposal.
            ``(3) To fund advertising that features any elected 
        official, person seeking elected office, cabinet level 
        official, or other Federal employee employed pursuant to 
        section 213.3301 or 213.3302 of title 5, Code of Federal 
        Regulations (or any corresponding similar regulation or 
        ruling).
            ``(4) To fund advertising that does not contain a primary 
        message intended to educate the public on the issues and 
        opportunities described in subsection (b)(5).
            ``(5) To fund advertising that solicits contributions from 
        both public and private sources to support the national 
        awareness campaign.
    ``(d) Financial and Performance Accountability.--The Secretary 
shall cause to be performed--
            ``(1) audits and examinations of records, relating to the 
        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) audits 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) a summary of information about the national 
awareness campaign that describes--
            ``(1) the strategy of the national awareness campaign and 
        whether specific objectives of the campaign were accomplished;
            ``(2) steps taken to ensure that the national awareness 
        campaign operated in an effective and efficient manner 
        consistent with the overall strategy and focus of the national 
        awareness campaign; and
            ``(3) all grants or contracts entered into with a 
        corporation, partnership, or individual working on the national 
        awareness campaign.''.

SEC. 9. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

    (a) Reports.--Section 382(a) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5715(a)) is amended by striking ``, and E'' and inserting 
``, E, and F''.
    (b) Consolidated Review.--Section 385 of the Runaway and Homeless 
Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5731a) is amended by striking ``, and E'' and 
inserting ``, E, and F''.
    (c) Evaluation and Information.--Section 386(a) of the Runaway and 
Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5732(a)) is amended by striking ``, or 
E'' and inserting ``, E, or F''.

SEC. 10. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.

    Part G of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5714a et 
seq.), as redesignated by section 8, is amended by inserting after 
section 386 the following:

``SEC. 386A. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.

    ``(a) Establishment of Performance Standards.--Not later than 1 
year after the date of enactment of the Runaway and Homeless Youth 
Protection Act, the Secretary shall issue rules that specify 
performance standards for public and nonprofit private entities that 
receive grants under sections 311, 321, and 351.
    ``(b) Consultation.--The Secretary shall consult with 
representatives of public and nonprofit private entities 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 Standards.--The 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 parts A, B, and E.''.

SEC. 11. APPEALS.

    Part G of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5714a et 
seq.) as amended by section 10, is further amended by inserting after 
section 386A the following:

``SEC. 386B. APPEALS.

    ``(a) Establishment of Appeal Procedure.--Not later than 6 months 
after the date of enactment of the Runaway and Homeless Youth 
Protection Act, the Secretary shall establish by rule an appeal 
procedure to enable applicants to obtain timely reviews of the amounts 
of grants made, and the denials of grants requested, under this title.
    ``(b) Consultation.--The Secretary shall consult with 
representatives of public and nonprofit private entities 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 appeal procedure 
required by subsection (a).''.

SEC. 12. DEFINITIONS.

    (a) Homeless Youth.--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)(ii), by striking ``not less than 16 
        years of age'' and inserting ``not less than 16 years of age 
        and not more than 21 years of age, except that nothing in this 
        clause shall prevent a participant who enters the program 
        carried out under part B prior to reaching 22 years of age from 
        being eligible for the 635-day length of stay authorized by 
        section 322(a)(2); and''.
    (b) Runaway Youth.--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) Runaway youth.--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.''.

SEC. 13. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 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 ``parts E and F) $150,000,000 
                for fiscal year 2009''; and
                    (C) by striking ``2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008'' and 
                inserting ``2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013''; and
            (2) 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 ``$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 fiscal year 2009 and such sums 
        as may be necessary for fiscal years 2010, 2011, 2012, and 
        2013.''.
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