1.This Act may be cited as
the Runaway and Homeless Youth
Protection Act
.
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
$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)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
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.
.
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 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.
.
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 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)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)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.
.
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.National
homeless youth awareness campaignThe 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:
FNational homeless
youth awareness campaign
361.National
homeless youth awareness campaign
(a)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)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)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 accountabilityThe 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)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.
.
9.
(a)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)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
InformationSection 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
.
10.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:
386A.
(a)Establishment
of performance standardsNot 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)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 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 parts A, B, and
E.
.
11.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:
386B.
(a)Establishment
of appeal procedureNot 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)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).
.
12.
(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)(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)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.
.
13.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
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)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.
.