[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2955 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2955

 To amend the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act to ensure that recipients 
  of assistance under that Act provide services to sexual and gender 
minority youth in a manner that is culturally competent, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 1, 2013

 Ms. Moore (for herself and Mr. Pocan) introduced the following bill; 
   which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act to ensure that recipients 
  of assistance under that Act provide services to sexual and gender 
minority youth in a manner that is culturally competent, 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 Inclusion 
Act of 2013''.

SEC. 2. CULTURAL COMPETENCY OF SERVICE PROVIDERS.

    (a) Basic Centers.--Section 312(b) of the Runaway and Homeless 
Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5712(b)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (6) by inserting after ``cultural 
        minority'' the following: ``, persons who are in a minority 
        category related to sexual orientation or gender identity or 
        expression,'';
            (2) in paragraph (7) by inserting after ``services),'' the 
        following: ``including demographics on the sexual orientation 
        and gender identity or expression of the youth it serves,'';
            (3) in paragraph (12)(C)(ii) by striking ``and'' at the 
        end;
            (4) in paragraph (13) by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (5) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(14) shall serve youth in a manner that is culturally 
        competent.''.
    (b) Transitional Living Programs.--Section 322(a) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 5714-2(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (15) by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (16) by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(17) to serve youth in a manner that is culturally 
        competent.''.
    (c) Sexual Abuse Prevention Programs.--Section 351 of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 5714-41) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(c) Qualification Requirement.--To be eligible to receive grants 
under subsection (a), an applicant shall certify to the Secretary that 
the applicant has systems in place to ensure that the applicant 
provides services to all youth in a culturally competent manner.''.

SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL FINDING.

    (a) Finding.--Section 302 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 
U.S.C. 5701) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (5) by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) by redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph (7); and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following:
            ``(6) lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth 
        comprise an estimated 3 to 5 percent of the youth population of 
        the United States but such youth account for up to 40 percent 
        of the homeless youth population of the United States; and''.

SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL PURPOSES.

    Section 311(a)(2)(C) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 
U.S.C. 5711(a)(2)(C)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (iii) by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in clause (iv) by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting a semicolon; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(v) family assessment, intervention, and 
                        reunification services for families of sexual 
                        and gender minority youth; and
                            ``(vi) providing resources for families of 
                        sexual and gender minority youth who may be 
                        struggling with understanding or accepting the 
                        sexual orientation or gender identity or 
                        expression of the individual.''.

SEC. 5. REPORT REQUIREMENT.

    Section 345(a) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 
5714-25(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1) by striking ``and'' at the end; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) that includes data on the demographics of such 
        individuals, including whether such individuals are sexual and 
        gender minority youth; and
            ``(4) that does not disclose the identity of individual 
        runaway or homeless youth.''.

SEC. 6. INCLUSION OF NONDISCRIMINATION STATEMENT IN RUNAWAY AND 
              HOMELESS YOUTH ACT.

    Part F of title III of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 
U.S.C. 5714a et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 390. NONDISCRIMINATION.

    ``(a) In General.--No person in the United States shall, on the 
basis of actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, 
sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or disability, 
be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be 
subjected to discrimination under--
            ``(1) any program or activity funded in whole or in part 
        with funds made available under this title; or
            ``(2) any program or activity funded in whole or in part 
        with funds appropriated for grants, agreements, and other 
        assistance administered with funds made available under this 
        title.
    ``(b) Discrimination.--The authority of the Attorney General and 
the Office of Justice Programs to enforce this section shall be the 
same as it is under section 809 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3789d).
    ``(c) Limitation on Statutory Construction.--Nothing in this 
section may be construed, interpreted, or applied to supplant, 
displace, preempt, or otherwise diminish the responsibilities and 
liabilities under other State or Federal civil rights law, whether 
statutory or common.''.

SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.

    Section 387 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5732a) 
is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (5) through (8) as 
        paragraphs (9) through (12), respectively;
            (2) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (4) as 
        paragraphs (4) through (6), respectively;
            (3) by redesignating paragraph (1) as paragraph (2);
            (4) by inserting after ``In this title:'' the following:
            ``(1) Culturally competent.--The term `culturally 
        competent' means--
                    ``(A) having a defined set of values and principles 
                and demonstrate behaviors, attitudes, policies, and 
                structures that enable effective working relationships 
                with individuals of diverse backgrounds, including 
                sexual and gender minority youth; and
                    ``(B) having the demonstrated capacity to--
                            ``(i) value diversity;
                            ``(ii) conduct self-assessment;
                            ``(iii) manage the dynamics of difference;
                            ``(iv) acquire and institutionalize 
                        cultural knowledge; and
                            ``(v) adapt to diversity and cultural 
                        contexts of a community.'';
            (5) by inserting after paragraph (2) (as redesignated by 
        paragraph (3) of this section) the following:
            ``(3) Gender identity or expression.--The term `gender 
        identity or expression' means an individual's gender-related 
        identity, appearance, or behavior, whether or not that 
        identity, appearance, or behavior differs from that which is 
        traditionally associated with the individual's physiology or 
        assigned sex at birth.''; and
            (6) by inserting after paragraph (6) (as redesignated by 
        paragraph (2) of this section) the following:
            ``(7) Sexual and gender minority youth.--The term `sexual 
        and gender minority youth' means a runaway or homeless youth 
        covered under this Act who is in a minority category related to 
        sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.
            ``(8) Sexual orientation.--The term `sexual orientation' 
        means homosexuality, heterosexuality, or bisexuality.''.
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