[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 835 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 835

 Recognizing and supporting the goals and ideals of a National Runaway 
                           Prevention Month.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 2, 2021

 Mr. Yarmuth (for himself, Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Bacon, 
 and Mr. Young) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
                to the Committee on Oversight and Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing and supporting the goals and ideals of a National Runaway 
                           Prevention Month.

Whereas results from the Voices of Youth Count national survey, as published by 
        Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago in ``Missed Opportunities: 
        Youth Homelessness in America'', indicates that an estimated 4,200,000 
        youth and young adults between 13 and 24 years of age experienced 
        homelessness during a 12-month period ending in 2017, including--

    (1) an estimated 700,000 children between 13 and 17 years of age who 
experienced unaccompanied homelessness; and

    (2) an estimated 3,500,000 young adults between 18 and 24 years of age;

Whereas the rates of youth experiencing homelessness are similar in rural and 
        nonrural areas;
Whereas runaway youth often have been expelled from their homes by their 
        families, have experienced abuse and trauma, are involved in the foster 
        care system, lack of resources to secure their own basic needs, and may 
        be ineligible or unable to access medical or mental health resources;
Whereas individuals without a high school degree or general educational 
        development certificate are nearly 4 times more likely to report 
        homelessness than their peers, making lack of education a leading risk 
        factor for homelessness;
Whereas youth of color and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or 
        questioning (LGBTQ) youth experience higher rates of homelessness than 
        their straight and White peers;
Whereas pregnant youth, parents who are 25 years of age or younger, and their 
        children experience higher rates of homelessness than youth and young 
        adults without children;
Whereas runaway and homeless youth are at an increased risk for exploitation and 
        becoming victims of sex and labor trafficking, and between 19 percent 
        and 49 percent of young people who experience homelessness will become 
        victims of trafficking;
Whereas youth who run away from home or from foster care are at increased risk 
        of encountering the police and the court system due to laws that make 
        actions necessary for survival while homeless, illegal;
Whereas preventing youth from running away from home or from foster care and 
        supporting youth in high-risk situations is a family, community, and 
        national responsibility;
Whereas the future well-being of the Nation is dependent on the value placed on 
        youth and the resources provided for under-resourced youth to acquire 
        the knowledge, skills, and opportunities necessary to help youth 
        successfully develop into safe, healthy, and productive adults;
Whereas COVID-19 in the United States, which was declared a national emergency 
        under the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), has had a 
        disproportionate effect on youth experiencing homelessness;
Whereas effective programs supporting runaway youth and assisting youth and 
        their families in providing safe and stable homes succeed because of 
        partnerships created among families, youth-based advocacy organizations, 
        community-based human service agencies, law enforcement, schools, faith-
        based organizations, and businesses; and
Whereas the National Runaway Safeline and the National Network for Youth are 
        leading the promotion of National Runaway Prevention Month in November 
        2021--

    (1) to raise awareness of the runaway and homeless youth crisis and the 
issues these young people face;

    (2) to educate the public about solutions and the role they can play in 
ending youth homelessness; and

    (3) to bring together a broad range of stakeholders to tackle the 
crisis of youth homelessness: Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes and supports 
the goals and ideals of a National Runaway Prevention Month.
                                 <all>