[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 77 (Wednesday, May 26, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1101-E1102]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        MISSING, EXPLOITED, AND RUNAWAY CHILDREN PROTECTION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 25, 1999

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, as the chair of the 
Congressional Children's Caucus and a member of the National Missing 
and Exploited Children's Caucus, I rise to strongly support the 
Missing, Exploited, and Runaway Children Protection Act.
  In 1990, the Department of Justice reported that annually there are 
approximately: 114,600 attempted abductions of children by non-family 
members; 4,600 abductions by non-family members reported to police; 300 
abductions by non-family members where the children are gone for long 
periods of time or were murdered; 354,000 children abducted by family 
members; 450,700 children who ran away; and 127,100 children who were 
thrown away. These are children who are either told to leave their 
households, or abandoned or deserted.
  We must do something to protect these children. The average age of a 
homeless runaway was 15 years old. Of all runaways, 66% of the males 
and 33% of the females have been assaulted since being on the streets. 
At the same time, 47% of the females have been sexually assaulted while 
they were without shelter. To make matters worse, female runaways 
between 13 and 16 years old, have a 50% likelihood of being raped in 
the first 90 days on the street.
  And these children come from all sorts of neighborhoods. They are the 
children next door. Fifty-two percent of the youth come from families 
with at least some post high school education.
  Based upon a study by Project Youth between 1989 and 1994, most 
homeless youth come from backgrounds marked by instability, 
dysfunction, and most homeless adolescents have a diagnosable 
psychiatric disorder. Forty-three percent of the youth had attempted 
suicide at least once. Homeless adolescents, when they receive 
appropriate treatment, significantly improve, lead healthier and 
happier lives, and are likelier to get off the streets.
  This bill reauthorizes the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act and the 
Missing Children's Assistance Act through FY 2003, authorizing such 
sums as necessary for activities under those acts each year, and it 
amends the Missing Children's Assistance Act to authorize $10 million a 
year through FY 2003 for grants to support activities of the National 
Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

  Programs under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act have received a 
total appropriation of $59 million in FY 1999, while existing 
activities under the Missing Children's Assistance Act received a total 
of $17 million. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children 
has received federal grants for the past 14 years, with the FY 1999 
Commerce-Justice-State Appropriations Act earmarking $8 million for the 
center.
  The measure authorizes $10 million a year for grants to the National 
Center, with the funds to be used to operate the national resource 
center and its 24-hour toll-free telephone line; provide assistance to 
families and law enforcement agencies in locating and recovering 
missing and exploited children; coordinate public and private missing 
children programs; and provide technical assistance and training to law 
enforcement agencies and others in preventing, investigating, 
prosecuting and treating cases of missing and exploited children.
  The measure allows the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 
to establish a single consolidated application review process for 
funding requests under the law, but requires that funds be separately 
identified in all grants and contracts. As under current law, 90% of 
program funds would have to be used to establish and operate basic 
runaway centers and transitional living programs, with transitional 
living programs to receive between 20% and 30% of annual 
appropriations. Furthermore, this bill allows basic center grants to be 
used for drug education programs--which are crucial to making sure that 
children stay off the streets.
  The bill also recodifies much of the act to remove duplicative 
provisions and more clearly defines the types of services that may be 
provided under the programs. It also allows HHS, in awarding grants, to 
take into consideration the geographical distribution of proposed 
services and areas of a state that have the greatest needs, and then 
requires HHS to conduct on-site evaluations of grant recipients that 
have been awarded funds for three consecutive years--a good oversight 
provision. Furthermore, this bill requires HHS to report to Congress 
every two years on the status and activities of grant recipients, along 
with HHS evaluations of those grantees.
  S. 249 also authorizes such sums as necessary through FY 2003 for the 
Sexual Abuse Prevention Program, under which HHS is authorized to make 
grants to private nonprofit agencies for street-based outreach and 
education activities to runaway, homeless and street youth who are at 
risk of sexual abuse. Along those lines, the bill requires HHS to 
conduct a study on the relationship between sexual abuse and running 
away from home.
  Mr. Speaker, our purpose in passing this bill is to build awareness 
around the issue of missing children, find those who are currently 
missing and to prevent future abductions. By passing this legislation 
we will continue our efforts in identifying ways to work effectively in 
our districts to address this very important issue and stem future 
suffering amongst our families.

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