[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 123 (Tuesday, September 21, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H8442-H8443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 STEWART B. MCKINNEY HOMELESS EDUCATION ASSISTANCE IMPROVEMENTS ACT OF 
                                  1999

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, being without a home should not mean being 
without an education. Yet, that is what homelessness has meant for far 
too many of our children and youth today; red tape, lack of 
information, and bureaucratic delays that result in their missing 
school and missing the chance at a better life.
  That is why I rise today to introduce the McKinney Homeless Education 
Assistance Improvements Act of 1999. This legislation reflects the best 
ideas of some of the most dedicated people throughout Illinois and 
nationwide: homeless advocates, educators and experts at the U.S. 
Department of Education.
  When we say the word ``student,'' what kind of individual do we 
envision? More than likely, the images of a youngster sitting at a 
desk, taking an exam, or sitting at the kitchen table doing his 
homework. What we do not imagine is a student who is homeless, living 
in a shelter or living in a car. Yet, an estimated 1 million children 
and youth will experience homelessness this year, a situation that has 
a devastating impact on their educational advancement.
  Congress recognized the importance of school to homeless children by 
establishing in 1987 the Stewart B. McKinney Education of Homeless 
Children and Youth Program. This program is designed to ensure that 
homeless children have the opportunity to enroll in and attend and 
succeed in school, and it has made a positive difference. Yet, today, 
more than 10 years after the passage of that important program, 
inadequacies in the Federal law inadvertently are acting as barriers to 
the education of homeless children.
  There is no better time for Congress to renew our commitment to 
homeless children. As the 106th Congress pushes to reauthorize our 
federal K through 12 education programs, we must act to ensure that all 
homeless children remain in school so that they acquire the skills 
needed to escape poverty and lead productive lives.
  This legislation will incorporate into federal law provisions and 
practices that remove the educational barriers faced by homeless youth. 
Several of these provisions are derived from the Illinois Education for 
Homeless Children State Act, which many consider to be a model for the 
rest of the Nation. This bill will ensure that a homeless child is 
immediately enrolled in school. Our bill helps to ensure that red tape 
does not make children miss school.
  The bill also allows homeless children to remain enrolled in the 
school they originally attended or to enroll in the one that is 
currently nearest to them. Homeless families move frequently because of 
limits on length of shelter stays, extended searches for affordable 
housing or employment, or to escape an abusive situation. It allows the 
States to select a liaison to provide resource information and resolve 
disputes relating to homelessness. Because many schools do not 
currently have a point of contact for homeless students, these children 
frequently go unseen and unserved.
  Finally, this bill strengthens the quality of local programs by 
making subgrants more competitive and by enhancing State and local 
coordination. This bill also strengthens the quality and collection of 
data on homeless students at the Federal level. This is particularly 
crucial as the lack of a uniform method of data collecting has resulted 
in unreliable national data and a likely underreporting of the numbers 
of homeless students.
  Mr. Speaker, Congress must take advantage of this window of 
opportunity to renew its commitment to helping provide homeless 
children with a quality education. I am a strong supporter of local 
control of education and believe the McKinney Homeless Education 
Improvements Act of 1999 meets this principle while making the best use 
of limited federal resources.
  Regrettably, homelessness is and will likely be for the immediate 
future a part of our society. However, being homeless should not limit 
a child's opportunity to learn.
  In closing, let me take a moment to thank Illinois State 
Representative Cowlishaw, as well as Sister Rose Marie Lorentzen and 
Diane Nilan and the Hesed House in Aurora, Illinois for bringing this 
issue to my attention and for their tireless work on behalf of the 
homeless. I also want to thank Barbara Duffield with the National 
Coalition for the Homeless for her help in putting together this bill; 
and the gentleman from California (Mr. Ose), the gentlewoman from New 
York, (Ms. Slaughter), and the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. 
Schakowsky), my friends and colleagues, for being original cosponsors.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to 
support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I insert the following letters for printing in the 
Record.

                                                    Maryland State


                                      Department of Education,

                                   Baltimore, MD, August 20, 1999.
     Hon. Judy Biggert,
     U.S. House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Biggert: I am writing to support your 
     efforts to strengthen the McKinney Education for Homeless 
     Children and Youth Act by amending it to include provisions 
     from the Illinois State Education for Homeless Children Act.
       In particular, the Illinois provisions relating to the 
     immediate enrollment of homeless children and youth, 
     clarification of responsibilities for transportation, and the 
     application of the Act to cover the entire duration 
     homelessness, would be of great benefit to homeless children 
     in Maryland. These issues still challenge our public schools 
     as they try to meet the educational needs of homeless 
     children and youth. A stronger federal law based on the 
     Illinois law would assist the efforts of schools, service 
     providers, and families in Maryland to ensure homeless 
     children and youth's access to and success in school.
       In Maryland, The State Board of Education will publish on 
     August 27, 1999 in the Maryland's Register, a set of 
     regulations to cover programs for Homeless children. These 
     regulations provide a standard that all school systems in 
     Maryland must follow.

[[Page H8443]]

       I thank you for your leadership on this critical issue. 
     Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any 
     questions or need more information.
           Sincerely,
                                                 Walter E. Varner,
      Specialist, Homeless Education and Neglected and Delinquent 
     Programs, State Coordinator for Homeless Education.
                                  ____



                                      Department of Education,

                                  Des Moines, IA, August 17, 1999.
     Hon. Judy Biggert,
     U.S. House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Biggert: I am writing to support your 
     efforts to strengthen the McKinney Education for Homeless 
     Children and Youth Act by amending it to include provisions 
     from the Illinois State Education for Homeless Children Act.
       In particular, the Illinois provisions relating to the 
     immediate enrollment of homeless children and youth, 
     clarification of responsibilities for transportation, and the 
     application of the Act to cover the entire duration 
     homelessness, would be of great benefit to homeless children 
     in Iowa. These issues still challenge our public schools as 
     they try to meet the educational needs of homeless children 
     and youth. A stronger federal law based on the Illinois law 
     would assist the efforts of schools, service providers, and 
     families in Iowa to ensure homeless children and youth's 
     access to and success in school.
       Presently, Iowa is experiencing just over twenty-six 
     thousand homeless individuals per year and 53% of those are 
     children. We do not have enough support under the McKinney 
     Act to assist all the communities wanting to improve services 
     for the homeless. We are now very busy trying to assist 
     schools to develop school improvement plans that address the 
     homeless. More and more needs are surfacing as we work on 
     this issue. We are trying to direct existing resources to 
     assist the homeless and also develop new resources.
       I thank you for your leadership on this critical issue. 
     Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any 
     questions or need for more information.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Dr. Roy Morley,
     Iowa Dept. of Education.
                                  ____



                                       Texas Homeless Network,

                                      Austin, TX, August 18, 1999.
     Hon. Judy Biggert,
     U.S. House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Biggert: I am writing to support your 
     efforts to strengthen the McKinney Education for Homeless 
     Children and Youth Act by amending it to include provisions 
     from the Illinois State Education for Homeless Children Act.
       Texas has significantly strengthened its state laws 
     regarding the enrollment of children in homeless situations, 
     but we believe there is still room for improvement. In 
     particular, the Illinois provisions relating to the immediate 
     enrollment of homeless children and youth, clarification of 
     responsibilities for transportation, and the application of 
     the Act to cover the entire duration homelessness, would be 
     of great benefit to homeless children in our state. These 
     issues still challenge a number of our public schools as they 
     try to meet the educational needs of homeless children and 
     youth. A stronger federal law based on the Illinois law would 
     assist the efforts of schools, service providers, and 
     families in Texas to ensure homeless children and youth's 
     access to and success in school.
       The Texas Homeless Network is actively involved in helping 
     local homeless service providers across the state form 
     active, effective coalitions that meet the needs of those 
     experiencing homelessness. In my work with both established 
     and forming coalitions, I have seen and heard reports that 
     homelessness is on the rise for families and unaccompanied 
     youth, in spite of Texas' robust economy. A recent estimate 
     by the Texas Office for the Education of Homeless Children 
     and Youth puts the number of school age children in homeless 
     situations at over 125,000 per year. A little over $2 million 
     in McKinney funds is available to assist these children, but 
     it is simply not enough.
       I thank you for your leadership on this critical issue and 
     applaud your efforts to assist children and families in the 
     most dire circumstances. Please do not hesitate to contact me 
     should you have any questions or need more information.
           Sincerely,
                                                       Kathy Reid,
     Executive Director.
                                  ____

                                         Coalition on Homelessness


                                          and Housing in Ohio,

                                    Columbus, OH, August 19, 1999.
     Hon. Judy Biggert,
     U.S. House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Biggert: I would like to take this 
     opportunity to voice support for your efforts to strengthen 
     the McKinney Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) 
     Act, by amending it to include provisions based upon the 
     Illinois State Education for Homeless Children Act. Homeless 
     children's access to education has significantly improved as 
     a result of the McKinney EHCY program, however, many 
     obstacles persist. Obstacles to the enrollment, attendance, 
     and success of homeless children in school still exist, 
     nearly twelve years after the EHCY Act was established.
       The provisions of the Illinois law relating to the 
     immediate enrollment of homeless children and youth, 
     clarification of responsibilities for transportation, and the 
     application of the Act to cover the entire duration of 
     homelessness, would be of great benefit to homeless children 
     in the State of Ohio.
       The aforementioned issues continue to challenge our public 
     schools, as they try to meet the educational needs of 
     homeless children and youth. A stronger EHCY Act built around 
     the Illinois law, would go a long way toward assisting the 
     efforts of schools, service providers, and families in Ohio 
     to ensure that homeless children and youth have access to a 
     quality education.
       In Ohio, as in most other states, children are by most 
     accounts the fastest growing segment of the homeless 
     population. The State Department of Education estimates that 
     in 1998, some 27,000 children in the twelve McKinney funded 
     districts experienced homelessness. The numbers for the non-
     McKinney funded school districts are just as staggering. It 
     is estimated that as many as 90,000 school-aged children in 
     these districts experienced homelessness in 1998. In the 
     coming years, these figures are likely to increase if 
     proactive steps are not taken now. This is why your efforts 
     to strengthen the Education for Homeless Children and Youth 
     Act are of the utmost importance. ``School is one of the few 
     stable, secure places in the lives of homeless children and 
     youth; a place where they can acquire the skills needed to 
     help them escape poverty.''
       Again, thank you for your leadership on this critical 
     issue. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have 
     any questions or require additional information.
           Respectfully,
                                                      Rick Taylor,
     Supportive Housing Director.

                          ____________________