[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 125 (Wednesday, October 6, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H8326-H8328]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SUPPORTING EFFORTS TO PROMOTE AWARENESS OF EFFECTIVE RUNAWAY YOUTH 
                          PREVENTION PROGRAMS

  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 805) supporting efforts to promote greater public 
awareness of effective runaway youth prevention programs and the need 
for safe and productive alternatives, resources, and supports for youth 
in high-risk situations.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 805

       Whereas preventing young people from running away and 
     supporting youth in high-risk situations is a family, 
     community, and national concern;
       Whereas the prevalence of runaway and homeless youth in the 
     Nation is staggering, with studies suggesting that between 
     1,600,000 and 2,800,000 young people live on the streets of 
     the United States each year;
       Whereas running away from home is widespread, with 1 out of 
     every 7 children in the United States running away before the 
     age of 18;
       Whereas youth that end up on the streets are often those 
     who have been ``thrown out'' of their homes by their 
     families; who have been physically, sexually, or emotionally 
     abused at home; who have been discharged by State custodial 
     systems without adequate transition plans; who have lost 
     their parents through death or divorce; and who are too poor 
     to secure their own basic needs;
       Whereas the celebration of National Runaway Prevention 
     Month will encourage all sectors of society to develop 
     community-based solutions to prevent runaway and homeless 
     episodes among the Nation's youth;
       Whereas effective programs that support runaway youth and 
     assist young people in remaining at home succeed because of 
     partnerships created among families, community-based human 
     service agencies, law enforcement agencies, schools, faith-
     based organizations, and businesses;
       Whereas the future well-being of the Nation is dependent on 
     the value placed on young people and the opportunities 
     provided for youth to acquire the knowledge, skills, and 
     abilities necessary to develop into safe, healthy, and 
     productive adults;
       Whereas Congress supports an array of community-based 
     support services that address the critical needs of runaway 
     and homeless youth, including street outreach, emergency 
     shelters, and transitional living programs;
       Whereas Congress supports programs that provide crisis 
     intervention and referrals to reconnect runaway youth to 
     their families and to link young people to local resources 
     that provide positive alternatives to running away; and
       Whereas the purpose of National Runaway Prevention Month in 
     November 2004 is to increase public awareness of the life 
     circumstances of youth in high-risk situations and the need 
     for safe and productive alternatives, resources, and supports 
     for youth, their families, and their communities: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved,  That the House of Representatives supports 
     efforts to promote greater public awareness of effective 
     runaway youth prevention programs and the need for safe and 
     productive alternatives, resources, and supports for youth in 
     high-risk situations.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Nevada (Mr. Porter) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Porter).


                             General Leave

  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on 
H. Res. 805.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Nevada?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in support of H. Res. 805 which seeks to promote greater 
public awareness of effective runaway youth prevention programs and the 
need for safe and productive alternatives, resources and supports for 
youth in high-risk situations. I would like to thank the leadership for 
allowing this resolution to come to the House floor as it highlights a 
very tragic and important issue.
  Runaway and thrownaway episodes among our Nation's youth are serious 
and widespread, with one out of every seven children and youth in the 
United States running away or being turned

[[Page H8327]]

out of the home before the age of 18. A recent study by the Federal 
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention estimates that 
nearly 1.7 million youth experienced a runaway or thrownaway episode in 
a single year. The prevalence of runaway and homeless youth in the 
Nation is astounding, with studies suggesting that between 1.6 million 
and 2.8 million young people live on the streets of the United States 
each year. The primary factors of running away or being thrown away are 
severe family conflict, abuse and neglect, and parental abuse of 
alcohol and drugs.
  In the district that I represent in southern Nevada, the statistics 
are similar. In the year 2003, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police 
Department reported 4,527 runaways. There were approximately 3,500 
children who required emergency shelter. 1,800 of these children were 
placed in foster care. In addition to that, the Clark County School 
District reported that 3,011 of our students were homeless. These 
astonishing statistics highlight the need for our support of those 
important programs that seek to prevent these types of incidents.
  Many of the conditions that lead young people to leave or be turned 
out of their homes are preventable through interventions that can 
strengthen families and support youth in high-risk situations. 
Successful interventions are grounded in partnerships among families, 
community-based human service agencies, law enforcement agencies, 
schools, faith-based organizations and businesses.
  The National Network For Youth and the National Runaway Switchboard 
have collaborated since 2002 in cosponsoring National Runaway 
Prevention Month during the month of November. National Runaway 
Prevention Month is a public education initiative aimed at increasing 
the awareness of issues facing runaways as well as making the public 
aware of the role they play in preventing youth from running away. As a 
result of this collaboration, communities across the country have 
undertaken a range of activities to commemorate National Runaway 
Prevention Month.
  Preventing young people from running away and supporting youth in 
high-risk situations is a family, community and national concern. 
Please join us in encouraging all Americans to play a role in 
supporting the millions of young people who have run away and who are 
at risk of doing so each year. H.R. 805 supports efforts to promote 
greater public awareness of effective runaway youth prevention programs 
and the need for safe and productive alternatives, resources and 
supports for youth in high-risk situations.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution. H. Res. 805 
promotes the need for greater public awareness of effective runaway 
youth prevention programs and the increasing need for safe and 
productive alternatives, resources and supports for youth in high-risk 
situations.
  Mr. Speaker, let me first applaud the hard work of the front line 
workers who are on the ground working with runaway and homeless youth 
every day. For many youth, these workers represent the only responsible 
and caring adults they will have contact with during their time on the 
streets. Many of these workers are volunteers who make themselves 
available 24 hours a day. They venture into dangerous situations, 
providing a lifeline to these young people. They should be acknowledged 
for their efforts.
  Mr. Speaker, the youth who come to these programs represent a lost 
generation. Most of them are not runaways. They have been thrown away, 
thrown away by their parents and by society. When they come to these 
programs, they do so out of a need for security, shelter and comfort 
they cannot find at home. These programs provide that comfort. They 
provide basic life skills, training, job preparation and placement, 
health referrals and services.
  As of this fall, youth who visit these programs will be automatically 
eligible for school nutrition programs and will be able to receive 
meals and snacks through shelter programs. The reauthorization of child 
nutrition programs enacted this summer made this possible and ensures 
that these youth can get a nutritious meal even if they are on the 
street. Nearly 150,000 youth are served at basic centers and through 
transitional living programs. Yet as this resolution points out, many 
more runaways and homeless youth find themselves without these critical 
community services.
  It is appropriate, Mr. Speaker, that Congress take time out to 
promote greater public awareness of the needs of these young people and 
the services that are available to them in the community.
  In closing, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Gingrey).
  Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Nevada 
and the gentleman from Michigan for introducing House Resolution 805 to 
bring awareness and express support for runaway youth prevention 
programs. As the author of H.R. 1925, the Runaway, Homeless, and 
Missing Children Protection Act, which was signed into law by President 
Bush almost a year ago today, I believe it is important to protect our 
children from early tragedy. As some of my colleagues may remember, 
H.R. 1925 reauthorizes and amends the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act 
and the Missing Children's Assistance Act and extends the National 
Center For Missing and Exploited Children and other program activities 
annual funding through the year 2008.
  As an OB/GYN physician for almost 30 years and as a legislator, I 
have made it a priority to protect and defend children. The future 
well-being of the Nation is dependent on the value placed on young 
people and the opportunities provided for youth to acquire the 
knowledge, the skills and the abilities necessary to develop into safe, 
healthy and productive adults. I care about the safety of all youth and 
I want to end the vicious cycle that creates broken families and 
unwanted children.
  With statistics indicating that one out of seven children run away 
from home before the age of 18, I believe we need to work to promote 
and encourage organizations that help children vacate dangerous homes 
and prevent others from making hasty and, oftentimes, unsafe decisions 
to leave.
  Mr. Speaker, with November being National Runaway Prevention Month, I 
believe it is important for Congress to recognize effective runaway 
youth prevention programs so we can save lives and prevent tragedy. 
National Runaway Prevention Month will educate young people about the 
risks associated with running away from home and the resources 
available to them should they run away or be expelled from home. During 
the month of November, communities across the country will sponsor 
activities to celebrate National Runaway Prevention Month. Planned 
activities include inviting lawmakers, media, community leaders and 
others to visit programs that serve youth, organizing community service 
events and developing materials and presentations to educate youth, 
parents, teachers, law enforcement officials, businesses and other 
community members about local resources available to youths in crisis.
  With the future well-being of our children at stake, I ask my 
colleagues to pass this resolution and support National Runaway 
Prevention Month.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as one of the 
original cosponsors of H. Res. 805. According to the second National 
Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway and Throwaway Children 
released in October of 2002, it is estimated that there is 
approximately 800,000 children reported missing each year, which is 
more than 2,000 children each day. This legislation, in a way, honors 
the individuals and organizations who work so hard to reach out to our 
young people that are in some of the most desperate situations.
  As we can all imagine, the situation on the streets for these young 
people is desperate and incredibly rough. Half of the HIV cases in the 
United States are in the youth population--homeless and runaway youth 
are two to ten times higher than non-homeless teens to have HIV and the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that 94% of homeless 
youth are sexual active. We unfortunately

[[Page H8328]]

can not make street life disappear or even reach a level of utopia--but 
we can ensure that there are services available to help with the daily 
street life, whether it is trying to find a bed, a warm meal or some 
safe, genuine companionship.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation and again commend the 
individuals who have dedicated their lives to helping the lives of 
young people in need.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 
805, a bill that supports efforts to promote greater public awareness 
of effective runaway youth prevention programs and the need for safe 
and productive alternatives, resources, and supports for youth in high-
risk situations.
  Studies suggest that somewhere between 1.6 and 2.8 million youth live 
on the streets of America, with one in seven youth running away at 
least once before their eighteenth birthday. 43 percent of runaway 
youth reports being abused by their caretaker, and over a quarter have 
been sexually assaulted. They face disproportionately high rates of 
sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS, and teen pregnancy. 
Tragically, two-thirds of these youth have attempted suicide. To 
survive on the street, many youth turn to illegal activities such as 
drugs, theft, prostitution, and pornography.
  Runaways are not throwaways. Passing this important bipartisan 
resolution is an important step towards Congress' full recognition of 
this problem as a national crisis. Our children are this Nation's 
greatest resource, and none should be considered expendable. I urge my 
colleagues to not just support this resolution, but to also continue 
our strong support of Runaway and Homeless Youth (Basic Center) Grant 
Program, The Transitional Living Program (TLP), and The Sexual Abuse 
Prevention (Street Outreach) Program.
  I would like to take a moment to recognize the important 
contributions made by Our Town Family Center in Tucson, Arizona. 
Volunteers at this facility assist in outreach efforts to runaway 
youth, missing children, and homeless street youth in case management, 
advocacy, phone intake, and administrative support, and help the mobile 
outreach team cruise the streets to make contact with street youth in 
need of food, clothing, shelter, and medical information.
  It is the responsibility of Congress to support these valuable 
community contributions to America's most troubled youth. This 
resolution rightfully recognizes the problem that this country faces, 
and the important role that community action plays in working towards 
real solutions. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this 
bipartisan statement of support.
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Porter) that the House suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution, H. Res. 805.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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