[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 94 (Monday, June 9, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H5069-H5073]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RECONNECTING HOMELESS YOUTH ACT OF 2008

  Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5524) to amend the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act to 
authorize appropriations, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5524

       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 ``Reconnecting Homeless Youth 
     Act of 2008''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Section 302 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 
     U.S.C. 5701) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating paragraphs (3), (4), and (5) as 
     paragraphs (4), (5), and (6), respectively, and
       (2) inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
       ``(3) services to such young people should be developed and 
     provided using a positive youth development approach that 
     ensures the young person a sense of--
       ``(A) safety and structure;
       ``(B) belonging and membership;
       ``(C) self-worth and social contribution;
       ``(D) independence and control over one's life; and
       ``(E) closeness in interpersonal relationships;''.

     SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR CENTERS AND SERVICES.

       Section 311 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 
     U.S.C. 5711) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)(2)(B)(i) by inserting before the 
     semicolon the following:

     ``provided for a continuous period not to exceed 15 days, 
     except that such shelter may be provided for a continuous 
     period not to exceed 21 days if the State where the center is 
     located has an applicable State or local law or regulation 
     that permits a length of stay in excess of such 15 days in 
     compliance with licensure requirements for child and youth 
     serving facilities'',
       (2) in subsection (b)--
       (A) in paragraph (2)--
       (i) by striking ``The'' and inserting ``(A) Except as 
     provided in subparagraph (B) and to the extent that 
     sufficient funds are available, the'',
       (ii) by striking ``$100,000'' and inserting ``$150,000'',
       (iii) by striking ``$45,000'' and inserting ``$70,000'', 
     and
       (iv) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(B) For fiscal years 2009 and 2010, the amount allotted 
     under paragraph (1) with respect to a State for a fiscal year 
     shall be not less than the amount alotted with respect to 
     such State for fiscal year 2008.'',
       (B) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4), and
       (C) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
       ``(3) Whenever the Secretary determines that any part of 
     the amount allotted under paragraph (1) with respect to a 
     State will not be obligated before the end of the fiscal 
     year, the Secretary shall reallot such part under paragraph 
     (1) with respect to the remaining States for obligation for 
     such fiscal year.''.

     SEC. 4. BASIC CENTER GRANT PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY.

       Section 312(b) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 
     U.S.C. 5712(b)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (11) by striking ``and'' at the end,
       (2) in paragraph (12) by striking the period at the end and 
     inserting ``; and'', and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(13) shall develop an adequate emergency preparedness and 
     management plan.''.

     SEC. 5. TRANSITIONAL LIVING GRANT PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY.

       Section 322(a) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 
     U.S.C. 2714-2(a)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1)--
       (A) by striking ``indirectly'' the 1st place it appears and 
     inserting ``by contract'', and
       (B) by striking ``and services'' and inserting ``, and to 
     provide, directly or indirectly, services'',
       (2) in paragraph (2)--
       (A) by striking ``except that a youth'' and inserting the 
     following:
     ``except that in the case of--
       ``(i) a youth'',
       (B) by inserting ``such youth may'' after ``program,'', and
       (C) by striking ``period;'' and inserting the following:
     ``period; and
       ``(ii) a program that is located in a State that has an 
     applicable State or local law or regulation that permits a 
     length of stay in excess of such 540-day period in compliance 
     with licensure requirements for child and youth serving 
     facilities, a youth may remain in such program throughout a 
     continuous period not to exceed 635 days;'',
       (3) in paragraph (14) by striking ``and'' at the end,
       (4) in paragraph (15) by striking the period at the end and 
     inserting ``; and'', and
       (5) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(16) to develop an adequate emergency preparedness and 
     management plan.''.

     SEC. 6. RESEARCH, EVALUATION, DEMONSTRATION, AND SERVICE 
                   PROJECTS.

       Section 343 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 
     U.S.C. 5714-23)) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (b)--
       (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)--
       (i) by striking ``special consideration'' and inserting 
     ``priority'', and
       (ii) by striking ``relating to'' and inserting ``focused 
     on'',
       (B) in paragraph (8)--
       (i) by inserting ``quality'' after ``access to'',
       (ii) by striking ``mental'' and inserting ``behavioral'', 
     and
       (iii) by striking ``and'' at the end,
       (C) in paragraph (9) by striking the period at the end and 
     inserting the following:
     ``, including educational and workforce programs with 
     outcomes such as decreasing the secondary school drop-out 
     rate, increasing diploma or equivalent attainment rates, or

[[Page H5070]]

     increasing placement and retention in postsecondary education 
     or advanced workforce training; or'', and
       (D) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(10) programs, including innovative programs, that assist 
     youth in obtaining and maintaining safe and stable housing, 
     and may include programs with supportive services that 
     continue after program completion.'', and
       (2) by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:
       ``(c) In selecting among applicants for grants under 
     subsection (a), the Secretary shall--
       ``(1) give priority to applicants who have experience 
     working with runaway youth or homeless youth; and
       ``(2) ensure that the applicants selected--
       ``(A) are geographically representative of different 
     regions of the United States; and
       ``(B) carry out projects that serve diverse populations of 
     runaway or homeless youth.''.

     SEC. 7. ESTIMATE OF INCIDENCE AND PREVALENCE OF YOUTH 
                   HOMELESSNESS.

       Part D of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 
     5714-21-5714-24) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:

     ``SEC. 345. PERIODIC ESTIMATE OF INCIDENCE AND PREVALENCE OF 
                   YOUTH HOMELESSNESS.

       ``(a) Periodic Estimate.--Not later than 2 years after the 
     effective date of this section, and at 5-year intervals 
     thereafter, the Secretary, in coordination with the United 
     States Interagency Council on Homelessness, shall prepare and 
     submit to the Committee on Education and Labor of the House 
     of Representatives and the Committee on Judiciary of the 
     Senate, and make public, a report--
       ``(1) by using the best quantitative and qualitative social 
     science research method available, containing an estimate of 
     the incidence and prevalence of runaway and homeless 
     individuals who are less than 26 years of age and not less 
     than 13 years of age; and
       ``(2) that includes with such estimate an assessment of the 
     characteristics of such individuals.
       ``(b) Content.--The report required by subsection (a) shall 
     include--
       ``(1) the results of conducting a survey of, and direct 
     interviews with, a representative sample of runaway and 
     homeless individuals who are less than 26 years of age and 
     not less than 13 years of age, to determine past and 
     current--
       ``(A) socioeconomic characteristics of such individuals;
       ``(B) barriers to such individuals obtaining--
       ``(i) safe, quality, and affordable housing;
       ``(ii) comprehensive and affordable health insurance and 
     health services; and
       ``(iii) incomes, public benefits, supportive services, and 
     connections to caring adults; and
       ``(C) such other information that the Secretary determines, 
     in consultation with States, units of local government, and 
     national nongovernmental organizations concerned with 
     homelessness, may be useful.
       ``(c) Implementation.--If the Secretary enters into any 
     contract with a non-Federal entity for purposes of carrying 
     out subsection (a), such entity shall be a nongovernmental 
     organization, or an individual, determined by the Secretary 
     to have appropriate expertise in quantitative and qualitative 
     social science research.''.

     SEC. 8. SEXUAL ABUSE PREVENTION PROGRAM.

       Section 351(b) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 
     U.S.C. 5714-41(b)) is amended by inserting ``public and'' 
     after ``priority to''.

     SEC. 9. NATIONAL HOMELESS YOUTH AWARENESS CAMPAIGN.

       The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5701 et seq.) 
     is amended--
       (1) by redesignating part F as part G, and
       (2) by inserting after part E the following:

          ``PART F--NATIONAL HOMELESS YOUTH AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

     ``SEC. 361. NATIONAL HOMELESS YOUTH AWARENESS CAMPAIGN.

       ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall, directly or through 
     grants or contracts, conduct a national homeless youth 
     awareness campaign (referred to in this section as the 
     `national awareness campaign') in accordance with this 
     section for purposes of--
       ``(1) increasing awareness of individuals of all ages, 
     socioeconomic backgrounds, and geographic locations, of the 
     issues facing runway and homeless youth, the resources 
     available for these youth, and the tools available for the 
     prevention of youth runaway and homeless situations; and
       ``(2) encouraging parents, guardians, educators, health 
     care professionals, social service professionals, law 
     enforcement officials, and other community members to seek to 
     prevent runaway youth and youth homelessness by assisting 
     youth in averting or resolving runaway and homeless 
     situations.
       ``(b) Use of Funds.--Funds made available to carry out this 
     section for the national awareness campaign may be used only 
     for the following:
       ``(1) The dissemination of educational information and 
     materials through various media, including television, radio, 
     the Internet and related technologies, and emerging 
     technologies.
       ``(2) Partnerships, including outreach activities, with 
     national organizations concerned with youth homelessness, 
     community-based youth service organizations (including faith-
     based organizations), and government organizations related to 
     the national awareness campaign.
       ``(3) In accordance with applicable laws and regulations, 
     the development and placement of public service announcements 
     in telecommunications media, including the Internet and 
     related technologies and emerging technologies, that educate 
     the public on the issues facing runaway and homeless youth 
     (or youth considering running away) and on the opportunities 
     that adults have to assist such youth.
       ``(4) Evaluation of the effectiveness of the national 
     awareness campaign.
       ``(c) Prohibitions.--None of the funds made available under 
     subsection (b) may be obligated or expended for any of the 
     following:
       ``(1) To supplant pro bono public service time donated by 
     national or local broadcasting networks, advertising 
     agencies, production companies, or other pro bono work for 
     the national awareness campaign.
       ``(2) For partisan political purposes, or express advocacy 
     in support of or to defeat any clearly identified candidate, 
     clearly identified ballot initiative, or clearly identified 
     legislative or regulatory proposal.
       ``(3) To fund advertising that features any elected 
     officials, persons seeking elected office, cabinet level 
     officials, or other Federal employees employed in positions 
     in schedule C of part 213 of title 5 of the Code of Federal 
     Regulations (January 1, 2008), as amended from time to time.
       ``(4) To fund advertising that does not contain a primary 
     message intended to educate the public on the issues facing 
     runaway and homeless youth (or youth considering running 
     away) or on the opportunities for adults to help such youth.
       ``(5) To fund advertising that solicits contributions to 
     support the national awareness campaign.
       ``(d) Financial and Performance Accountability.--The 
     Secretary shall perform--
       ``(1) audits and reviews of costs of the national awareness 
     campaign pursuant to section 304C of the Federal Property and 
     Administrative Services Act of 1949 (41 U.S.C. 254d); and
       ``(2) an audit to determine whether the costs of the 
     national awareness campaign are allowable under section 306 
     of such Act (41 U.S.C. 256).
       ``(e) Report.--The Secretary shall include in each report 
     submitted under section 382 a summary of the national 
     awareness campaign that describes--
       ``(1) the activities undertaken by the national awareness 
     campaign;
       ``(2) steps taken to ensure that the national awareness 
     campaign operates in an effective and efficient manner 
     consistent with the overall strategy and focus of the 
     national awareness campaign; and
       ``(3) each grant made to, or contract entered into with, a 
     particular corporation, partnership, or individual working on 
     the national awareness campaign.''.

     SEC. 10. DEFINITIONS.

       Section 387 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 
     U.S.C. 5732a) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (3)(A)--
       (A) in clause (i)--
       (i) by striking ``not more than'' each place it appears and 
     inserting ``less than'', and
       (ii) by inserting after ``age'' the last place it appears 
     the following:
     ``, or until attaining a higher maximum age if the State 
     where the center is located has an applicable State or local 
     law or regulation that permits such higher maximum age in 
     compliance with licensure requirements for child and youth 
     serving facilities'', and
       (B) in clause (ii) by striking ``age;'' and inserting the 
     following:

     ``age and either--

       ``(I) less than 22 years of age; or
       ``(II) an age exceeding 22 years of age as of the 
     expiration of the maximum period of stay permitted under 
     section 322(a)(2)(ii) if such individual commences such stay 
     before attaining 22 years of age;'', and

       (2) by redesignating paragraphs (4) through (7) as 
     paragraphs (5) through (8), respectively.

     SEC. 11. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       Section 388(a) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 
     U.S.C. 5751(a)) is amended--
       (1) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
       ``(1) Authorization.--There are authorized to be 
     appropriated to carry out this title (other than parts E and 
     F, and section 345) $150,000,000 for fiscal year 2009 and 
     such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2010, 2011, 
     2012, and 2013.'',
       (2) by amending paragraph (4) to read as follows:
       ``(4) Part e.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
     carry out part E $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2009 and such 
     sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2010, 2011, 2012, 
     and 2013.'', and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(5) Part f.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
     carry out part F $3,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 
     2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013.
       ``(6) Section 345.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
     to carry out section 345 such sums as may be necessary for 
     fiscal years 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013.''.

     SEC. 12. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.

       The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5701 et seq.) 
     is amended by adding at the end the following:

     ``SEC. 390. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.

       ``(a) Establishment of Performance Standards.--Not later 
     than 1 year after the effective date of this section, the 
     Secretary

[[Page H5071]]

     shall establish by rule performance standards applicable to 
     public and nonprofit private entities and agencies that 
     receive grants under sections 311, 321, and 351.
       ``(b) Implementation of Performance Standards.--The 
     Secretary shall integrate performance standards established 
     under subsection (a) into the Secretary's processes for 
     grant-making, monitoring, and evaluation for programs under 
     sections 311, 321, and 351.
       ``(c) Consultation.--The Secretary shall consult with 
     representatives of public and private entities and agencies 
     that receive grants under this title, statewide and regional 
     nonprofit organizations (and combinations of such 
     organizations) that receive grants under this title, and 
     national nonprofit organizations concerned with youth 
     homelessness in developing the performance standards required 
     by subsection (a).
       ``(d) Public Comment.--The Secretary shall provide an 
     opportunity for public comment concerning the establishment 
     of the performance standards required by subsection (a) 
     before issuing rules to establish such standards, and shall 
     maintain an official record of such public comment.''.

     SEC. 13. GAO STUDY AND REPORT.

       (a) Study.--The Comptroller General shall conduct a study 
     of, and make findings and recommendations relating to, the 
     process for making grants under parts A, B, and E of the 
     Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, with respect to--
       (1) the written responses made by the Secretary of Health 
     and Human Services to (and any other methods for 
     communicating with) grant applicants who are do not receive a 
     grant under part A, B, or E of such Act, to determine if the 
     information provided in such responses to such applicants is 
     conveyed clearly,
       (2) the structure of the grant application and associated 
     documents (including announcements that grants are available 
     under such parts), to determine if such application is 
     structured so that the applicant has a clear understanding of 
     what is required in each provision to successfully complete 
     the application, including a clear explanation of terminology 
     required to be used by the applicant throughout the document,
       (3) the peer review process (if any) used to review grant 
     applications (including the selection of peer reviewers) and 
     the oversight of the peer review process by employees of the 
     Department of Health and Human Services, as well as the 
     extent to which such employees make funding determinations 
     based on the comments and scores of the individuals who 
     perform peer reviews,
       (4) the typical time frame and the process used by such 
     employees, including employee responsibilities, for 
     responding to applicants and the efforts taken to communicate 
     with applicants when there is a delay of decisions on 
     applications or when funds to carry out this title are not 
     appropriated before the beginning of the then current fiscal 
     year, and
       (5) the plans for and implementation of, where practicable, 
     the new training and technical assistance programs and their 
     effect on the grant application process.
       (b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit a 
     report to the Committee on Education and Labor of the House 
     of Representatives and the Committee on Judiciary of the 
     Senate, containing a summary of the results of the study 
     conducted under subsection (a), together with the findings 
     and recommendations made by the Comptroller General based on 
     such results.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Kentucky (Mr. Yarmuth) and the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.


                             General Leave

  Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which 
Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H.R. 
5524 into the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Kentucky?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. YARMUTH. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Reconnecting Homeless Youth 
Act, which I introduced earlier this year. This legislation will 
reauthorize the sole source of Federal funding for at least 1 million 
young people who find themselves homeless or unaccompanied each year. 
Some of those children are born homeless, but most run away to escape 
mental, emotional or physical abuse. More than a third of them are 
victims of sexual abuse in the home.
  Although they escape terrible conditions at home, for most, what is 
waiting for them on the street is no better. These youths are raped or 
assaulted at rates two to three times the national average, they are 
seven more times likely to contract HIV, and a third of them attempt 
suicide. For these young people, hope is a distant concept and the 
future is little more than a dead end.
  The situation is bleak, but the solutions are within our grasp. My 
hometown of Louisville, thanks to organizations like Safe Place and 
Boys Haven, has set the standard for helping homeless youth find a 
home, get an education and rediscover their futures.
  I invited Rusty Booker to testify before the Education and Labor 
Committee last year. Rusty, a fellow Louisvillian, ran away from an 
abusive home at the age of 12 and went through five different foster 
homes before finding his path at Safe Place. Rusty showed us that we 
have the answers, we have the tools to eliminate childhood homelessness 
and disconnection, but only if we choose to use them.
  That is the opportunity we have before us today, because despite the 
tremendous work of our service organizations, the funds and personnel 
to accommodate the basic needs of our Nation's runaway and homeless 
youth are far short of meeting the demand and the required 
infrastructure is simply not in place. We need to do more than just 
contain these children while we have them. We must set them on a path 
to adulthood, prepared for the workplace and ready for the world, 
without dragging the dead weight of a history of neglect.
  The Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act will refocus our resources and 
give America a real shot at eradicating youth homelessness forever. 
Thanks to the groundwork laid in Louisville, the Reconnecting Homeless 
Youth Act won't simply extend the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act until 
2013. It will provide significant improvements and much-needed 
expansions.
  Addressing the critical funding shortfall, this legislation will 
dramatically increase the reauthorization for Runaway and Homeless 
Youth Act funding to $150 million per year, ensuring that the resources 
are in place for community-serving organizations to reach every child 
in need.
  The bill will also increase the basic center program allotments for 
small States, make public entities eligible for street outreach program 
funds, establish grantee performance standards, and finally create a 
process for developing a national runaway and homeless youth research 
and evaluation agenda.
  The progress that we have made in the past year is significant. In 
fiscal year 2007, 740,000 young people were helped by our HYA programs. 
But more significant will be the advances down the road. As we work to 
restore faith in this Nation's future, we must build an America where 
every child has a chance to learn, succeed, and at the very least have 
a place to call home.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation, which 
will offer a chance and a childhood to millions of our most vulnerable 
citizens.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the lead Republican sponsor of H.R. 
5524, the Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act of 2008. I am pleased to be 
here with my good friend the gentleman from Kentucky, Congressman John 
Yarmuth, as we consider this important bill reauthorizing and 
strengthening the Runaway and Homeless Youth Program, set to expire 
this year.
  Mr. Speaker, each year, between 1 and 3 million children in the 
United States find themselves on their own and on the street. 
Throughout our Nation, local shelters, like NCO Youth & Family Services 
and Aunt Martha's in my district rely on Federal support to keep these 
children safe and off the streets.
  Congress first enacted the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act in 1974 and 
has regularly reauthorized it to ensure a basic level of support for 
unaccompanied youth. To meet the needs of these children, the Runaway 
and Homeless Youth Act authorizes three major programs: The Basic 
Center Program, the Transitional Living Program and the Street Outreach 
Program.
  The Basic Center Program, or BCP, provides youth with emergency 
short-term shelter, food, clothing, counseling and referrals for health 
care. The BCP seeks to reunite young people with their families 
whenever possible or to locate appropriate alternative placements. In 
2006, BCP grantees served more than 48,000 youth.
  The Transitional Living Program, or TLP, assists older homeless youth 
in

[[Page H5072]]

developing skills and resources to promote their independence and 
prevent future dependency on social services. In 2006, TLP grantees 
provided services to more than 3,600 youth.
  The Street Outreach Program provides emergency shelter and related 
services to young people who have been or are at the risk of being 
sexually abused or exploited. The goal of these efforts is to inform 
young people about services that can help them find suitable housing 
and address the problems that lead them to be on the street.

                              {time}  1630

  In 2006, the Street Outreach Program served over 619,000 youth. The 
bill before us today reauthorizes the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act 
through fiscal year 2013. Under the bill, the Department of Health and 
Human Services would establish grantee performance standards and 
provide a periodic estimate of the incidence of youth homelessness.
  H.R. 5524 also creates a National Homeless Youth Awareness Campaign 
that will focus on increasing awareness about the issues facing runaway 
and homeless youth and the tools available for preventing runaway and 
homeless youth situations.
  While the prevalence of homelessness is difficult to measure, it is 
estimated that about 5 to nearly 8 percent of youth experience 
homelessness each year. More can and must be done. The Reconnecting 
Homeless Youth Act will strengthen Federal efforts to keep our children 
safe and off the street.
  I would like to take a moment to share the story of one of these 
kids, Dennis, a constituent of mine, whose life changed as a result of 
one of these programs strengthened in this bill, the Transitional 
Living Program. As a senior in high school, Dennis began to isolate 
himself from family and friends. He was diagnosed with a bipolar 
disorder, and even though he was prescribed medicine, he didn't take 
it. According to Dennis, he felt ``walled off to a point where it just 
crushes in on you, it was like someone turned off the switch. It was 
very, very difficult to see joy.''
  After months of bitterly fighting with his parents, Dennis packed up 
his car and ran away. He stayed on the couch of friends and family for 
the remainder of his senior year in high school and continued to 
deteriorate.
  Fortunately, that year, Dennis learned of the NCO Youth and Family 
Services Transitional Living Program, and he decided to use it for 
housing. He needed a place to stay. But the program was not just 
housing, it taught him to manage his disorder, as well as training and 
managing, budget, cooking and cleaning, monitoring his credit, applying 
for a job, securing transportation and locating an apartment.
  The program helped Dennis secure a job, giving him the hope and 
determination to make something of himself. After successful completion 
of the Transitional Living Program, where is he now? Well, Dennis is an 
Army private serving honorably in Kuwait.
  According to Dennis, without the program, he would be half dead now. 
He says, ``If I hadn't come to NCO, I think I wouldn't have made it.''
  Because of the stories like this and the success that we have seen, I 
am really proud to join Mr. Yarmuth, my fellow sponsor, in support of 
this bill. This bill is about helping homeless children, and I strongly 
support it and urge its passage.
  We need to start thinking about how to help families facing the 
prospect of homelessness because they are being squeezed by high energy 
prices, rising prices for gasoline needed to get to and from a job, for 
the food needed to feed their families and even for natural gas to keep 
their homes warm in the winter and for electricity needed to keep them 
cool in the summer, we are putting enormous pressure on the American 
families that can least afford it.
  In addition to helping homeless kids, this Congress must take action 
to increase the supply of oil, reduce the price of gasoline and support 
the development of advanced energy technologies and alternatives to oil 
and gas.
  Just this past weekend, the national average price of gasoline hit $4 
a gallon for the first time. Well, I can assure you that for my 
constituents in the Chicago area, $4 for gas would be moving in the 
right direction. We have been paying well over $4 a gallon for weeks.
  While I urge my colleagues to support this bill today, I also urge 
this House to take action to address the high price of energy generally 
and gasoline in particular, which, if left unchecked, will certainly 
increase the ranks of homelessness in the U.S.
  With that, I thank my colleague, Mr. Yarmuth, for working with me to 
produce the bipartisan bill we are considering today.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, I have the great honor of yielding as much 
time as he may consume to my colleague on the Education and Labor 
Committee, Mr. Hinojosa, from Texas.
  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5524, the 
Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act.
  I would like to thank my two good friends, Representative John 
Yarmuth from Kentucky and Representative Judy Biggert from Illinois, 
for their strong leadership on this important legislation to my 
district in south Texas and to the whole Nation.
  An estimated 2.8 million youth under the age of 17 experience a 
homeless situation each year. Many more young adults under the age of 
24 find themselves without a place to call home.
  Our Nation's homeless youth are exposed to some of the harshest 
elements imaginable. They are exposed to the harsh elements of hot and 
cold weather. These homeless youth are exposed to the harsh elements of 
crime, of abuse and exploitation on the street. They are vulnerable to 
illness and physical trauma.
  These homeless youth are deprived of the protective and nurturing 
elements that come with a home and a strong supportive family. They are 
robbed of the supports necessary for a productive adulthood. The 
Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act will reauthorize the Runaway and 
Homeless Youth Act, which provides support to youth through basic 
centers and shelters, transitional living programs and street outreach. 
This is the only Federal law targeted solely to unaccompanied youth.
  I am very proud to be an original cosponsor of this legislation and 
would like to thank the authors for including many of the provisions to 
improve the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act from legislation I 
introduced last summer. H.R. 3409, the Place to Call Home Act, is 
included in this bill.
  Homelessness among our Nation's youth will persist until all sectors 
of society, including the Congress, declare that a safe place to live 
and a connection to permanent and loving families and communities are 
basic needs we will ensure for all young people. This legislation is 
one significant step in that direction.
  I strongly urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 5524, 
the Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act.
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, does the gentleman from Kentucky have any 
further speakers?
  Mr. YARMUTH. We are prepared to close if you are prepared to close.
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, in closing, let me just thank, again, the 
gentleman from Kentucky and the gentleman from Texas for their work on 
this bill and also the staffs on both side of the aisle from the 
Education and Labor Committee for all of their work.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, with that, I strongly urge my colleagues to 
pass this important legislation that for more than 1 million young 
people each year could mean the difference between continuing to live 
on the streets without hope and finding a path to independent adulthood 
that begins with a place to call home.
  I want to thank Chairman Miller, Chairwoman McCarthy, and especially 
Representative Biggert for her hard work and dedication to this issue.
  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise in full support of 
H.R. 5524, The Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act.
  This bill reauthorizes the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, which is 
under the jurisdiction of the subcommittee which I chair, the Healthy 
Families and Communities Subcommittee of the Committee on Education and 
Labor. Mr. Yarmuth, the bill's sponsor, is on my subcommittee and it 
was a pleasure to work with him on this reauthorization. Each

[[Page H5073]]

member of my subcommittee is both passionate and committed to improving 
the lives of our Nation's children. In this case, Mr. Yarmuth is 
seeking to assist some of our Nation's most vulnerable youth, those who 
run away from home or who have no home.
  It is a travesty that this situation exists in our Nation--that 
children find themselves in situations where they need to leave their 
home for any number of reasons--they are thrown out, have been abused, 
and face other challenges at home. Worse yet, too many of our Nation's 
foster care youth find themselves released from the system at or around 
age 18 and are left to fend for themselves without guidance or little 
to no assistance, and they become part of the over one million runaway 
or homeless youth in our Nation. These resilient youth seek caring 
adults, stability, and the ability to see their future as different 
from their present situation.
  This reauthorization improves the basic central programs, street 
outreach programs, and the transitional living program. As we heard in 
a hearing in my subcommittee, it is just too easy to look away and 
dismiss the problem or accept that it is inevitable that there will be 
homeless youth. We see it, acknowledge it, and do nothing about it. 
However, if we dismiss or tolerate the problem of runaway and homeless 
youth, I think that we can easily expect that we will see these youth 
in other social systems where they may stay for the rest of their 
lives. Helping these youth in the here and now is both intervention and 
prevention. We must maintain a long-term vision for our Nation's youth. 
Investing in all children at an early age is clearly necessary, but we 
also must attend to our older youth who face challenges that neither 
you nor I have experienced as teenagers and young people.
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. Yarmuth has worked very hard with the community that 
works with runaway and homeless youth to create a strong 
reauthorization of these programs. He has included the development and 
implementation of performance standards to be used in the grant making 
process, to better allow the Family and Youth Services Bureau of the 
Department of Health and Human Services to evaluate each program and 
fund the best of the best. You see, these programs are good, and the 
competition is strong for any funding that is available.
  I urge my colleagues to vote yes on H.R. 5524, the Reconnecting 
Homeless Youth Act today. It is an investment in our Nation's most 
vulnerable youth and in all of America's young people. They seek caring 
adults and opportunities to improve their lives at home and their 
futures. If we help these youth now, we prevent them from entering into 
child welfare and juvenile justice systems, each path fraught with 
challenges. I think that we can all come together to change the lives 
of children for the better.
  Mr. YARMUTH. 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 Kentucky (Mr. Yarmuth) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 5524, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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