[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 13 (Tuesday, January 27, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S544-S545]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. LEAHY (for himself, Ms. Collins, Ms. Ayotte, and Mr. 
        Booker):
  S. 262. A bill to reauthorize the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, and 
for other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I am proud today to introduce the Leahy-
Collins Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act. It 
is deplorable that in the wealthiest country in the world, 1.6 million 
teenagers live on the streets because they have no home. We know that 
those who do not have a safe place to sleep at night are particularly 
vulnerable to being exploited and trafficked. A recent study found that 
nearly one in four homeless young people have been victims of 
trafficking or sexual exploitation. We often talk about human 
trafficking as an international problem, but the sad truth is that it 
is a major problem right here at home. It is time we provide the 
resources to help protect our children from this very real threat.
  The Runaway Youth Act, first signed into law in 1974, has proven 
essential to providing the basic services and resources that runaway 
and homeless youth need, and our continued support is vital. Thirty-
nine percent of the homeless population is under the age of 18, and the 
average age at which a teen becomes homeless is 14.7 years old. Think 
about that. The average teen living on the streets is not even old 
enough to drive. These young people represent our country's future and 
its optimism, and as a father and a grandfather, I believe that we must 
do more to address the needs of the 1.6 million homeless youth in our 
country.
  Teens run away and become homeless for myriad reasons. A U.S. 
Department

[[Page S545]]

of Health and Human Services study found that 46 percent of homeless 
youth had run away because of physical abuse and 17 percent because of 
sexual abuse. Nearly 40 percent of homeless youth identify as LGBT and 
report leaving home because of a lack of acceptance. By including a new 
provision that prohibits grantees from denying services based on the 
sexual orientation or gender identity of the homeless youth, this bill 
takes important new steps to make sure that we are meeting the needs of 
this growing and particularly vulnerable population. No young person 
should be turned away from these essential services.
  We have made great strides in recent years in our efforts to combat 
human trafficking. Most recently, we reauthorized the comprehensive 
Trafficking Victims Protection Act, a bipartisan bill I introduced and 
was proud to see enacted as part of the Leahy-Crapo Violence Against 
Women Reauthorization Act. And last year, we saw historic levels of 
funding for victims of trafficking, an urgently needed increase that I 
was proud to support as the most senior member of the Appropriations 
Committee. But we must not forget the importance of investing in 
prevention efforts as well, and I was disappointed that Congress failed 
to pass the bipartisan Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking 
Prevention Act. If we are to make a real difference to end modern day 
slavery, we must protect those who are most vulnerable and prevent the 
exploitation in the first place. We cannot simply focus on ending 
demand and arrest our way out of this problem; we must eliminate the 
conditions that make these children so vulnerable. That means investing 
in stable housing and support services for more kids in need; we are 
not doing enough. I hope that we can finally enact this meaningful bill 
in 2015.
  In addition to the dangers of human trafficking, homeless youth are 
at greater risk of suicide, unintended pregnancy, and substance abuse. 
They are less likely to finish school, more likely to enter our 
juvenile justice system, and are often ill-equipped to find a job. The 
services authorized by this bill are designed to intervene early and 
encourage the development of successful, productive young adults.
  I have heard from dozens of service providers from across the 
country, including in my home state of Vermont, that these programs 
work. I am proud to say that last year, 95 percent of youth receiving 
services from the Vermont Coalition for Runaway and Homeless Youth 
Programs were able to exit to a safe living situation upon their 
completion of programming. Without the programs funded through the 
Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, hundreds of thousands of children would 
be left on the street and vulnerable to exploitation. Congress has an 
opportunity to respond in a meaningful and historic way.
  I thank Senators Collins, Booker, and Ayotte for working with me on 
this legislation and for joining me as original cosponsors. We have the 
chance to make a real difference by passing the Runway and Homeless 
Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act. Every day we wait is another 
night too many children are sleeping on the streets.
                                 ______