[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 186 (Wednesday, November 20, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6720-S6721]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. LEAHY (for himself and Ms. Collins):
  S. 2916. A bill to reauthorize the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, 
and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise to join my colleague, the senior 
Senator from Vermont, in introducing the Runaway and Homeless Youth and 
Trafficking Prevention Act. This bill would update and reauthorize the 
Runaway and Homeless Youth Act programs, which have provided life-
saving services and housing for America's homeless youth for more than 
forty years.
  Homelessness is affecting youth in unprecedented numbers. According 
to a recent study by Voices of Youth Count, an estimated 4.2 million 
young people experience homelessness at some point each year. Some of 
these youth may stay away from home for a few nights, while others have 
been living on the streets for years. Approximately 73 percent 
experienced homelessness lasting more than one month. The study also 
found that homelessness is just as prevalent in rural communities as it 
is in urban communities.
  And sadly, these statistics likely underestimate the scale of this 
problem. This month, I met with teachers and specialists from Lewiston, 
Maine, who work directly with young people in Lewiston High School 
whose families experience homelessness. We talked about the pressures 
that student homelessness places on teachers, school administrators, 
and their already strapped resources, and, of course, on the children 
and teens themselves. Although schools often serve as a first stop for 
assistance, the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention 
Act would reauthorize and strengthen the programs that help homeless 
youth meet their immediate needs, and it would help secure long-term 
residential services for those who cannot be reunified with their 
families safely.
  The three Runaway and Homeless Youth Act programs--the Basic Center 
Program, the Street Outreach Program, and the Transitional Living 
Program--help community-based organizations reach these young people 
when they need support the most. These programs help runaway and 
homeless youth avoid the juvenile justice system, and early 
intervention can help them to escape victimization and trafficking.
  As Chairman of the Senate Housing Appropriations Subcommittee, 
working to end the scourge of homelessness--among both youth and 
adults--has been one of my top priorities. Along with Senator Jack 
Reed, I created a grant program to reduce youth homelessness. According 
to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, there has been a 15 
percent drop in chronic homelessness since 2007. We must build on this 
success. Homeless youth should have the same opportunities to succeed 
as their peers, and this bill is an important step in that direction.
  In Maine, our homeless shelters are critical partners in the fight to 
end human trafficking. Earlier this year, I hosted U.S. Secretary of 
Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson in Lewiston. We visited New 
Beginnings, where we saw firsthand how Runaway and Homeless Youth Act 
resources are

[[Page S6721]]

providing essential safety nets for young people in need. Staff at New 
Beginnings help young people with case management, find referrals to 
local and State agencies, assist with housing needs and access to 
shelter, and connect them to local educational and employment programs.
  These programs produce results. In 2015, I held a hearing during 
which Brittany Dixon, a former homeless youth from Auburn, Maine, 
testified about her personal experience with New Beginnings. After 
becoming homeless as a teenager, New Beginnings gave her the help and 
support she needed to develop critical life skills and become self-
sufficient. She went on to earn a college degree and obtain a full-time 
job as an education technician at an elementary school.
  Mr. President, teens run away and become homeless for many reasons. 
They are also at high risk of victimization, abuse, criminal activity, 
and even death. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children 
estimates that, in 2017, one in seven of nearly 25,000 youth reported 
to them as runaways were sex trafficking victims. In Maine, recent 
reports show that of the more than 10,000 reported human trafficking 
cases last year, 26 percent involved minors. Several hundreds of these 
victims identified as runaway or homeless youth. This population is at 
greater risk of suicide, unintended pregnancy, and substance abuse. 
Many are unable to continue with school and are more likely to enter 
our juvenile justice system.
  Our bill focuses on this tragic problem by supporting wrap-around 
services for victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation. Congress 
has passed legislation in recent years to combat these horrific crimes 
and support survivors, and the policies and tools included in the 
Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act are important 
pieces of the Federal response to human trafficking.
  The data also show that a growing number of homeless youth identify 
as LGBT. According to the Voices of Youth Count report, LGBT young 
people are twice as likely to be homeless. Our bill would ensure that 
those seeking services through these Federal programs are not denied 
assistance based on their race, color, religion, national origin, sex, 
sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.
  Mr. President, the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking 
Prevention Act will support those young people who run away, are kicked 
out, or are disconnected from families. A caring and safe place to 
sleep, eat, grow, study, and develop is critical for all young people. 
The programs reauthorized through this legislation help extend those 
basic services to the most vulnerable youth in our communities.
  I thank Senator Leahy for his leadership on this bill and urge my 
colleagues to support it.
                                 ______