[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 74 (Thursday, April 29, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S2363]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. KAINE (for himself and Ms. Baldwin):
  S. 1497. A bill to amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act 
to ensure protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and 
queer youth and their families; to the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. KAINE. Mr. President. According to the Department of Health and 
Human Services (HHS), lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer 
(LGBTQ) youth are at an increased risk for experiencing maltreatment 
compared to non-LGBTQ youth. Because of limited exposure to mandated 
reporters as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the unfortunate truth 
is that the maltreatment that some youth experience have experienced 
has gone unrecognized and underreported. Research prior to the pandemic 
demonstrated that LGBTQ youth were more likely to experience physical 
abuse by a parent or guardian when compared to their heterosexual 
peers. Risk for harm of vulnerable youth also extends far beyond 
physical safety. LGBTQ youth are at a disproportionately high risk for 
depression, suicidal ideation and suicide, and self-harming behaviors, 
with rates of attempted suicide of around 2 to 10 times those of peers.
  These risks for maltreatment often times result in LGBTQ youth 
entering the child welfare system. Studies have found that, ``LGBT 
young people are overrepresented in child welfare systems, despite the 
fact that they are likely to be underreported because they risk 
harassment and abuse if their LGBT identity is disclosed.'' This 
overrepresentation of LGBTQ youth in the foster care system raises 
concerns about issues in the child abuse and prevention space. 
Additional research is needed to understand the risk of abuse among 
LGBTQ youth, particularly those identifying as transgender. This 
information will yield invaluable information to be used in developing 
targeted prevention strategies to reduce the rates of adverse childhood 
experiences of LGBTQ individuals.
  This is why I am pleased to introduce the Protecting LGBTQ Youth Act 
with my colleague Senator Baldwin. Our bill amends the Child Abuse 
Prevention and Treatment Act and calls for HHS and other federal 
agencies to carry out an interdisciplinary research program to protect 
LGBTQ youth from child abuse and neglect and improve the well-being of 
victims of child abuse or neglect. This legislation also expands 
current practices around demographic information collection and 
reporting on incidences and prevalence of child maltreatment to include 
sexual orientation and gender identity.
  Additionally, the bill opens existing grant funding opportunities to 
invest in the training of personnel in best practices to meet the 
unique needs of LGBTQ youth and calls for the inclusion of individuals 
experienced in working with LGBTQ youth and families in state task 
forces. Improving data collection and disaggregation will provide 
greater insight into the circumstances LGBTQ youth face in the home 
that, when left unaddressed, lead to entry into the child welfare 
system. This improved data-driven understanding can then be used to 
develop appropriate and effective primary prevention practices to 
decrease the risks faced by LGTBQ youth, and will be pivotal in our 
understanding of abuse and neglect following the pandemic.
  I hope that as the Senate moves to reauthorize the Child Abuse 
Prevention and Treatment Act we consider the Protecting LGBTQ Youth Act 
to better inform our collective understanding of the risks faced by 
LGBTQ youth and the best ways to protect them.
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