[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 176 (Wednesday, October 25, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5184-S5185]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. COLLINS (for herself and Mr. Durbin):
  S. 3125. A bill to reauthorize the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, 
and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, I rise to join my colleague, the senior 
Senator from Illinois and chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, 
Senator Durbin, in introducing the Runaway and Homeless Youth and 
Trafficking Prevention Act of 2023. This bill would update and 
reauthorize Runaway and Homeless Youth Act programs, which have 
provided lifesaving services and housing for America's homeless youth 
for nearly half a century.
  Homelessness is affecting youth in truly staggering numbers. 
According to the National Network for Youth, an estimated 4.2 million 
young people experience homelessness at some point each year. Some of 
these youth may be away from home for a few nights, while others have 
been living on the streets for years. No area of this country is immune 
from the scourge of homelessness, as it affects rural and urban 
communities alike.
  Tragically, runaway and homeless youth are at high risk of 
victimization, abuse, criminal activity, and even death. 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 criminal justice system. The reality is 
that available data likely underestimate the scale and consequences of 
this problem.
  I have met with teachers, social workers, and others from Maine who 
work directly with young people experiencing homelessness, and I have 
talked with homeless teens to learn from their experiences. We talked 
about the pressure that student homelessness places on teachers, school 
administrators and their already strapped resources, and--most 
important--the homeless students themselves. I have also visited New 
Beginnings in Lewiston, ME, where I saw firsthand how Runaway and 
Homeless Youth Act resources are providing essential safety nets for 
young people in need. The staff at New Beginnings provides a safe 
place, helps young people with case management, facilitates referrals 
to State and local agencies, assists with housing needs and access to 
shelter, and connects individuals to local educational and employment 
programs.
  Several years ago, as the chair of the Senate Transportation and 
Housing Appropriations Subcommittee, I held a hearing that featured 
testimony from Brittany Dixon, a former homeless youth from Auburn, ME 
who gave powerful testimony on her personal experience with 
homelessness. After becoming homeless, Brittany was connected with New 
Beginnings. In her testimony, she said, ``New Beginnings provided many 
resources I could use to succeed, including assistance with college 
applications and financial aid  . . . New Beginnings has helped me to 
develop critical life skills and to become self-sufficient . . . . 
Programs that support homeless youth are important to so many young 
people like me,'' she added. ``It gives young people the chance to have 
a safe place to stay while they get their footing and figure out what 
they want to do in their lives.''
  Runaway and Homeless Youth Act programs helped make Brittany's 
success story possible. Sadly, however, there are still many homeless 
youth who do not have the support they need. We must build on our past 
efforts because homeless youth should have the same opportunities to 
succeed as their peers.
  The three existing Runaway and Homeless Youth Act programs--the Basic 
Center Program, the Street Outreach Program, and the Transitional 
Living Program--help community-based organizations reach 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 escape victimization and trafficking.
  The Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act would 
reauthorize and strengthen these programs that help homeless youth meet

[[Page S5185]]

their immediate needs, and it would help secure long-term residential 
services for those who cannot be safely reunited with their families. 
Our legislation would also create a new program--the Prevention 
Services Program--designed to help prevent youth from becoming homeless 
in the first instance. Moreover, our bill supports wraparound services 
for victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation.
  The Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act will 
support those young people who run away, are forced out of their homes, 
or are disconnected from their families. A caring and safe place to 
sleep, eat, grow, study, and develop is critical for all young people. 
The programs reauthorized and modernized through this legislation help 
extend those basic services to the most vulnerable youth in our 
communities.
  I thank Senator Durbin for his leadership on this bill and urge my 
colleagues to support it.
                                 ______