[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 23418]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   NATIONAL RUNAWAY PREVENTION MONTH

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary 
Committee be discharged from the consideration of S. Res. 339, and that 
the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 339) designating November 2002 as 
     ``National Runaway Prevention Month.''

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
and preamble be agreed to en bloc; that the motion to reconsider be 
laid upon the table; and that any statements relating to the resolution 
be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 339) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 339

       Whereas the prevalence of runaway and homeless youth in our 
     Nation is staggering, with studies suggesting that between 
     1,300,000 and 2,800,000 young people live on the streets of 
     the United States each year;
       Whereas running away from home is widespread, with 1 out of 
     every 7 children in the United States running away before the 
     age of 18;
       Whereas youth that end up on the streets are often those 
     who have been ``thrown out'' of their homes by their 
     families, who have been physically, sexually, and emotionally 
     abused at home, who have been discharged by State custodial 
     systems without adequate transition plans, who have lost 
     their parents through death or divorce, and who are too poor 
     to secure their own basic needs;
       Whereas effective programs supporting runaway youth and 
     assisting young people in remaining at home with their 
     families succeed because of partnerships created among 
     families, community-based human service agencies, law 
     enforcement agencies, schools, faith-based organizations, and 
     businesses;
       Whereas preventing young people from running away and 
     supporting youth in high-risk situations is a family, 
     community, and national responsibility;
       Whereas the future well-being of the Nation is dependent on 
     the value placed on young people and the opportunities 
     provided for youth to acquire the knowledge, skills, and 
     abilities necessary to develop into safe, healthy, and 
     productive adults;
       Whereas the National Network for Youth and its members 
     advocate on behalf of runaway and homeless youth and provide 
     an array of community-based support services that address the 
     critical needs of such youth;
       Whereas the National Runaway Switchboard provides crisis 
     intervention and referrals to reconnect runaway youth to 
     their families and to link young people to local resources 
     that provide positive alternatives to running away; and
       Whereas the National Network for Youth and National Runaway 
     Switchboard are co-sponsoring National Runaway Prevention 
     Month to increase public awareness of the life circumstances 
     of youth in high-risk situations and the need for safe, 
     healthy, and productive alternatives, resources, and supports 
     for youth, families, and communities: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate designates November 2002, as 
     ``National Runaway Prevention Month''.

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