[House Report 116-699]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


116th Congress   }                                      {       Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session      }                                      {      116-699

======================================================================



 
   RUNAWAY AND HOMELESS YOUTH AND TRAFFICKING PREVENTION ACT OF 2020

                                _______
                                

 December 28, 2020.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on 
            the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

   Mr. Scott of Virginia, from the Committee on Education and Labor, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                             together with

                             MINORITY VIEWS

                        [To accompany H.R. 5191]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Education and Labor, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 5191) to reauthorize the Runaway and Homeless 
Youth Act, and for other purposes, having considered the same, 
reports favorably thereon with an amendment and recommends that 
the bill as amended do pass.

                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page
Purpose and Summary..............................................     9
Committee Action.................................................    11
Committee Views..................................................    13
Section-by-Section Analysis......................................    25
Explanation of Amendments........................................    29
Application of Law to the Legislative Branch.....................    29
Unfunded Mandate Statement.......................................    29
Earmark Statement................................................    29
Roll Call Votes..................................................    29
Statement of Performance Goals and Objectives....................    32
Duplication of Federal Programs..................................    32
Hearings.........................................................    32
Statement of Oversight Findings and Recommendations of the 
  Committee......................................................    32
New Budget Authority and CBO Cost Estimate.......................    32
Committee Cost Estimate..........................................    34
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............    34
Minority Views...................................................    57

    The amendment is as follows:
  Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

  This Act may be cited as the ``Runaway and Homeless Youth and 
Trafficking Prevention Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

  Except as otherwise specifically provided, whenever in this Act an 
amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal 
of, a provision, the amendment or repeal shall be considered to be made 
to a provision of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (34 U.S.C. 11201 
et seq.).

SEC. 3. FINDINGS.

  Section 302 (34 U.S.C. 11201) is amended--
          (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``share of, serious health, 
        behavioral, and emotional problems'' and inserting ``share of, 
        trauma, serious health, behavioral, social, and emotional 
        problems, and substance use disorder'';
          (2) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``socially, age, gender, 
        developmentally, culturally and'' before ``linguistically 
        appropriate'';
          (3) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (6), as 
        paragraphs (4) through (7), respectively;
          (4) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
          ``(3) research has documented that youth experience 
        homelessness as fluid, such that many youth experience 2 to 3 
        different types of homelessness, including couch surfing, 
        emergency shelters, and staying on the streets;'';
          (5) in paragraph (4)(C), as redesignated by paragraph (3), by 
        striking ``social contribution'' and inserting ``self-
        advocacy'';
          (6) in paragraph (4)(E), as redesignated by paragraph (3), by 
        inserting ``and peer'' before ``relationships'';
          (7) in paragraph (5), as redesignated by paragraph (3), by 
        striking ``outside the welfare system and the law enforcement 
        system'' and inserting ``, in collaboration with public 
        assistance systems, the law enforcement system, and the child 
        welfare system'';
          (8) in paragraph (6), as redesignated by paragraph (3)--
                  (A) by inserting ``a safe place to live, connection 
                to caring adults, and'' after ``youth need''; and
                  (B) by striking ``and'' at the end;
          (9) in paragraph (7), as redesignated by paragraph (3)--
                  (A) by striking ``between the Federal programs that 
                serve runaway and homeless youth are'' and inserting 
                ``at the Federal level is''; and
                  (B) by striking the period at the end and inserting a 
                semicolon; and
          (10) by adding at the end the following:
          ``(8) runaway and homeless youth are at a high risk of 
        substance use disorder and becoming victims of sexual abuse, 
        sexual exploitation, trafficking in persons, and sex 
        trafficking;
          ``(9) research has shown that--
                  ``(A) the prevalence of homelessness among youth and 
                young adults is similar in rural and urban communities; 
                and
                  ``(B) runaway and homeless youth programs, such as 
                those funded under this Act, are integral services that 
                every community, regardless of size, should provide; 
                and
          ``(10) runaway and homeless youth programs provide expert 
        adolescent services and are integral community partners for the 
        child welfare and juvenile justice systems.''.

SEC. 4. BASIC CENTER GRANT PROGRAM.

  (a) Grants for Centers and Services.--Section 311(a) (34 U.S.C. 
11211(a)) is amended--
          (1) in paragraph (1)--
                  (A) by striking ``The Secretary'' and inserting 
                ``Every 2 or 3 years, the Secretary'';
                  (B) by striking ``and operate'' and inserting ``, 
                operate, and maintain''; and
                  (C) by striking ``services'' and all that follows 
                through the period at the end and inserting ``safe 
                shelter and services, including trauma-informed 
                services, for runaway and homeless youth and, if 
                appropriate, services for the families of such youth, 
                including (if appropriate) individuals identified by 
                such youth as family. Grants shall be awarded for a 5-
                year period.''; and
          (2) in paragraph (2)--
                  (A) by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the 
                following:
                  ``(A) shall be provided to runaway youth, street 
                youth, homeless youth, and youth at risk of separation 
                from his or her family or at risk of becoming 
                homeless;'';
                  (B) in subparagraph (B)--
                          (i) in clause (i), by striking ``21 days; 
                        and'' and inserting ``30 days or the maximum 
                        allowed by the State, whichever is greater;'';
                          (ii) by striking clause (ii) and inserting 
                        the following:
                          ``(ii) age, gender, developmentally, and 
                        culturally and linguistically appropriate 
                        individual, family, and group counseling, as 
                        appropriate (including, if appropriate, 
                        counseling for individuals identified by such 
                        youth as family); and''; and
                          (iii) by adding at the end the following:
                          ``(iii) suicide prevention services; and''; 
                        and
                  (C) in subparagraph (C)--
                          (i) in clause (ii), by inserting ``age, 
                        gender, developmentally, and culturally and 
                        linguistically appropriate, to the extent 
                        practicable,'' before ``home-based services'';
                          (ii) in clause (iii), by striking ``and'' 
                        after the semicolon;
                          (iii) in clause (iv), by striking 
                        ``diseases.'' and inserting ``infections;''; 
                        and
                          (iv) by adding at the end the following:
                          ``(v) trauma-informed and gender-responsive 
                        services for runaway or homeless youth, 
                        including such youth who are victims of sexual 
                        abuse, sexual exploitation, trafficking in 
                        persons, or sex trafficking; and
                          ``(vi) if safe and appropriate, supports for 
                        youth and their parents, legal guardians, or 
                        (if appropriate) those identified by such youth 
                        as family, including--
                                  ``(I) an assessment of family 
                                engagement to improve support for youth 
                                (and if appropriate) reunify youth;
                                  ``(II) strength-based interventions; 
                                and
                                  ``(III) ongoing supportive 
                                services.''.
  (b) Eligibility; Plan Requirements.--Section 312 (34 U.S.C. 11212) is 
amended--
          (1) in subsection (a), by inserting ``, to youth who are at 
        risk of separation from the family,'' after ``guardians'';
          (2) in subsection (b)--
                  (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``facility'' the 
                1st place it appears and inserting ``project'';
                  (B) in paragraph (2)(A)--
                          (i) by striking ``facility'' and inserting 
                        ``project''; and
                          (ii) by striking ``requires'' and inserting 
                        ``allows'';
                  (C) in paragraph (5), by inserting ``, or (if 
                appropriate) individuals identified by such youth as 
                family,'' after ``parents or legal guardians'';
                  (D) in paragraph (6)--
                          (i) by inserting ``(which may include the use 
                        of online resources in order to reach and 
                        engage youth)'' after ``programs''; and
                          (ii) by striking ``cultural minority and 
                        persons with limited ability to speak English'' 
                        and inserting ``cultural minority, persons with 
                        limited ability to speak English, and runaway 
                        or homeless youth who are victims of sexual 
                        abuse, sexual exploitation, trafficking in 
                        persons, or sex trafficking'';
                  (E) by striking paragraph (7) and inserting the 
                following:
          ``(7) shall keep adequate statistical records profiling the 
        youth and family members of such youth whom the applicant 
        serves, including demographic information on and the number of 
        such youth who--
                  ``(A) are not referred to out-of-home shelter 
                services;
                  ``(B) are members of vulnerable or underserved 
                populations;
                  ``(C) are victims of sexual abuse, sexual 
                exploitation, trafficking in persons, or sex 
                trafficking;
                  ``(D) are pregnant or parenting;
                  ``(E) have been involved in the child welfare system; 
                and
                  ``(F) have been involved in the juvenile justice 
                system;'';
                  (F) by striking paragraph (8) and inserting the 
                following:
          ``(8) shall ensure that--
                  ``(A) the records described in paragraph (7), on an 
                individual runaway or homeless youth, shall not be 
                disclosed without the consent of the individual youth 
                and of the parent or legal guardian of such youth or 
                (if appropriate) an individual identified by such youth 
                as family, to anyone other than another agency 
                compiling statistical records or a government agency 
                involved in the disposition of criminal charges against 
                an individual runaway or homeless youth; and
                  ``(B) reports or other documents based on the 
                statistics described in paragraph (7) shall not 
                disclose the identity of any individual runaway or 
                homeless youth;'';
                  (G) in paragraph (12)--
                          (i) by striking subparagraph (B) and 
                        inserting the following:
                  ``(B) detailed information on how the center has been 
                able to meet the goals of its plans; and''; and
                          (ii) in subparagraph (C)--
                                  (I) by striking clause (i) and 
                                inserting the following:
                          ``(i) the number and characteristics of 
                        runaway and homeless youth, and youth at risk 
                        of family separation, who participate in the 
                        project, including such information on--
                                  ``(I) such youth (including runaway 
                                and homeless youth, and youth at risk 
                                of family separation) who are victims 
                                of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, 
                                trafficking in persons, or sex 
                                trafficking;
                                  ``(II) such youth who are pregnant or 
                                parenting;
                                  ``(III) such youth who have been 
                                involved in the child welfare system; 
                                and
                                  ``(IV) such youth who have been 
                                involved in the juvenile justice 
                                system; and''; and
                                  (II) in clause (ii), by striking 
                                ``and'' after the semicolon;
                  (H) in paragraph (13) by striking the period at the 
                end and inserting ``for natural disasters, inclement 
                weather, and mental health emergencies;''; and
                  (I) by adding at the end the following:
          ``(14) shall provide age, gender, developmentally, and 
        culturally and linguistically appropriate, to the extent 
        practicable, services to runaway and homeless youth; and
          ``(15) shall inform youth of their status as independent 
        students under section 480 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
        (20 U.S.C. 1087vv), provide verification of such status for the 
        purposes of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid 
        described in section 483 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
        (20 U.S.C. 1090), and assist youth in completing this 
        application at the youth's request.'';
          (3) in subsection (d)--
                  (A) in paragraph (1)--
                          (i) by inserting ``age, gender, 
                        developmentally, and culturally and 
                        linguistically appropriate, to the extent 
                        practicable,'' after ``provide'';
                          (ii) by striking ``families (including 
                        unrelated individuals in the family households) 
                        of such youth'' and inserting ``families of 
                        such youth (including unrelated individuals in 
                        the family households of such youth and, if 
                        appropriate, individuals identified by such 
                        youth as family)''; and
                          (iii) by inserting ``suicide prevention,'' 
                        after ``physical health care,'';
                  (B) in paragraph (4)--
                          (i) by inserting ``, including training on 
                        trauma-informed and youth-centered care'' after 
                        ``home-based services''; and
                          (ii) by striking ``and'' after the semicolon; 
                        and
                  (C) in paragraph (5)--
                          (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and'' 
                        after the semicolon;
                          (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking the 
                        period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                          (iii) by adding at the end the following:
                  ``(C) youth are eligible for home-based services when 
                determined by the applicant to be at risk of separation 
                from the family.''; and
          (4) by adding at the end the following:
  ``(f) Online Resources for Outreach.--An applicant may develop a 
plan, consistent with local needs, for the use of online resources, if 
appropriate, in order to reach and engage youth.''.
  (c) Approval of Applications.--Section 313(b) (34 U.S.C. 11213(b)) is 
amended by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
          ``(2) eligible applicants that request grants--
                  ``(A) of less than $225,000, if this title is funded 
                at less than $200,000,000 for the relevant fiscal year; 
                and
                  ``(B) of less than $250,000, if this title is funded 
                at $200,000,000 or more for the relevant fiscal 
                year.''.

SEC. 5. TRANSITIONAL LIVING GRANT PROGRAM.

  (a) Authority for Program.--Section 321 (34 U.S.C. 11221) is 
amended--
          (1) by striking ``The Secretary is authorized to make grants 
        and to provide technical assistance'' and inserting ``The 
        Secretary shall award grants every 2 or 3 years, and shall 
        provide technical assistance''; and
          (2) by inserting ``Grants shall be awarded for a 5-year 
        period.'' after ``homeless youth.''.
  (b) Eligibility.--Section 322 (34 U.S.C. 11222) is amended--
          (1) in subsection (a)--
                  (A) in paragraph (1)--
                          (i) by inserting ``age, gender, 
                        developmentally, and culturally and 
                        linguistically appropriate, to the extent 
                        practicable,'' before ``information and 
                        counseling services''; and
                          (ii) by striking ``job attainment skills, and 
                        mental and physical health care'' and inserting 
                        ``job attainment skills, mental and physical 
                        health care, and suicide prevention services'';
                  (B) in paragraph (2)--
                          (i) by striking ``18'' and inserting ``21''; 
                        and
                          (ii) by striking ``18th'' and inserting 
                        ``21st'';
                  (C) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (8) and 
                (9) through (16) as paragraphs (5) through (10) and 
                (12) through (19), respectively;
                  (D) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
          ``(3) to provide counseling to homeless youth and to 
        encourage, if appropriate, the involvement in such counseling 
        of their parents or legal guardians, or (if appropriate) 
        individuals identified by such youth as family;
          ``(4) to provide aftercare services, if possible, to homeless 
        youth who have received shelter and services from a 
        transitional living youth project, including (to the extent 
        practicable) such youth who, after receiving such shelter and 
        services, relocate to a geographic area or State other than the 
        geographic area or State in which such project is located;'';
                  (E) in paragraph (5), as redesignated by subparagraph 
                (C), by striking ``shelter facility'' and inserting 
                ``project'';
                  (F) in paragraph (6), as redesignated by subparagraph 
                (C), by striking ``shelter facility used to carry out 
                such project'' and inserting ``project'';
                  (G) in paragraph (8), as so redesignated, by striking 
                ``to provide a written transitional living plan to each 
                youth'' and inserting ``to develop a written 
                transitional living plan in partnership with each 
                youth'';
                  (H) in paragraph (9), as so redesignated--
                          (i) by inserting ``age, gender, 
                        developmentally, and culturally and 
                        linguistically appropriate, to the extent 
                        practicable,'' after ``referral of homeless 
                        youth to'';
                          (ii) by striking ``vocational, training'' and 
                        inserting ``career and technical education'';
                          (iii) by striking ``and health care 
                        programs'' and inserting ``mental health 
                        service and health care programs, substance use 
                        disorder treatment, and programs providing 
                        wrap-around services to victims of sexual 
                        abuse, sexual exploitation, trafficking in 
                        persons, or sex trafficking''; and
                          (iv) by striking ``such services for 
                        youths;'' and inserting ``such programs 
                        described in this paragraph;'';
                  (I) in paragraph (10), as so redesignated, by 
                inserting ``, which may include the use of online and 
                social media engagements, as appropriate'' before the 
                semicolon;
                  (J) by inserting after paragraph (10), as so 
                redesignated, the following:
          ``(11) to develop a plan to provide age, gender, 
        developmentally, and culturally and linguistically appropriate 
        services, to the extent practicable, that address the needs of 
        homeless and street youth;'';
                  (K) in paragraph (12), as so redesignated, by 
                striking ``the applicant and statistical'' and all that 
                follows through ``who participate in such project,'' 
                and inserting ``the applicant, statistical summaries 
                describing the number, the characteristics, and the 
                demographic information of the homeless youth who 
                participate in such project, including the prevalence 
                of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, trafficking in 
                persons, and sex trafficking of such youth,'';
                  (L) in paragraph (18), as so redesignated, by 
                striking ``and'' after the semicolon;
                  (M) in paragraph (19), as so redesignated, by 
                striking the period at the end and inserting 
                ``regarding responses to natural disasters, inclement 
                weather, and mental health emergencies; and''; and
                  (N) by adding at the end the following:
          ``(20) to inform youth of their status as independent 
        students under section 480 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
        (20 U.S.C. 1087vv), provide verification of such status for the 
        purposes of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid 
        described in section 483 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
        (20 U.S.C. 1090), and assist the youth in completing this 
        application at the youth's request.''; and
          (2) by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:
  ``(b) Priority; Equitable Geographic Distribution.--In selecting 
eligible applicants to receive grants under this part, the Secretary 
shall--
          ``(1) give priority to--
                  ``(A) entities that have experience in providing to 
                homeless youth shelter and services of the types 
                described in subsection (a)(1); and
                  ``(B) entities that request grants--
                          ``(i) of less than $225,000, if this title is 
                        funded at less than $200,000,000 for the 
                        relevant fiscal year; and
                          ``(ii) of less than $250,000, if this title 
                        is funded at $200,000,000 or more for the 
                        relevant fiscal year; and
          ``(2) consider providing an equitable geographic distribution 
        of grants.''.

SEC. 6. NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM.

  Section 331 (34 U.S.C. 11231) is amended--
          (1) by inserting ``5-year'' before ``grants''; and
          (2) by inserting ``, online, and social media'' after 
        ``telephone''.

SEC. 7. COORDINATING, TRAINING, RESEARCH, AND OTHER ACTIVITIES.

  (a) Coordination.--Section 341 (34 U.S.C. 11241) is amended--
          (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting 
        ``safety, well-being,'' after ``health,''; and
          (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``other Federal entities'' 
        and inserting ``the Department of Housing and Urban 
        Development, the Department of Education, the Department of 
        Labor, and the Department of Justice''.
  (b) Grants for Technical Assistance and Training.--Section 342 (34 
U.S.C. 11242) is amended--
          (1) by inserting ``5-year'' before ``grants to'';
          (2) by inserting ``, including onsite and web-based 
        techniques, such as on-demand and online learning,'' before 
        ``to public and private entities''; and
          (3) by striking ``carrying out'' and inserting ``implementing 
        in a trauma-informed manner''.
  (c) Grants for Research, Evaluation, Demonstration, and Service 
Projects.--Section 343(b) (34 U.S.C. 11243(b)) is amended--
          (1) in paragraph (5)--
                  (A) in subparagraph (A)--
                          (i) by striking ``sexual abuse and assault'' 
                        and inserting ``violence, trauma, sexual abuse, 
                        sexual exploitation''; and
                          (ii) by striking ``and sex trafficking'' and 
                        inserting ``or sex trafficking'';
                  (B) in subparagraph (B)--
                          (i) by striking ``assault'' and inserting `` 
                        sexual exploitation''; and
                          (ii) by striking ``and'' after the semicolon;
                  (C) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``who have been 
                sexually victimized'' and inserting ``who are victims 
                of sexual abuse or sexual exploitation''; and
                  (D) by adding at the end the following:
                  ``(D) best practices for identifying and providing 
                age, gender, developmentally, and culturally and 
                linguistically appropriate services to the extent 
                practicable to--
                          ``(i) vulnerable and underserved youth 
                        populations; and
                          ``(ii) youth who are victims of sexual abuse, 
                        sexual exploitation, trafficking in persons, or 
                        sex trafficking; and
                  ``(E) informing youth of their status as independent 
                students under section 480 of the Higher Education Act 
                of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087vv), providing verification of 
                such status for the purposes of the Free Application 
                for Federal Student Aid described in section 483 of the 
                Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1090), and 
                assisting youth in completing this application at the 
                youth's request;'';
          (2) in paragraph (9), by striking ``and'' at the end;
          (3) in paragraph (10), by striking the period and inserting a 
        semicolon; and
          (4) by adding at the end the following:
          ``(11) examining the intersection between the runaway and 
        homeless youth populations and trafficking in persons, 
        including noting whether such youth who are victims of 
        trafficking in persons or sex trafficking were previously 
        involved in the child welfare or juvenile justice systems; and
          ``(12) the needs of runaway youth and homeless youth with 
        disabilities, including projects that examine best practices 
        for serving these youth.''.
  (d) Demonstration Projects to Provide Services to Youth in Rural 
Areas.--Section 344(a)(2)(A) (34 U.S.C. 11244(a)(2)(A)) is amended by 
striking ``$100,000'' and inserting ``$200,000''.
  (e) Periodic Estimate of Incidence and Prevalence of Youth 
Homelessness.--Section 345 (34 U.S.C. 11245) is amended--
          (1) in subsection (a)--
                  (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)--
                          (i) by striking ``Reconnecting Homeless Youth 
                        Act of 2008'' and inserting ``Runaway and 
                        Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act 
                        of 2019'';
                          (ii) by striking ``5'' and inserting ``3''; 
                        and
                          (iii) by inserting ``of Health and Human 
                        Services, acting through the Associate 
                        Commissioner of the Family and Youth Services 
                        Bureau'' after ``Secretary'';
                  (B) in paragraph (1)--
                          (i) by striking ``13'' and inserting ``12''; 
                        and
                          (ii) by striking ``and'' after the semicolon;
                  (C) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the 
                end and inserting a semicolon; and
                  (D) by adding at the end the following:
          ``(3) that includes demographic information about and 
        characteristics of runaway or homeless youth, including such 
        youth who are victims of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, 
        trafficking in persons, or sex trafficking; and
          ``(4) that does not disclose the identity of any runaway or 
        homeless youth.''; and
          (2) in subsection (b)(1)--
                  (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by 
                striking ``13'' and inserting ``12'';
                  (B) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                  (C) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph 
                (C);
                  (D) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the 
                following:
                  ``(B) incidences, if any, of--
                          ``(i) such individuals who are victims of 
                        sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, trafficking 
                        in persons; or
                          ``(ii) such individuals who are victims of 
                        sex trafficking; and''; and
                  (E) in subparagraph (C), as so redesignated--
                          (i) in clause (ii), by striking ``; and'' and 
                        inserting ``, including mental health 
                        services;''; and
                          (ii) by adding at the end the following:
                          ``(iv) access to education (including 
                        postsecondary education and career and 
                        technical education); and''.

SEC. 8. SEXUAL ABUSE PREVENTION PROGRAM.

  Section 351 (34 U.S.C. 11261) is amended--
          (1) in subsection (a)--
                  (A) by striking ``The Secretary'' and inserting 
                ``Every 2 or 3 years, the Secretary'';
                  (B) by inserting ``public and'' before ``nonprofit''; 
                and
                  (C) by striking ``prostitution,'' and inserting 
                ``violence,'';
          (2) by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:
  ``(b) Priority; Equitable Geographic Distribution.--In selecting 
applicants to receive grants under subsection (a), the Secretary 
shall--
          ``(1) give priority to--
                  ``(A) public and nonprofit private agencies that have 
                experience in providing services to runaway and 
                homeless, and street youth; and
                  ``(B) eligible applicants that request grants--
                          ``(i) of less than $225,000, if this title is 
                        funded at less than $200,000,000 for the 
                        relevant fiscal year; and
                          ``(ii) of less than $250,000, if this title 
                        is funded at $200,000,000 or more for the 
                        relevant fiscal year; and
          ``(2) consider providing an equitable geographic distribution 
        of grants.''; and
          (3) by adding at the end the following:
  ``(c) Eligibility Requirements.--To be eligible to receive a grant 
under subsection (a), an applicant shall certify to the Secretary that 
such applicant has systems in place to ensure that such applicant can 
provide age, gender, developmentally, and culturally and linguistically 
appropriate, to the extent practicable, services to all youth described 
in subsection (a).
  ``(d) Duration.--Grants awarded under this section shall be for a 
period of 5 years.''.

SEC. 9. GENERAL PROVISIONS.

  (a) Lease of Surplus Federal Facilities for Use Runaway and Homeless 
Youth Centers or as Transitional Living Youth Shelter Projects.--
Section 381 (34 U.S.C. 11272) is amended--
          (1) in the section heading--
                  (A) by inserting ``, sites,'' after ``centers''; and
                  (B) by striking ``shelter facilities'' and inserting 
                ``shelter projects''; and
          (2) in subsection (a), in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
        by striking ``youth shelter facilities'' and inserting ``youth 
        shelter projects''.
  (b) Reports.--Section 382(a) (34 U.S.C. 11273(a)) is amended--
          (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)--
                  (A) by striking ``2000'' and inserting ``2021''; and
                  (B) by striking ``the Workforce'' and inserting 
                ``Labor'';
          (2) in paragraph (1)--
                  (A) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) through (D) as 
                subparagraphs (C) through (E), respectively; and
                  (B) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the 
                following:
                  ``(B) collecting data on sexual abuse, sexual 
                exploitation, trafficking in persons, and sex 
                trafficking of runaway and homeless youth;''; and
          (3) in paragraph (2)--
                  (A) by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the 
                following:
                  ``(A) the number and characteristics of homeless 
                youth served by such projects, including--
                          ``(i) such youth who are victims of sexual 
                        abuse, sexual exploitation, trafficking in 
                        persons, and sex trafficking;
                          ``(ii) such youth who are pregnant or 
                        parenting;
                          ``(iii) such youth who have been involved in 
                        the child welfare system; and
                          ``(iv) such youth who have been involved in 
                        the juvenile justice system;''; and
                  (B) in subparagraph (F), by striking ``intrafamily 
                problems'' and inserting ``problems within the family, 
                including (if appropriate) individuals identified by 
                such youth as family,''.
  (c) Federal Share.--Section 383(a) (34 U.S.C. 11274(a)) is amended by 
striking ``facility's budget'' and inserting ``project's budget''.
  (d) Evaluation and Information.--Section 386(a) (34 U.S.C. 11277(a)) 
is amended in the matter preceding paragraph (1)--
          (1) by striking ``3'' and inserting ``5'' each place the term 
        appears; and
          (2) by inserting ``, acting through the Associate 
        Commissioner of the Family and Youth Services Bureau'' after 
        ``Secretary''.
  (e) Performance Standards.--Section 386A(a) (34 U.S.C. 11278(a)) is 
amended by striking ``Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act of 2008'' and 
inserting ``Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act 
of 2019''.
  (f) Nondiscrimination.--Part F is amended by inserting after section 
386A (34 U.S.C. 11278) the following:

``SEC. 386B. NONDISCRIMINATION.

  ``(a) In General.--No person in the United States shall, on the basis 
of actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex, 
gender identity (as defined in section 249(c)(4) of title 18, United 
States Code), sexual orientation, or disability, be excluded from 
participation in, be denied the benefits of, or subjected to 
discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal 
financial assistance under title III of the Juvenile Justice and 
Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974.
  ``(b) Exception.--If programming that is segregated by or specific to 
sex is necessary to the essential operation of a program, nothing in 
this section shall be construed to prevent the entity carrying out any 
such program or activity from consideration of an individual's sex. In 
such a circumstance, the entity may meet the requirements of this 
section by providing comparable services to individuals who cannot be 
provided with the sex-segregated or sex-specific programming.
  ``(c) Disqualification.--The authority provided for the Secretary to 
enforce this section shall be the same as the authority provided for 
the Secretary to enforce subsection (a) or (b) of section 654 of the 
Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9849). The procedures provided for review of 
an action to enforce this section shall be the same as the procedures 
provided for review of an action to enforce subsection (b) of that 
section.
  ``(d) Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be construed, 
interpreted, or applied to supplant, displace, preempt, or otherwise 
limit the responsibilities and liabilities under other Federal or State 
laws with respect to discrimination on a basis described in subsection 
(a).''.
  (g) Definitions.--Section 387 (34 U.S.C. 11279) is amended--
          (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (6), and 
        paragraphs (7) and (8), as paragraphs (2) through (7), and 
        paragraphs (9) and (10), respectively;
          (2) by inserting before paragraph (2), the following:
          ``(1) Culturally and linguistically appropriate.--The term 
        `culturally and linguistically appropriate', with respect to 
        services, has the meaning given the term `culturally and 
        linguistically appropriate services' in the `National Standards 
        for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in 
        Health and Health Care', issued in April 2013, by the Office of 
        Minority Health of the Department of Health and Human 
        Services.'';
          (3) in paragraph (4)(A) (as so redesignated)--
                  (A) in clause (i), by striking ``21'' and inserting 
                ``26''; and
                  (B) in clause (ii), by striking ``and either'' and 
                all that follows through the end of the clause and 
                inserting ``but less than 26 years of age;'';
          (4) in paragraph (6)(B)(as so redesignated)--
                  (A) in clause (i), by striking the semicolon and 
                inserting ``, including the use of online methods of 
                engagement, as appropriate, based on the needs of the 
                community and population served;''; and
                  (B) in clause (v), by striking subclauses (I) through 
                (IV) and inserting the following:
                                  ``(I) alcohol and substance use 
                                disorder;
                                  ``(II) sexual abuse, sexual 
                                exploitation, trafficking in persons, 
                                and sex trafficking;
                                  ``(III) sexually transmitted 
                                infections, including human 
                                immunodeficiency virus (HIV);
                                  ``(IV) physical and sexual assault; 
                                and
                                  ``(V) suicide.'';
          (5) in paragraph (7)(B) (as so redesignated), by striking 
        ``prostitution, or drug abuse'' and inserting ``trafficking in 
        persons, sex trafficking, or substance use disorder'';
          (6) by inserting after paragraph (7) (as so redesignated), 
        the following:
          ``(8) Trafficking in persons.--The term `trafficking in 
        persons' has the meaning given the term `severe forms of 
        trafficking in persons' in section 103 of the Trafficking 
        Victims Protection Act of 2019 (22 U.S.C. 7102).'';
          (7) in paragraph (9) (as so redesignated)--
                  (A) by inserting ``to homeless youth'' after 
                ``provides''; and
                  (B) by inserting ``, to establish a stable family or 
                community supports,'' after ``self-sufficient living''; 
                and
          (8) in paragraph (10)(B) (as so redesignated)--
                  (A) in clause (ii)--
                          (i) by inserting ``or able'' after 
                        ``willing''; and
                          (ii) by striking ``or'' at the end;
                  (B) in clause (iii), by striking the period and 
                inserting ``; or''; and
                  (C) by adding at the end the following:
                  ``(iv) who is involved in the child welfare or 
                juvenile justice system, but is not living in housing 
                or shelter funded by the Federal Government.''.
  (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 388(a) (34 U.S.C. 
11280(a)) is amended--
          (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``$127,421,000 for each of 
        fiscal years 2019 through 2020'' and inserting ``$225,000,000 
        for fiscal year 2021, and such sums as may be necessary for 
        each of fiscal years 2022 through 2025'';
          (2) in paragraph (3)(B), by striking ``such sums as may be 
        necessary'' and all that follows through the period at the end 
        and inserting ``$2,000,000 shall be made available to carry out 
        section 345 for fiscal year 2021 and such sums as may be 
        necessary shall be made available to carry out such section for 
        each of fiscal years 2022 through 2025''; and
          (3) in paragraph (4), by striking ``$25,000,000 for each of 
        fiscal years 2019 through 2020'' and inserting ``$75,000,000 
        for fiscal year 2021, and such sums as may be necessary for 
        each of fiscal years 2022 through 2025''.

                          Purpose and Summary

    H.R. 5191, the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking 
Prevention Act of 2019, reauthorizes and strengthens federal 
programs that support youth experiencing homelessness and youth 
who are at risk of experiencing homelessness. Recent research 
revealed that a staggering four million youth ages 13 to 25 
experience homelessness in any given year, a figure much higher 
than previously known. H.R. 5191 provides a robust response to 
this public health crisis and addresses the needs of this 
vulnerable population by strengthening and expanding services 
to ensure that more youth experiencing homelessness can access 
and benefit from these programs.
    H.R. 5191 makes significant updates to the Runaway and 
Homeless Youth Act (RHYA)\1\, to ensure local programs provide 
the services and resources that young people need to become 
permanently and safely housed. The legislation increases the 
authorization level for RHYA services to better align federal 
support with need and strengthens program requirements to 
ensure that such services are accessible and responsive to the 
diverse population of youth experiencing homelessness. Data 
show that youth experiencing homelessness are more likely than 
their peers to come from historically underserved communities, 
including low-income communities, communities of color, and the 
LGBTQ community.\2\ In response, H.R. 5191 requires that 
services provided to youth be age, gender, developmentally, and 
culturally and linguistically appropriate, to the extent 
possible, in order to best serve youths. The legislation also 
protects youth seeking RHYA services from discrimination on the 
basis of actual or perceived race, color, religion, national 
origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability 
to ensure that all youth feel safe and supported in federally-
funded programs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\34 U.S.C. Sec. 10101 note (Runaway and Homeless Youth Act).
    \2\Matthew Morton et al., Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, 
Missed Opportunities: Youth Homelessness in America: National Estimates 
12-13 (2017) https://voicesofyouthcount.org/wpcontent/uploads/2017/11/
VoYC-National-Estimates-Brief-Chapin-Hall-2017.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In addition to expanding the reach of housing services, 
H.R. 5191 ensures that services provided through RHYA meet the 
broad needs of this highly vulnerable population. Youths who 
experience homelessness or are at risk of experiencing 
homelessness often face several challenges simultaneously.\3\ 
From past trauma to ongoing mental health challenges, 
overcoming youth homelessness is not simply a question of 
finding stable housing. Youths need a breadth of support to 
find a path to a healthy and productive life. H.R. 5191 
strengthens the quality of counseling services and adds suicide 
prevention services to regular programming to ensure youths 
receive appropriate mental health supports. The legislation 
also ensures that staff employ trauma-informed perspectives in 
their interactions with youths and are versed on best practices 
for identifying and supporting youths who have been victims of 
trafficking. In addition, the legislation requires RHYA 
programs to connect youths to postsecondary and job training 
opportunities, including providing support for completing the 
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the key to 
accessing and affording higher education opportunities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \3\Inst. for Child., Poverty, and Homelessness, Suicide and 
Depression Among Homeless High School Students 3-4, https://
www.icphusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/ICPH-Mental-Health-7.18.pdf; 
U.S. Dep't of Health & Hum. Servs., Data Collection Study Final Report: 
Street Outreach Program 27-39, (2016), https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/
default/files/fysb/
data_collection_study_final_report_street_outreach_program.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Consistent with Congress' efforts to advance evidence-based 
policymaking, H.R. 5191 makes several improvements to federal 
data collection efforts aimed at measuring the incidence and 
prevalence of youth homelessness. The legislation increases the 
frequency with which the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
is to conduct comprehensive estimates of youth homelessness and 
expands on the information that such estimates should cover. 
The legislation also strengthens reporting requirements for 
local programs to help Congress better understand the extent to 
which there may be disparities in the subpopulations of youth 
experiencing homelessness served with federal funds.
    H.R. 5191 implements needed improvements to the federal 
response to youth homelessness. Early experiences of 
homelessness can have devastating effects on youths' lives. 
From being less likely to finish high school, to becoming more 
like to become victims of trafficking and experience adult 
homelessness, youths who experience homelessness can face 
insurmountable challenges.\4\ By passing H.R. 5191, Congress 
reaffirms its long-standing commitment to those most vulnerable 
in our society and gets our nation closer to an ideal where all 
youths have the opportunity to succeed.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \4\Chris Chamberlain & Guy Johnson, Pathways into adult 
homelessness. 49 J. of Sociology1,7 (2011) http://
citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/
download?doi=10.1.1.1020.1764&rep=rep1&type=pdf; Laura Murphy, Labor 
and Sex Trafficking Among Homeless Youth: A Ten City Study Full Report 
5 (2016), https://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/ht/murphy-
labor-sex-trafficking-homeless-youth.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                            Committee Action


                             114TH CONGRESS

    On October 8, 2015, the Committee held a hearing in 
Washington, D.C., on ``Reviewing the Juvenile Justice System 
and How It Serves At-Risk Youth.'' The purpose of the hearing 
was to examine federal, state, and local administration of 
juvenile justice programs, including programs to better serve 
at-risk youth. Testifying before the Committee were The 
Honorable Steven Teske, Chief Judge, Clayton County Juvenile 
Court, Jonesboro, Georgia; Mr. Derek Cohen, Deputy Director, 
Center for Effective Justice, Texas Public Policy Foundation, 
Austin, Texas; Mr. Sloane Baxter, Youth Advocate, Washington, 
D.C.; and Dr. Tim Goldsmith, Chief Clinical Officer, Youth 
Villages, Memphis, Tennessee.
    On September 8, 2016, Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) introduced 
H.R. 5963, the Supporting Youth Opportunity and Preventing 
Delinquency Act of 2016, with Reps. Early ``Buddy'' Carter (R-
GA), John Kline (R-MN), Robert C. ``Bobby'' Scott (D-VA), Susan 
Davis (D-CA), and Frederica Wilson (D-FL) as original co-
sponsors. On September 14, 2016, the Committee considered H.R. 
5963 in a legislative session and reported it favorably, as 
amended, to the House of Representative by voice vote. The 
Committee considered and adopted the following amendments to 
H.R. 5963:
           Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute: 
        Rep. Curbelo (R-FL) offered an amendment in the nature 
        of a substitute. which was adopted by voice vote.
           Amendment 1: Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) offered 
        an amendment to prohibit corporal punishment in public 
        schools. The amendment was withdrawn.
           Rep. David P. Roe (R-TN) offered a motion to 
        report the bill as amended. The motion was adopted by 
        voice vote.

                             115TH CONGRESS

    On February 15, 2017, the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, 
Elementary and Secondary Education held a hearing in 
Washington, D.C., on ``Providing Vulnerable Youth the Hope of a 
Brighter Future Through Juvenile Justice Reform.'' The purpose 
of the hearing was to examine efforts and proposals to reform 
the juvenile justice system. Testifying before the Committee 
were The Honorable Denise Navarre Cubbon, Judge, Lucas County 
Juvenile Division, Lucas County, Ohio; Ms. Meg Williams, MPA 
Manager, Office of Adult and Juvenile Justice Assistance, 
Division of Criminal Justice, Colorado Department of Public 
Safety, Denver, Colorado; Chief Patrick J. Flannelly, Chief of 
Police, Lafayette Police Department, Lafayette, Indiana; and 
Mr. Matt Reed, Executive Director, Safe Place Services, YMCA of 
Greater Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky.
    On March 30, 2017, Rep. Jason Lewis (R-MN) introduced H.R. 
1809, the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2017, with Reps. 
Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Todd Rokita (R-IN), Scott, Davis, and 
Wilson as original co-sponsors. On April 4, 2017, the Committee 
considered H.R. 1809 in a legislative session and reported it 
favorably, as amended, to the House of Representative by voice 
vote. The Committee considered and adopted the following 
amendments to H.R. 1809:
           Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute: 
        Rep. Lewis offered an amendment in the nature of a 
        substitute which was adopted by voice vote.
           Rep. Glenn ``GT'' Thompson (R-PA) offered a 
        motion to report the bill as amended. The motion was 
        adopted by voice vote.

                        Other Legislative Action

    Instead of taking up H.R. 1809, the Senate instead acted on 
S. 860, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 
Reauthorization Act of 2017, authored by Sen. Chuck Grassley 
(R-IA). S. 860 passed the Senate August 1, 2017. While the 
House and Senate bills were remarkably similar, there was no 
clear procedural path to reconcile either bill to the 
satisfaction of both chambers.
    In hopes of advancing compromise language through the 
legislative process, on September 28, 2018, Rep. Lewis 
introduced H.R. 6964, the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2018, 
with Rep. Scott as an original co-sponsor. This bill contained 
compromise language that reflected the priorities of the 
majority and minority caucuses of each chamber. Like H.R. 1809, 
the bill included provisions to help ensure the continuity of 
young people's education while incarcerated, provided clear 
direction for states and localities to reduce racial and ethnic 
disparities among incarcerated youth, and allocated resources 
for communities to plan and implement evidencebased prevention 
and intervention programs specifically designed to reduce 
juvenile delinquency and gang involvement. The Committee was 
discharged from consideration so the bill could proceed 
directly to the House floor where it passed that same day 
without objection.
    The Senate, however insisted on modification of this 
language and on December 11, 2018, H.R. 6964 was passed in the 
Senate with an amendment by voice vote, necessitating the House 
to approve a bill reauthorizing the Juvenile Justice 
Delinquency and Prevention Act of 1974 (JJDPA) for a third time 
in the 115th Congress. On December 13, 2018, a motion that the 
House agree to the Senate amendment to H.R. 6964 was agreed to 
without objection. On December 21, 2018 the bill was signed 
into law (Pub. L. 115-385) by the President.

                             116TH CONGRESS

    On July 16, 2019, the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and 
Human Services held a hearing in Washington, D.C., on 
``Strengthening Federal Support to End Youth Homelessness.'' 
The purpose of the hearing was to allow Members to hear about 
the youth homelessness crisis and learn about the federal 
resources that can help youth transition out of homelessness 
and become self-sufficient individuals. Testifying before the 
Committee were Mr. Matthew Morton, Ph.D., M.Sc., Research 
Fellow, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, New York, New 
York; Ms. Melinda Giovengo, Ph.D., CEO, YouthCare, Seattle, 
Washington; Mr. Robert Lowery, Jr., M.S., Vice-President, 
Missing Children Division, National Center for Missing & 
Exploited Children, Alexandria, Virginia; and Mr. David Baker, 
Support Specialist, YMCA Youth & Family Services, San Diego, 
California.
    On November 20, 2019, Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) introduced 
H.R. 5191, the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking 
Prevention Act of 2019, with Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE), Jahana 
Hayes (D-CT), and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) as original co-
sponsors. On January 14, 2020, the Committee considered H.R. 
5191 in a legislative session and reported it favorably, as 
amended, to the House of Representative by a bipartisan vote of 
28 19. The Committee considered the following amendments to 
H.R. 5191:
           Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute: 
        Rep. Jayapal introduced an amendment in the nature of a 
        substitute which made minor technical changes to the 
        bill. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
           Rep. Foxx introduced a substitute to the 
        amendment in the nature of an amendment. The amendment 
        was defeated on a recorded vote of 19-27.

                            Committee Views


                              INTRODUCTION

    Millions of young people experience homelessness in our 
country, largely hidden in plain sight. An innovative 
comprehensive estimate of youth homelessness recently found 
that 1 in 30 youth ages 13-17 and 1 in 10 youth ages 18-25 
experience homelessness in any given year.\5\ This means that a 
staggering 4.2 million youth experience homelessness over the 
course of a year. The expansiveness of this issue is deeply 
troubling; early experiences of homelessness can have serious 
consequences on the lives of children and young adults. Youths 
who experience homelessness are vulnerable to exploitation and 
human trafficking, are more likely to exit school before 
graduating, and more likely to have adult experiences of 
homelessness than their peers who do not experience 
homelessness.\6\ In other words, experiences of youth 
homelessness are associated with incredible life hardship.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \5\Matthew Morton et al., supra note 2, at 12.
    \6\Chamberlain & Johnson, supra note 4, at 7; Murphy, supra note 4, 
at 5; Nat'l Ctr. for Homeless Educ., supra note 4, at 3.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Congress has a long history of supporting individuals 
experiencing homelessness, including youths. Although several 
federal programs provide services to individuals experiencing 
homelessness, the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) is the 
primary federal law that authorizes services specifically for 
youth experiencing homelessness. RHYA was first enacted as 
title III of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 
Act in 1974.\7\ The federal government has continued to 
dedicate funding and resources to these vulnerable youths since 
then through subsequent reauthorizations of RHYA. Congress last 
reauthorized RHYA in 2018 through a reauthorization that was 
limited in scope and extended funding through 2020 but included 
no substantial policy changes.\8\ The last comprehensive 
reauthorization of RHYA occurred in 2008 with the passage of 
the Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act of 2008,\9\ through which 
Congress made substantial changes to the program's requirements 
and added a number of accountability provisions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \7\Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, Pub. L. No. 93-
415, 88 Stat. 1109 (1974).
    \8\Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2018 Sec. 402, 34 U.S.C. 
Sec. 11280(a).
    \9\Pub. L. No. 110-378, 122 Stat. 4068.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In the decade since RHYA was last reauthorized, innovations 
in the measuring and counting of youths experiencing 
homelessness have revealed that the scope of youth homelessness 
is much broader and diverse than previously understood. We now 
know that data and definitional limitations of regularly 
performed counts of homeless individuals lead to a significant 
undercounting of youth experiencing homelessness. Homelessness 
affects about 4.2 million youth each year, a figure 24 times 
larger than the most recent official estimate from the U.S. 
Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) annual 
count.\10\ Congress must comprehensively reauthorize RHYA to 
ensure the federal government is able to meet the needs of the 
large and diverse population of youths experiencing 
homelessness.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \10\In 2017, the year that the study that found that 4.2 million 
youth experienced homelessness was conducted, the Department of Housing 
and Urban Development (HUD) counted 168,267 children and youth ages 18-
24 in its annual point-in-time count of individuals experiencing 
homelessness. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD 
2017 Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Programs Homeless 
Populations and Subpopulations, https://files.hudexchange.info/reports/
published/CoC_PopSub_NatlTerrDC_2017.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Background

    Research shows that the experience of youth homelessness is 
quite varied across individuals as well as within individuals 
over time. Although homelessness is often thought of as a 
permanent condition of living on the street or in a shelter, it 
is in fact a complex and fluid experience. Individual youth can 
move in and out of homelessness and have multiple experiences 
of homelessness over even a short period of time. Some youth 
experiencing homelessness live on the street, whereas others 
live in shelters or couch surf with friends, meaning they move 
around from one arrangement to another without finding stable 
and secure housing.\11\ Many youth experience all such 
arrangements at different times as they attempt to cobble 
together what few resources they can find. The range of time 
youth experience homelessness can also vary greatly. Some youth 
experience homelessness for periods that may last as little as 
one week.\12\ Others can experience long spells lasting several 
years, with others yet moving in and out of homelessness for 
the majority of their childhood and early adulthood.\13\ 
Although research demonstrates that youths who live in rural 
and urban areas experience homelessness at similar rates, 
youths living in rural areas are more likely to be couch 
surfing and less likely to live in shelters than their urban 
peers, likely due to lack of available shelter and other formal 
resources in rural areas.\14\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \11\Matthew Morton et al., supra note 2, at 12.
    \12\Jordan Braciszewski, et al., Understanding the Attainment of 
Stable Housing: A Seven-year Longitudinal Analysis of Homeless 
Adolescents, HHS Public Access Author manuscript (appears in 44 J. of 
Cmnty. Psych. 358-366) (2016), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/
articles/PMC4795908/.
    \13\Admin. for Children & Family, Family and Youth Services Bureau 
Street Outreach Program: Data Collection Study Final Report 28 (2016), 
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/fysb/
data_collection_study_final_report_street_outreach_program.pdf.
    \14\Matthew Morton et al., supra note 2, at 12.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In response to the diversity of the youth homelessness 
experience, RHYA currently authorizes three different programs 
administered through the U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services (HHS). Each of these programs focuses on a different 
subpopulation of youth experiencing homelessness and as such 
provides specific services based on the needs of those groups. 
These three programs are the Basic Center Program (BCP), the 
Transitional Living Program (TLP), and the Street Outreach 
Program (SOP). The BCP was the first program authorized under 
RHYA in 1974.\15\ Subsequent reauthorizations of RHYA in 1988 
and 1994 added the TLP and SOP programs, respectively.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \15\Adrienne L. Fernandes-Alcantara, Cong. Rsch. Serv., RL 33785, 
Runaway and Homeless Youth: Demographics and Programs 18 (2019); 
Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, Family & Youth Services Bureau, https:/
/www.rhyttac.net/rhya-timeline (last visited Dec. 21, 2020).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The BCP provides short-term housing and crisis intervention 
for runaway and homeless youth as well as youth at risk of 
homelessness under the age of 18. Through the BCP, community-
based organizations provide services like housing, counseling, 
family unification, prevention, and after care to youths and 
their families. Due to the short-term nature of the program, 
the current allowable length of stay in a BCP facility is 21 
days. In fiscal year (FY) 2018, BCP's 223 grantees provided 
emergency shelter to over 20,000 youths and prevention services 
to an additional 7,700 youths.\16\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \16\Fam. & Youth Services Bur., Basic Center Program 1 (2020), 
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/fysb/
bcp_fact_sheet_september_2020.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The TLP focuses on longer-term housing and support for 
youth over the age of 16 who are ready to become self-
sufficient. Using TLP funds, community-based organizations 
provide safe and secure housing, in addition to a wide range of 
services including health care, basic life skills, and 
connections to education and career opportunities. The TLP also 
funds maternity group homes to serve pregnant and parenting 
youths. The current allowable length of stay at a TLP facility 
is 540 days, or in exceptional circumstances for youth 21 or 
over, 635 days. In FY 2018, TLP's 239 grantees served over 
2,000 youth.\17\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \17\Fam. & Youth Services Bur., Transitional Living Program, 
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/fysb/
tlp_fact_sheet_september_2020pdf.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The SOP focuses on outreach and crisis intervention for 
runaway and homeless youths who are living on the street who we 
know disproportionately experience, or are at risk of 
experiencing, higher rates of sexual abuse, sexual 
exploitation, and trafficking. SOP grantees conduct outreach 
with street locations and/or drop-in centers and provide 
services like counseling and referrals to substance misuse 
treatment or education services. In FY 2018, SOP's 118 grantees 
connected with over 35,000 youths.\18\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \18\Fam. & Youth Services Bur., Street Outreach Program, https://
www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/fysb/
sop_fact_sheet_september_2020pdf.pdf; Dep't of Health & Hum. Svcs., 
Fiscal Year 2021: Administration for Children and Families 
Justification of Estimates for Appropriations Committees 144, https://
www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/olab/
fy_2021_congressional_justification.pdf?nocache=1581352571.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Challenges and innovations in defining and measuring the full scope of 
        runaway and homeless youth

    Unfortunately, the varied and transient experience of youth 
homelessness has historically posed a significant challenge to 
defining, accurately counting, and, therefore, effectively 
serving youths who experience homelessness. RHYA, which relies 
on a developmentally appropriate understanding of the 
experience of homelessness, defines a homeless youth as one for 
whom it is not possible to live in a safe environment with a 
relative or one who has no safe alternative living 
arrangement.\19\ The statute defines runaway youth as youth 
under the age of 18 who leave their home without the permission 
of a parent or legal guardian. In other words, the statute 
includes a broad interpretation of homelessness that research 
demonstrates is reflective of youths' real life experiences and 
includes youths living on the street as well as youths who live 
in shelters, who are couch surfing with friends or relatives, 
or are in any other situation that is not safe or permanent.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \19\34 U.S.C. 11279 (3).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    However, agencies mandated with regularly producing 
estimates of youths experiencing homelessness rely on different 
definitions of youth homelessness, a discrepancy that has 
historically limited Congress' ability to access comprehensive 
data about the scope and magnitude of youth homelessness as 
defined in RHYA. Specifically, Congress tasks two agencies with 
data collection on youth homelessness: HUD and the U.S. 
Department of Education (ED). HUD, which conducts an annual 
point-in-time count of the number of sheltered and unsheltered 
individuals experiencing homelessness on one given night each 
January, omits by definition youths who are couch surfing from 
its count.\20\ ED's count, which relies on a definition of 
youth homelessness that is much more closely aligned to the 
RHYA definition, yields a figure of youth homelessness that is 
closer to the population RHYA programs intend to serve.\21\ Yet 
ED's counting efforts are limited to youths who are enrolled in 
school and school-aged, and as such also falls short of fully 
encompassing the population of youths eligible for services 
under RHYA.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \20\RL 33785, supra note 15, at 3.
    \21\42 U.S.C. Sec. 11434a (2) (definition of ``homeless children 
and youth'' under the McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In an attempt to overcome these challenges and more 
accurately measure the prevalence of youth homelessness as 
defined in RHYA, HHS in 2016 requested, and Congress 
appropriated funding to conduct a new study on the scope of 
youth homelessness.\22\ HUD contracted with the research 
organization Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago to 
conduct a study examining the true prevalence of youth 
homelessness.\23\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \22\Pub. L. No. 114-113 (2016).
    \23\RL 33785, supra note 15, at 4; Point-in-Time (PIT) Count 
Standards and Methodologies Training, HUD Exchange, https://
www.hudexchange.info/trainings/courses/point-in-time-pit-count-
standards-and-methodologies-training/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Chapin Hall study revealed to Congress and the public 
what practitioners had long known: that the federal 
government's existing counts of youth homelessness vastly 
underestimated the phenomenon's true prevalence. In 2017, HUD 
estimated that about 168,000 children and youths under the age 
of 24 experienced homelessness.\24\ For the 2017-2018 school 
year, ED estimated that about 500,000 students in grades 8th 
through 12th (which roughly match with ages 13-18) experienced 
homelessness.\25\ The Chapin Hall study found that in 2017, 
700,000 youths ages 13-17 experienced homelessness.\26\ 
Alarmingly, the study found that an additional 3.5 million 
youth ages 18-25 experienced homelessness at some point that 
year.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \24\U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD 2017 
Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Programs Homeless Populations and 
Subpopulations, https://files.hudexchange.info/reports/published/
CoC_PopSub_NatlTerrDC_2017.pdf.
    \25\National Center for Homeless Education, Federal Data Summary: 
School Years 2015-16 Through 2017-18 16-17 (2020), https://nche.ed.gov/
wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Federal-Data-Summary-SY 15.16-to-17.18-
Published-1.30.2020.pdf.
    \26\Matthew Morton et al., supra note 2, at 12.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In addition to the groundbreaking findings on the 
prevalence of youth homelessness, Chapin Hall researchers also 
revealed new information about the factors that place youths at 
risk for homelessness. In regards to demographic 
characteristics, the study showed that youths who identify as 
LGBTQ are at higher risk for experiencing homelessness than 
their peers.\27\ Black and Latino youths are also at higher 
risk than their white peers.\28\ Researchers also found that 
experiences of abuse when the youth was a child, experience in 
foster care, and experience with the juvenile justice system 
were all also associated with higher likelihood of experiencing 
homelessness.\29\ Although the study revealed that there are 
many reasons why youths may not be at home, family conflict was 
the most common reason youths cited for entering 
homelessness.\30\ As expected, some youths who experienced 
family conflict left home on their own while others reported 
being forced out.\31\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \27\Id.
    \28\Id.
    \29\Coalition for Juvenile Justice, Addressing the Intersections of 
Juvenile Justice and Youth Homelessness: Principles for Change 1-2, 
https://juvjustice.org/sites/default/files/ckfinder/files/
FINAL%20Principles%20-%20ns%20final.pdf; United States Interagency 
Council on Homelessness, Homelessness in America: Focus on Youth 2-8 
(2018), https://www.usich.gov/resources/uploads/asset_library/
Homelessness_in_America_Youth.pdf.
    \30\Matthew Morton et al., supra note 2, at 13.
    \31\Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The release of the Chapin Hall study marked a turning point 
demonstrating that youth homelessness is a public health 
crisis. The Committee believes Congress cannot ignore the vast 
number of youths experiencing homelessness and must respond by 
expanding the quality and reach of services authorized under 
the RHYA. H.R. 5191 does this by increasing the authorization 
of appropriations to support the millions of youths who are at 
risk of or are experiencing homelessness and making policy 
changes that improve the reach of services to those who most 
need them. Reauthorizing RHYA reaffirms Congress' long-standing 
commitment to caring for and supporting the most vulnerable 
populations of young people.

        ENSURING SERVICES REACH YOUNG PEOPLE FACING HOMELESSNESS

    In the face of data showing the prevalence of youth 
homelessness, it is imperative that Congress expand programs 
and services authorized under RHYA to meet the needs of young 
people experiencing homelessness. Moreover, it is critical that 
services be responsive to the complex and varied experience of 
youth homelessness revealed in the Chapin Hall study. H.R. 5191 
increases the authorization levels for RHYA programs and makes 
several improvements to the programs' policies to ensure youth 
have access to the breadth of services that help them find safe 
and stable housing and place them on a path to a productive, 
full life.

Increasing authorization levels

    Currently, RHYA authorizes just $36 per youth who 
experience homelessness in any given year, an unacceptably low 
figure. To ensure youths experiencing homelessness are able to 
find stable housing, are connected to critical services that 
address their physical and mental health needs, and are 
supported in developing the skills for a successful, healthy 
future, H.R. 5191 substantially increases authorization levels 
for the BCP and TLP programs from $127.4 million to $225 
million and to increase the authorization level for the SOP 
from $25 million to $75 million. With H.R. 5191 the Committee 
sends a clear message that Congress should make a strong 
investment in our nation's vulnerable youths, one that will 
yield significant financial and non-financial benefits for 
youths experiencing homelessness, their communities, and 
taxpayers.

Expanding the reach and breadth of services to meet youths' needs

    In addition to ensuring that the federal government 
provides appropriate funding for services for youths 
experiencing homelessness, it is critical to ensure that these 
services are intensive enough to help youths find safe, stable 
housing and exit homelessness for good. Researchers have found 
that the longer youths experience homelessness, the more 
challenging it becomes to transition out of homelessness.\32\ 
Providing services to youths experiencing homelessness quickly 
after they first become homeless and preventing them from re-
experiencing homelessness after an initial spell does not only 
minimize harm to youths in the immediate future, but reduces 
the chances that youths will experience future bouts of 
homelessness. Moreover, experiences with youth homelessness are 
closely linked to adult homelessness. In one study, more than a 
third (35%) of adults who experienced homelessness had 
transitioned from homeless youths into homeless adults.\33\ 
Thus, it is in everyone's interest to ensure youth have access 
to the full span of services offered by federally-funded 
projects and are given the proper amount of time to benefit 
from such services in order to reach a positive and long-term 
reunification with family or become self-sufficient.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \32\Chris Chamberlain & Guy Johnson, From Youth to Adult 
Homelessness, 43 The Australian Journal of Social Issues 563, 575 
(2008).
    \33\Chamberlain & Johnson, supra note 4, at 7.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    H.R. 5191 provides youths access to the depth of services 
they need in several ways. First, the bill extends the 
allowable length of stay for both BCP and TLP to ensure youth 
have adequate time to find stable housing and exit 
homelessness. For youths served by BCP, the length of stay is 
increased from 21 to 30 days, or the maximum allowed by state 
law, whichever is greater. For youths served by TLP, the 
allowable stay remains 540 days but the extended length of stay 
for exceptional circumstances is extended to youths under age 
21 rather than limited to youths below the age of 18. In 
addition to extending the length of stay for already eligible 
youths, H.R. 5191 amends RHYA to extend TLP eligibility by 
raising the age limit from 22 to 26 in order to ensure services 
are available to all vulnerable youths who may benefit from 
support.
    The opportunity for TLP grantees to continue serving youths 
up to age 26 allows young adults experiencing homelessness to 
receive a host of services that help them become self-
sufficient, including assistance in accessing future 
postsecondary, career, or technical educational opportunities. 
In order to better bolster youths' access to higher education, 
H.R. 5191 also requires that grantees assist youths with 
completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid 
(FAFSA), including informing youth of their status as an 
independent student under section 480 of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965, and assisting with verification of such status for 
the purpose of completing the FAFSA. The Committee hopes this 
will open the door of higher education for youths experiencing 
homelessness and ensure that these youths can be connected to 
support programs specifically tailored for college and 
university students who have previously or currently experience 
homelessness.

Ensuring youths who have been victims of trafficking are adequately 
        served

    Youths who experience homelessness are at an increased risk 
for a number of traumatic and negative outcomes, including 
being vulnerable to exploitation and human trafficking. This 
vulnerability emerges in large part because youth experiencing 
homelessness are often at higher risk for a host of factors 
that make them more likely to fall victim to trafficking, 
including poverty, unemployment, past abuse, and mental health 
disorders.\34\ One 2016 study of approximately 650 homeless 
youths found that about one in five (19 percent) had been 
victims of trafficking, with 14 percent being subjected to sex 
trafficking, eight percent subjected to labor trafficking, and 
three percent trafficked for sex and labor.\35\ That study also 
revealed that LBGTQ homeless youths were disproportionately 
found to be victims of trafficking compared to non-LBGTQ 
homeless youths.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \34\Murphy, supra note 4, at 8.
    \35\Id. at 12.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    As such, RHYA grantees must tailor services to 
appropriately support youths following experiences of 
trafficking. H.R. 5191 makes critical changes to RHYA to ensure 
BCP, TLP, and SOP grantees provide accessible and appropriate 
services for such youths. This includes ensuring that grantees 
are able to provide trauma-informed and gender-responsive 
services and counseling for youths who have been victims of 
trafficking, ensuring such youths receive wraparound services 
that meet their needs, ensuring that program outreach efforts 
reach these youths, and ensuring that staff are trained in best 
practices for identifying and providing appropriate services to 
such youths.

Extending the length of RHYA grants

    In addition to ensuring services are responsive to the 
needs of youths experiencing homelessness, H.R. 5191 makes 
changes to current law to help grantees better support youths. 
RHYA providers currently face administrative challenges when 
awarded grants shorter than five years, limiting their ability 
to provide the full breadth of services allowable under the 
law. H.R. 5191 amends RHYA to ensure grantees receive five-year 
grants to reduce burden, improve program quality, and ensure 
projects can plan and prepare for extended outreach efforts.

  ENSURING YOUTHS CAN ACCESS RHYA SERVICES SAFELY AND WITHOUT FEAR OF 
                             DISCRIMINATION

    Expanding services to meet the needs of youths experiencing 
homelessness must be done in a way that takes into account and 
supports their unique experiences and backgrounds. The Chapin 
Hall study revealed that youths who experience homelessness are 
a diverse population, many of whom have experienced traumatic 
instances of discrimination that contributed to their 
experiences of homelessness. The Committee believes it is 
critical that programs are responsive to youths' needs and that 
each youth can access services without the fear of 
discrimination. H.R. 5191 amends RHYA to ensure that grantees 
provide appropriate services to youths from all backgrounds and 
experiences. Moreover, H.R. 5191 adds robust anti-
discrimination provisions to RHYA to protect youths 
experiencing homelessness and ensure they are able to access 
and receive needed services.

Ensuring services are appropriate for the diverse population of youth 
        experiencing homelessness

    Runaway and homeless youths come from diverse backgrounds. 
Research demonstrates that Black and Latino youths are more 
likely to experience homelessness than their white peers. 
Specifically, Black youths are 83 percent more likely and 
Latino youth are 33 percent more likely to experience 
homelessness than their white peers.\36\ Youths who identify as 
LGBTQ also report experiencing homelessness at higher rates, 
with such youth being 120 percent more likely to experience 
homelessness than their heterosexual or cisgender peers.\37\ 
Youths experiencing homelessness also vary in their life 
experiences. Some youths may have experience with the foster 
care system or juvenile justice system prior to entering 
homelessness.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \36\Matthew Morton et al., supra note 2, at 12.
    \37\Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    H.R. 5191 includes several provisions to address the needs 
of this demographically diverse population. H.R. 5191 requires 
that services provided by BCP, TLP, and SOP be age, gender, 
developmentally, and culturally and linguistically appropriate. 
This change recognizes the diverse backgrounds and experiences 
of youths experiencing homelessness and the need for services 
to appropriately address and reflect these differences. 
Moreover, H.R. 5191 requires that grantees engage in outreach 
efforts that are designed to reach and attract youths who are 
members of a cultural minority or may have limited ability to 
speak English. Following findings from the Chapin Hall study 
that youths experiencing homelessness are likely to seek 
information online, the bill also explicitly allows grantees to 
use online tools and social media in their outreach efforts to 
better reach youths who may be marginalized in local 
communities and difficult to reach in person.

Ensuring no youths face discrimination when accessing services

    To ensure that all youths experiencing homelessness, 
including LGBTQ youths who in some communities represent as 
much as 40 percent of the homeless youth population,\38\ feel 
able to seek RHYA services and are protected against 
discrimination when receiving federally-funded services, H.R. 
5191 amends RHYA to prohibit discrimination on the basis of 
actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, 
sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability. This 
language codifies into statute regulatory requirements added to 
the RHYA program in 2016 that prohibit exclusion from 
participation in, denial of benefits for, or discrimination on 
the basis of ``race, ethnicity, nationality, age, religion/
spirituality, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, 
socioeconomic status, physical or cognitive ability, language, 
beliefs, values, behavior patterns, or customs'' in any program 
or activity funded in whole or in part under RHYA.\39\ As such, 
H.R. 5191 would align statute with current practice and ensure 
that youths served by RHYA programs in the future continue to 
benefit from such protections.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \38\Mary Cunningham et al., Homeless LGBTQ Youth 1(2014), https://
www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/22876/413209-Homeless-
LGBTQ-Youth.PDF.
    \39\45 C.F.R. Sec.  1351.22.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In addition, H.R. 5191 includes language clarifying that in 
cases where sex-segregated programming is essential to the 
operation of a program, such sex-segregated programming is 
allowed as long as the program that implements such programming 
provides comparable services to individuals who cannot receive 
such sex-segregated programming. This provision is modeled 
after existing statutory language in the Violence Against Women 
Act adopted with strong bipartisan support in 2013 and will 
assure that programs that use RHYA funding to implement 
Maternity Group Homes for pregnant or parenting mothers can 
continue to provide these critical services.\40\ Altogether, 
H.R. 5191 codifies important provisions that ensure that 
regardless of political changes in presidential 
administrations, no youth experiencing homelessness will ever 
face discrimination when seeking federally-funded RHYA 
services.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \40\34 U.S.C. Sec.  12291.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     ADDRESSING MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF RUNAWAY AND HOMELESS YOUTHS

    Runaway and homeless youths face instability daily. These 
youths lack access to the basic services many Americans take 
for granted, including housing, food, and medical care. Many 
youths experiencing homelessness have also experienced 
traumatic events that contribute to their homelessness, 
including family conflict, physical abuse, or sexual abuse.\41\ 
It is thus unsurprising that youths experiencing homelessness 
experience mental health disorders, including substance use 
disorders, at much higher rates than their peers. A 2015 study 
found that young adults experiencing homelessness were four 
times more likely to have at least one mental illness than 
their housed peers.\42\ Another study found that almost two 
thirds (62 percent) of youth experiencing homelessness reported 
symptoms associated with depression and were at risk for 
clinical depression.\43\ The same study found high rates of 
substance use for alcohol (73.2 percent) and for drugs (37.5 
percent) among youth experiencing homelessness.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \41\Sarah Carter Narendorf et al., Risk and Resilience Among Young 
Adults Experiencing Homelessness: A Typology for Service Planning, 86 
Children and Youth Services, 157, 160 (2018).
    \42\National Health Care for the Homeless Council, Behavioral 
Health Among Youth Experiencing Homelessness 2 (2015), https://
nhchc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/in-focus-behavioral-health-among-
youth.pdf.
    \43\U.S. Dep't of Health & Hum. Servs., supra note 3, at 55.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Given the mental health challenges that youth experiencing 
homelessness face, the Committee believes it is critical that 
homelessness services address these needs in order to ensure 
youth are able to become self-sufficient. Serving youth 
experiencing homelessness is more than just providing youth a 
place to stay overnight; grantees must address the broad range 
of challenges such youth face, whether mild or severe. H.R. 
5191 amends RHYA to require grantees to ensure youth have 
access to the services that help them address trauma and mental 
health challenges, including the support of close adults who 
can support youth through difficult times.

Providing trauma-informed services

    Many runaway and homeless youth experience trauma early in 
their lives, even before they leave their homes or become 
homeless. Youth who experience homelessness often report prior 
experiences of sexual abuse, physical abuse, domestic violence, 
the death of a family member, and trafficking, among other 
negative events. One study of youth living in the street found 
that the prevalence of trauma for those youth was particularly 
high, with almost three-quarters (72 percent) of participants 
reporting experiences of major trauma.\44\ Research has also 
found that children who experience homelessness are likely to 
have experienced multiple adverse childhood experience (ACEs), 
placing them at-risk for a host of negative outcomes in 
adulthood.\45\ H.R. 5191 addresses trauma in youths' lives by 
requiring that staff of RHYA grantees are trained in trauma-
informed practices and services are provided with a trauma-
informed perspective to ensure homeless youth receive the 
necessary supports to help them overcome the negative effects 
of trauma.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \44\Id. at 56.
    \45\National Health Care for the Homeless Council, Homelessness & 
Adverse Childhood Experiences: The Health and Behavioral Consequences 
of Childhood Trauma 2 (2019), https://nhchc.org/wp-content/uploads/
2019/08/aces-fact-sheet.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Allowing individuals identified by youths as family to participate in 
        counseling services

    Given the mental health challenges that youth experiencing 
homelessness face, RHYA allows grantees to provide or connect 
youth to counseling services and, if appropriate, include their 
family members in these services. Current statute, however, 
limits the ability of other close adults in a youth's life to 
participate in such services. H.R. 5191 amends RHYA to ensure 
that individuals identified by youths as their family can 
engage and participate in counseling services provided by BCP 
and TLP grantees. Aligning service provision to reflect youths' 
reality will ensure that grantees can assist youths in building 
relationships with individuals that they identify as their 
family and thus strengthen their support system.

Addressing suicide prevention and providing referrals to mental health 
        programs

    Unfortunately, some youths experience more severe mental 
health symptoms than others. One such symptom reported by a 
significant proportion of youths experiencing homelessness is 
suicide ideation. One 2018 study by the Institute for Children, 
Poverty, and Homelessness that surveyed homeless high school 
students found that one in five (20 percent) of these youths 
had attempted suicide compared to just one in ten (10 percent) 
of their non-homeless peers in a given year. Furthermore, the 
study found that suicide attempts by youths experiencing 
homelessness were more severe and more likely to result in 
serious injury requiring medical attention.\46\ Given these 
alarming statistics, H.R. 5191 makes important amendments to 
RHYA to require that BCP and TLP projects ensure youths have 
access to critical counseling and mental health services to 
help identify and support youths that are at a higher risk for 
suicide ideation. H.R. 5191 also directs grantees to have 
adequate plans in place to refer youths to outside mental 
health or health care programs, as well as substance use 
treatment, in cases in which grantees cannot provide adequate 
services for youths experiencing challenges with mental health 
disorders, substance use, or other serious health conditions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \46\Suicide and Depression Among Homeless High School Students, 
Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness, 2 https://
www.icphusa.org/reports/suicide-and-depression-among-homeless-high-
school-students/ (last visited Dec. 12, 2020).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ensuring youths are safe during mental health emergencies

    In addition to ensuring that individual youths have access 
to the mental health services they need, H.R. 5191 makes 
changes to ensure youths within each facility are safe in cases 
of mental health emergencies. H.R 5191 amends RHYA to require 
that BCP and TLP projects develop plans for mental health 
emergencies to ensure that in cases where youths may experience 
a serious outburst or mental health event while near other 
youth at the project, all youths may be protected. It is 
important that grantees appropriately respond to and support 
the individual experiencing the mental health emergency while 
ensuring other youths are also supported and protected from any 
harm.

        IMPROVING DATA COLLECTION RELATED TO YOUTH HOMELESSNESS

    As Congress recently learned, the data regularly collected 
by federal agencies on youth homelessness fail to capture the 
true prevalence of this phenomenon as defined in RHYA. Yet, 
robust and frequent data collection is critical for 
policymakers and stakeholders to understand the full scope of 
youth homelessness and the characteristics of runaway and 
homeless youths. Accurate and frequent information collection 
allows policymakers to better respond to current trends among 
youths experiencing homelessness, and to provide funding that 
meets the population's need. It is critical that data 
collection similar to that included in the Chapin Hall study 
continues to occur on a regular basis and be supplemented with 
detailed data from RHYA grantees so that Congress can implement 
evidence-based policies that meet the true needs of youths 
experiencing homelessness.

Periodic comprehensive estimate of youth homelessness

    H.R. 5191 amends RHYA to improve the frequency of data 
collection regarding the prevalence of youth experiencing 
homelessness as defined under the Act. To ensure comprehensive 
estimates of the number of youths experiencing homelessness are 
conducted regularly, H.R. 5191 requires the Secretary of HHS, 
through the Family Youth Services Bureau (FYSB), to estimate 
the prevalence of runaway and homeless youth ages 12 to 26 at 
three-year intervals. This frequency will allow for timely 
updates to Congress to understand the prevalence of youth 
homelessness and to adjust funding accordingly.
    In addition to estimating the scope of youth homelessness 
every three years, H.R. 5191 also requires that HHS provide to 
Congress information about the characteristics of runaway youth 
and youths experiencing homelessness. This includes data on 
such youths who are victims of sexual abuse, sexual 
exploitation, trafficking in persons and/or sex trafficking. 
The estimate must also provide information regarding barriers 
youths face in receiving mental health services and accessing 
postsecondary, career, and technical education. H.R. 5191 
authorizes $2 million every three years for the development of 
this estimate.

Program reporting requirements

    In addition to strengthening the quality of the periodic 
estimate of youth homelessness, H.R. 5191 makes key 
improvements to data reporting requirements for BCP and TLP 
grantees to ensure that providers are engaging with all 
subgroups of youth experiencing homelessness, including youths 
most at-risk of experiencing homelessness. H.R. 5191 requires 
that providers report the number of youth and non-personally 
identifiable demographic information and characteristics of 
homeless youth and youth at-risk of family separation served 
through the grantee's program. This includes information on 
youths who are victims of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, 
trafficking in persons and/or sex trafficking, parenting or 
pregnant youths, and youths with prior or current involvement 
with the child welfare system and juvenile justice system. Such 
data will help Congress uncover disparities in access to 
services provided by RHYA grantees and ensure services are 
reaching the most vulnerable populations.

                               CONCLUSION

    Congress has a responsibility to ensure that the 4.2 
million youths who experience homelessness in any given year 
receive the support necessary to find a path to a stable, 
productive, and healthy life. Recently collected data on the 
magnitude and prevalence of youth homelessness provides a 
mandate for Congress to act now. H.R. 5191 addresses this 
mandate by expanding services and increasing authorization 
levels for the RHYA's three core programs: BCP, TLP, and SOP. 
The legislation makes several improvements to RHYA programs to 
ensure services are tailored to the needs of the diverse 
population of youths who experience homelessness. In addition, 
the legislation adds a non-discrimination clause to ensure that 
all youths have access to desperately needed services and are 
treated fairly by grantees.
    Youth experience homelessness in every state, both in rural 
and urban areas.\47\ As such, Members of Congress on both sides 
of the aisle have a stake in ensuring that every youth 
experiencing homelessness is connected to critical services. 
H.R. 5191 has bipartisan champions in both the Senate and House 
and RHYA has historically received robust bipartisan support. 
The Committee recommends Congress adopt the amendment in the 
nature of a substitute to H.R. 5191 passed at the Committee 
markup and pass this bill that will ensure continued support 
for runaway and homeless youths.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \47\Matthew Morton et al., supra note 2, at 12.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                      Section-by-Section Analysis


Section 1. Short title

    This Act is called the ``Runaway and Homeless Youth and 
Trafficking Prevention Act of 2019.''

Section 2. References

    This section provides that any amendment to, or repeal of, 
a provision shall be considered to be made to a provision of 
the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA).

Section 3. Findings

    This section updates the findings of the RHYA to reflect 
new research findings.

Section 4. Basic Center Grant Program

    This section makes updates to the Basic Center Program 
(BCP), which provides temporary housing with crisis 
intervention services to minors (runaway youth, street youth, 
homeless youth, and youth at-risk of separation from their 
family) to increase the allowable length of stay from 21 to 30 
days, or the maximum allowed by the state, whichever is higher. 
This section requires that services be trauma-informed and, if 
appropriate, inclusive of the youth's family, including 
individuals identified by the youth as family. Counseling 
services must be age, gender, developmentally, culturally, and 
linguistically appropriate, as appropriate, as must be any 
homebased services provided at the option of BCP grantees. In 
addition, this section requires that BCP programs provide 
suicide prevention services.
    This section requires that grantee outreach plans be 
designed to attract persons who are members of a cultural 
minority, persons with limited ability to speak English, and 
runaway or homeless youth who are victims of sexual abuse, 
exploitation, trafficking in persons, or sex trafficking. 
Grantees may use online resources in order to reach and engage 
youth. In addition, this section requires that programs include 
a statistical summary describing the number, characteristics, 
and demographics of the youth who participated in the project, 
including prevalence of human trafficking among the population 
of youth being served, in annual reports to the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services (Secretary). Such reports must not 
disclose the identity of any individual served. Such reports 
must also include detailed information regarding the program's 
ability to meet its goals.
    This section further requires that programs inform youth of 
their status as an independent student under section 480 of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 and provide verification of such 
status for purposes of completing the Free Application for 
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This section also requires that 
BCP programs assist youth with completing the FAFSA. This 
section further requires programs to develop emergency 
management plans for natural disasters, inclement weather, and 
mental health emergencies.
    This section requires that BCP grants be awarded for a 
five-year period. The Secretary shall give priority to eligible 
applicants that request grants of less than $225,000 per year 
if this title is funded at less than $200 million for the 
relevant fiscal year, or to eligible applicants that request 
grants of less than $250,000 per year if this title is funded 
at more than $200 million for the relevant fiscal year.

Section 5. Transitional Living Grant Program

    This section makes updates to the Transitional Living 
Program (TLP), which provides longerterm housing with 
supportive services for youth experiencing homelessness. This 
section requires that counseling services be age, gender, 
developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate, to 
the extent practicable. This section requires that TLP grantees 
offer suicide prevention services, counseling services that 
encourage the involvement of parents, legal guardians, or 
individuals identified by youth as family, if appropriate, to 
youth in TLP facilities. This section also requires that 
programs offer aftercare services to youth who have exited TLP 
shelters. This section allows youth, in exceptional 
circumstances, to remain in the program until the youth's 21st 
birthday even if such youth has already reached the 635-day 
limit.
    This section further requires that programs develop an 
adequate plan to ensure proper referral of homeless youth to 
age, gender, developmentally, culturally, and linguistically 
appropriate, to the extent practicable, services, including 
substance use disorder treatment and programs for victims of 
sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, trafficking in persons, or 
sex trafficking. Additionally, this section requires that 
transitional living plans be written in partnership with youth 
rather than being given to youth. This section allows programs 
to use online and social media in outreach plans, as 
appropriate.
    This section also requires that programs include in their 
annual reports to the Secretary a statistical summary 
describing the number, characteristics, and demographics of the 
youth who participated in the project, including the prevalence 
of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, trafficking in persons, 
and sex trafficking among such youth. This section also 
requires that programs inform youth of their status as an 
independent student under section 480 of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965, provide verification of such status for purposes 
of completing the FAFSA, and assist youth with completing the 
FAFSA. This section further requires programs to develop 
emergency management plans for natural disasters, inclement 
weather, and mental health emergencies.
    This section requires that TLP grants be awarded for a 
five-year period. The Secretary shall give priority to entities 
that have experience providing homeless youth shelter and that 
request grants of less than $225,000 if this title is funded at 
less than $200 million for the relevant fiscal year, or 
entities that request grants of less than $250,000 per year if 
this title is funded at more than $200 million for the relevant 
fiscal year. This section also allows the Secretary to consider 
equitable geographic distribution when issuing grants.

Section 6. National communications system

    This section requires that grants be made every five years 
for a national communication system to assist runaway and 
homeless youth in communicating with their families and with 
service providers, including through online resources and 
social media.

Section 7. Coordinating, training, research, and other activities

    This section requires the Secretary to coordinate the 
activities of the Department of Health and Human Services with 
the activities of the Department of Housing and Urban 
Development, the Department of Education, the Department of 
Labor, and the Department of Justice.
    This section further requires that grants to statewide and 
regional nonprofit organizations (or combinations of such 
organizations) to provide technical assistance and training to 
RHYA grantees, including through onsite and web-based 
techniques such as on-demand and online learning, be made for a 
five-year period. This section establishes that such grants are 
created for the purpose of implementing RHYA programs in a 
trauma-informed manner.
    This section also makes updates to grants for research, 
evaluation, demonstration, and service projects. This section 
requires that the Secretary, in making such grants, give 
priority to projects relating to staff training in the 
behavioral and emotional effects of violence, trauma, sexual 
abuse assault, sexual exploitation, or sex trafficking, staff 
training in best practices for identifying and providing 
services to vulnerable and underserved youth populations and 
youth who are victims of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, 
trafficking in persons, or sex trafficking, and staff training 
in informing youth of their status as independent students 
under section 480 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and 
assisting youth in completing the FAFSA. The Secretary shall 
also give priority to projects that examine the intersection 
between the runaway and homeless youth populations and 
trafficking in persons as well as to projects that relate to 
the needs of runaway youth and homeless youth with 
disabilities.
    This section also increases the maximum grant for a 
demonstration project from $100,000 to $200,000.
    In addition, this section makes several improvements to the 
periodic estimate of the incidence and prevalence of youth 
homelessness. This section requires the Secretary to conduct 
the periodic estimate at three-year intervals. Moreover, this 
section requires that when the estimate is reported, such 
report include demographic information and characteristics of 
runaway or homeless youth, data regarding incidences of youth 
who are victims of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, 
trafficking in persons, or sex trafficking, and list barriers 
youth face in obtaining access to education services.

Section 8. Sexual Abuse Prevention Program

    This section makes updates to the Sexual Abuse Prevention 
of Street Youth Program (SOP), which provides outreach to 
runaway, homeless, and trafficked youth and refers youth to 
vital services at street locations and/or drop-in centers. This 
section requires that grants be awarded for a five-year period 
to applicants that certify to the Secretary that they can 
provide age, gender, developmentally, and culturally and 
linguistically appropriate services, to the extent practicable. 
This section further requires that the Secretary give priority 
for such grants to entities that have experience providing 
services to runaway youth, homeless youth, and street youth and 
entities that request grants of less than $225,000 if this 
title is funded at less than $200 million for the relevant 
fiscal year, or entities that request grants of less than 
$250,000 per year if this title is funded at more than $200 
million for the relevant fiscal year. This section also allows 
the Secretary to consider equitable geographic distribution 
when issuing grants.

Section 9. General provisions

    This section requires that the Secretary submit a report on 
the status, activities, and accomplishments of programs 
receiving funding under the Act to the Committee on Education 
and Labor of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
the Judiciary of the Senate by 2021. Such report shall include, 
among other things, information on the ability of BCP grantees 
to collect data on sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, 
trafficking in persons, and sex trafficking of runaway and 
homeless youth, the number and characteristics of youth served 
by TLP grantees, and the ability of grantees to encourage the 
resolution of problems within the family.
    This section also requires that the Secretary perform on-
site evaluations of grantees who receive grant funding under 
any part of RHYA for five consecutive fiscal years. Such 
evaluations shall determine whether grants are being used for 
the purposes for which such grants were made by the Secretary 
acting through the Associated Commissioner of the Family and 
Youth Services Bureau.
    This section further amends RHYA to add nondiscrimination 
provisions. Such provisions prohibit any person from being 
excluded from participation in, being denied the benefits of, 
or being subjected to discrimination under any program funded 
through RHYA on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, 
religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual 
orientation, or disability. This section does not prohibit 
programming that is segregated by or specific to sex that is 
essential to the operation of a program, but requires that 
programs that implement such programming provide comparable 
services to individuals who cannot be provided such 
programming.
    This section also amends existing definitions and adds new 
definitions. This section adds a definition for ``culturally 
and linguistically appropriate'' and ``trafficking in 
persons''. Moreover, this section amends the definition of 
``homeless youth'' to raise the age limit from 21 to 26, which 
in effect raises the age limit of eligible youth for TLP 
services from 21 to 26. This section also amends the definition 
of ``street-based services'' to allow for outreach services to 
include online methods of engagement and for grantees to 
provide suicide prevention services. This section also adds 
youth who are involved in the child welfare system or juvenile 
justice system but not sheltered by either system to the list 
of youth at risk of separation from the family.
    Finally, this section amends the authorization of 
appropriations for all activities under this Act except the SOP 
program to $225 million for fiscal year 2021 and such sums as 
may be necessary for fiscal years 2022 through 2025. Out of 
such amounts authorized to be appropriated, $2 million shall be 
made available to carry out the periodic estimate in fiscal 
year 2021 and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 
2022 through 2025. Appropriations for the SOP program are 
authorized at $75 million for fiscal year 2021 and such sums as 
may be necessary for fiscal years 2022 through 2025.

                       Explanation of Amendments

    The Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute is explained in 
the descriptive portions of this report.

              Application of Law to the Legislative Branch

    H.R. 5191 does not apply to terms and conditions of 
employment or to access to public services or accommodations 
within the legislative branch.

                       Unfunded Mandate Statement

    Pursuant to Section 423 of the Congressional Budget and 
Impoundment Control Act (as amended by Section 101(a)(2) of the 
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act, Pub. L. 104-4), the Committee 
adopts as its own the estimate of federal mandates regarding 
H.R. 5191, as amended, prepared by the Director of the 
Congressional Budget Office.

                           Earmark Statement

    In accordance with clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, H.R. 5191 does not contain any 
congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff 
benefits as described in clauses 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule 
XXI.

                            Roll Call Votes

    In compliance with clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, the Committee advises that the 
following roll call votes occurred during the Committee's 
consideration of H.R. 5191:

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

             Statement of Performance Goals and Objectives

    Pursuant to clause (3)(c) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the goals of H.R. 5191 are to 
reauthorize and strengthen federal programs that serve runaway 
and homeless youth.

                    Duplication of Federal Programs

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(5) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee states that no 
provision of H.R. 5191 establishes or reauthorizes a program of 
the Federal Government known to be duplicative of another 
federal program, a program that was included in any report from 
the Government Accountability Office to Congress pursuant to 
section 21 of Public Law 111-139, or a program related to a 
program identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal 
Domestic Assistance.

                                Hearings

    Pursuant to section 103(i) of H. Res. 6 for the 116th 
Congress--
    On July 16, 2019, the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and 
Human Services held a legislative hearing entitled 
``Strengthening Federal Support to End Youth Homelessness,'' 
which was used to consider H.R. 5191. The Committee heard 
testimony on: patterns of youth homelessness; risk factors for 
youth homelessness; populations at high risk of experiencing 
youth homelessness; and effects of youth homelessness. The 
Committee heard testimony from: Mr. Matthew Morton, Ph.D., 
M.Sc., Research Fellow, Chapin Hall at the University of 
Chicago, New York, New York; Ms. Melinda Giovengo, Ph.D., CEO, 
YouthCare, Seattle, Washington; Mr. Robert Lowery, Jr., M.S., 
Vice-President, Missing Children Division, National Center for 
Missing & Exploited Children, Alexandria, Virginia; and Mr. 
David Baker, Support Specialist, YMCA Youth & Family Services, 
San Diego, California.

  Statement of Oversight Findings and Recommendations of the Committee

    In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII and clause 
2(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, 
the Committee's oversight findings and recommendations are 
reflected in the descriptive portions of this report.

               New Budget Authority and CBO Cost Estimate

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives and section 308(a) of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, and pursuant to clause 
3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives and section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act 
of 1974, the Committee has received the following estimate for 
H.R. 5191 from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                    Washington, DC, April 23, 2020.
Hon. Bobby Scott,
Chairman, Committee on Education and Labor,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 5191, the Runaway 
and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act of 2019.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Jennifer 
Gray.
            Sincerely,
                                         Phillip L. Swagel,
                                                          Director.
    Enclosure.

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
    

    H.R. 5191 would reauthorize and amend the Runaway and 
Homeless Youth Act. The bill would authorize the appropriation 
of $300 million in 2021 and whatever amounts are necessary for 
fiscal years 2022 through 2025 for programs in that act, 
including the Runaway and Homeless Youth Program, the Service 
Connection for Youth on the Streets Program, and related 
activities. In 2020, the Department of Health and Human 
Services allocated $132 million for those programs.
    For this estimate, CBO assumes that H.R. 5191 will be 
enacted before the beginning of fiscal year 2021 and that the 
authorized and estimated amounts will be appropriated beginning 
in 2021. For years 2022 through 2025, CBO estimated the 
authorization amount by increasing the amount authorized in the 
bill for 2021 using projected inflation rates in CBO's March 
2020 baseline. Estimated outlays are based on historical 
spending patterns. On that basis, CBO estimates that 
implementing the bill would cost $1,232 million over the 2020-
2025 period.
    The costs of the legislation, detailed in Table 1, fall 
within budget function 500 (education, training, employment, 
and social services).

               TABLE 1.--ESTIMATED INCREASES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION UNDER H.R. 5191
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           By fiscal year, millions of dollars--
                                          ----------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             2020      2021      2022      2023      2024      2025    2020-2025
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated Authorization..................         0       300       307       313       320       327      1,567
Estimated Outlays........................         0        29       269       301       313       320      1,232
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Most of the provisions of H.R. 5191 contain no 
intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the 
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA). CBO has not reviewed 
Section 9(f) of H.R. 5191 for intergovernmental or private-
sector mandates because section 4 of UMRA excludes from the 
application of that act any legislative provisions that would 
establish or enforce statutory rights prohibiting 
discrimination. CBO has determined that this provision falls 
within that exclusion because it would extend protections 
against discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, 
national origin, or disability.
    The CBO staff contacts for this estimate are Jennifer Gray 
(for federal costs) and Andrew Laughlin (for mandates). The 
estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director 
of Budget Analysis.

                        Committee Cost Estimate

    Clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives requires an estimate and a comparison of the 
costs that would be incurred in carrying out H.R. 5191. 
However, clause 3(d)(2)(B) of that rule provides that this 
requirement does not apply when the committee has included in 
its report a timely submitted cost estimate of the bill 
prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office 
under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act.

         Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported

    In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by 
the bill, H.R. 5191, as reported, are shown as follows:

         Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported

  In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law 
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new 
matter is printed in italics, and existing law in which no 
change is proposed is shown in roman):

                     RUNAWAY AND HOMELESS YOUTH ACT




           *       *       *       *       *       *       *
TITLE III--RUNAWAY AND HOMELESS YOUTH

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *



SEC. 302. FINDINGS.

   The Congress finds that--
          (1) youth who have become homeless or who leave and 
        remain away from home without parental permission, are 
        at risk of developing, and have a disproportionate 
        [share of, serious health, behavioral, and emotional 
        problems] share of, trauma, serious health, behavioral, 
        social, and emotional problems, and substance use 
        disorder because they lack sufficient resources to 
        obtain care and may live on the street for extended 
        periods thereby endangering themselves and creating a 
        substantial law enforcement problem for communities in 
        which they congregate;
          (2) many such young people, because of their age and 
        situation, are urgently in need of temporary shelter 
        and services, including services that are socially, 
        age, gender, developmentally, culturally and 
        linguistically appropriate and acknowledge the 
        environment of youth seeking these services;
          (3) research has documented that youth experience 
        homelessness as fluid, such that many youth experience 
        2 to 3 different types of homelessness, including couch 
        surfing, emergency shelters, and staying on the 
        streets;
          [(3)] (4) services to such young people should be 
        developed and provided using a positive youth 
        development approach that ensures a young person a 
        sense of--
                  (A) safety and structure;
                  (B) belonging and membership;
                  (C) self-worth and [social contribution] 
                self-advocacy;
                  (D) independence and control over one's life; 
                and
                  (E) closeness in interpersonal and peer 
                relationships.
          [(4)] (5) in view of the interstate nature of the 
        problem, it is the responsibility of the Federal 
        Government to develop an accurate national reporting 
        system to report the problem, and to assist in the 
        development of an effective system of care (including 
        preventive and aftercare services, emergency shelter 
        services, extended residential shelter, and street 
        outreach services) [outside the welfare system and the 
        law enforcement system], in collaboration with public 
        assistance systems, the law enforcement system, and the 
        child welfare system;
          [(5)] (6) to make a successful transition to 
        adulthood, runaway youth, homeless youth, and other 
        street youth need a safe place to live, connection to 
        caring adults, and opportunities to complete high 
        school or earn a general equivalency degree, learn job 
        skills, and obtain employment; [and]
          [(6)] (7) improved coordination and collaboration 
        [between the Federal programs that serve runaway and 
        homeless youth are] at the Federal level is necessary 
        for the development of a long-term strategy for 
        responding to the needs of this population[.];
          (8) runaway and homeless youth are at a high risk of 
        substance use disorder and becoming victims of sexual 
        abuse, sexual exploitation, trafficking in persons, and 
        sex trafficking;
          (9) research has shown that--
                  (A) the prevalence of homelessness among 
                youth and young adults is similar in rural and 
                urban communities; and
                  (B) runaway and homeless youth programs, such 
                as those funded under this Act, are integral 
                services that every community, regardless of 
                size, should provide; and
          (10) runaway and homeless youth programs provide 
        expert adolescent services and are integral community 
        partners for the child welfare and juvenile justice 
        systems.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


                   Part A--Basic Center Grant Program

                        authority to make grants

  Sec. 311. (a) Grants for Centers and Services.--
          (1) In general.--[The Secretary] Every 2 or 3 years, 
        the Secretary shall make grants to public and nonprofit 
        private entities (and combinations of such entities) to 
        establish [and operate], operate, and maintain 
        (including renovation) local centers to provide 
        [services for runaway and homeless youth and for the 
        families of such youth.] safe shelter and services, 
        including trauma-informed services, for runaway and 
        homeless youth and, if appropriate, services for the 
        families of such youth, including (if appropriate) 
        individuals identified by such youth as family. Grants 
        shall be awarded for a 5-year period.
          (2) Services provided.--Services provided under 
        paragraph (1)--
                  [(A) shall be provided as an alternative to 
                involving runaway and homeless youth in the law 
                enforcement, child welfare, mental health, and 
                juvenile justice systems;]
                  (A) shall be provided to runaway youth, 
                street youth, homeless youth, and youth at risk 
                of separation from his or her family or at risk 
                of becoming homeless;
                  (B) shall include--
                          (i) safe and appropriate shelter 
                        provided for not to exceed [21 days; 
                        and] 30 days or the maximum allowed by 
                        the State, whichever is greater;
                          [(ii) individual, family, and group 
                        counseling, as appropriate; and]
                          (ii) age, gender, developmentally, 
                        and culturally and linguistically 
                        appropriate individual, family, and 
                        group counseling, as appropriate 
                        (including, if appropriate, counseling 
                        for individuals identified by such 
                        youth as family); and
                          (iii) suicide prevention services; 
                        and
                  (C) may include--
                          (i) street-based services;
                          (ii) age, gender, developmentally, 
                        and culturally and linguistically 
                        appropriate, to the extent practicable, 
                        home-based services for families with 
                        youth at risk of separation from the 
                        family;
                          (iii) drug abuse education and 
                        prevention services; [and]
                          (iv) at the request of runaway and 
                        homeless youth, testing for sexually 
                        transmitted [diseases.] infections;
                          (v) trauma-informed and gender-
                        responsive services for runaway or 
                        homeless youth, including such youth 
                        who are victims of sexual abuse, sexual 
                        exploitation, trafficking in persons, 
                        or sex trafficking; and
                          (vi) if safe and appropriate, 
                        supports for youth and their parents, 
                        legal guardians, or (if appropriate) 
                        those identified by such youth as 
                        family, including--
                                  (I) an assessment of family 
                                engagement to improve support 
                                for youth (and if appropriate) 
                                reunify youth;
                                  (II) strength-based 
                                interventions; and
                                  (III) ongoing supportive 
                                services.
  (b)(1) Subject to paragraph (2) and in accordance with 
regulations promulgated under this title, funds for grants 
under subsection (a) shall be allotted annually with respect to 
the States on the basis of their relative population of 
individuals who are less than 18 years of age.
  (2)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the amount 
allotted under paragraph (1) with respect to each State for a 
fiscal year shall be not less than $200,000, except that the 
amount allotted to the Virgin Islands of the United States, 
Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands shall be not less than $70,000 each.
  (B) For fiscal years 2009 and 2010, the amount allotted under 
paragraph (1) with respect to a State for a fiscal year shall 
be not less than the amount allotted under paragraph (1) with 
respect to such State for fiscal year 2008.
  (C) Whenever the Secretary determines that any part of the 
amount allotted under paragraph (1) to a State for a fiscal 
year will not be obligated before the end of the fiscal year, 
the Secretary shall reallot such part to the remaining States 
for obligation for the fiscal year.
  (3) In selecting among applicants for grants under subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall give priority to private entities that 
have experience in providing the services described in such 
subsection.

                              eligibility

  Sec. 312. (a) To be eligible for assistance under section 
311(a), an applicant shall propose to establish, strengthen, or 
fund an existing or proposed runaway and homeless youth center, 
a locally controlled project (including a host family home) 
that provides temporary shelter, and counseling services to 
youth who have left home without permission of their parents or 
guardians, to youth who are at risk of separation from the 
family, or to other homeless youth.
  (b) In order to qualify for assistance under section 311(a), 
an applicant shall submit a plan to the Secretary including 
assurances that the applicant--
          (1) shall operate a runaway and homeless youth center 
        located in an area which is demonstrably frequented by 
        or easily reachable by runaway and homeless youth;
          (2) shall use such assistance to establish, to 
        strengthen, or to fund a runaway and homeless youth 
        center, or a locally controlled [facility] project 
        providing temporary shelter, that has--
                  (A) a maximum capacity of not more than 20 
                youth, except where the applicant assures that 
                the State where the center or locally 
                controlled [facility] project is located has a 
                State or local law or regulation that 
                [requires] allows a higher maximum to comply 
                with licensure requirements for child and youth 
                serving facilities; and
                  (B) a ratio of staff to youth that is 
                sufficient to ensure adequate supervision and 
                treatment;
          (3) shall develop adequate plans for contacting the 
        parents or other relatives of the youth and ensuring 
        the safe return of the youth according to the best 
        interests of the youth, for contacting local government 
        officials pursuant to informal arrangements established 
        with such officials by the runaway and homeless youth 
        center, and for providing for other appropriate 
        alternative living arrangements;
          (4) shall develop an adequate plan for ensuring--
                  (A) proper relations with law enforcement 
                personnel, health and mental health care 
                personnel, social service personnel, school 
                system personnel, and welfare personnel;
                  (B) coordination with McKinney-Vento school 
                district liaisons, designated under section 
                722(g)(1)(J)(ii) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless 
                Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11432(g)(1)(J)(ii)), 
                to assure that runaway and homeless youth are 
                provided information about the educational 
                services available to such youth under subtitle 
                B of title VII of that Act; and
                  (C) the return of runaway and homeless youth 
                from correctional institutions;
          (5) shall develop an adequate plan for providing 
        counseling and aftercare services to such youth, for 
        encouraging the involvement of their parents or legal 
        guardians, or (if appropriate) individuals identified 
        by such youth as family, in counseling, and for 
        ensuring, as possible, that aftercare services will be 
        provided to those youth who are returned beyond the 
        State in which the runaway and homeless youth center is 
        located;
          (6) shall develop an adequate plan for establishing 
        or coordinating with outreach programs (which may 
        include the use of online resources in order to reach 
        and engage youth) designed to attract persons 
        (including, where applicable, persons who are members 
        of a [cultural minority and persons with limited 
        ability to speak English] cultural minority, persons 
        with limited ability to speak English, and runaway or 
        homeless youth who are victims of sexual abuse, sexual 
        exploitation, trafficking in persons, or sex 
        trafficking) who are eligible to receive services for 
        which a grant under subsection (a) may be expended;
          [(7) shall keep adequate statistical records 
        profiling the youth and family members whom it serves 
        (including youth who are not referred to out-of-home 
        shelter services), except that records maintained on 
        individual runaway and homeless youth shall not be 
        disclosed without the consent of the individual youth 
        and parent or legal guardian to anyone other than 
        another agency compiling statistical records or a 
        government agency involved in the disposition of 
        criminal charges against an individual runaway and 
        homeless youth, and reports or other documents based on 
        such statistical records shall not disclose the 
        identity of individual runaway and homeless youth;
          [(8) shall submit annual reports to the Secretary 
        detailing how the center has been able to meet the 
        goals of its plans and reporting the statistical 
        summaries required by paragraph (7);]
          (7) shall keep adequate statistical records profiling 
        the youth and family members of such youth whom the 
        applicant serves, including demographic information on 
        and the number of such youth who--
                  (A) are not referred to out-of-home shelter 
                services;
                  (B) are members of vulnerable or underserved 
                populations;
                  (C) are victims of sexual abuse, sexual 
                exploitation, trafficking in persons, or sex 
                trafficking;
                  (D) are pregnant or parenting;
                  (E) have been involved in the child welfare 
                system; and
                  (F) have been involved in the juvenile 
                justice system;
          (8) shall ensure that--
                  (A) the records described in paragraph (7), 
                on an individual runaway or homeless youth, 
                shall not be disclosed without the consent of 
                the individual youth and of the parent or legal 
                guardian of such youth or (if appropriate) an 
                individual identified by such youth as family, 
                to anyone other than another agency compiling 
                statistical records or a government agency 
                involved in the disposition of criminal charges 
                against an individual runaway or homeless 
                youth; and
                  (B) reports or other documents based on the 
                statistics described in paragraph (7) shall not 
                disclose the identity of any individual runaway 
                or homeless youth;
          (9) shall demonstrate its ability to operate under 
        accounting procedures and fiscal control devices as 
        required by the Secretary;
          (10) shall submit a budget estimate with respect to 
        the plan submitted by such center under this 
        subsection;
          (11) shall supply such other information as the 
        Secretary reasonably deems necessary;
          (12) shall submit to the Secretary an annual report 
        that includes, with respect to the year for which the 
        report is submitted--
                  (A) information regarding the activities 
                carried out under this part;
                  [(B) the achievements of the project under 
                this part carried out by the applicant; and]
                  (B) detailed information on how the center 
                has been able to meet the goals of its plans; 
                and
                  (C) statistical summaries describing--
                          [(i) the number and the 
                        characteristics of the runaway and 
                        homeless youth, and youth at risk of 
                        family separation, who participate in 
                        the project; and]
                          (i) the number and characteristics of 
                        runaway and homeless youth, and youth 
                        at risk of family separation, who 
                        participate in the project, including 
                        such information on--
                                  (I) such youth (including 
                                runaway and homeless youth, and 
                                youth at risk of family 
                                separation) who are victims of 
                                sexual abuse, sexual 
                                exploitation, trafficking in 
                                persons, or sex trafficking;
                                  (II) such youth who are 
                                pregnant or parenting;
                                  (III) such youth who have 
                                been involved in the child 
                                welfare system; and
                                  (IV) such youth who have been 
                                involved in the juvenile 
                                justice system; and
                          (ii) the services provided to such 
                        youth by the project; [and]
          (13) shall develop an adequate emergency preparedness 
        and management plan[.] for natural disasters, inclement 
        weather, and mental health emergencies;
          (14) shall provide age, gender, developmentally, and 
        culturally and linguistically appropriate, to the 
        extent practicable, services to runaway and homeless 
        youth; and
          (15) shall inform youth of their status as 
        independent students under section 480 of the Higher 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087vv), provide 
        verification of such status for the purposes of the 
        Free Application for Federal Student Aid described in 
        section 483 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1090), and assist youth in completing this 
        application at the youth's request.
  (c) Applicants Providing Street-Based Services.--To be 
eligible to use assistance under section 311(a)(2)(C)(i) to 
provide street-based services, the applicant shall include in 
the plan required by subsection (b) assurances that in 
providing such services the applicant will--
          (1) provide qualified supervision of staff, including 
        on-street supervision by appropriately trained staff;
          (2) provide backup personnel for on-street staff;
          (3) provide initial and periodic training of staff 
        who provide such services; and
          (4) conduct outreach activities for runaway and 
        homeless youth, and street youth.
  (d) Applicants Providing Home-Based Services.--To be eligible 
to use assistance under section 311(a) to provide home-based 
services described in section 311(a)(2)(C)(ii), an applicant 
shall include in the plan required by subsection (b) assurances 
that in providing such services the applicant will--
          (1) provide age, gender, developmentally, and 
        culturally and linguistically appropriate, to the 
        extent practicable, counseling and information to youth 
        and the [families (including unrelated individuals in 
        the family households) of such youth] families of such 
        youth (including unrelated individuals in the family 
        households of such youth and, if appropriate, 
        individuals identified by such youth as family), 
        including services relating to basic life skills, 
        interpersonal skill building, educational advancement, 
        job attainment skills, mental and physical health care, 
        suicide prevention, parenting skills, financial 
        planning, and referral to sources of other needed 
        services;
          (2) provide directly, or through an arrangement made 
        by the applicant, 24-hour service to respond to family 
        crises (including immediate access to temporary shelter 
        for runaway and homeless youth, and youth at risk of 
        separation from the family);
          (3) establish, in partnership with the families of 
        runaway and homeless youth, and youth at risk of 
        separation from the family, objectives and measures of 
        success to be achieved as a result of receiving home-
        based services;
          (4) provide initial and periodic training of staff 
        who provide home-based services, including training on 
        trauma-informed and youth-centered care; [and]
          (5) ensure that--
                  (A) caseloads will remain sufficiently low to 
                allow for intensive (5 to 20 hours per week) 
                involvement with each family receiving such 
                services; [and]
                  (B) staff providing such services will 
                receive qualified supervision[.]; and
                  (C) youth are eligible for home-based 
                services when determined by the applicant to be 
                at risk of separation from the family.
  (e) Applicants Providing Drug Abuse Education and Prevention 
Services.--To be eligible to use assistance under section 
311(a)(2)(C)(iii) to provide drug abuse education and 
prevention services, an applicant shall include in the plan 
required by subsection (b)--
          (1) a description of--
                  (A) the types of such services that the 
                applicant proposes to provide;
                  (B) the objectives of such services; and
                  (C) the types of information and training to 
                be provided to individuals providing such 
                services to runaway and homeless youth; and
          (2) an assurance that in providing such services the 
        applicant shall conduct outreach activities for runaway 
        and homeless youth.
  (f) Online Resources for Outreach.--An applicant may develop 
a plan, consistent with local needs, for the use of online 
resources, if appropriate, in order to reach and engage youth.

SEC. 313. APPROVAL OF APPLICATIONS.

  (a) In General.--An application by a public or private entity 
for a grant under section 311(a) may be approved by the 
Secretary after taking into consideration, with respect to the 
State in which such entity proposes to provide services under 
this part--
          (1) the geographical distribution in such State of 
        the proposed services under this part for which all 
        grant applicants request approval; and
          (2) which areas of such State have the greatest need 
        for such services.
  (b) Priority.--In selecting applications for grants under 
section 311(a), the Secretary shall give priority to--
          (1) eligible applicants who have demonstrated 
        experience in providing services to runaway and 
        homeless youth; and
          [(2) eligible applicants that request grants of less 
        than $200,000.]
          (2) eligible applicants that request grants--
                  (A) of less than $225,000, if this title is 
                funded at less than $200,000,000 for the 
                relevant fiscal year; and
                  (B) of less than $250,000, if this title is 
                funded at $200,000,000 or more for the relevant 
                fiscal year.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


               Part B--Transitional Living Grant Program

                         authority for program

  Sec. 321. [The Secretary is authorized to make grants and to 
provide technical assistance] The Secretary shall award grants 
every 2 or 3 years, and shall provide technical assistance to 
public and nonprofit private entities to establish and operate 
transitional living youth projects for homeless youth. Grants 
shall be awarded for a 5-year period.

                              eligibility

  Sec. 322. (a) To be eligible for assistance under this part, 
an applicant shall propose to establish, strengthen, or fund a 
transitional living youth project for homeless youth and shall 
submit to the Secretary a plan in which such applicant agrees, 
as part of such project--
          (1) to provide, by grant, agreement, or contract, 
        shelter (such as group homes, including maternity group 
        homes, host family homes, and supervised apartments) 
        and provide, by grant, agreement, or contract, 
        services, (including age, gender, developmentally, and 
        culturally and linguistically appropriate, to the 
        extent practicable, information and counseling services 
        in basic life skills which shall include money 
        management, budgeting, consumer education, and use of 
        credit, parenting skills (as appropriate), 
        interpersonal skill building, educational advancement, 
        [job attainment skills, and mental and physical health 
        care] job attainment skills, mental and physical health 
        care, and suicide prevention services) to homeless 
        youth;
          (2) to provide such shelter and such services to 
        individual homeless youth throughout a continuous 
        period not to exceed 540 days, or in exceptional 
        circumstances 635 days, except that a youth in a 
        program under this part who has not reached [18] 21 
        years of age on the last day of the 635-day period may, 
        in exceptional circumstances and if otherwise qualified 
        for the program, remain in the program until the 
        youth's [18th] 21st birthday;
          (3) to provide counseling to homeless youth and to 
        encourage, if appropriate, the involvement in such 
        counseling of their parents or legal guardians, or (if 
        appropriate) individuals identified by such youth as 
        family;
          (4) to provide aftercare services, if possible, to 
        homeless youth who have received shelter and services 
        from a transitional living youth project, including (to 
        the extent practicable) such youth who, after receiving 
        such shelter and services, relocate to a geographic 
        area or State other than the geographic area or State 
        in which such project is located;
          [(3)] (5) to provide, directly or indirectly, on-site 
        supervision at each [shelter facility] project that is 
        not a family home;
          [(4)] (6) that such [shelter facility used to carry 
        out such project] project shall have the capacity to 
        accommodate not more than 20 individuals (excluding 
        staff);
          [(5)] (7) to provide a number of staff sufficient to 
        ensure that all homeless youth participating in such 
        project receive adequate supervision and services;
          [(6) to provide a written transitional living plan to 
        each youth] (8) to develop a written transitional 
        living plan in partnership with each youth based on an 
        assessment of such youth's needs, designed to help the 
        transition from supervised participation in such 
        project to independent living or another appropriate 
        living arrangement;
          [(7)] (9) to develop an adequate plan to ensure 
        proper referral of homeless youth to age, gender, 
        developmentally, and culturally and linguistically 
        appropriate, to the extent practicable, social service, 
        law enforcement, educational (including post-secondary 
        education), [vocational, training] career and technical 
        education (including services and programs for youth 
        available under the Workforce Innovation and 
        Opportunity Act), welfare (including programs under the 
        Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
        Reconciliation Act of 1996), legal service, [and health 
        care programs] mental health service and health care 
        programs, substance use disorder treatment, and 
        programs providing wrap-around services to victims of 
        sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, trafficking in 
        persons, or sex trafficking and to help integrate and 
        coordinate [such services for youths;] such programs 
        described in this paragraph;
          [(8)] (10) to provide for the establishment of 
        outreach programs designed to attract individuals who 
        are eligible to participate in the project, which may 
        include the use of online and social media engagements, 
        as appropriate;
          (11) to develop a plan to provide age, gender, 
        developmentally, and culturally and linguistically 
        appropriate services, to the extent practicable, that 
        address the needs of homeless and street youth;
          [(9)] (12) to submit to the Secretary an annual 
        report that includes information regarding the 
        activities carried out with funds under this part, the 
        achievements of the project under this part carried out 
        by [the applicant and statistical summaries describing 
        the number and the characteristics of the homeless 
        youth who participate in such project,] the applicant, 
        statistical summaries describing the number, the 
        characteristics, and the demographic information of the 
        homeless youth who participate in such project, 
        including the prevalence of sexual abuse, sexual 
        exploitation, trafficking in persons, and sex 
        trafficking of such youth, and the services provided to 
        such youth by such project, in the year for which the 
        report is submitted;
          [(10)] (13) to implement such accounting procedures 
        and fiscal control devices as the Secretary may 
        require;
          [(11)] (14) to submit to the Secretary an annual 
        budget that estimates the itemized costs to be incurred 
        in the year for which the applicant requests a grant 
        under this part;
          [(12)] (15) to keep adequate statistical records 
        profiling homeless youth which it serves and not to 
        disclose the identity of individual homeless youth in 
        reports or other documents based on such statistical 
        records;
          [(13)] (16) not to disclose records maintained on 
        individual homeless youth without the informed consent 
        of the individual youth to anyone other than an agency 
        compiling statistical records;
          [(14)] (17) to provide to the Secretary such other 
        information as the Secretary may reasonably require;
          [(15)] (18) to coordinate services with McKinney-
        Vento school district liaisons, designated under 
        section 722(g)(1)(J)(ii) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless 
        Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11432(g)(1)(J)(ii)), to 
        assure that runaway and homeless youth are provided 
        information about the educational services available to 
        such youth under subtitle B of title VII of that Act; 
        [and]
          [(16)] (19) to develop an adequate emergency 
        preparedness and management plan[.] regarding responses 
        to natural disasters, inclement weather, and mental 
        health emergencies; and
          (20) to inform youth of their status as independent 
        students under section 480 of the Higher Education Act 
        of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087vv), provide verification of 
        such status for the purposes of the Free Application 
        for Federal Student Aid described in section 483 of the 
        Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1090), and 
        assist the youth in completing this application at the 
        youth's request.
  [(b) In selecting eligible applicants to receive grants under 
this part, the Secretary shall give priority to entities that 
have experience in providing to homeless youth shelter and 
services of the types described in subsection (a)(1).]
  (b) Priority; Equitable Geographic Distribution.--In 
selecting eligible applicants to receive grants under this 
part, the Secretary shall--
          (1) give priority to--
                  (A) entities that have experience in 
                providing to homeless youth shelter and 
                services of the types described in subsection 
                (a)(1); and
                  (B) entities that request grants--
                          (i) of less than $225,000, if this 
                        title is funded at less than 
                        $200,000,000 for the relevant fiscal 
                        year; and
                          (ii) of less than $250,000, if this 
                        title is funded at $200,000,000 or more 
                        for the relevant fiscal year; and
          (2) consider providing an equitable geographic 
        distribution of grants.
  (c) Definition.--In this part--
          (1) the term ``maternity group home'' means a 
        community-based, adult-supervised transitional living 
        arrangement that provides pregnant or parenting youth 
        and their children with a supportive and supervised 
        living arrangement in which such pregnant or parenting 
        youth are required to learn parenting skills, including 
        child development, family budgeting, health and 
        nutrition, and other skills to promote their long-term 
        economic independence in order to ensure the well-being 
        of their children; and
          (2) the term ``exceptional circumstances'' means 
        circumstances in which a youth would benefit to an 
        unusual extent from additional time in the program.

                 Part C--National Communications System

                        authority to make grants

  Sec. 331. The Secretary shall make 5-year grants for a 
national communication system to assist runaway and homeless 
youth in communicating with their families and with service 
providers. The Secretary shall give priority to grant 
applicants that have experience in providing telephone, online, 
and social media services to runaway and homeless youth.

     Part D--Coordinating, Training, Research, and Other Activities

SEC. 341. COORDINATION.

   With respect to matters relating to the health, safety, 
well-being, education, employment, and housing of runaway and 
homeless youth, the Secretary--
          (1) in conjunction with the Attorney General, shall 
        coordinate the activities of agencies of the Department 
        of Health and Human Services with activities under any 
        other Federal juvenile crime control, prevention, and 
        juvenile offender accountability program and with the 
        activities of other Federal entities;
          (2) shall coordinate the activities of agencies of 
        the Department of Health and Human Services with the 
        activities of [other Federal entities] the Department 
        of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of 
        Education, the Department of Labor, and the Department 
        of Justice and with the activities of entities that are 
        eligible to receive grants under this title; and
          (3) shall consult, as appropriate, the Secretary of 
        Housing and Urban Development to ensure coordination of 
        programs and services for homeless youth.

              grants for technical assistance and training

  Sec. 342. The Secretary may make 5-year grants to statewide 
and regional nonprofit organizations (and combinations of such 
organizations) to provide technical assistance and training, 
including onsite and web-based techniques, such as on-demand 
and online learning, to public and private entities (and 
combinations of such entities) that are eligible to receive 
grants under this title, for the purpose of [carrying out] 
implementing in a trauma-informed manner the programs, 
projects, or activities for which such grants are made.

 authority to make grants for research, evaluation, demonstration, and 
                            service projects

  Sec. 343. (a) The Secretary may make grants to States, 
localities, and private entities (and combinations of such 
entities) to carry out research, evaluation, demonstration, and 
service projects regarding activities under this title designed 
to increase knowledge concerning, and to improve services for, 
runaway youth and homeless youth.
  (b) In selecting among applications for grants under 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall give priority to proposed 
projects relating to--
          (1) youth who repeatedly leave and remain away from 
        their homes;
          (2) transportation of runaway youth and homeless 
        youth in connection with services authorized to be 
        provided under this title;
          (3) the special needs of runaway youth and homeless 
        youth programs in rural areas;
          (4) the special needs of programs that place runaway 
        youth and homeless youth in host family homes;
          (5) staff training in--
                  (A) the behavioral and emotional effects of 
                [sexual abuse and assault] violence, trauma, 
                sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, severe forms 
                of trafficking in persons (as defined in 
                section 103(9) of the Trafficking Victims 
                Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102(9))), 
                [and sex trafficking] or sex trafficking (as 
                defined in section 103(10) of such Act (22 
                U.S.C. 7102(10)));
                  (B) responding to youth who are showing 
                effects of sexual abuse and [assault] sexual 
                exploitation, severe forms of trafficking in 
                persons (as defined in section 103(9) of the 
                Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 
                U.S.C. 7102(9))), or sex trafficking (as 
                defined in section 103(10) of such Act (22 
                U.S.C. 7102(10))); [and]
                  (C) agency-wide strategies for working with 
                runaway and homeless youth [who have been 
                sexually victimized] who are victims of sexual 
                abuse or sexual exploitation, including such 
                youth who are victims of trafficking (as 
                defined in section 103(15) of the Trafficking 
                Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 
                7102(15)));
                  (D) best practices for identifying and 
                providing age, gender, developmentally, and 
                culturally and linguistically appropriate 
                services to the extent practicable to--
                          (i) vulnerable and underserved youth 
                        populations; and
                          (ii) youth who are victims of sexual 
                        abuse, sexual exploitation, trafficking 
                        in persons, or sex trafficking; and
                  (E) informing youth of their status as 
                independent students under section 480 of the 
                Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
                1087vv), providing verification of such status 
                for the purposes of the Free Application for 
                Federal Student Aid described in section 483 of 
                the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
                1090), and assisting youth in completing this 
                application at the youth's request;
          (6) innovative methods of developing resources that 
        enhance the establishment or operation of runaway and 
        homeless youth centers;
          (7) training for runaway youth and homeless youth, 
        and staff training, related to preventing and obtaining 
        treatment for infection by the human immunodeficiency 
        virus (HIV);
          (8) increasing access to quality health care 
        (including behavioral health care) for runaway youth 
        and homeless youth;
          (9) increasing access to education for runaway youth 
        and homeless youth, including access to educational and 
        workforce programs to achieve outcomes such as 
        decreasing secondary school dropout rates, increasing 
        rates of attaining a secondary school diploma or its 
        recognized equivalent, or increasing placement and 
        retention in postsecondary education or advanced 
        workforce training programs; [and]
          (10) providing programs, including innovative 
        programs, that assist youth in obtaining and 
        maintaining safe and stable housing, and which may 
        include programs with supportive services that continue 
        after the youth complete the remainder of the 
        programs[.];
          (11) examining the intersection between the runaway 
        and homeless youth populations and trafficking in 
        persons, including noting whether such youth who are 
        victims of trafficking in persons or sex trafficking 
        were previously involved in the child welfare or 
        juvenile justice systems; and
          (12) the needs of runaway youth and homeless youth 
        with disabilities, including projects that examine best 
        practices for serving these youth.
  (c) In selecting among applicants for grants under subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall--
          (1) give priority to applicants who have experience 
        working with runaway or homeless youth; and
          (2) ensure that the applicants selected--
                  (A) represent diverse geographic regions of 
                the United States; and
                  (B) carry out projects that serve diverse 
                populations of runaway or homeless youth.

   demonstration projects to provide services to youth in rural areas

  Sec. 344. (a)(1) The Secretary may make grants on a 
competitive basis to States, localities, and private entities 
(and combinations of such entities) to provide services 
(including transportation) authorized to be provided under part 
A, to runaway and homeless youth in rural areas.
  (2)(A) Each grant made under paragraph (1) may not exceed 
[$100,000] $200,000.
  (B) In each fiscal year for which funds are appropriated to 
carry out this section, grants shall be made under paragraph 
(1) to eligible applicants to carry out projects in not fewer 
than 10 States.
  (C) Not more than 2 grants may be made under paragraph (1) in 
each fiscal year to carry out projects in a particular State.
  (3) Each eligible applicant that receives a grant for a 
fiscal year to carry out a project under this section shall 
have priority to receive a grant for the subsequent fiscal year 
to carry out a project under this section.
  (b) To be eligible to receive a grant under subsection (a), 
an applicant shall--
          (1) submit to the Secretary an application in such 
        form and containing such information and assurances as 
        the Secretary may require by rule; and
          (2) propose to carry out such project in a 
        geographical area that--
                  (A) has a population under 20,000;
                  (B) is located outside a Standard 
                Metropolitan Statistical Area; and
                  (C) agree to provide to the Secretary an 
                annual report identifying--
                          (i) the number of runaway and 
                        homeless youth who receive services 
                        under the project carried out by the 
                        applicant;
                          (ii) the types of services authorized 
                        under part A that were needed by, but 
                        not provided to, such youth in the 
                        geographical area served by the 
                        project;
                          (iii) the reasons the services 
                        identified under clause (ii) were not 
                        provided by the project; and
                          (iv) such other information as the 
                        Secretary may require.

SEC. 345. PERIODIC ESTIMATE OF INCIDENCE AND PREVALENCE OF YOUTH 
                    HOMELESSNESS.

  (a) Periodic Estimate.--Not later than 2 years after the date 
of enactment of the [Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act of 2008] 
Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act of 
2019, and at [5] 3-year intervals thereafter, the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services, acting through the Associate 
Commissioner of the Family and Youth Services Bureau, in 
consultation with the United States Interagency Council on 
Homelessness, shall prepare and submit to the Committee on 
Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate, and make available to 
the public, a report--
          (1) by using the best quantitative and qualitative 
        social science research methods available, containing 
        an estimate of the incidence and prevalence of runaway 
        and homeless individuals who are not less than [13] 12 
        years of age but are less than 26 years of age; [and]
          (2) that includes with such estimate an assessment of 
        the characteristics of such individuals[.];
          (3) that includes demographic information about and 
        characteristics of runaway or homeless youth, including 
        such youth who are victims of sexual abuse, sexual 
        exploitation, trafficking in persons, or sex 
        trafficking; and
          (4) that does not disclose the identity of any 
        runaway or homeless youth.
  (b) Content.--The report required by subsection (a) shall 
include--
          (1) the results of conducting a survey of, and direct 
        interviews with, a representative sample of runaway and 
        homeless individuals who are not less than [13] 12 
        years of age but are less than 26 years of age, to 
        determine past and current--
                  (A) socioeconomic characteristics of such 
                individuals; [and]
                  (B) incidences, if any, of--
                          (i) such individuals who are victims 
                        of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, 
                        trafficking in persons; or
                          (ii) such individuals who are victims 
                        of sex trafficking; and
                  [(B)] (C) barriers to such individuals 
                obtaining--
                          (i) safe, quality, and affordable 
                        housing;
                          (ii) comprehensive and affordable 
                        health insurance and health services[; 
                        and], including mental health services;
                          (iii) incomes, public benefits, 
                        supportive services, and connections to 
                        caring adults; and
                          (iv) access to education (including 
                        postsecondary education and career and 
                        technical education); and
          (2) such other information as the Secretary 
        determines, in consultation with States, units of local 
        government, and national nongovernmental organizations 
        concerned with homelessness, may be useful.
  (c) Implementation.--If the Secretary enters into any 
contract with a non-Federal entity for purposes of carrying out 
subsection (a), such entity shall be a nongovernmental 
organization, or an individual, determined by the Secretary to 
have appropriate expertise in quantitative and qualitative 
social science research.

                PART E--SEXUAL ABUSE PREVENTION PROGRAM

SEC. 351. AUTHORITY TO MAKE GRANTS.

  (a) In General.--[The Secretary] Every 2 or 3 years, the 
Secretary may make grants to public and nonprofit private 
agencies for the purpose of providing street-based services to 
runaway and homeless, and street youth, who have been subjected 
to, or are at risk of being subjected to, sexual abuse, 
[prostitution,] violence, sexual exploitation, severe forms of 
trafficking in persons (as defined in section 103(9) of the 
Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 
7102(9))), or sex trafficking (as defined in section 103(10) of 
such Act (22 U.S.C. 7102(10))).
  [(b) Priority.--In selecting applicants to receive grants 
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give priority to 
public and nonprofit private agencies that have experience in 
providing services to runaway and homeless, and street youth.]
  (b) Priority; Equitable Geographic Distribution.--In 
selecting applicants to receive grants under subsection (a), 
the Secretary shall--
          (1) give priority to--
                  (A) public and nonprofit private agencies 
                that have experience in providing services to 
                runaway and homeless, and street youth; and
                  (B) eligible applicants that request grants--
                          (i) of less than $225,000, if this 
                        title is funded at less than 
                        $200,000,000 for the relevant fiscal 
                        year; and
                          (ii) of less than $250,000, if this 
                        title is funded at $200,000,000 or more 
                        for the relevant fiscal year; and
          (2) consider providing an equitable geographic 
        distribution of grants.
  (c) Eligibility Requirements.--To be eligible to receive a 
grant under subsection (a), an applicant shall certify to the 
Secretary that such applicant has systems in place to ensure 
that such applicant can provide age, gender, developmentally, 
and culturally and linguistically appropriate, to the extent 
practicable, services to all youth described in subsection (a).
  (d) Duration.--Grants awarded under this section shall be for 
a period of 5 years.

Part F--General Provisions

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


  lease of surplus federal facilities for use as runaway and homeless 
    youth centers, sites, or as transitional living youth [shelter 
                     facilities]  shelter projects

  Sec. 381. (a) The Secretary may enter into cooperative lease 
arrangements with States, localities, and nonprofit private 
agencies to provide for the use of appropriate surplus Federal 
facilities transferred by the General Services Administration 
to the Department of Health and Human Services for use as 
runaway and homeless youth centers or as transitional living 
[youth shelter facilities] youth shelter projects if the 
Secretary determines that--
          (1) the applicant involved has suitable financial 
        support necessary to operate a runaway and homeless 
        youth center or transitional living youth project, as 
        the case may be, under this title;
          (2) the applicant is able to demonstrate the program 
        expertise required to operate such center in compliance 
        with this title, whether or not the applicant is 
        receiving a grant under this part; and
          (3) the applicant has consulted with and obtained the 
        approval of the chief executive officer of the unit of 
        general government in which the facility is located.
  (b)(1) Each facility made available under this section shall 
be made available for a period of not less than 2 years, and no 
rent or fee shall be charged to the applicant in connection 
with use of such facility.
  (2) Any structural modifications or additions to facilities 
made available under this section shall become the property of 
the United States. All such modifications or additions may be 
made only after receiving the prior written consent of the 
Secretary or other appropriate officer of the Department of 
Health and Human Services.

SEC. 382. REPORTS.

  (a) In General.--Not later than April 1, [2000] 2021, and 
biennially thereafter, the Secretary shall submit, to the 
Committee on Education and [the Workforce] Labor of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on the Judiciary of the 
Senate, a report on the status, activities, and accomplishments 
of entities that receive grants under parts A, B, C, D, and E, 
with particular attention to--
          (1) in the case of centers funded under part A, the 
        ability or effectiveness of such centers in--
                  (A) alleviating the problems of runaway and 
                homeless youth;
                  (B) collecting data on sexual abuse, sexual 
                exploitation, trafficking in persons, and sex 
                trafficking of runaway and homeless youth;
                  [(B)] (C) if applicable or appropriate, 
                reuniting such youth with their families and 
                encouraging the resolution of intrafamily 
                problems through counseling and other services;
                  [(C)] (D) strengthening family relationships 
                and encouraging stable living conditions for 
                such youth; and
                  [(D)] (E) assisting such youth to decide upon 
                a future course of action; and
          (2) in the case of projects funded under part B--
                  [(A) the number and characteristics of 
                homeless youth served by such projects;]
                  (A) the number and characteristics of 
                homeless youth served by such projects, 
                including--
                          (i) such youth who are victims of 
                        sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, 
                        trafficking in persons, and sex 
                        trafficking;
                          (ii) such youth who are pregnant or 
                        parenting;
                          (iii) such youth who have been 
                        involved in the child welfare system; 
                        and
                          (iv) such youth who have been 
                        involved in the juvenile justice 
                        system;
                  (B) the types of activities carried out by 
                such projects;
                  (C) the effectiveness of such projects in 
                alleviating the problems of homeless youth;
                  (D) the effectiveness of such projects in 
                preparing homeless youth for self-sufficiency;
                  (E) the effectiveness of such projects in 
                assisting homeless youth to decide upon future 
                education, employment, and independent living;
                  (F) the ability of such projects to encourage 
                the resolution of [intrafamily problems] 
                problems within the family, including (if 
                appropriate) individuals identified by such 
                youth as family, through counseling and 
                development of self-sufficient living skills; 
                and
                  (G) activities and programs planned by such 
                projects for the following fiscal year.
  (b) Contents of Reports.--The Secretary shall include in each 
report submitted under subsection (a), summaries of--
          (1) the evaluations performed by the Secretary under 
        section 386; and
          (2) descriptions of the qualifications of, and 
        training provided to, individuals involved in carrying 
        out such evaluations.

                             federal share

  Sec. 383. (a) The Federal share for the renovation of 
existing structures, the provision of counseling services, 
staff training, and the general costs of operations of such 
[facility's budget] project's budget for any fiscal year shall 
be 90 per centum. The non-Federal share may be in cash or in 
kind, fairly evaluated by the Secretary including plant, 
equipment, or services.
  (b) Payments under this section may be made in installments, 
in advance, or by way of reimbursement, with necessary 
adjustments on account of overpayments or underpayments.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SEC. 386. EVALUATION AND INFORMATION.

  (a) In General.--If a grantee receives grants for [3] 5 
consecutive fiscal years under part A, B, C, D, or E (in the 
alternative), then the Secretary, acting through the Associate 
Commissioner of the Family and Youth Services Bureau shall 
evaluate such grantee on-site, not less frequently than once in 
the period of such [3] 5 consecutive fiscal years, for purposes 
of--
          (1) determining whether such grants are being used 
        for the purposes for which such grants are made by the 
        Secretary;
          (2) collecting additional information for the report 
        required by section 384; and
          (3) providing such information and assistance to such 
        grantee as will enable such grantee to improve the 
        operation of the centers, projects, and activities for 
        which such grants are made.
  (b) Cooperation.--Recipients of grants under this title shall 
cooperate with the Secretary's efforts to carry out 
evaluations, and to collect information, under this title.

SEC. 386A. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.

  (a) Establishment of Performance Standards.--Not later than 1 
year after the date of enactment of the [Reconnecting Homeless 
Youth Act of 2008] Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking 
Prevention Act of 2019, the Secretary shall issue rules that 
specify performance standards for public and nonprofit private 
entities and agencies that receive grants under sections 311, 
321, and 351.
  (b) Consultation.--The Secretary shall consult with 
representatives of public and nonprofit private entities and 
agencies that receive grants under this title, including 
statewide and regional nonprofit organizations (including 
combinations of such organizations) that receive grants under 
this title, and national nonprofit organizations concerned with 
youth homelessness, in developing the performance standards 
required by subsection (a).
  (c) Implementation of Performance Standards.--The Secretary 
shall integrate the performance standards into the processes of 
the Department of Health and Human Services for grantmaking, 
monitoring, and evaluation for programs under sections 311, 
321, and 351.

SEC. 386B. NONDISCRIMINATION.

  (a) In General.--No person in the United States shall, on the 
basis of actual or perceived race, color, religion, national 
origin, sex, gender identity (as defined in section 249(c)(4) 
of title 18, United States Code), sexual orientation, or 
disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the 
benefits of, or subjected to discrimination under any program 
or activity receiving Federal financial assistance under title 
III of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 
1974.
  (b) Exception.--If programming that is segregated by or 
specific to sex is necessary to the essential operation of a 
program, nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent 
the entity carrying out any such program or activity from 
consideration of an individual's sex. In such a circumstance, 
the entity may meet the requirements of this section by 
providing comparable services to individuals who cannot be 
provided with the sex-segregated or sex-specific programming.
  (c) Disqualification.--The authority provided for the 
Secretary to enforce this section shall be the same as the 
authority provided for the Secretary to enforce subsection (a) 
or (b) of section 654 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9849). 
The procedures provided for review of an action to enforce this 
section shall be the same as the procedures provided for review 
of an action to enforce subsection (b) of that section.
  (d) Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed, interpreted, or applied to supplant, displace, 
preempt, or otherwise limit the responsibilities and 
liabilities under other Federal or State laws with respect to 
discrimination on a basis described in subsection (a).

SEC. 387. DEFINITIONS.

   In this title:
          (1) Culturally and linguistically appropriate.--The 
        term ``culturally and linguistically appropriate'', 
        with respect to services, has the meaning given the 
        term ``culturally and linguistically appropriate 
        services'' in the ``National Standards for Culturally 
        and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and 
        Health Care'', issued in April 2013, by the Office of 
        Minority Health of the Department of Health and Human 
        Services.
          [(1)] (2) Drug abuse education and prevention 
        services.--The term ``drug abuse education and 
        prevention services''--
                  (A) means services to runaway and homeless 
                youth to prevent or reduce the illicit use of 
                drugs by such youth; and
                  (B) may include--
                          (i) individual, family, group, and 
                        peer counseling;
                          (ii) drop-in services;
                          (iii) assistance to runaway and 
                        homeless youth in rural areas 
                        (including the development of community 
                        support groups);
                          (iv) information and training 
                        relating to the illicit use of drugs by 
                        runaway and homeless youth, to 
                        individuals involved in providing 
                        services to such youth; and
                          (v) activities to improve the 
                        availability of local drug abuse 
                        prevention services to runaway and 
                        homeless youth.
          [(2)] (3) Home-based services.--The term ``home-based 
        services''--
                  (A) means services provided to youth and 
                their families for the purpose of--
                          (i) preventing such youth from 
                        running away, or otherwise becoming 
                        separated, from their families; and
                          (ii) assisting runaway youth to 
                        return to their families; and
                  (B) includes services that are provided in 
                the residences of families (to the extent 
                practicable), including--
                          (i) intensive individual and family 
                        counseling; and
                          (ii) training relating to life skills 
                        and parenting.
          [(3)] (4) Homeless youth.--The term ``homeless'', 
        used with respect to a youth, means an individual--
                  (A) who is--
                          (i) less than [21] 26 years of age, 
                        or, in the case of a youth seeking 
                        shelter in a center under part A, less 
                        than 18 years of age, or is less than a 
                        higher maximum age if the State where 
                        the center is located has an applicable 
                        State or local law (including a 
                        regulation) that permits such higher 
                        maximum age in compliance with 
                        licensure requirements for child-and 
                        youth-serving facilities; and
                          (ii) for the purposes of part B, not 
                        less than 16 years of age [and either--
                                  [(I) less than 22 years of 
                                age; or
                                  [(II) not less than 22 years 
                                of age, as of the expiration of 
                                the maximum period of stay 
                                permitted under section 
                                322(a)(2) if such individual 
                                commences such stay before 
                                reaching 22 years of age;] but 
                                less than 26 years of age;
                  (B) for whom it is not possible to live in a 
                safe environment with a relative; and
                  (C) who has no other safe alternative living 
                arrangement.
          [(4)] (5) Runaway youth.--The term ``runaway'', used 
        with respect to a youth, means an individual who is 
        less than 18 years of age and who absents himself or 
        herself from home or a place of legal residence without 
        the permission of a parent or legal guardian.
          [(5)] (6) Street-based services.--The term ``street-
        based services''--
                  (A) means services provided to runaway and 
                homeless youth, and street youth, in areas 
                where they congregate, designed to assist such 
                youth in making healthy personal choices 
                regarding where they live and how they behave; 
                and
                  (B) may include--
                          (i) identification of and outreach to 
                        runaway and homeless youth, and street 
                        youth[;], including the use of online 
                        methods of engagement, as appropriate, 
                        based on the needs of the community and 
                        population served;
                          (ii) crisis intervention and 
                        counseling;
                          (iii) information and referral for 
                        housing;
                          (iv) information and referral for 
                        transitional living and health care 
                        services;
                          (v) advocacy, education, and 
                        prevention services related to--
                                  [(I) alcohol and drug abuse;
                                  [(II) sexual exploitation;
                                  [(III) sexually transmitted 
                                diseases, including human 
                                immunodeficiency virus (HIV); 
                                and
                                  [(IV) physical and sexual 
                                assault.]
                                  (I) alcohol and substance use 
                                disorder;
                                  (II) sexual abuse, sexual 
                                exploitation, trafficking in 
                                persons, and sex trafficking;
                                  (III) sexually transmitted 
                                infections, including human 
                                immunodeficiency virus (HIV);
                                  (IV) physical and sexual 
                                assault; and
                                  (V) suicide.
          [(6)] (7) Street youth.--The term ``street youth'' 
        means an individual who--
                  (A) is--
                          (i) a runaway youth; or
                          (ii) indefinitely or intermittently a 
                        homeless youth; and
                  (B) spends a significant amount of time on 
                the street or in other areas that increase the 
                risk to such youth for sexual abuse, sexual 
                exploitation, [prostitution, or drug abuse] 
                trafficking in persons, sex trafficking, or 
                substance use disorder.
          (8) Trafficking in persons.--The term ``trafficking 
        in persons'' has the meaning given the term ``severe 
        forms of trafficking in persons'' in section 103 of the 
        Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2019 (22 U.S.C. 
        7102).
          [(7)] (9) Transitional living youth project.--The 
        term ``transitional living youth project'' means a 
        project that provides to homeless youth shelter and 
        services designed to promote a transition to self-
        sufficient living, to establish a stable family or 
        community supports, and to prevent long-term dependency 
        on social services.
          [(8)] (10) Youth at risk of separation from the 
        family.--The term ``youth at risk of separation from 
        the family'' means an individual--
                  (A) who is less than 18 years of age; and
                  (B)(i) who has a history of running away from 
                the family of such individual;
                  (ii) whose parent, guardian, or custodian is 
                not willing or able to provide for the basic 
                needs of such individual; [or]
                  (iii) who is at risk of entering the child 
                welfare system or juvenile justice system as a 
                result of the lack of services available to the 
                family to meet such needs[.]; or
                  (iv) who is involved in the child welfare or 
                juvenile justice system, but is not living in 
                housing or shelter funded by the Federal 
                Government.

SEC. 388. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

  (a) In General.--
          (1) Authorization.--There are authorized to be 
        appropriated to carry out this title (other than part 
        E) [$127,421,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 
        2020] $225,000,000 for fiscal year 2021, and such sums 
        as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2022 
        through 2025.
          (2) Allocation.--
                  (A) Parts a and b.--From the amount 
                appropriated under paragraph (1) for a fiscal 
                year, the Secretary shall reserve not less than 
                90 percent to carry out parts A and B.
                  (B) Part b.--Of the amount reserved under 
                subparagraph (A), 45 percent and, in those 
                fiscal years in which continuation grant 
                obligations and the quality and number of 
                applicants for parts A and B warrant not more 
                than 55 percent, shall be reserved to carry out 
                part B.
          (3) Parts c and d.--
                  (A) In general.--In each fiscal year, after 
                reserving the amounts required by paragraph 
                (2), the Secretary shall use the remaining 
                amount (if any) to carry out parts C and D 
                (other than section 345).
                  (B) Periodic estimate.--Of the amount 
                authorized to be appropriated under paragraph 
                (1), [such sums as may be necessary shall be 
                made available to carry out section 345 for 
                each of fiscal years 2019 through 2020.] 
                $2,000,000 shall be made available to carry out 
                section 345 for fiscal year 2021 and such sums 
                as may be necessary shall be made available to 
                carry out such section for each of fiscal years 
                2022 through 2025
          (4) Part e.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
        to carry out part E [$25,000,000 for each of fiscal 
        years 2019 through 2020] $75,000,000 for fiscal year 
        2021, and such sums as may be necessary for each of 
        fiscal years 2022 through 2025.
  (b) Separate Identification Required.--No funds appropriated 
to carry out this title may be combined with funds appropriated 
under any other Act if the purpose of combining such funds is 
to make a single discretionary grant, or a single discretionary 
payment, unless such funds are separately identified in all 
grants and contracts and are used for the purposes specified in 
this title.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


                             MINORITY VIEWS

    Children are this country's most valuable asset. 
Unfortunately, they are also the most vulnerable population in 
our society. For homeless and runaway youth, there are 
devastating dangers and risks that can compromise their safety 
and health. In the United States, anywhere from 700,000 
children ages 13-17 and 3.5 million adults ages 18-25 
experience homelessness in a single year.\1\ Committee 
Republicans believe youth can be better protected from the 
dangers homelessness presents by implementing a longer 
reauthorization of the important programs contained in the 
Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\Runaway and Homeless Youth: Demographics and Programs, 
Fernandes-Alcantara AL. (March 26, 2019).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Unfortunately, Committee Democrats refused to engage in 
bipartisan discussions, denying Republicans the opportunity to 
address the shortcomings of the underlying partisan 
legislation. Committee Democrats claimed their bill was 
bipartisan because it was cosponsored by two Republicans. While 
technically accurate, it was far from bipartisan since no 
Republican on the committee of jurisdiction was allowed to work 
on the language, offer feedback, or ask questions. During the 
markup, there was a claim that the bill was a ``carefully 
crafted bipartisan agreement.'' Perhaps the bill was carefully 
crafted by Democrats and their advocates, but not one 
Republican sitting in the Committee room was involved in that 
agreement. Democrats snubbed Republican Members of this 
Committee in favor of lobbyists and passed a flawed bill.
    For this reason, Committee Republicans offered an amendment 
that included many of the reforms in the base bill but also 
updated RHYA to better address issues runaway and homeless 
youth face, including specific language regarding youth harmed 
by sexual exploitation and substance use disorder. The 
amendment also included new provisions to protect taxpayer 
dollars from waste and abuse. The Chairman even noted he would 
include some of the Republican provisions in the bill before 
moving it forward, which could have been done prior to the 
markup had Democrats been willing to at least discuss the bill 
before it was considered.

     Consultation With the Department of Health and Human Services

    Committee Republicans are unaware if the Democrats asked 
the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS or the 
Department) for technical assistance or its perspective on the 
legislation, but when Republicans reached out to the 
Department, it was evident there were issues that needed to be 
addressed and further evaluated before the bill becomes law. 
While the Republican amendment included some of the same 
provisions the Department flagged, there is hope that before 
the bill becomes law these issues could be addressed.
    For example, the bill includes significant increases in the 
length of time youth can stay in emergency shelters and in 
transitional living, yet HHS flagged that these changes could 
be disruptive to the programs and may only be needed in very 
limited and isolated circumstances. In order to continue the 
discussion on how to address those limited circumstances and 
ensure youth are not left without access to needed services, 
those provisions were included in the Republican amendment.
    Again, this could have been avoided had Democrats been 
willing to engage in robust conversations with all parties 
involved before advancing their partisan legislation.

                          Republican Amendment

    As stated above, the Republican amendment adopted many of 
the same provisions the Democrats put forward. However, in 
consultation with Members of the Committee, HHS, and other 
organizations, we made some key changes to improve the RHYA 
programs. First, the non-discrimination language was changed to 
ensure that grantees clearly understood their obligations--they 
must follow all federal non-discrimination laws. There are no 
caveats--all federal laws means all federal laws. Additionally, 
the Republican amendment went further than the Democrats' bill, 
which does not ensure that all youth seeking help can receive 
assistance. The Republican alternative remedied this by 
including language to make it clear that if a youth is seeking 
help, then a provider must help them. If the program is full or 
the individual doesn't meet the requirements, such as a male 
seeking help at a female shelter, then the provider has the 
obligation to help that youth find assistance in another 
program. Further, if a provider does not do this, then they 
will no longer be eligible to receive funding under this law. 
By including this requirement, obligations are clearly laid out 
for providers and HHS will be able to ensure only providers 
meeting the law's obligations will be allowed to continue to 
participate in the programs.
    Additionally, the Republican amendment included new 
language to hold all grantees more accountable under the law. 
This language is twofold. First, it required that grantees 
create a plan, if applicable, for how they will continue to 
operate their program if federal funds are no longer available. 
This would encourage grantees to think about alternative 
funding streams, and it would help ensure grantees are able to 
continue serving youth if federal funds run out. The second 
provision under the Republican accountability language would 
deny grant funding to any grantee not meeting the requirements 
or purpose of the program. This important language would ensure 
the Secretary does not hand over taxpayer dollars to grantees 
who cannot do what they said they would do. This language will 
protect taxpayer dollars from waste, fraud, and abuse.
    The underlying bill largely ignores the link between 
substance use disorder and homelessness.\2\ The Republican 
alternative ensured that programs are aware of the issue and 
are prepared to help individuals who either suffer directly 
from this issue or are in families that are dealing with the 
issue. Further, the Republican proposal included a requirement 
to review the data on this issue so we can better understand 
how it is affecting youth homelessness and, in turn, better 
address it. Finally, the Republican proposal included an 
allowance for demonstration or research on the impact of 
substance use disorder and homelessness that will be based on 
the results of the data collection. These were not 
controversial provisions and could have easily been included in 
the underlying bill if Committee Democrats had been willing to 
work with Committee Republicans.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \2\In the ``Voices of Youth Count,'' 2017 report, 29 percent of 
youth were reported as having substance use problems. https://
voicesofyouthcount.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/VoYC-National-
Estimates-Brief-Chapin-Hall-2017.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Republican proposal also included important changes to 
support better grant monitoring and implementation. Instead of 
requiring all grants to be awarded for five years, the 
Republican amendment stated grants would be awarded up to five 
years. This small, but critical change would allow the 
Secretary to determine if a five-year grant is appropriate or 
if a shorter-term grant is better for participants, providers, 
and taxpayers. A five-year promise to provide funds could 
result in poor performing grantees receiving taxpayer money. By 
shortening the grant period, grantees are forced to compete and 
better provide assistance to youth in need.
    Finally, the Republican proposal maintained the current 
authorization levels in the program. Republicans believe in 
fiscal responsibility and that program participants deserve 
honesty. The current authorization allowances are well within 
the historical rate of growth in this program, and to be clear, 
that timeline includes both Republican and Democrat control of 
Congress and the White House. By authorizing considerably above 
appropriated levels, Democrats are pretending to provide 
significantly more money for these programs and that does 
nothing to help youth seeking assistance. Instead, we should 
include realistic authorization amounts, as laid out in the 
Republican proposal, so the agency and grantees can better plan 
how to utilize the available resources.

                               Conclusion

    As has been emblematic of the House Majority this Congress, 
Committee Democrats passed yet another partisan bill that lacks 
necessary reforms. Due to the bill's shortcomings, Committee 
Republicans offered legislative language that would better help 
youth harmed by sexual exploitation and substance use disorder; 
require grantees to follow non-discrimination laws; and protect 
taxpayer dollars from waste, fraud, and abuse. Had Committee 
Democrats been willing to discuss this important legislation, 
we could have passed bipartisan legislation that ensured 
critical RHYA programs will continue to be effective and meet 
the intent of those programs funded with hard-earned taxpayer 
dollars.
    It's no secret that when Republicans and Democrats work 
together, the resulting legislation is better for Americans. 
Republicans on this Committee stand ready to work with the 
Democrats in a bipartisan manner to help improve the programs 
and laws in our jurisdiction.
                                   Virginia Foxx,
                                           Ranking Member.
                                   David P. Roe, M.D.
                                   Glenn ``GT'' Thompson.
                                   Brett Guthrie.
                                   Bradley Byrne.
                                   Rick W. Allen.
                                   Lloyd Smucker.
                                   Jim Banks.
                                   James Comer.
                                   Ben Cline.
                                   Russ Fulcher.
                                   Ron Wright.
                                   Daniel Meuser.
                                   Dusty Johnson.
                                   Fred Keller.
                                   Gregory F. Murphy.
                                   Jefferson Van Drew.

                                  [all]