[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3856 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3856

   To reauthorize the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 10, 2025

 Ms. Bonamici (for herself, Mr. Bacon, Mr. McGarvey, Ms. Houlahan, Ms. 
 Norton, Mr. Costa, Mr. Khanna, Ms. Barragan, Mrs. Dingell, Mr. Lieu, 
and Mr. Nunn of Iowa) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
              to the Committee on Education and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To reauthorize the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Runaway and Homeless Youth and 
Trafficking Prevention Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Section 302 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (34 U.S.C. 11201) 
is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 302. FINDINGS.

    ``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, trauma, 
        substance use disorders, and serious health, behavioral, 
        social, and emotional challenges because they lack sufficient 
        resources to obtain care and may live on the street for 
        extended periods of time, thereby endangering themselves;
            ``(2) many such young people, because of their age and 
        situation, are urgently in need of temporary shelter and 
        services, including services that consider their age, gender, 
        and social and developmental needs, are culturally and 
        linguistically appropriate, and acknowledge the environment of 
        youth seeking these services;
            ``(3) research has documented the fluid experiences of 
        homelessness of youth, where many youth experience 2 or more 
        different types of homelessness, including couch surfing, 
        living in motels, and staying on the streets;
            ``(4) research has documented that persons who are members 
        of historically marginalized and underserved communities of 
        color, LGBTQ youth, youth who do not complete high school or 
        achieve a high school equivalency, youth involved in the child 
        welfare system, youth who have been involved with the criminal 
        justice system, and pregnant and parenting youth are most 
        likely to experience homelessness in the United States while 
        unaccompanied by a parent or adult;
            ``(5) 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, empowerment, voice, and choice;
                    ``(D) independence and control over one's life; and
                    ``(E) closeness in interpersonal relationships;
            ``(6) 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 prevalence of 
        youth homelessness, and to assist in the development of an 
        effective system of care (including prevention services and 
        aftercare services, short-term housing with services, extended 
        housing with supportive services, and street outreach services) 
        outside the welfare system and the law enforcement system, in 
        collaboration with public assistance systems, the education 
        system, and the child welfare system;
            ``(7) to make a successful transition to adulthood, youth 
        who run away, youth experiencing homelessness, and youth living 
        in the street need a safe and stable place to live, connections 
        to caring adults, and opportunities to complete high school or 
        earn a general equivalency degree, learn job skills, and obtain 
        employment;
            ``(8) improved coordination and collaboration at the 
        Federal level between programs that serve runaway and homeless 
        youth are necessary for the development of a long-term strategy 
        for responding to the needs of this population;
            ``(9) runaway and homeless youth are at a high risk of 
        substance use disorders and becoming victims of sexual 
        exploitation and trafficking;
            ``(10) since research has shown that the prevalence of 
        homelessness among youth is similar in rural and urban 
        communities, runaway and homeless youth programs, such as those 
        funded under this title, are integral services that every 
        community should provide, regardless of the size of the 
        community; and
            ``(11) runaway and homeless youth programs, such as those 
        funded under this title--
                    ``(A) are expert adolescent service providers and 
                integral community partners for the child welfare and 
                juvenile justice systems as many youth exit these 
                systems to homelessness; and
                    ``(B) work to reunify youth with their family when 
                safe and appropriate.''.

SEC. 3. BASIC CENTER GRANT PROGRAM.

    Part A of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (34 U.S.C. 11211 et 
seq.) is amended--
            (1) in section 311, by striking subsection (a) and 
        inserting the following:
    ``(a) Grants for Centers and Services.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall--
                    ``(A) not later than 90 days before the start date 
                of the grant, award 5-year grants to public and 
                nonprofit private entities, and combinations of such 
                entities, to establish, operate, and maintain 
                (including renovate) local centers to provide--
                            ``(i) safe shelter and services for runaway 
                        and homeless youth, including trauma-informed 
                        services; and
                            ``(ii) if appropriate, services for the 
                        families of such youth, including individuals 
                        identified by such youth as family; and
                    ``(B) establish an appeal process for grantees.
            ``(2) Services provided.--Services provided under paragraph 
        (1)--
                    ``(A) shall be provided to runaway youth, street 
                youth, homeless youth, or youth at risk of separation 
                from the family;
                    ``(B) shall include--
                            ``(i) safe and appropriate shelter for not 
                        more than 30 days or the maximum allowed by the 
                        State, whichever is greater;
                            ``(ii) individual, family, or group 
                        counseling, as appropriate, including 
                        counseling for individuals identified by such 
                        youth as family, that considers the age, 
                        gender, and social and developmental needs of 
                        such youth, and is culturally and 
                        linguistically appropriate; and
                            ``(iii) suicide prevention services; and
                    ``(C) may include--
                            ``(i) street-based services;
                            ``(ii) home-based services for families 
                        with youth at risk of separation from the 
                        family, to the extent practicable, that 
                        consider the ages, genders, and social and 
                        developmental needs of the family, and are 
                        culturally and linguistically appropriate;
                            ``(iii) prevention services;
                            ``(iv) substance use disorder education and 
                        prevention services;
                            ``(v) at the request of runaway youth or 
                        homeless youth, testing for sexually 
                        transmitted infections;
                            ``(vi) trauma-informed services, including 
                        for such youth who are victims of trafficking; 
                        and
                            ``(vii) an assessment of--
                                    ``(I) family engagement in support 
                                and reunification, if reunification is 
                                appropriate;
                                    ``(II) interventions; and
                                    ``(III) services for parents or 
                                legal guardians of such youth or, if 
                                appropriate, individuals identified by 
                                such youth as family.'';
            (2) in section 312--
                    (A) in subsection (b)--
                            (i) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting 
                        the following:
            ``(2) shall use such assistance to establish, strengthen, 
        or fund a runaway and homeless youth center that provides 
        temporary shelter or a locally controlled project, including a 
        host family home, that has--
                    ``(A) a minimum capacity of not less than 4 youth, 
                except if there is an established minimum number of 
                beds per youth shelter or project location;
                    ``(B) a maximum capacity of not more than 20 youth, 
                except where the applicant demonstrates that the State 
                where the center or locally controlled project is 
                located has a State or local law or regulation that 
                allows a higher maximum to comply with licensure 
                requirements for child and youth serving centers or 
                projects;
                    ``(C) a ratio of staff to youth that is sufficient 
                to ensure adequate supervision and treatment; and
                    ``(D) if it is a mixed project, not more than 20 
                youth per project, except where the applicant 
                demonstrates that the project has a State or local law 
                or regulation that allows a higher maximum to comply 
                with licensure requirements for child and youth serving 
                projects;'';
                            (ii) in paragraph (5), by striking ``or 
                        legal guardians'' and inserting ``, legal 
                        guardians, or individuals identified by such 
                        youth as family, if appropriate,'';
                            (iii) by striking paragraphs (6), (7), and 
                        (8), and inserting the following:
            ``(6) shall develop an adequate plan, which may include the 
        use of online resources to reach and engage youth, for 
        establishing or coordinating with outreach programs designed to 
        attract persons, including persons who are members of 
        underserved populations, who are eligible to receive services 
        for which a grant under section 311(a) may be expended;
            ``(7) shall keep adequate statistical records profiling the 
        runaway youth or homeless youth and family members of such 
        youth whom the applicant serves, including demographic 
        information 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 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 information maintained on individual 
                runaway youth or homeless youth contained in the 
                records described in paragraph (7) shall not be 
                disclosed without the consent of the individual youth 
                and the parent of the youth, the legal guardian of the 
                youth, or an individual identified by such youth as 
                family, to anyone other than an agency compiling 
                statistical records or a government agency involved in 
                the disposition of criminal charges against such youth; 
                and
                    ``(B) reports or other documents based on the 
                statistics described in paragraph (7) shall not 
                disclose the identity of any individual runaway youth 
                or homeless youth;'';
                            (iv) in paragraph (12), by striking 
                        subparagraphs (B) and (C) and inserting the 
                        following:
                    ``(B) detailed information on how the applicant has 
                been able to meet the goals of the plan of the 
                applicant; and
                    ``(C) statistical summaries describing--
                            ``(i) the data the Secretary requires to be 
                        collected;
                            ``(ii) the number and characteristics of 
                        runaway youth, homeless youth, street youth, 
                        and youth at risk of separation from the 
                        family, who participate in the project, 
                        including information on such youth who--
                                    ``(I) are victims of trafficking;
                                    ``(II) are pregnant or parenting;
                                    ``(III) have been involved in the 
                                child welfare system; or
                                    ``(IV) have been involved with the 
                                criminal justice system; and
                            ``(iii) the services provided to such youth 
                        by the project;'';
                            (v) in paragraph (13), by striking the 
                        period at the end and inserting ``for natural 
                        disasters, inclement weather, and public health 
                        emergencies;''; and
                            (vi) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(14) shall provide services to runaway youth and homeless 
        youth that consider the age, gender, and social and 
        developmental needs of such youth, and are culturally and 
        linguistically appropriate, to the extent practicable; 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 request of the youth.'';
                    (B) in subsection (c)--
                            (i) in paragraph (3), by striking ``and'' 
                        after the semicolon;
                            (ii) in paragraph (4), by striking the 
                        period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                            (iii) by adding at end the following:
            ``(5) develop a plan, consistent with local needs, for the 
        use of online resources, if appropriate, to reach and engage 
        youth.'';
                    (C) in subsection (d)--
                            (i) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting 
                        the following:
            ``(1) provide counseling and information that consider the 
        age, gender, and social and developmental needs of such youth, 
        and are culturally and linguistically appropriate, to the 
        extent practicable, to youth and the families of such youth 
        (including unrelated individuals in the family households of 
        such youth and 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;'';
                            (ii) in paragraph (4), by inserting ``, 
                        including training on trauma-informed care'' 
                        before the semicolon at the end; and
                            (iii) 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 family.'';
                    (D) in subsection (e), by striking the subsection 
                enumerator and all that follows through ``(b)--'' and 
                inserting the following:
    ``(e) Applicants Providing Substance Use Disorder Education and 
Prevention Services.--To be eligible to use assistance under section 
311(a) to provide substance use disorder education and prevention 
services, an applicant shall include in the plan required by subsection 
(b)--''; and
                    (E) 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 to 
reach and engage youth.
    ``(g) Definition of Underserved Populations.--In this section, the 
term `underserved populations' means victims of homelessness or 
trafficking or runaway youth, who disproportionately face barriers in 
accessing and using victim services, including populations who are 
underserved due to limited English proficiency or are historically 
marginalized and underserved communities of color, and any other 
population determined to be underserved by the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services.''; and
            (3) in section 313, by striking subsection (b) and 
        inserting the following:
    ``(b) Priority.--In selecting applications for grants under section 
311(a), the Secretary shall give priority to eligible applicants who 
have demonstrated experience in providing services to runaway youth and 
homeless youth.''.

SEC. 4. TRANSITIONAL LIVING GRANT PROGRAM.