[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.