Youth Access to Sexual Health Services Act of 2016

Summary: Youth Access to Sexual Health Services Act of 2016 This bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to support the access of marginalized youth to sexual health services such as sexual health education and contraception. Marginalized youth are disadvantaged individuals under the age of 26. Grants may be awarded to state or local health or education agencies, public schools, nonprofit organizations, hospitals, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations. Grants may be used to: (1) provide sexual health information to marginalized youth, (2) promote effective communication regarding sexual health among marginalized youth, (3) promote and support opportunities for school-age parents, and (3) train individuals who work with marginalized youth to promote sexual health and the development of safe and supportive environments. Grants may not be used to provide access to health services that: (1) are medically unsound; (2) withhold sexual health-promoting or lifesaving information; (3) promote gender stereotypes; or (4) are insensitive or unresponsive to the needs of homosexual, bisexual, or transgender youth, sexually active youth, school-age parents, or survivors of sexual abuse or assault. Unobligated FY2017 appropriations for abstinence education are made available for these grants.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Youth Access to Sexual Health 
Services Act of 2016''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF GRANTS TO SUPPORT THE ACCESS OF MARGINALIZED 
              YOUTH TO SEXUAL HEALTH SERVICES.

    (a) Grants.--The Secretary may award grants on a competitive basis 
to eligible entities to support the access of marginalized youth to 
sexual health services.
    (b) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity that is awarded a grant under 
subsection (a) may use the funds to--
            (1) provide medically accurate and age appropriate sexual 
        health information to marginalized youth, including information 
        on how to access sexual health services;
            (2) promote effective communication regarding sexual health 
        among marginalized youth;
            (3) promote and support better health, education, and 
        economic opportunities for school-age parents; and
            (4) train individuals who work with marginalized youth to 
        promote--
                    (A) the prevention of unintended pregnancy;
                    (B) the prevention of sexually transmitted 
                infections;
                    (C) healthy relationships; and
                    (D) the development of safe and supportive 
                environments.
    (c) Application.--To be awarded a grant under subsection (a), an 
eligible entity shall submit an application to the Secretary at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 
may require.
    (d) Priority.--In awarding grants under subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities--
            (1) with a history of supporting the access of marginalized 
        youth to sexuality education or sexual health services; and
            (2) that plan to serve marginalized youth that are not 
        served by Federal teen pregnancy prevention programs.
    (e) Requirements.--The Secretary may not award a grant under 
subsection (a) to an eligible entity unless--
            (1) such eligible entity has formed a partnership with a 
        community organization; and
            (2) such eligible entity agrees--
                    (A) to employ a scientifically effective strategy;
                    (B) that all information provided to marginalized 
                youth will be--
                            (i) age-appropriate;
                            (ii) medically accurate;
                            (iii) scientifically based; and
                            (iv) provided in the language and cultural 
                        context that is most appropriate for the 
                        individuals served by the eligible entity; and
                    (C) that for each year the eligible entity receives 
                grant funds under subsection (a), the eligible entity 
                shall submit to the Secretary an annual report that 
                includes--
                            (i) the use of grant funds by the eligible 
                        entity;
                            (ii) how the use of grant funds has 
                        increased the access of marginalized youth to 
                        sexual health services; and
                            (iii) such other information as the 
                        Secretary may require.
    (f) Publication and Evaluations.--
            (1) Evaluations.--Not less than once every 2 years after 
        the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
        evaluate the effectiveness of whichever of the following is 
        greater:
                    (A) Eight grants awarded under subsection (a).
                    (B) Ten percent of the grants awarded under 
                subsection (a).
            (2) Publication.--The Secretary shall make available to the 
        public--
                    (A) the evaluations required under paragraph (1); 
                and
                    (B) the reports required under subsection 
                (e)(2)(C).
    (g) Limitations.--No funds made available to an eligible entity 
under this section may be used by such entity to provide access to 
sexual health services that--
            (1) withhold sexual health-promoting or life-saving 
        information;
            (2) are medically inaccurate or have been scientifically 
        shown to be ineffective;
            (3) promote gender stereotypes;
            (4) are insensitive or unresponsive to the needs of 
        lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning 
        youth, sexually active youth, or school-age parents;
            (5) are insensitive or unresponsive to the needs of 
        survivors of sexual abuse or assault; or
            (6) are inconsistent with the ethical imperatives of 
        medicine and public health.
    (h) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Community organization.--The term ``community 
        organization'' includes a State or local health or education 
        agency, public school, youth-focused organization that is 
        faith-based and community-based, juvenile justice entity, or 
        other organization that provides confidential and appropriate 
        sexuality education or sexual health services to marginalized 
        youth.
            (2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' includes 
        a State or local health or education agency, public school, 
        nonprofit organization, hospital, or an Indian tribe or tribal 
        organization (as such terms are defined in section 4 of the 
        Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 
        U.S.C. 450b)).
            (3) Marginalized youth.--The term ``marginalized youth'' 
        means a person under the age of 26 that is disadvantaged by 
        underlying structural barriers and social inequity.
            (4) Medically accurate.--The term ``medically accurate'', 
        with respect to information, means information that is 
        supported by research and recognized as accurate and objective 
        by leading medical, psychological, psychiatric, or public 
        health organizations and agencies.
            (5) Scientifically effective strategy.--The term 
        ``scientifically effective strategy'' means a strategy that--
                    (A) is widely recognized by leading medical and 
                public health agencies as effective in promoting sexual 
                health awareness and healthy behavior; and
                    (B) either--
                            (i) has been demonstrated to be effective 
                        on the basis of rigorous scientific research; 
                        or
                            (ii) incorporates characteristics of 
                        effective programs.
            (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Health and Human Services.
            (7) Sexual health services.--The term ``sexual health 
        services'' includes--
                    (A) sexual health education;
                    (B) contraception;
                    (C) emergency contraception;
                    (D) condoms and other barrier methods to prevent 
                pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections;
                    (E) routine gynecological care, including HPV 
                vaccines and cancer screenings;
                    (F) pre-exposure prophylaxis or post-exposure 
                prophylaxis;
                    (G) mental health services;
                    (H) sexual assault survivor services; and
                    (I) other preventative treatment or care.
    (i) Appropriation.--
            (1) Grants.--Of the amounts appropriated for fiscal year 
        2017 under section 510(d) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
        710(d)), the unobligated balance of such amounts shall be made 
        available to carry out this section for such fiscal year. For 
        purposes of the previous sentence, the unobligated balance of 
        such amounts shall be determined by the Director of the Office 
        of Management and Budget, in consultation with the Secretary.
            (2) Limitation.--Of the amount made available under 
        paragraph (1) for fiscal year 2017, the Secretary may reserve 
        not more than 10 percent to conduct evaluations under 
        subsection (f) for such year.