H. R. 1925

One Hundred Eighth Congress

of the

United States of America

AT THE FIRST SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,

the seventh day of January, two thousand and three

An Act

To reauthorize programs under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act and the

Missing Children’s Assistance 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, Homeless, and Missing

Children Protection Act’’.

TITLE I—AMENDMENTS TO RUNAWAY

AND HOMELESS YOUTH ACT

SEC. 101. AMENDMENT TO FINDINGS.

Section 302 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C.

5701) is amended to read as follows:

‘‘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 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 linguistically appropriate and

acknowledge the environment of youth seeking these services;

‘‘(3) 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;

‘‘(4) to make a successful transition to adulthood, runaway

youth, homeless youth, and other street youth need opportunities to complete high school or earn a general equivalency

degree, learn job skills, and obtain employment; and
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‘‘(5) improved coordination and collaboration between the

Federal 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.’’.

SEC. 102. GRANT PROGRAM CONFORMING AMENDMENT.

The heading for part A of the Runaway and Homeless Youth

Act (42 U.S.C. 5711 et seq.) is amended by striking ‘‘RUNAWAY

AND HOMELESS YOUTH’’ and inserting ‘‘BASIC CENTER’’.

SEC. 103. GRANTS FOR SERVICES PROVIDED.

Section 311(a)(2)(C) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act

(42 U.S.C. 5711(a)(2)(C)) is amended— (1) in clause (ii) by striking ‘‘and’’;

(2) in clause (iii) by striking the period and inserting ‘‘;

and’’; and

(3) after clause (iii) by inserting the following: ‘‘(iv) at the request of runaway and homeless

youth, testing for sexually transmitted diseases.’’.

SEC. 104. REPEAL OF OBSOLETE PROVISION RELATING TO CERTAIN

ALLOTMENTS.

Section 311(b) the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C.

5711(b)) is amended— (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘Subject to paragraph

(3), the’’ and inserting ‘‘The’’;

(2) by striking paragraph (3); and

(3) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (3).

SEC. 105. ELIGIBILITY PROVISION.

Section 312(a) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42

U.S.C. 5712(a)) is amended by striking ‘‘juveniles’’ each place it

appears and inserting ‘‘youth’’.

SEC. 106. RECOGNITION OF STATE LAW RELATING TO CAPACITY

LIMITATION ON ELIGIBLE RUNAWAY AND HOMELESS

YOUTH CENTERS.

Section 312(b)(2)(A) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act

(42 U.S.C. 5712(b)(2)(A)) is amended by inserting after ‘‘youth’’ the following: ‘‘, except where the applicant assures that the State

where the center or locally controlled facility is located has a State

or local law or regulation that requires a higher maximum to

comply with licensure requirements for child and youth serving

facilities’’.

SEC. 107. MATERNITY GROUP HOMES.

(a) ELIGIBILITY.—Section 322(a)(1) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5714–2(a)(1)) is amended—

(1) by inserting after ‘‘group homes,’’ the following:

‘‘including maternity group homes,’’; and

(2) by inserting after ‘‘use of credit,’’ the following: ‘‘parenting skills (as appropriate),’’.

(b) DEFINITION.—Section 322 of the Runaway and Homeless

Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5714–2) is amended by adding at the end

the following new subsection: ‘‘(c) DEFINITION.—In this part, 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
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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.’’.

SEC. 108. LIMITED EXTENSION OF 540-DAY SHELTER ELIGIBILITY

PERIOD.

Section 322(a)(2) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act

(42 U.S.C. 5714–2(a)(2)) is amended by inserting after ‘‘days’’ the

following: ‘‘, except that a youth in a program under this part

who is under the age of 18 years on the last day of the 540-

day period may, if otherwise qualified for the program, remain

in the program until the earlier of the youth’s 18th birthday or

the 180th day after the end of the 540-day period’’.

SEC. 109. PART A PLAN COORDINATION ASSURANCES.

Section 312(b)(4)(B) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act

(42 U.S.C. 5712(b)(4)(B)) is amended by striking ‘‘personnel’’ and

all that follows through the semicolon and inserting ‘‘McKinneyVento 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;’’.

SEC. 110. PART B PLAN COORDINATION AGREEMENT.

Section 322(a) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42

U.S.C. 5714–2(a)) is amended—

(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon at the end of

paragraph (13);

(2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (14)

and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and

(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

‘‘(15) 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.’’.

SEC. 111. PART B PLAN DEVELOPMENT.

Section 322(a)(7) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act

(42 U.S.C. 5714–2(a)(7)) is amended to read as follows:

‘‘(7) to develop an adequate plan to ensure proper referral

of homeless youth to social service, law enforcement, educational (including post-secondary education), vocational,

training (including services and programs for youth available

under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998), welfare (including

programs under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996), legal service, and health

care programs and to help integrate and coordinate such services for youths;’’.

SEC. 112. COORDINATION OF PROGRAMS.

Section 341 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C.

5714–21) is amended—
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(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon

at the end;

(2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end

and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and

(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

‘‘(3) shall consult, as appropriate, the Secretary of Housing

and Urban Development to ensure coordination of programs

and services for homeless youth.’’.

SEC. 113. CLARIFICATION OF GRANT AUTHORITY.

Section 343(a) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42

U.S.C. 5714–23(a)) is amended by inserting after ‘‘service projects’’ the following: ‘‘regarding activities under this title’’.

SEC. 114. TECHNICAL AMENDMENT RELATING TO DEMONSTRATION

PROJECTS.

The section heading of section 344 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5714–24) is amended by striking ‘‘TEMPORARY’’.

SEC. 115. REPEAL OF OBSOLETE PROVISION RELATING TO STUDY.

The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5701 et

seq.) is amended by striking section 345 (42 U.S.C. 5714–25).

SEC. 116. AGE LIMIT FOR HOMELESS YOUTH.

Section 387(3)(A)(i) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act

(42 U.S.C. 5732a(3)(A)(i)) is amended by inserting after ‘‘of age’’

the following: ‘‘, or, in the case of a youth seeking shelter in

a center under part A, not more than 18 years of age’’.

SEC. 117. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

(a) OTHER THAN PART E.—Section 388(a)(1) of the Runaway

and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5751(a)(1)) is amended by

striking ‘‘such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2000,

2001, 2002, and 2003’’ and inserting ‘‘$105,000,000 for fiscal year

2004, and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2005,

2006, 2007, and 2008’’.

(b) PART E.—Section 388(a)(4) of the Runaway and Homeless

Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5751(a)(4)) is amended by striking ‘‘2000,

2001, 2002, and 2003’’ and inserting ‘‘2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and

2008’’.

(c) PART B ALLOCATION.—Section 388(a)(2)(B) of the Runaway

and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5751(a)(2)(B)) is amended by

striking ‘‘not less than 20 percent, and not more than 30 percent’’ and inserting ‘‘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’’.

SEC. 118. REPORT ON PROMISING STRATEGIES TO END YOUTH

HOMELESSNESS.

Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of

this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness,

shall submit to the Congress a report on promising strategies to

end youth homelessness.

SEC. 119. STUDY OF HOUSING SERVICES AND STRATEGIES.

The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall conduct

a study of programs funded under part B of the Runaway and
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Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5714–1 et seq.) to report on longterm housing outcomes for youth after exiting the program. The

study of any such program should provide information on housing

services available to youth upon exiting the program, including

assistance in locating and retaining permanent housing and referrals to other residential programs. In addition, the study should

identify housing models and placement strategies that prevent

future episodes of homelessness.

SEC. 120. RESTRICTION ON USE OF FUNDS.

The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5701 et

seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

‘‘SEC. 389. RESTRICTION ON USE OF FUNDS.

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—None of the funds contained in this title

may be used for any program of distributing sterile needles or

syringes for the hypodermic injection of any illegal drug.

‘‘(b) SEPARATE ACCOUNTING.—Any individual or entity who

receives any funds contained in this title and who carries out

any program described in subsection (a) shall account for all funds

used for such program separately from any funds contained in

this title.’’.

TITLE II—AMENDMENTS TO MISSING

CHILDREN’S ASSISTANCE ACT

SEC. 201. AMENDMENT TO FINDINGS.

Section 402 of the Missing Children’s Assistance Act (42 U.S.C.

5771) is amended to read as follows:

‘‘SEC. 402. FINDINGS.

‘‘The Congress finds that—

‘‘(1) each year thousands of children are abducted or

removed from the control of a parent having legal custody

without such parent’s consent, under circumstances which

immediately place the child in grave danger;

‘‘(2) many missing children are at great risk of both physical

harm and sexual exploitation;

‘‘(3) in many cases, parents and local law enforcement

officials have neither the resources nor the expertise to mount

expanded search efforts;

‘‘(4) abducted children are frequently moved from one

locality to another, requiring the cooperation and coordination

of local, State, and Federal law enforcement efforts;

‘‘(5) the National Center for Missing and Exploited

Children—

‘‘(A) serves as the national resource center and

clearinghouse;

‘‘(B) works in partnership with the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department

of the Treasury, the Department of State, and many other

agencies in the effort to find missing children and prevent

child victimization; and ‘‘(C) operates a national and increasingly worldwide

network, linking the Center online with each of the missing
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children clearinghouses operated by the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, as well as with Scotland

Yard in the United Kingdom, the Royal Canadian Mounted

Police, INTERPOL headquarters in Lyon, France, and

others, which enable the Center to transmit images and

information regarding missing children to law enforcement

across the United States and around the world instantly.’’.

SEC. 202. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

(a) ANNUAL GRANT TO NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING AND

EXPLOITED CHILDREN.—Section 404(b)(2) of the Missing Children’s

Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5773(b)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘2005’’

and inserting ‘‘2008’’.

(b) IN GENERAL.—Section 408(a) of the Missing Children’s

Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5777(a)) is amended by striking ‘‘2005.’’

and inserting ‘‘2008’’.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.