I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8948 
To reauthorize the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 21, 2022 
Mr. YARMUTH (for himself and Mr. BACON) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To reauthorize the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Runaway and Home-
less Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act of 2022’’. 
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. 
‘‘The Congress finds that— 
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‘‘(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 dis-
proportionate share of, trauma, substance use dis-
orders, and serious health, behavioral, social, and 
emotional challenges because they lack sufficient re-
sources to obtain care and may live on the street for 
extended periods of time, thereby endangering them-
selves; 
‘‘(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 experi-
ences of homelessness of youth, where many youth 
experience 2 or more different types of homeless-
ness, including couch surfing, living in motels, and 
staying on the streets; 
‘‘(4) research has documented that persons who 
are members of historically marginalized and under-
served communities of color, LGBTQ youth, youth 
who do not complete high school or achieve a high 
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school equivalency, youth involved in the child wel-
fare 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 de-
veloped and provided using a positive youth develop-
ment 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 relation-
ships; 
‘‘(6) in view of the interstate nature of the 
problem, it is the responsibility of the Federal Gov-
ernment to develop an accurate national reporting 
system to report the prevalence of youth homeless-
ness, and to assist in the development of an effective 
system of care (including prevention services and 
aftercare services, short-term housing with services, 
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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 adult-
hood, 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 run-
away and homeless youth are necessary for the de-
velopment 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 preva-
lence 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 
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should provide, regardless of the size of the commu-
nity; and 
‘‘(11) runaway and homeless youth programs, 
such as those funded under this title, are expert ado-
lescent service providers and integral community 
partners for the child welfare and juvenile justice 
systems as many youth exit these systems to home-
lessness.’’. 
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 com-
binations of such entities, to establish, operate, 
and maintain (including renovate) local centers 
to provide— 
‘‘(i) safe shelter and services for run-
away and homeless youth, including trau-
ma-informed and gender-responsive serv-
ices; and 
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‘‘(ii) if appropriate, services for the 
families of such youth, including individ-
uals identified by such youth as family; 
and 
‘‘(B) establish an appeal process for grant-
ees. 
‘‘(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 al-
lowed by the State, whichever is greater; 
‘‘(ii) individual, family, or group coun-
seling, 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; 
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‘‘(ii) home-based services for families 
with youth at risk of separation from the 
family, to the extent practicable, that con-
sider the ages, genders, and social and de-
velopmental 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 and gender-re-
sponsive services, including for such youth 
who are victims of trafficking; and 
‘‘(vii) an assessment of— 
‘‘(I) family engagement in sup-
port 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— 
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(A) in subsection (b)— 
(i) by striking paragraph (2) and in-
serting 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 min-
imum number of beds per youth shelter or 
project location; 
‘‘(B) a maximum capacity of not more 
than 20 youth, except where the applicant dem-
onstrates that the State where the center or lo-
cally controlled project is located has a State or 
local law or regulation that allows a higher 
maximum to comply with licensure require-
ments for child and youth serving centers or 
projects; 
‘‘(C) a ratio of staff to youth that is suffi-
cient to ensure adequate supervision and treat-
ment; and 
‘‘(D) if it is a mixed project, not more 
than 20 youth per project, except where the ap-
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plicant demonstrates that the project has a 
State or local law or regulation that allows a 
higher maximum to comply with licensure re-
quirements 
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 en-
gage youth, for establishing or coordinating with 
outreach programs designed to attract persons, in-
cluding persons who are members of underserved 
populations, who are eligible to receive services for 
which a grant under section 311(a) may be ex-
pended; 
‘‘(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— 
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‘‘(A) are not referred to out-of-home shel-
ter services; 
‘‘(B) are members of vulnerable or under-
served populations; 
‘‘(C) are victims of trafficking; 
‘‘(D) are pregnant or parenting; 
‘‘(E) have been involved in the child wel-
fare system; and 
‘‘(F) have been involved in the juvenile jus-
tice system; 
‘‘(8) shall ensure that— 
‘‘(A) the information maintained on indi-
vidual runaway youth or homeless youth con-
tained 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 
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not disclose the identity of any individual run-
away youth or homeless youth;’’; 
(iv) in paragraph (12), by striking 
subparagraphs (B) and (C) and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(B) detailed information on how the ap-
plicant 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 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;’’; 
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(v) in paragraph (13), by striking the 
period at the end and inserting ‘‘for nat-
ural disasters, inclement weather, and pub-
lic health emergencies;’’; and 
(vi) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(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 inde-
pendent 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 
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(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 in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(1) provide counseling and information that 
consider the age, gender, and social and develop-
mental 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 ad-
vancement, job attainment skills, mental and phys-
ical 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)— 
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(I) in subparagraph (A), by strik-
ing ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon; 
(II) in subparagraph (B), by 
striking the period at the end and in-
serting ‘‘; 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 sub-
section enumerator and all that follows through 
‘‘(b)—’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘(e) APPLICANTS PROVIDING SUBSTANCE USE DIS-
ORDER 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 sub-
section (b)—’’; and 
(E) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(f) ONLINE RESOURCES FOR OUTREACH.—An ap-
plicant may develop a plan, consistent with local needs, 
for the use of online resources to reach and engage youth. 
‘‘(g) 
DEFINITION
OF
UNDERSERVED
POPU-
LATIONS.—In this section, the term ‘underserved popu-
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lations’ means victims of homelessness or trafficking or 
runaway youth, who disproportionately face barriers in ac-
cessing 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 under-
served 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. 
Part B of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (34 
U.S.C. 11221 et seq.) is amended— 
(1) in section 321— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘5-year’’ after ‘‘to make’’; 
and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘and runaway youth. The 
Secretary shall award such grants not later 
than 90 days before the start date of the grant 
and establish an appeal process for grantees’’ 
after ‘‘homeless youth’’; and 
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(2) in section 322— 
(A) in subsection (a)— 
(i) by striking paragraph (1) and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(1) to provide to homeless youth, by grant, 
agreement, or contract— 
‘‘(A) shelter, such as group homes, mater-
nity group homes, host family homes, and su-
pervised apartments; and 
‘‘(B) services, such as information and 
counseling services in basic life skills, which 
consider the age, gender, and social and devel-
opmental needs of such youth, and are cul-
turally and linguistically appropriate, including 
topics on money management, budgeting, con-
sumer education, use of credit, parenting skills, 
interpersonal skill building, educational ad-
vancement, job attainment skills, mental and 
physical health care, and suicide prevention 
services;’’; 
(ii) in paragraph (2)— 
(I) by striking ‘‘18 years’’ and 
inserting ‘‘23 years’’; and 
(II) by striking ‘‘18th’’ and in-
serting ‘‘23rd’’; 
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(iii) by striking paragraph (4) and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(4) that such shelter project used to carry out 
such project shall— 
‘‘(A) have a minimum project capacity of 
not fewer than 4 youth, except if there is an es-
tablished minimum number of beds per indi-
vidual shelter or project location; 
‘‘(B) have the capacity to accommodate 
not more than 20 individuals, excluding staff, 
within a single project, except where the appli-
cant demonstrates that the State where the 
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 projects; and 
‘‘(C) if it is a mixed project, limit runaway 
and homeless youth shelter beds to 20 youth 
per project with segregated access and pro-
gramming, except where the applicant dem-
onstrates that the State where the project is lo-
cated has a State or local law or regulation that 
allows a higher maximum to comply with licen-
sure requirements for child and youth serving 
projects;’’; 
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(iv) by striking paragraphs (6), (7), 
(8), and (9), and inserting the following: 
‘‘(6) to develop a written transitional living plan 
in partnership with each youth based on an assess-
ment of the needs of each youth, designed to help 
the transition from supervised participation in such 
project to independent living or another appropriate 
living arrangement; 
‘‘(7) to develop an adequate plan to ensure 
proper coordination, integration, and referral of 
homeless youth and runaway youth, which considers 
the age, gender, and social and developmental needs 
of such youth, and are culturally and linguistically 
appropriate, to the extent practicable, to— 
‘‘(A) social service; 
‘‘(B) law enforcement; 
‘‘(C) educational training, including post- 
secondary education; 
‘‘(D) vocational training, including services 
and programs for youth available under the 
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 
U.S.C. 3101 et seq.); 
‘‘(E) welfare, including programs amended 
under the Personal Responsibility and Work 
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Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public 
Law 104–193); 
‘‘(F) legal service; 
‘‘(G) mental health service and health care 
programs; 
‘‘(H) substance use disorder treatment; 
and 
‘‘(I) programs providing wrap-around serv-
ices to victims of trafficking and gender-based 
violence; 
‘‘(8) to provide for the establishment of out-
reach programs designed to attract individuals who 
are eligible to participate in the project, which may 
include the use of online and social media engage-
ments; 
‘‘(9) to submit to the Secretary an annual re-
port that includes information regarding the activi-
ties carried out with funds under this part, the 
achievements of the project under this part carried 
out by the applicant and statistical summaries de-
scribing the number, characteristics, and demo-
graphic information of the homeless youth and run-
away youth who participate in such project, includ-
ing the prevalence of trafficking of such youth, and 
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the services provided to such youth by such project, 
in the year for which the report is submitted;’’; 
(v) in paragraph (15), by striking 
‘‘and’’ after the semicolon; 
(vi) by striking paragraph (16) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(16) to develop an adequate emergency pre-
paredness and management plan regarding re-
sponses to natural disasters, inclement weather, and 
mental health emergencies; and’’; 
(vii) by redesignating paragraphs (3) 
through (5) and (6) through (16), as para-
graphs (5) through (7) and (9) through 
(19), respectively; 
(viii) by inserting after paragraph (2) 
the following: 
‘‘(3) to provide counseling to homeless and run-
away youth and to encourage, if appropriate, the in-
volvement in such counseling of their parents, legal 
guardians, or individuals identified by such youth as 
family; 
‘‘(4) to provide aftercare services, if possible, to 
homeless and runaway youth who have received shel-
ter and services from a transitional living youth 
project, including, to the extent practicable, such 
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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 lo-
cated;’’; 
(ix) by inserting after paragraph (7), 
as redesignated by clause (vii), the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(8) to develop a plan to provide services, which 
consider the age, gender, and social and develop-
mental needs of such youth, and are culturally and 
linguistically appropriate, that address the needs of 
runaway, homeless, and street youth;’’; and 
(x) by adding at end the following: 
‘‘(20) to inform youth of their status as inde-
pendent 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 com-
pleting this application at the request of the youth.’’; 
and 
(B) by striking subsection (b) and insert-
ing the following: 
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‘‘(b) PRIORITY.—In selecting eligible applicants to re-
ceive grants under this part, the Secretary shall give pri-
ority to entities that have experience in providing to home-
less youth shelter and services of the types described in 
subsection (a)(1).’’. 
SEC. 5. NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM. 
Section 331 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act 
(34 U.S.C. 11231) is amended by inserting ‘‘, online, and 
social media’’ after ‘‘telephone’’. 
SEC. 6. COORDINATING, TRAINING, RESEARCH, AND OTHER 
ACTIVITIES. 
Part D of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (34 
U.S.C. 11241 et seq.) is amended— 
(1) in section 341— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘safety, well-being,’’ after 
‘‘health,’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2) by striking ‘‘other 
Federal entities’’ and inserting ‘‘the Depart-
ment of Housing and Urban Development, the 
Department of Education, the Department of 
Labor, and the Department of Justice’’; 
(2) in section 342— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘5-year’’ after ‘‘make’’; 
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(B) by inserting ‘‘(including onsite and 
web-based techniques, such as on-demand and 
online learning)’’ after ‘‘training’’; and 
(C) by striking ‘‘carrying out’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘implementing in a trauma-informed man-
ner’’; 
(3) in section 343(b)— 
(A) in paragraph (5)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘abuse’’ and all that follows through the 
semicolon at the end and inserting ‘‘abuse, 
sexual assault, and trafficking;’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘abuse’’ and all that follows through ‘‘; 
and’’ and inserting ‘‘abuse, sexual assault, 
and trafficking;’’; 
(iii) in subparagraph (C), by striking 
‘‘who have been sexually victimized’’; and 
(iv) by adding at end the following: 
‘‘(D) best practices for identifying and pro-
viding services that consider the age, gender, 
and social and developmental background of an 
individual, and are culturally and linguistically 
appropriate, to the extent practicable, to— 
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‘‘(i) vulnerable and underserved youth 
populations; and 
‘‘(ii) youth who are victims of traf-
ficking; 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 request of the youth;’’; 
(B) in paragraph (9), by striking ‘‘and’’ 
after the semicolon; 
(C) in paragraph (10), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(D) by adding at end the following: 
‘‘(11) examining the intersection between the 
runaway and homeless youth populations and traf-
ficking, including noting whether such youth who are 
victims of trafficking were previously involved in the 
child welfare system or juvenile justice system.’’; 
(4) 
in 
section 
344(a)(2)(A), 
by 
striking 
‘‘$100,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$200,000’’; 
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(5) in section 345— 
(A) in subsection (a)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘Not later than’’ and 
all that follows through ‘‘Homelessness’’ 
and inserting ‘‘Not later than 2 years after 
the date of enactment of the Runaway and 
Homeless Youth and Trafficking Preven-
tion Act of 2022, and at 3-year intervals 
thereafter, the Secretary, acting through 
the Associate Commissioner of the Family 
and Youth Services Bureau’’; 
(ii) in paragraph (1)— 
(I) by striking ‘‘13’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘12’’; and 
(II) by striking ‘‘and’’ after the 
semicolon; 
(iii) in paragraph (2), by striking the 
period at the end and inserting a semi-
colon; and 
(iv) by adding at end the following: 
‘‘(3) that includes demographic information of 
such individuals, including youth who are victims of 
trafficking; and 
‘‘(4) that does not disclose the identity of any 
such individual.’’; and 
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(B) in subsection (b)(1)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘13’’ and inserting 
‘‘12’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘and’’ after the semicolon; 
(iii) in subparagraph (B)— 
(I) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘; 
and’’ and inserting ‘‘, including men-
tal health services;’’; 
(II) in clause (iii), by striking 
‘‘and’’ after the semicolon; and 
(III) by adding at end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(iv) connections to caring adults; and 
‘‘(v) access to secondary education, 
higher education, and job training; and’’; 
(iv) by redesignating subparagraph 
(B) as subparagraph (E); and 
(v) by inserting after subparagraph 
(A) the following: 
‘‘(B) incidences, if any, of such individuals 
who— 
‘‘(i) are victims of trafficking; 
‘‘(ii) are victims of sexual exploitation; 
or 
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‘‘(iii) were involved in the child wel-
fare or foster care system; 
‘‘(C) demographic characteristics, including 
race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender 
identity (as defined in section 249(c) of title 18, 
United States Code), sexual orientation, and 
disability; 
‘‘(D) statistics on youth who are or were 
pregnant or parenting; and’’. 
SEC. 7. SEXUAL ABUSE AND TRAFFICKING PREVENTION 
PROGRAM; STREET OUTREACH PROGRAM. 
Part E of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (34 
U.S.C. 11261 et seq.) is amended by striking section 351 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘SEC. 351. AUTHORITY TO MAKE GRANTS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make 5-year 
grants to public and nonprofit private entities, and com-
binations of such entities, for the purpose of providing 
street-based services to runaway, homeless, and street 
youth who have been subjected to, or are at risk of being 
subjected to, sexual abuse or trafficking. The Secretary 
shall award such grants not later than 90 days before the 
start date of the grant and establish an appeal process 
for grantees. 
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‘‘(b) PRIORITY.—In selecting applicants to receive 
grants under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give pri-
ority to public and nonprofit private entities that have ex-
perience in providing services to runaway, homeless, and 
street youth. 
‘‘(c) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.—To be eligible to 
receive a grant under subsection (a), an applicant shall 
certify to the Secretary that such applicant has expertise 
in serving runaway, homeless, and street youth and has 
systems in place to ensure that such applicant can provide 
services that consider the age, gender, and social and de-
velopmental background of youth described in subsection 
(a), and are culturally and linguistically appropriate.’’. 
SEC. 8. GENERAL PROVISIONS. 
Part F of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (34 
U.S.C. 11271 et seq.) is amended— 
(1) in the heading, by striking ‘‘PART F’’ and 
inserting ‘‘PART G’’; 
(2) in section 381— 
(A) in subsection (a)(3), by striking ‘‘facil-
ity’’ and inserting ‘‘center or project’’; and 
(B) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ‘‘facil-
ity’’ both places it appears and inserting ‘‘cen-
ter or project’’; 
(3) in section 382(a)— 
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(A) by striking ‘‘2000’’ and inserting 
‘‘2023’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘the Workforce’’ and in-
serting ‘‘Labor’’; 
(C) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by redesignating subparagraphs 
(B) through (D) as subparagraphs (C) 
through (E), respectively; and 
(ii) by inserting after subparagraph 
(A) the following: 
‘‘(B) identifying youth who are victims of 
trafficking;’’; and 
(D) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) by striking subparagraph (A) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(A) the number and characteristics of 
youth served by such projects, including 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 in the juve-
nile or adult criminal justice system, the 
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incarceration system, or legal proceedings 
related to such systems;’’; and 
(ii) by striking subparagraph (F) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(F) the ability of such projects to encour-
age the resolution of problems within the fam-
ily, including with individuals identified by such 
youth as family, through counseling and devel-
opment of self-sufficient living skills; and’’; 
(4) in section 383(a) by striking ‘‘facility’s 
budget’’ and inserting ‘‘budget of the center or 
project’’; 
(5) in section 384, by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: ‘‘Grantees are encouraged to share data with 
other programs and systems, without identifying in-
dividual youth in any shared records, to improve co-
ordination and maximize the use of resources.’’; 
(6) by inserting after section 384 the following: 
‘‘SEC. 384A. ADMINISTRATION AND ENFORCEMENT. 
‘‘(a) REQUEST FOR RELIEF.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting 
through the Associate Commissioner of the Family 
and Youth Services Bureau, may waive any provi-
sion under this title for a period of not more than 
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3 years, unless an extension is granted under para-
graph (6), if— 
‘‘(A) a potential grantee requests a waiver 
that describes 1 or more conflicting or duplica-
tive requirements or circumstances that prevent 
the effective delivery of services to runaway and 
homeless youth, such as an extraordinary cir-
cumstance, natural disaster, public health emer-
gency, or financial crisis; 
‘‘(B) the Secretary determines that the 
waiver will, by itself, contribute to or enhance 
the ability of the grantee to carry out the pur-
poses of this title; and 
‘‘(C) the Secretary determines that the 
waiver will not be inconsistent with the objec-
tives of this title. 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—A request made under para-
graph (1) shall be provided to the Secretary in writ-
ing and shall— 
‘‘(A) detail each provision within this title 
for which the grantee seeks relief; 
‘‘(B) describe how a waiver from such pro-
vision will, by itself, improve delivery of services 
to runaway and homeless youth; and 
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‘‘(C) certify that the health, safety, and 
well-being of runaway and homeless youth 
served through assistance received under this 
title will not be compromised as a result of the 
waiver. 
‘‘(3) NOTIFICATION
OF
APPROVAL
OR
DIS-
APPROVAL.—Not later than 30 days after the receipt 
of a waiver request made under paragraph (1), the 
Secretary shall inform the grantee of approval or 
disapproval of the request. 
‘‘(A) DISAPPROVAL.—If the request is dis-
approved, the Secretary shall inform the grant-
ee, the Committee on Education and Labor of 
the House of Representatives, and the Com-
mittee on the Judiciary of the Senate of the 
reasons for the disapproval and give the grantee 
the opportunity to amend the request or appeal 
the decision. 
‘‘(B) APPROVAL.—If the request is ap-
proved, the Secretary shall grant a waiver and, 
not later than 30 days after granting such 
waiver, notify and submit a report to the Com-
mittee on Education and Labor of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on the Ju-
diciary of the Senate that describes— 
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