I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2955 
To amend the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act to ensure that recipients 
of assistance under that Act provide services to sexual and gender minor-
ity youth in a manner that is culturally competent, and for other pur-
poses. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 1, 2013 
Ms. MOORE (for herself and Mr. POCAN) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To amend the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act to ensure 
that recipients of assistance under that Act provide serv-
ices to sexual and gender minority youth in a manner 
that is culturally competent, 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 Inclusion Act of 2013’’. 
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SEC. 2. CULTURAL COMPETENCY OF SERVICE PROVIDERS. 
(a) BASIC CENTERS.—Section 312(b) of the Run-
away and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5712(b)) is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (6) by inserting after ‘‘cul-
tural minority’’ the following: ‘‘, persons who are in 
a minority category related to sexual orientation or 
gender identity or expression,’’; 
(2) in paragraph (7) by inserting after ‘‘serv-
ices),’’ the following: ‘‘including demographics on the 
sexual orientation and gender identity or expression 
of the youth it serves,’’; 
(3) in paragraph (12)(C)(ii) by striking ‘‘and’’ 
at the end; 
(4) in paragraph (13) by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(5) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(14) shall serve youth in a manner that is cul-
turally competent.’’. 
(b) TRANSITIONAL
LIVING
PROGRAMS.—Section 
322(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5714–2(a)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (15) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (16) by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘(17) to serve youth in a manner that is cul-
turally competent.’’. 
(c) SEXUAL ABUSE PREVENTION PROGRAMS.—Sec-
tion 351 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5714–41) is amended 
by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(c) QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT.—To be eligible 
to receive grants under subsection (a), an applicant shall 
certify to the Secretary that the applicant has systems in 
place to ensure that the applicant provides services to all 
youth in a culturally competent manner.’’. 
SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL FINDING. 
(a) FINDING.—Section 302 of the Runaway and 
Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5701) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (5) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) by redesignating paragraph (6) as para-
graph (7); and 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (5) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(6) lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender 
youth comprise an estimated 3 to 5 percent of the 
youth population of the United States but such 
youth account for up to 40 percent of the homeless 
youth population of the United States; and’’. 
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SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL PURPOSES. 
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 (iii) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(2) in clause (iv) by striking the period at the 
end and inserting a semicolon; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(v) family assessment, intervention, 
and reunification services for families of 
sexual and gender minority youth; and 
‘‘(vi) providing resources for families 
of sexual and gender minority youth who 
may be struggling with understanding or 
accepting the sexual orientation or gender 
identity or expression of the individual.’’. 
SEC. 5. REPORT REQUIREMENT. 
Section 345(a) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth 
Act (42 U.S.C. 5714–25(a)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) that includes data on the demographics of 
such individuals, including whether such individuals 
are sexual and gender minority youth; and 
‘‘(4) that does not disclose the identity of indi-
vidual runaway or homeless youth.’’. 
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SEC. 6. INCLUSION OF NONDISCRIMINATION STATEMENT 
IN RUNAWAY AND HOMELESS YOUTH ACT. 
Part F of title III of the Runaway and Homeless 
Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5714a et seq.) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 390. NONDISCRIMINATION. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—No person in the United States 
shall, on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, reli-
gion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender iden-
tity or expression, or disability, be excluded from partici-
pation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to dis-
crimination under— 
‘‘(1) any program or activity funded in whole or 
in part with funds made available under this title; or 
‘‘(2) any program or activity funded in whole or 
in part with funds appropriated for grants, agree-
ments, and other assistance administered with funds 
made available under this title. 
‘‘(b) DISCRIMINATION.—The authority of the Attor-
ney General and the Office of Justice Programs to enforce 
this section shall be the same as it is under section 809 
of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 
1968 (42 U.S.C. 3789d). 
‘‘(c) LIMITATION ON STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION.— 
Nothing in this section may be construed, interpreted, or 
applied to supplant, displace, preempt, or otherwise dimin-
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ish the responsibilities and liabilities under other State or 
Federal civil rights law, whether statutory or common.’’. 
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 
Section 387 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5732a) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (5) through 
(8) as paragraphs (9) through (12), respectively; 
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through 
(4) as paragraphs (4) through (6), respectively; 
(3) by redesignating paragraph (1) as para-
graph (2); 
(4) by inserting after ‘‘In this title:’’ the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(1) CULTURALLY
COMPETENT.—The term 
‘culturally competent’ means— 
‘‘(A) having a defined set of values and 
principles and demonstrate behaviors, attitudes, 
policies, and structures that enable effective 
working relationships with individuals of diverse 
backgrounds, including sexual and gender mi-
nority youth; and 
‘‘(B) having the demonstrated capacity 
to— 
‘‘(i) value diversity; 
‘‘(ii) conduct self-assessment; 
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‘‘(iii) manage the dynamics of dif-
ference; 
‘‘(iv) acquire and institutionalize cul-
tural knowledge; and 
‘‘(v) adapt to diversity and cultural 
contexts of a community.’’; 
(5) by inserting after paragraph (2) (as redesig-
nated by paragraph (3) of this section) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(3) GENDER IDENTITY OR EXPRESSION.—The 
term ‘gender identity or expression’ means an indi-
vidual’s gender-related identity, appearance, or be-
havior, whether or not that identity, appearance, or 
behavior differs from that which is traditionally as-
sociated with the individual’s physiology or assigned 
sex at birth.’’; and 
(6) by inserting after paragraph (6) (as redesig-
nated by paragraph (2) of this section) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(7) 
SEXUAL
AND
GENDER
MINORITY 
YOUTH.—The term ‘sexual and gender minority 
youth’ means a runaway or homeless youth covered 
under this Act who is in a minority category related 
to sexual orientation or gender identity or expres-
sion. 
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