‘‘(ii) are victims of sexual exploitation; 
or 
‘‘(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 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:58 Oct 27, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00027
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6041.IH
H6041
dmwilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
start date of the grant and establish an appeal process 
for grantees. 
‘‘(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 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:58 Oct 27, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00028
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6041.IH
H6041
dmwilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
(B) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ‘‘facil-
ity’’ both places it appears and inserting ‘‘cen-
ter or project’’; 
(3) in section 382(a)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘2000’’ and inserting 
‘‘2024’’; 
(B) 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 
(C) 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 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:58 Oct 27, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00029
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6041.IH
H6041
dmwilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(iv) have been involved in the juve-
nile or adult criminal justice system, the 
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-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:58 Oct 27, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00030
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6041.IH
H6041
dmwilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
sion under this title for a period of not more than 
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 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:58 Oct 27, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00031
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6041.IH
H6041
dmwilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(i) each specific provision waived; 
‘‘(ii) the reason given by the grantee 
for the need for a waiver; and 
‘‘(iii) the expected impact of the waiv-
er on youth served under this program. 
‘‘(4) EXTERNAL
CONDITIONS.—The Secretary 
shall not require or impose any new or additional re-
quirements in exchange for receipt of a waiver if 
such requirements are not specified in this title. 
‘‘(5) TERMINATION.—The Secretary shall ter-
minate approval of a request for a waiver authorized 
under this subsection if the Secretary determines, 
after notice and opportunity for a hearing, that the 
performance of a grantee who was granted relief 
under this subsection has been inadequate, or if such 
relief is no longer necessary to achieve its original 
purposes. 
‘‘(6) WAIVER EXTENSION.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may 
grant an extension to an existing waiver author-
ized under this subsection for a period of not 
more than 1 year upon a request for a waiver 
extension from the grantee. 
‘‘(B) EXTENSION
REQUEST.—A request 
for a waiver extension described under subpara-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:58 Oct 27, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00033
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6041.IH
H6041
dmwilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
graph (A) shall be submitted to the Secretary 
not later than 30 days before the expiration 
date of the existing waiver, and shall re-certify 
the provisions in paragraph (2) and explain the 
need for additional time of relief from such pro-
visions provided in this title. 
‘‘(7) RESTRICTIONS.—Nothing in this title shall 
be construed as authorizing the Secretary to permit 
a grantee to alter the eligibility requirements for eli-
gible youth. Nothing in this subsection shall be con-
strued as authorizing the Secretary to waive any-
thing related to the Secretary’s authority under this 
title.’’; 
(7) in section 386(a)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘3 consecutive’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘5 consecutive’’ both places it appears; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘, acting through the As-
sociate Commissioner of the Family and Youth 
Services Bureau,’’ after ‘‘Secretary’’; 
(8) in section 386A— 
(A) in subsection (a)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘Reconnecting Home-
less Youth Act of 2008’’ and inserting 
‘‘Runaway and Homeless Youth and Traf-
ficking Prevention Act of 2023’’; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:58 Oct 27, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00034
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6041.IH
H6041
dmwilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
(ii) by inserting ‘‘371,’’ after ‘‘sec-
tions’’; and 
(B) in subsection (c), by inserting ‘‘371,’’ 
after ‘‘sections’’; 
(9) by inserting after section 386A the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘SEC. 386B. NONDISCRIMINATION. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—No person in the United States 
shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the bene-
fits of, or be subjected to discrimination under this title 
on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, religion, 
national origin, sex, gender identity (as defined in section 
249(c) of title 18, United States Code), sexual orientation, 
or disability. 
‘‘(b) EXCEPTION.—If sex-segregation or sex-specific 
programming is necessary to the essential operation of a 
program, nothing in this section shall prevent any such 
program or activity from considering the sex of an indi-
vidual. In such circumstances, grantees may meet the re-
quirements of this section by providing comparable serv-
ices to individuals who cannot participate in the sex-seg-
regated or sex-specific programming. 
‘‘(c) DISQUALIFICATION.—The Secretary shall en-
force this section pursuant to section 654 of the Head 
Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9849). The provisions of such section 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:58 Oct 27, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00035
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6041.IH
H6041
dmwilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
relating to the procedure for review of an action taken by 
the Secretary shall apply. 
‘‘(d) CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section shall 
be construed as supplanting, displacing, preempting, or 
otherwise limiting the responsibilities and liabilities under 
other Federal or State civil rights laws with respect to dis-
crimination on a basis described in subsection (a).’’; 
(10) in section 387— 
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (4), 
(5), (6), (7), and (8), as paragraphs (9), (6), 
(7), (8), (11), and (13), respectively; 
(B) by inserting before paragraph (2) the 
following: 
‘‘(1) CULTURALLY
AND
LINGUISTICALLY
AP-
PROPRIATE.—The term ‘culturally and linguistically 
appropriate’, with respect to services, has the mean-
ing given the term ‘culturally and linguistically ap-
propriate services’ in the ‘National Standards for 
Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in 
Health and Health Care’, issued in April 2013, by 
the Office of Minority Health of the Department of 
Health and Human Services.’’; 
(C) in paragraph (3)(A)— 
(i) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘21’’ and 
inserting ‘‘26’’; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:58 Oct 27, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00036
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6041.IH
H6041
dmwilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS
(ii) by striking clause (ii) and insert-
ing the following: 
‘‘(ii) for the purposes of part B, not 
less than 15 years of age but less than 26 
years of age;’’; 
(D) by inserting after paragraph (3) the 
following: 
‘‘(4) MIXED
PROJECTS.—The term ‘mixed 
projects’ means a building, structure, or campus 
that may house multiple programs serving youth 
under the age of 26. Any of these programs may be 
funded as authorized under this Act as well as fund-
ed by other entities, including private, public, and 
other government funding. 
‘‘(5) PREVENTION SERVICES.—The term ‘pre-
vention services’ means services to prevent youth 
from becoming runaway, homeless, or street youth 
and may include— 
‘‘(A) individual, family, group, and peer 
counseling; 
‘‘(B) family mediation; 
‘‘(C) 
assessing 
the 
strengths, 
vulnerabilities, and needs of youth; 
‘‘(D) connecting youth to public services 
and housing options; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:58 Oct 27, 2023
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00037
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6041.IH
H6041
dmwilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS