I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5339 
To reauthorize the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 20, 2018 
Mr. YARMUTH (for himself, Mr. DENHAM, and Mr. REICHERT) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the 
Workforce 
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 2018’’. 
SEC. 2. REFERENCES. 
Except as otherwise specifically provided, whenever in 
this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms 
of an amendment to, or repeal of, a provision, the amend-
ment or repeal shall be considered to be made to a provi-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:45 Mar 30, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5339.IH
H5339
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
sion of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (34 U.S.C. 
11201 et seq.). 
SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 
Section 302 (34 U.S.C. 11201) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘age, gender, 
and culturally and’’ before ‘‘linguistically appro-
priate’’; 
(2) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘outside the 
welfare system and the law enforcement system’’ 
and inserting ‘‘, in collaboration with public assist-
ance systems, the law enforcement system, and the 
child welfare system’’; 
(3) in paragraph (5)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘a safe place to live and’’ 
after ‘‘youth need’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(4) in paragraph (6), by striking the period and 
inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(5) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(7) runaway and homeless youth are at a high 
risk of becoming victims of sexual exploitation and 
trafficking in persons.’’. 
SEC. 4. BASIC CENTER GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) GRANTS FOR CENTERS AND SERVICES.—Section 
311(a) (34 U.S.C. 11211(a)) is amended— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:45 Mar 30, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5339.IH
H5339
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘services’’ and 
all that follows through the period and inserting 
‘‘safe shelter and services, including trauma-in-
formed services, for runaway and homeless youth 
and, if appropriate, services for the families of such 
youth, including (if appropriate) individuals identi-
fied by such youth as family.’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘mental health,’’; 
(B) in subparagraph (B)— 
(i) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘21 days; 
and’’ and inserting ‘‘30 days;’’; 
(ii) in clause (ii)— 
(I) by inserting ‘‘age, gender, and 
culturally and linguistically appro-
priate, to the extent practicable,’’ be-
fore ‘‘individual’’; 
(II) by inserting ‘‘, as appro-
priate,’’ after ‘‘group’’; and 
(III) by striking ‘‘as appropriate’’ 
and inserting ‘‘including (if appro-
priate) counseling for individuals iden-
tified by such youth as family’’; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:45 Mar 30, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5339.IH
H5339
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(iii) 
suicide 
prevention 
services; 
and’’; and 
(C) in subparagraph (C)— 
(i) in clause (ii), by inserting ‘‘age, 
gender, and culturally and linguistically 
appropriate, to the extent practicable,’’ be-
fore ‘‘home-based services’’; 
(ii) in clause (iii), by striking ‘‘and’’ 
at the end; 
(iii) in clause (iv), by striking ‘‘dis-
eases.’’ and inserting ‘‘infections;’’; and 
(iv) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(v) trauma-informed and gender-re-
sponsive services for runaway or homeless 
youth, including such youth who are vic-
tims of trafficking in persons or sexual ex-
ploitation; and 
‘‘(vi) an assessment of family engage-
ment in support and reunification (if re-
unification is appropriate), interventions, 
and services for parents or legal guardians 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:45 Mar 30, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5339.IH
H5339
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
of such youth, or (if appropriate) individ-
uals identified by such youth as family.’’. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY; PLAN REQUIREMENTS.—Section 
312 (34 U.S.C. 11212) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (5), by inserting ‘‘, or (if 
appropriate) individuals identified by such 
youth as family,’’ after ‘‘parents or legal guard-
ians’’; 
(B) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘cultural 
minority and persons with limited ability to 
speak English’’ and inserting ‘‘cultural minor-
ity, persons with limited ability to speak 
English, and runaway or homeless youth who 
are victims of trafficking in persons or sexual 
exploitation’’; 
(C) by striking paragraph (7) and insert-
ing the following: 
‘‘(7) shall keep adequate statistical records 
profiling the youth and family members of such 
youth whom the applicant serves, including demo-
graphic information on and the number of— 
‘‘(A) such youth who are not referred to 
out-of-home shelter services; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:45 Mar 30, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5339.IH
H5339
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(B) such youth who are members of vul-
nerable or underserved populations; 
‘‘(C) such youth who are victims of traf-
ficking in persons or sexual exploitation, 
disaggregated by— 
‘‘(i) such youth who have been coerced 
or forced into a commercial sex act, as de-
fined in section 103 of the Trafficking Vic-
tims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 
7102); 
‘‘(ii) such youth who have been co-
erced or forced into other forms of labor; 
and 
‘‘(iii) such youth who have engaged in 
a commercial sex act, as so defined, for 
any reason other than by coercion or force; 
‘‘(D) such youth who are pregnant or par-
enting; 
‘‘(E) such youth who have been involved in 
the child welfare system; and 
‘‘(F) such youth who have been involved in 
the juvenile justice system;’’; 
(D) by redesignating paragraphs (8) 
through (13) as paragraphs (9) through (14); 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:45 Mar 30, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5339.IH
H5339
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
(E) by inserting after paragraph (7) the 
following: 
‘‘(8) shall ensure that— 
‘‘(A) the records described in paragraph 
(7), on an individual runaway or homeless 
youth, shall not be disclosed without the con-
sent of the individual youth and of the parent 
or legal guardian of such youth or (if appro-
priate) an individual identified by such youth as 
family, to anyone other than another agency 
compiling statistical records or a government 
agency involved in the disposition of criminal 
charges against an individual runaway or home-
less youth; and 
‘‘(B) reports or other documents based on 
the statistics described in paragraph (7) shall 
not disclose the identity of any individual run-
away or homeless youth;’’; 
(F) in paragraph (9), as so redesignated, 
by striking ‘‘statistical summaries’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘statistics’’; 
(G) in paragraph (13)(C), as so redesig-
nated— 
(i) by striking clause (i) and inserting: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:45 Mar 30, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5339.IH
H5339
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(i) the number and characteristics of 
runaway and homeless youth, and youth at 
risk of family separation, who participate 
in the project, including such information 
on— 
‘‘(I) such youth (including both 
types of such participating youth) who 
are victims of trafficking in persons or 
sexual 
exploitation, 
disaggregated 
by— 
‘‘(aa) such youth who have 
been coerced or forced into a 
commercial sex act, as defined in 
section 103 of the Trafficking 
Victims Protection Act of 2000 
(22 U.S.C. 7102); 
‘‘(bb) such youth who have 
been coerced or forced into other 
forms of labor; and 
‘‘(cc) such youth who have 
engaged in a commercial sex act, 
as so defined, for any reason 
other than by coercion or force; 
‘‘(II) such youth who are preg-
nant or parenting; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:45 Mar 30, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5339.IH
H5339
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(III) such youth who have been 
involved in the child welfare system; 
and 
‘‘(IV) such youth who have been 
involved in the juvenile justice system; 
and’’; and 
(ii) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(H) in paragraph (14), as so redesignated, 
by striking the period and inserting ‘‘for nat-
ural disasters, inclement weather, and mental 
health emergencies;’’; and 
(I) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(15) shall provide age, gender, and culturally 
and linguistically appropriate, to the extent prac-
ticable, services to runaway and homeless youth; and 
‘‘(16) shall assist youth in completing the Free 
Application for Federal Student Aid described in 
section 483 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1090).’’; and 
(2) in subsection (d)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘age, gender, and cul-
turally and linguistically appropriate, to 
the extent practicable,’’ after ‘‘provide’’; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:45 Mar 30, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5339.IH
H5339
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
(ii) by striking ‘‘families (including 
unrelated individuals in the family house-
holds) of such youth’’ and inserting ‘‘fami-
lies of such youth (including unrelated in-
dividuals in the family households of such 
youth and, if appropriate, individuals iden-
tified by such youth as family)’’; and 
(iii) by inserting ‘‘suicide prevention,’’ 
after ‘‘physical health care,’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (4), by inserting ‘‘, in-
cluding training on trauma-informed and youth- 
centered care’’ after ‘‘home-based services’’. 
(c) APPROVAL OF APPLICATIONS.—Section 313(b) 
(34 U.S.C. 11213(b)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘priority to’’ and all that follows 
through ‘‘who’’ and inserting ‘‘priority to eligible ap-
plicants who’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘; and’’ and inserting a period; 
and 
(3) by striking paragraph (2). 
SEC. 5. TRANSITIONAL LIVING GRANT PROGRAM. 
Section 322(a) (34 U.S.C. 11222(a)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘age, gender, and cul-
turally and linguistically appropriate, to the ex-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:45 Mar 30, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5339.IH
H5339
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
tent practicable,’’ before ‘‘information and 
counseling services’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘job attainment skills, and 
mental and physical health care’’ and inserting 
‘‘job attainment skills, mental and physical 
health care, and suicide prevention services’’; 
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through 
(8) and (9) through (16) as paragraphs (5) through 
(10) and (12) through (19), respectively; 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (2) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(3) to provide counseling to homeless youth 
and to encourage, if appropriate, the involvement in 
such counseling of their parents or legal guardians, 
or (if appropriate) individuals identified by such 
youth as family; 
‘‘(4) to provide aftercare services, if possible, to 
homeless youth who have received shelter and serv-
ices from a transitional living youth project, includ-
ing (to the extent practicable) such youth who, after 
receiving such shelter and services, relocate to a 
State other than the State in which such project is 
located;’’; 
(4) in paragraph (9), as so redesignated— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:45 Mar 30, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5339.IH
H5339
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
(A) by inserting ‘‘age, gender, and cul-
turally and linguistically appropriate, to the ex-
tent practicable,’’ after ‘‘referral of homeless 
youth to’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘and health care pro-
grams’’ and inserting ‘‘mental health service 
and health care programs, including programs 
providing wrap-around services to victims of 
trafficking in persons or sexual exploitation,’’; 
and 
(C) by striking ‘‘such services for youths;’’ 
and inserting ‘‘such programs described in this 
paragraph;’’; 
(5) by inserting after paragraph (10), as so re-
designated, the following: 
‘‘(11) to develop a plan to provide age, gender, 
and culturally and linguistically appropriate services 
to the extent practicable that address the needs of 
homeless and street youth;’’; 
(6) in paragraph (12), as so redesignated, by 
striking ‘‘the applicant and statistical’’ and all that 
follows through ‘‘who participate in such project,’’ 
and inserting ‘‘the applicant, statistical summaries 
describing the number, the characteristics, and the 
demographic information of the homeless youth who 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:45 Mar 30, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5339.IH
H5339
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
participate in such project, including the prevalence 
of trafficking in persons and sexual exploitation of 
such youth,’’; and 
(7) in paragraph (19), as so redesignated, by 
inserting ‘‘regarding responses to natural disasters, 
inclement weather, and mental health emergencies’’ 
after ‘‘management plan’’. 
SEC. 6. COORDINATING, TRAINING, RESEARCH, AND OTHER 
ACTIVITIES. 
(a) COORDINATION.—Section 341 (34 U.S.C. 11241) 
is amended— 
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
inserting ‘‘safety, well-being,’’ after ‘‘health,’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘other Federal 
entities’’ and inserting ‘‘the Department of Housing 
and Urban Development, the Department of Edu-
cation, the Department of Labor, and the Depart-
ment of Justice’’. 
(b) GRANTS
FOR
TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE
AND 
TRAINING.—Section 342 (34 U.S.C. 11242) is amended 
by inserting ‘‘, including onsite and web-based techniques, 
such as on-demand and online learning,’’ before ‘‘to public 
and private entities’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:45 Mar 30, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00013
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5339.IH
H5339
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS