IV 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 835 
Recognizing and supporting the goals and ideals of a National Runaway 
Prevention Month. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 2, 2021 
Mr. YARMUTH (for himself, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. BACON, and 
Mr. YOUNG) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Oversight and Reform 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing and supporting the goals and ideals of a 
National Runaway Prevention Month. 
Whereas results from the Voices of Youth Count national 
survey, as published by Chapin Hall at the University of 
Chicago in ‘‘Missed Opportunities: Youth Homelessness 
in America’’, indicates that an estimated 4,200,000 youth 
and young adults between 13 and 24 years of age experi-
enced homelessness during a 12-month period ending in 
2017, including— 
(1) an estimated 700,000 children between 13 and 
17 years of age who experienced unaccompanied home-
lessness; and 
(2) an estimated 3,500,000 young adults between 18 
and 24 years of age; 
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•HRES 835 IH 
Whereas the rates of youth experiencing homelessness are 
similar in rural and nonrural areas; 
Whereas runaway youth often have been expelled from their 
homes by their families, have experienced abuse and trau-
ma, are involved in the foster care system, lack of re-
sources to secure their own basic needs, and may be ineli-
gible or unable to access medical or mental health re-
sources; 
Whereas individuals without a high school degree or general 
educational development certificate are nearly 4 times 
more likely to report homelessness than their peers, mak-
ing lack of education a leading risk factor for homeless-
ness; 
Whereas youth of color and lesbian, gay, bisexual, 
transgender, queer or questioning (LGBTQ) youth expe-
rience higher rates of homelessness than their straight 
and White peers; 
Whereas pregnant youth, parents who are 25 years of age or 
younger, and their children experience higher rates of 
homelessness than youth and young adults without chil-
dren; 
Whereas runaway and homeless youth are at an increased 
risk for exploitation and becoming victims of sex and 
labor trafficking, and between 19 percent and 49 percent 
of young people who experience homelessness will become 
victims of trafficking; 
Whereas youth who run away from home or from foster care 
are at increased risk of encountering the police and the 
court system due to laws that make actions necessary for 
survival while homeless, illegal; 
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•HRES 835 IH 
Whereas preventing youth from running away from home or 
from foster care and supporting youth in high-risk situa-
tions is a family, community, and national responsibility; 
Whereas the future well-being of the Nation is dependent on 
the value placed on youth and the resources provided for 
under-resourced youth to acquire the knowledge, skills, 
and opportunities necessary to help youth successfully de-
velop into safe, healthy, and productive adults; 
Whereas COVID–19 in the United States, which was de-
clared a national emergency under the National Emer-
gencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), has had a dis-
proportionate effect on youth experiencing homelessness; 
Whereas effective programs supporting runaway youth and 
assisting youth and their families in providing safe and 
stable homes succeed because of partnerships created 
among families, youth-based advocacy organizations, 
community-based human service agencies, law enforce-
ment, schools, faith-based organizations, and businesses; 
and 
Whereas the National Runaway Safeline and the National 
Network for Youth are leading the promotion of National 
Runaway Prevention Month in November 2021— 
(1) to raise awareness of the runaway and homeless 
youth crisis and the issues these young people face; 
(2) to educate the public about solutions and the 
role they can play in ending youth homelessness; and 
(3) to bring together a broad range of stakeholders 
to tackle the crisis of youth homelessness: Now, there-
fore, be it 
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•HRES 835 IH 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives recog-
nizes and supports the goals and ideals of a National Run-
away Prevention Month. 
Æ 
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