IIB 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1925
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
MAY 21, 2003
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
AN ACT 
To reauthorize programs under the Runaway and Homeless 
Youth Act and the Missing Children’s Assistance 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,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Runaway, Homeless, 
and Missing Children Protection Act’’. 
TITLE I—AMENDMENTS TO RUN-
AWAY AND HOMELESS YOUTH 
ACT 
SEC. 101. AMENDMENT TO FINDINGS. 
Section 302 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5701) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 302. FINDINGS. 
‘‘The Congress finds that—
‘‘(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, serious health, behavioral, 
and emotional problems because they lack sufficient 
resources to obtain care and may live on the street 
for extended periods thereby endangering themselves 
and creating a substantial law enforcement problem 
for communities in which they congregate; 
‘‘(2) many such young people, because of their 
age and situation, are urgently in need of temporary 
shelter and services, including services that are lin-
guistically appropriate and acknowledge the environ-
ment of youth seeking these services;
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‘‘(3) 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 problem, and to assist in the 
development of an effective system of care (including 
preventive and aftercare services, emergency shelter 
services, extended residential shelter, and street out-
reach services) outside the welfare system and the 
law enforcement system; 
‘‘(4) to make a successful transition to adult-
hood, runaway youth, homeless youth, and other 
street youth need opportunities to complete high 
school or earn a general equivalency degree, learn 
job skills, and obtain employment; and 
‘‘(5) improved coordination and collaboration 
between the Federal programs that serve runaway 
and homeless youth are necessary for the develop-
ment of a long-term strategy for responding to the 
needs of this population.’’. 
SEC. 102. GRANT PROGRAM CONFORMING AMENDMENT. 
The heading for part A of the Runaway and Home-
less Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5711 et seq.) is amended by 
striking ‘‘RUNAWAY AND HOMELESS YOUTH’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘BASIC CENTER’’.
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SEC. 103. GRANTS FOR SERVICES PROVIDED. 
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 (ii) by striking ‘‘and’’; 
(2) in clause (iii) by striking the period and in-
serting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) after clause (iii) by inserting the following: 
‘‘(iv) at the request of runaway and 
homeless youth, testing for sexually trans-
mitted diseases.’’. 
SEC. 104. REPEAL OF OBSOLETE PROVISION RELATING TO 
CERTAIN ALLOTMENTS. 
Section 311(b) the Runaway and Homeless Youth 
Act (42 U.S.C. 5711(b)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘Subject to 
paragraph (3), the’’ and inserting ‘‘The’’; 
(2) by striking paragraph (3); and 
(3) by redesignating paragraph (4) as para-
graph (3). 
SEC. 105. ELIGIBILITY PROVISION. 
Section 312(a) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth 
Act (42 U.S.C. 5712(a)) is amended by striking ‘‘juve-
niles’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘youth’’.
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SEC. 106. RECOGNITION OF STATE LAW RELATING TO CA-
PACITY LIMITATION ON ELIGIBLE RUNAWAY 
AND HOMELESS YOUTH CENTERS. 
Section 312(b)(2)(A) of the Runaway and Homeless 
Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5712(b)(2)(A)) is amended by in-
serting after ‘‘youth’’ the following: ‘‘, except where the 
applicant assures that the State where the center or locally 
controlled facility is located has a State or local law or 
regulation that requires a higher maximum to comply with 
licensure requirements for child and youth serving facili-
ties’’. 
SEC. 107. MATERNITY GROUP HOMES. 
(a) ELIGIBILITY.—Section 322(a)(1) of the Runaway 
and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5714–2(a)(1)) is 
amended—
(1) by inserting after ‘‘group homes,’’ the fol-
lowing: ‘‘including maternity group homes,’’; and 
(2) by inserting after ‘‘use of credit,’’ the fol-
lowing: ‘‘parenting skills (as appropriate),’’. 
(b) DEFINITION.—Section 322 of the Runaway and 
Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5714–2) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(c) DEFINITION.—In this part, the term ‘maternity 
group home’ means a community-based, adult-supervised 
transitional living arrangement that provides pregnant or 
parenting youth and their children with a supportive and
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supervised living arrangement in which such pregnant or 
parenting youth are required to learn parenting skills, in-
cluding child development, family budgeting, health and 
nutrition, and other skills to promote their long-term eco-
nomic independence in order to ensure the well-being of 
their children.’’. 
SEC. 108. LIMITED EXTENSION OF 540-DAY SHELTER ELIGI-
BILITY PERIOD. 
Section 322(a)(2) of the Runaway and Homeless 
Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5714–2(a)(2)) is amended by in-
serting after ‘‘days’’ the following: ‘‘, except that a youth 
in a program under this part who is under the age of 18 
years on the last day of the 540-day period may, if other-
wise qualified for the program, remain in the program 
until the earlier of the youth’s 18th birthday or the 180th 
day after the end of the 540-day period’’. 
SEC. 109. PART A PLAN COORDINATION ASSURANCES. 
Section 312(b)(4)(B) of the Runaway and Homeless 
Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5712(b)(4)(B)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘personnel’’ and all that follows through the semicolon 
and inserting ‘‘McKinney-Vento school district liaisons, 
designated under section 722(g)(1)(J)(ii) of the McKin-
ney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11432 
(g)(1)(J)(ii)), to assure that runaway and homeless youth 
are provided information about the educational services
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available to such youth under subtitle B of title VII of 
that Act;’’. 
SEC. 110. PART B PLAN COORDINATION AGREEMENT. 
Section 322(a) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth 
Act (42 U.S.C. 5714–2(a)) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon at the 
end of paragraph (13); 
(2) by striking the period at the end of para-
graph (14) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(15) to coordinate services with McKinney-
Vento school district liaisons, designated under sec-
tion 722(g)(1)(J)(ii) of the McKinney-Vento Home-
less Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11432(g)(1)(J)(ii)), 
to assure that runaway and homeless youth are pro-
vided information about the educational services 
available to such youth under subtitle B of title VII 
of that Act.’’. 
SEC. 111. PART B PLAN DEVELOPMENT. 
Section 322(a)(7) of the Runaway and Homeless 
Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5714–2(a)(7)) is amended to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(7) to develop an adequate plan to ensure 
proper referral of homeless youth to social service,
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law enforcement, educational (including post-sec-
ondary education), vocational, training (including 
services and programs for youth available under the 
Workforce Investment Act of 1998), welfare (includ-
ing programs under the Personal Responsibility and 
Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996), legal 
service, and health care programs and to help inte-
grate and coordinate such services for youths;’’. 
SEC. 112. COORDINATION OF PROGRAMS. 
Section 341 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5714–21) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and’’ after 
the semicolon at the end; 
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(3) shall consult, as appropriate, the Secretary 
of Housing and Urban Development to ensure co-
ordination of programs and services for homeless 
youth.’’. 
SEC. 113. CLARIFICATION OF GRANT AUTHORITY. 
Section 343(a) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth 
Act (42 U.S.C. 5714–23(a)) is amended by inserting after
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‘‘service projects’’ the following: ‘‘regarding activities 
under this title’’. 
SEC. 114. TECHNICAL AMENDMENT RELATING TO DEM-
ONSTRATION PROJECTS. 
The section heading of section 344 of the Runaway 
and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5714–24) is amended 
by striking ‘‘TEMPORARY’’. 
SEC. 115. REPEAL OF OBSOLETE PROVISION RELATING TO 
STUDY. 
The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 
5701 et seq.) is amended by striking section 345 (42 
U.S.C. 5714–25). 
SEC. 116. AGE LIMIT FOR HOMELESS YOUTH. 
Section 387(3)(A)(i) of the Runaway and Homeless 
Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5732a(3)(A)(i)) is amended by in-
serting after ‘‘of age’’ the following: ‘‘, or, in the case of 
a youth seeking shelter in a center under part A, not more 
than 18 years of age’’. 
SEC. 117. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) OTHER THAN PART E.—Section 388(a)(1) of the 
Runaway 
and 
Homeless 
Youth 
Act 
(42 
U.S.C. 
5751(a)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘such sums as may 
be necessary for fiscal years 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003’’ 
and inserting ‘‘$105,000,000 for fiscal year 2004, and
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such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2005, 
2006, 2007, and 2008’’. 
(b) PART E.—Section 388(a)(4) of the Runaway and 
Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5751(a)(4)) is amended 
by striking ‘‘2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003’’ and inserting 
‘‘2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008’’. 
(c) PART B ALLOCATION.—Section 388(a)(2)(B) of 
the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 
5751(a)(2)(B)) is amended by striking ‘‘not less than 20 
percent, and not more than 30 percent’’ and inserting ‘‘45 
percent and, in those fiscal years in which continuation 
grant obligations and the quality and number of appli-
cants for parts A and B warrant not more than 55 per-
cent’’. 
SEC. 118. REPORT ON PROMISING STRATEGIES TO END 
YOUTH HOMELESSNESS. 
Not later than 2 years after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services, in consultation with the United States Inter-
agency Council on Homelessness, shall submit to the Con-
gress a report on promising strategies to end youth home-
lessness. 
SEC. 119. STUDY OF HOUSING SERVICES AND STRATEGIES. 
The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
conduct a study of programs funded under part B of the
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Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5714–1 et 
seq.) to report on long-term housing outcomes for youth 
after exiting the program. The study of any such program 
should provide information on housing services available 
to youth upon exiting the program, including assistance 
in locating and retaining permanent housing and referrals 
to other residential programs. In addition, the study 
should identify housing models and placement strategies 
that prevent future episodes of homelessness. 
SEC. 120. RESTRICTION ON USE OF FUNDS. 
The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 
5701 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new section: 
‘‘SEC. 389. RESTRICTION ON USE OF FUNDS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—None of the funds contained in 
this title may be used for any program of distributing ster-
ile needles or syringes for the hypodermic injection of any 
illegal drug. 
‘‘(b) SEPARATE ACCOUNTING.—Any individual or en-
tity who receives any funds contained in this title and who 
carries out any program described in subsection (a) shall 
account for all funds used for such program separately 
from any funds contained in this title.’’.
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TITLE 
II—AMENDMENTS 
TO 
MISSING CHILDREN’S ASSIST-
ANCE ACT 
SEC. 201. AMENDMENT TO FINDINGS. 
Section 402 of the Missing Children’s Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5771) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 402. FINDINGS. 
‘‘The Congress finds that—
‘‘(1) each year thousands of children are ab-
ducted or removed from the control of a parent hav-
ing legal custody without such parent’s consent, 
under circumstances which immediately place the 
child in grave danger; 
‘‘(2) many missing children are at great risk of 
both physical harm and sexual exploitation; 
‘‘(3) in many cases, parents and local law en-
forcement officials have neither the resources nor 
the expertise to mount expanded search efforts; 
‘‘(4) abducted children are frequently moved 
from one locality to another, requiring the coopera-
tion and coordination of local, State, and Federal 
law enforcement efforts; 
‘‘(5) the National Center for Missing and Ex-
ploited Children—
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‘‘(A) serves as the national resource center 
and clearinghouse; 
‘‘(B) works in partnership with the De-
partment of Justice, the Federal Bureau of In-
vestigation, the Department of the Treasury, 
the Department of State, and many other agen-
cies in the effort to find missing children and 
prevent child victimization; and 
‘‘(C) operates a national and increasingly 
worldwide network, linking the Center online 
with each of the missing children clearinghouses 
operated by the 50 States, the District of Co-
lumbia, and Puerto Rico, as well as with Scot-
land Yard in the United Kingdom, the Royal 
Canadian Mounted Police, INTERPOL head-
quarters in Lyon, France, and others, which en-
able the Center to transmit images and infor-
mation regarding missing children to law en-
forcement across the United States and around 
the world instantly.’’. 
SEC. 202. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) ANNUAL GRANT
TO NATIONAL CENTER
FOR 
MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN.—Section 404(b)(2) 
of the Missing Children’s Assistance Act (42 U.S.C.
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5773(b)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘2005’’ and inserting 
‘‘2008’’. 
(b) IN GENERAL.—Section 408(a) of the Missing 
Children’s Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5777(a)) is amended 
by striking ‘‘2005.’’ and inserting ‘‘2008’’.
Passed the House of Representatives May 20, 2003. 
Attest: 
JEFF TRANDAHL, 
Clerk.