SEC. 209. GRANTS FOR RESEARCH EVALUATION, DEM-
ONSTRATION, AND SERVICE PROJECTS. 
Section 343(b) Runaway and Homeless Youth Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5714–23(b)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(b) PRIORITIES.—The Secretary— 
‘‘(1) shall establish priorities for making grants 
for purposes of carrying out projects under sub-
section (a); and 
‘‘(2) not later than 1 year after the effective 
date of this subsection and at 2-year intervals there-
after, shall provide an opportunity for public com-
ment concerning the priorities proposed under para-
graph (1) and maintain an official record of such 
public comment.’’. 
SEC. 210. SEXUAL ABUSE PREVENTION PROGRAM. 
Section 351(a)(1) Runaway and Homeless Youth Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5714–41(a)(1)) is amended by inserting ‘‘pub-
lic and’’ after ‘‘priority to’’. 
SEC. 211. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. 
Part G, as so redesignated, of Runaway and Home-
less Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5714a et seq.) is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 290. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT
OF PERFORMANCE STAND-
ARDS.—Not later than 2 years after the effective date of 
this section, the Secretary shall issue rules that specify 
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standards of performance for public and nonprofit private 
entities that receive grants under sections 311, 321 and 
351. 
‘‘(b) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall consult 
with representatives of public and nonprofit entities that 
receive grants under this title, statewide and regional non-
profit organizations (and combinations of such organiza-
tions) that receive grants under this title, and national 
nonprofit organizations concerned with youth homeless-
ness in developing the performance standards required by 
subsection (a). 
‘‘(c) PUBLIC COMMENT.—The Secretary shall provide 
an opportunity for public comment concerning the estab-
lishment of the performance standards required by sub-
section (a) before issuing rules to establish such standards 
and shall maintain an official record of such public com-
ment.’’. 
SEC. 212. APPEALS. 
Part G, as so redesignated and as amended by section 
209, of Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 
5714a et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘SEC. 291. APPEALS. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF APPEAL PROCEDURE.— 
Not later than 2 years after the effective date of this sec-
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tion, the Secretary shall establish by rule a timely appeal 
procedure applicable to review the amounts of grants 
made, and the denial of grants requested, under this title. 
‘‘(b) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall consult 
with representatives of public and nonprofit private enti-
ties that receive grants under this title, statewide and re-
gional nonprofit organizations (and combinations of such 
organizations) that receive grants under this title, and na-
tional nonprofit organizations concerned with youth home-
lessness in establishing the appeal procedure required by 
subsection (a). 
‘‘(c) PUBLIC COMMENT.—The Secretary shall provide 
an opportunity for public comment concerning the estab-
lishment of the appeal procedure required by subsection 
(a) before issuing rules to establish such procedure and 
shall maintain an official record of such public comment.’’. 
SEC. 213. DEFINITION. 
Section 387 Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 
U.S.C. 5732a) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (4), (5), (6), 
and (7) as paragraphs (5), (6), (7), and (8), respec-
tively, and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol-
lowing: 
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‘‘(4) RUNAWAY
YOUTH.—The term ‘runaway 
youth’ means an individual who is less than 18 years 
of age and who absents himself or herself from home 
or place of legal residence without the permission of 
parents or legal guardians.’’. 
SEC. 214. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
Section 388(a) Runaway and Homeless Youth Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5751(a)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘$105,000,000 for fiscal 
year 2004’’ and inserting ‘‘$200,000,000 for 
fiscal year 2009’’, and 
(B) by striking ‘‘2005, 2006, 2007, and 
2008’’ and inserting ‘‘2010, 2011, 2012, and 
2013’’ , and 
(2) in paragraph (4) by striking ‘‘such sums as 
may be necessary for fiscal years 2004, 2005, 2006, 
2007, and 2008’’ and inserting ‘‘$30,000,000 for 
fiscal year 2009 and such sums as may be necessary 
for fiscal years 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013’’. 
SEC. 215. LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR RUNAWAY AND HOME-
LESS YOUTH WORKERS. 
(a) FFEL AND DIRECT LOAN FORGIVENESS.—Title 
IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 
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et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 428K the 
following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 428L. LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR RUNAWAY AND HOME-
LESS YOUTH WORKERS. 
‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to en-
courage qualified individuals to enter and continue em-
ployment as workers for runaway and homeless youth. 
‘‘(b) LOAN FORGIVENESS.— 
‘‘(1) LOAN
FORGIVENESS
AUTHORIZED.—The 
Secretary is authorized to forgive, in accordance 
with this section and the agreement described in 
subsection (e), the student loan debt of an eligible 
borrower in the amount specified in subsection (d) 
and for the period specified in such agreement. 
‘‘(2) METHOD
OF
LOAN
FORGIVENESS.—To 
provide the loan forgiveness authorized in paragraph 
(1), the Secretary is authorized to carry out a pro-
gram— 
‘‘(A) through the holder of the loan, to as-
sume the obligation to repay a qualified loan 
amount for a loan made under part B of this 
title; and 
‘‘(B) to cancel a qualified loan amount for 
a loan made under part D of this title. 
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‘‘(c) ELIGIBLE BORROWER.—The Secretary is au-
thorized to provide loan forgiveness under this section to 
any individual who— 
‘‘(1) is employed as a worker for runaway and 
homeless youth on, at a minimum, a part-time basis 
of at least 20 hours per week, and who has been em-
ployed as such for not less than 5 consecutive years 
on, at minimum, such a part-time basis; and 
‘‘(2) is not in default on a loan for which the 
borrower seeks forgiveness. 
‘‘(d) LOAN FORGIVENESS AMOUNT.—The Secretary 
may, from funds appropriated under subsection (l), forgive 
the loan obligation of an eligible borrower in accordance 
with such terms, limitations, and conditions as may be 
mutually agreed upon by such borrower and the Secretary 
in the agreement described in subsection (e), except that 
the amount paid by the Secretary under this section shall 
not exceed $17,500 in the aggregate for any borrower. 
‘‘(e) LOAN FORGIVENESS AGREEMENT.— 
‘‘(1) TERMS OF AGREEMENT.—The Secretary 
shall not provide loan forgiveness to an eligible bor-
rower unless the borrower enters into a written 
agreement with the Secretary which provides that— 
‘‘(A) the borrower shall remain employed 
as a worker for runaway and homeless youth 
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guardianship from foster care after attaining 14 
years of age’’. 
(d) ELIGIBILITY OF PRIVATE SERVICE PROVIDERS 
FOR FUNDS.—Section 477(b)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
677(b)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(G) Distribute funds provided to the 
State under this section among a diverse range 
of qualified providers of services that are pri-
vate entities, and ensure that the entities have 
equal opportunity to receive the funds.’’. 
(e) EXPANSION OF PROGRAM EVALUATIONS.—Sec-
tion 477(g)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 677(g)(1)) is 
amended— 
(1) in the 1st sentence, by inserting ‘‘, and of 
model programs that focus on improving outcomes 
for youth aging out of care in the areas of edu-
cation, employment, personal development, and 
housing’’ after ‘‘significance’’; 
(2) in the 2nd sentence, by striking ‘‘and per-
sonal development’’ and inserting ‘‘mental and phys-
ical health, personal development, and housing, and 
on the use of room and board services and how the 
use of the services improve housing outcomes for 
youth.’’; and 
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(3) in the 3rd sentence, by inserting ‘‘, where 
practicable,’’ before ‘‘random assignment’’. 
(f) IMPROVING AWARENESS OF AVAILABLE SERV-
ICES.— 
(1) DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY.—Section 477 
of such Act (42 U.S.C. 677) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(j) DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION ABOUT OTHER 
RELATED PROGRAMS.—To improve access to the array of 
services available to youth transitioning out of foster care 
and assist States in leveraging available resources, the 
Secretary shall provide for the efficient distribution to 
States and local areas of information about Federal pro-
grams, other than the program established by this section, 
that may assist youth in their transition to self-sufficiency 
and provide guidance on how to access services under the 
programs.’’. 
(2) DUTIES OF THE STATE.—Section 477(b)(3) 
of such Act (42 U.S.C. 677(b)(3)) is amended— 
(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (H) 
through (J) as subparagraphs (I) through (K), 
respectively; and 
(B) by inserting after subparagraph (F) 
the following: 
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‘‘(G) A certification by the chief executive offi-
cer that, when or before a child leaves foster care 
under the responsibility of the State, the State will 
inform the child of the full range of available finan-
cial, housing, counseling, health, public benefit em-
ployment, and education services, and other appro-
priate support and services for which the child is eli-
gible.’’. 
Subtitle D—Youth Offender 
Reentry Grants Program 
SEC. 241. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM. 
The Attorney General shall carry out a program 
under which the Attorney General may award grants to 
States to provide for programs designed and conducted for 
the following purposes: 
(1) To identify individuals who are incarcerated 
in correctional facilities and who are likely to be re-
leased from such facilities before attaining 25 years 
of age, and to help such individuals make the transi-
tion to self-sufficiency by providing pre-release serv-
ices such discharge planning and reentry planning, 
training in daily living skills, training in parenting 
skills, training in budgeting and financial manage-
ment skills, substance abuse prevention, mental 
health counseling, and preventive health activities 
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(including smoking avoidance, nutrition education, 
sexually transmitted illnesses prevention (including 
HIV prevention), and pregnancy prevention), and 
assistance in applying for income assistance and 
health insurance for which the individual may be eli-
gible. 
(2) To help such individuals receive at the pre- 
release and post-release stages the education, train-
ing, and services necessary to obtain employment 
and housing. 
(3) To help such individuals at the pre-release 
and post-release stages prepare for and enter post-
secondary training and education institutions. 
(4) To provide personal and emotional support 
to such individuals at the pre-release and post-re-
lease stages through mentors and the promotion of 
interactions with dedicated adults. 
(5) To provide post-release financial, housing, 
counseling, employment, education, health and men-
tal health, assistance in applying for public benefits, 
and other appropriate support and services to such 
individuals to complement their own efforts to 
achieve self-sufficiency and to assure that program 
participants recognize and accept their personal re-
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sponsibility for preparing for and then making the 
transition from adolescence to adulthood. 
(6) To make available to such individuals post- 
release vouchers for education and training, includ-
ing postsecondary training and education. 
(7) To help such individuals at the pre-release 
and post-release stages repair harm to victims, fam-
ily members, and communities caused by their of-
fense, including through community service and 
through victim impact programming. 
SEC. 242. APPLICATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—A State may apply for funds from 
its allotment under section 243 for a period of five con-
secutive fiscal years by submitting to the Attorney Gen-
eral, in writing, a plan that meets the requirements of sub-
section (b) and the certifications required by subsection 
(c) with respect to the plan. 
(b) STATE PLAN.—A plan meets the requirements of 
this subsection if the plan specifies which State agency 
or agencies will administer, supervise, or oversee the pro-
grams carried out under the plan, and describes how the 
State intends to do the following: 
(1) Design and deliver programs to achieve the 
purposes of this title. 
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(2) Ensure utilization of funds for both pre-re-
lease and post-release supports and services, though 
not necessarily in a uniform manner. 
(3) Ensure that the programs serve individuals 
described in section 241(1) of various ages and at 
various stages of achieving independence. 
(4) Involve the public and private sectors in 
helping such individuals achieve independence. 
(5) Distribute funds provided to the State 
under this section among a diverse range of qualified 
private nonprofit providers of post-release supports 
and services, and ensure that the entities have equal 
opportunity to receive the funds. 
(6) Cooperate in national evaluations of the ef-
fects of the programs in achieving the purposes of 
this title. 
(c) CERTIFICATIONS.—The certifications required by 
this paragraph with respect to a plan are the following: 
(1) A certification by the chief executive officer 
of the State that the State will provide assistance 
and services to individuals described in section 
241(1). 
(2) A certification by the chief executive officer 
of the State that not more than 30 percent of the 
amounts paid to the State from its allotment under 
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section 243 for a fiscal year will be expended for 
post-release room or board for such individuals. 
(3) A certification by the chief executive officer 
of the State that the State will provide training to 
help family members, providers of supports and 
services, and correctional facility personnel under-
stand and address the issues confronting such indi-
viduals preparing for independent living. 
(4) A certification by the chief executive officer 
of the State that the State has consulted widely with 
public and private organizations in developing the 
plan and that the State has given all interested 
members of the public at least 30 days to submit 
comments on the plan. 
(5) A certification by the chief executive officer 
of the State that the State will make every effort to 
coordinate the State programs receiving funds pro-
vided from an allotment made to the State under 
section 243 with other Federal and State programs 
for any of such individuals (especially the John H. 
Chafee Foster Care Independence Program under 42 
U.S.C. 677 and transitional living youth projects 
funded under part B of title III of the Juvenile Jus-
tice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (42 
U.S.C. 5714–1 et seq.)), local housing programs, 
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programs for disabled individuals, and youth activi-
ties of local workforce one-stop centers. 
(6) A certification by the chief executive officer 
of the State that each Indian tribe in the State has 
been consulted about the programs to be carried out 
under the plan; that there have been efforts to co-
ordinate the programs with such tribes; and that 
benefits and services under the programs will be 
made available to such individuals who are Indian in 
the State on the same basis as to other such individ-
uals in the State. 
(7) A certification by the chief executive officer 
that, when or before an individual described in sec-
tion 241(1) leaves a correctional facility, the State 
will inform the individual of the full range of avail-
able financial, housing, counseling, health and men-
tal health, employment, education, community serv-
ices, victim impact programming, and other appro-
priate support and services for which the individual 
is eligible. 
(8) A certification by the chief executive officer 
of the State that the State will ensure that such in-
dividuals participating in the program under this 
title participate directly in designing their own case 
plans, discharge plans, reentry plans and program 
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activities that prepare them for independent living 
and that such individuals accept personal responsi-
bility for living up to their part of the program. 
(9) A certification by the chief executive officer 
of the State that the State has established and will 
enforce standards and procedures to prevent fraud 
and abuse in the programs carried out under the 
plan. 
(10) A certification by the chief executive offi-
cer of the State that the State educational and 
training voucher program under this title is in com-
pliance with the conditions specified in section 249, 
including a statement describing methods the State 
will use— 
(A) to ensure that the total amount of edu-
cational assistance to any such individual under 
this title and under other Federal and federally 
supported programs does not exceed the limita-
tion specified in section 249(3); and 
(B) to avoid duplication of benefits under 
this and any other Federal or federally assisted 
benefit program. 
(d) APPROVAL.—The Attorney General shall approve 
an application submitted by a State pursuant to sub-
section (a) for a period if— 
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(1) the application is submitted on or before 
June 30 of the calendar year in which such period 
begins; and 
(2) the Attorney General finds that the applica-
tion contains the material required by subsection 
(a). 
(e) AUTHORITY TO IMPLEMENT CERTAIN AMEND-
MENTS; NOTIFICATION.—A State with an application ap-
proved under subsection (d) may implement any amend-
ment to the plan contained in the application if the appli-
cation, incorporating the amendment, would be approvable 
under subsection (d). Within 30 days after a State imple-
ments any such amendment, the State shall notify the At-
torney General of the amendment. 
(f) AVAILABILITY.—The State shall make available to 
the public any application submitted by the State pursu-
ant to subsection (a), and a brief summary of the plan 
contained in the application. 
SEC. 243. ALLOTMENTS TO STATES. 
(a) GENERAL PROGRAM ALLOTMENT.—From the 
amount specified in section 248(1) that remains after ap-
plying section 247(b) for a fiscal year, the Attorney Gen-
eral shall allot to each State with an application approved 
under section 242 for the fiscal year the amount which 
bears the ratio to such remaining amount equal to the 
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State youth ratio, as adjusted in accordance with sub-
section (b). 
(b) HOLD HARMLESS POSITION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General shall 
allot to each State whose allotment for a fiscal year 
under subsection (a) is less than the greater of 
$500,000 or the amount payable to the State under 
this title for fiscal year 2008, an additional amount 
equal to the difference between such allotment and 
such greater amount. 
(2) RATABLE REDUCTION OF CERTAIN ALLOT-
MENTS.—In the case of a State not described in 
paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, the Attorney General 
shall reduce the amount allotted to the State for the 
fiscal year under subsection (a) by the amount that 
bears the same ratio to the sum of the differences 
determined under paragraph (1) for the fiscal year 
as the excess of the amount so allotted over the 
greater of $500,000 or the amount payable to the 
State under this title for fiscal year 1998 bears to 
the sum of such excess amounts determined for all 
such States. 
(c) VOUCHER PROGRAM ALLOTMENT.—From the 
amount, if any, appropriated pursuant to section 248(2) 
for a fiscal year, the Attorney General may allot to each 
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State with an application approved under section 242 for 
the fiscal year an amount equal to the State youth ratio 
multiplied by the amount so specified. 
(d) STATE YOUTH RATIO.—In this section, the term 
‘‘State youth ratio’’ means the ratio of the number individ-
uals who have attained at least age 13 and who have not 
attained age 25 in the State in the most recent fiscal year 
for which the information is available to the total number 
of individuals who have attained at least age 13 and who 
have not attained age 25 in all States for the most recent 
fiscal year. 
SEC. 244. USE OF FUNDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—A State to which an amount is 
paid from its allotment under section 243 may use the 
amount in any manner that is reasonably calculated to ac-
complish the purposes of this title. 
(b) NO SUPPLANTATION OF OTHER FUNDS AVAIL-
ABLE
FOR SAME GENERAL PURPOSES.—The amounts 
paid to a State from its allotment under section 243 shall 
be used to supplement and not supplant any other funds 
which are available for the same general purposes in the 
State. 
(c) TWO-YEAR AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Payments 
made to a State under this title for a fiscal year shall be 
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