Title: Youth Access to Sexual Health Services Act of 2017
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Youth Access to Sexual Health Services Act of 2017
This bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to support the access of marginalized youth to sexual health services such as sexual health education and contraception. Marginalized youth are disadvantaged individuals under the age of 26. Grants may be awarded to state or local health or education agencies, public schools, nonprofit organizations, hospitals, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations.
Grants may be used to: (1) provide sexual health information to marginalized youth, (2) promote effective communication regarding sexual health among marginalized youth, (3) promote and support opportunities for school-age parents, and (3) train individuals who work with marginalized youth to promote sexual health and the development of safe and supportive environments.
Grants may not be used to provide access to health services that: (1) are medically unsound; (2) withhold sexual health-promoting or lifesaving information; (3) promote gender stereotypes; or (4) are insensitive or unresponsive to the needs of young people, including youth with varying gender identities and sexual orientations, sexually active youth, pregnant or parenting youth, and survivors of sexual abuse or assault.
Unobligated funds for abstinence education are transferred and made available for these grants.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1650 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1650

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants 
to support the access of marginalized youth to sexual health services, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 27, 2017

 Ms. Hirono (for herself, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Brown, 
  Ms. Warren, Mr. Markey, Mr. Franken, and Mr. Booker) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants 
to support the access of marginalized youth to sexual health services, 
                        and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Youth Access to Sexual Health 
Services Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF GRANTS TO SUPPORT THE ACCESS OF MARGINALIZED 
              YOUTH TO SEXUAL HEALTH SERVICES.

    (a) Grants.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services may award 
grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities to support the 
access of marginalized youth to sexual health services.
    (b) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity that is awarded a grant under 
subsection (a) may use the funds to--
            (1) provide medically accurate and complete age-, 
        developmentally, and culturally appropriate sexual health 
        information to marginalized youth, including information on how 
        to access sexual health services;
            (2) promote effective communication regarding sexual health 
        among marginalized youth;
            (3) promote and support better health, education, and 
        economic opportunities for school-age parents; and
            (4) train individuals who work with marginalized youth to 
        promote--
                    (A) the prevention of unintended pregnancy;
                    (B) the prevention of sexually transmitted 
                infections, including the human immunodeficiency virus 
                (HIV);
                    (C) healthy relationships; and
                    (D) the development of safe and supportive 
                environments.
    (c) Application.--To be awarded a grant under subsection (a), an 
eligible entity shall submit an application to the Secretary at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 
may require.
    (d) Priority.--In awarding grants under subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities--
            (1) with a history of supporting the access of marginalized 
        youth to sexuality education or sexual health services; and
            (2) that plan to serve marginalized youth that are not 
        served by other programs in existence on the day before the 
        date of enactment of this Act, for adolescents regarding HIV, 
        other sexually transmitted infections, or pregnancy prevention.
    (e) Requirements.--The Secretary may not award a grant under 
subsection (a) to an eligible entity unless--
            (1) such eligible entity has formed a partnership with a 
        community organization; and
            (2) such eligible entity agrees--
                    (A) to employ a scientifically effective strategy;
                    (B) that all information provided to marginalized 
                youth will be--
                            (i) age- and developmentally appropriate;
                            (ii) medically accurate and complete;
                            (iii) scientifically based; and
                            (iv) provided in the language and cultural 
                        context that is most appropriate for the 
                        individuals served by the eligible entity; and
                    (C) that for each year the eligible entity receives 
                grant funds under subsection (a), the eligible entity 
                will submit to the Secretary an annual report that 
                includes--
                            (i) the use of grant funds by the eligible 
                        entity;
                            (ii) how the use of grant funds has 
                        increased the access of marginalized youth to 
                        sexual health services; and
                            (iii) such other information as the 
                        Secretary may require.
    (f) Publication and Evaluations.--
            (1) Evaluations.--Not less than once every 2 years after 
        the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
        evaluate the effectiveness of whichever of the following is 
        greater:
                    (A) 8 grants awarded under subsection (a).
                    (B) 10 percent of the grants awarded under 
                subsection (a).
            (2) Publication.--The Secretary shall make available to the 
        public--
                    (A) the evaluations required under paragraph (1); 
                and
                    (B) the reports required under subsection 
                (e)(2)(C).
    (g) Limitations.--No funds made available to an eligible entity 
under this section may be used by such entity to provide access to 
sexual health services that--
            (1) withhold sexual health-promoting or life-saving 
        information;
            (2) are medically inaccurate or have been scientifically 
        shown to be ineffective;
            (3) promote gender stereotypes;
            (4) are insensitive or unresponsive to the needs of young 
        people, including--
                    (A) youth with varying gender identities, gender 
                expressions, and sexual orientations;
                    (B) sexually active youth;
                    (C) pregnant or parenting youth;
                    (D) survivors of sexual abuse or assault; and
                    (E) youth of all physical, developmental, and 
                mental abilities; or
            (5) are inconsistent with the ethical imperatives of 
        medicine and public health.
    (h) Transfer of Funds.--Any unobligated balance of funds made 
available under section 510(d) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
710(d)) (as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of 
this Act) are hereby transferred and made available to the Secretary to 
carry out this Act. The amounts transferred and made available to carry 
out this Act shall remain available until expended.
    (i) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Community organization.--The term ``community 
        organization'' includes a State or local health or education 
        agency, public school, youth-focused organization that is 
        faith-based and community-based, juvenile justice entity, or 
        other organization that provides confidential and appropriate 
        sexuality education or sexual health services to marginalized 
        youth.
            (2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' includes 
        a State or local health or education agency, public school, 
        nonprofit organization, hospital, or an Indian tribe or tribal 
        organization (as such terms are defined in section 4 of the 
        Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 
        U.S.C. 5304)).
            (3) Marginalized youth.--The term ``marginalized youth'' 
        means a person under the age of 26 that is disadvantaged by 
        underlying structural barriers and social inequity.
            (4) Medically accurate and complete.--The term ``medically 
        accurate and complete'', when used with respect to information, 
        means information that--
                    (A) is supported by research and recognized as 
                accurate, objective, and complete by leading medical, 
                psychological, psychiatric, or public health 
                organizations and agencies; and
                    (B) does not withhold any information relating to 
                the effectiveness and benefits of correct and 
                consistent use of condoms or other contraceptives and 
                pregnancy prevention methods.
            (5) Scientifically effective strategy.--The term 
        ``scientifically effective strategy'' means a strategy that--
                    (A) is widely recognized by leading medical and 
                public health agencies as effective in promoting sexual 
                health awareness and healthy behavior; and
                    (B) either--
                            (i) has been demonstrated to be effective 
                        on the basis of rigorous scientific research; 
                        or
                            (ii) incorporates characteristics of 
                        effective programs.
            (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Health and Human Services.
            (7) Sexual health services.--The term ``sexual health 
        services'' includes--
                    (A) sexual health information, education, and 
                counseling;
                    (B) contraception;
                    (C) emergency contraception;
                    (D) condoms and other barrier methods to prevent 
                pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections;
                    (E) routine gynecological care, including human 
                papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines and cancer screenings;
                    (F) pre-exposure prophylaxis or post-exposure 
                prophylaxis;
                    (G) mental health services;
                    (H) sexual assault survivor services; and
                    (I) other prevention, care, or treatment services.
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