Text of Senate Amendment 6164

Quick facts

Record: Senate Floor
Section type: Amendments
Chamber: Senate
Date: June 24, 2026
Congress: 119th Congress
Why this source matters: This section came from the Senate floor portion of the record.

Linked context

People mentioned: Durbin, Richard J.
Committees: Committee on the Judiciary, Committee on Education and Workforce

Readable version of the official text

SA 6164. Mr. DURBIN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction,

and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe

military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place in title X, insert the following:

Subtitle __—Runaway and Homeless Youth

SEC. __. SHORT TITLE.

This subtitle may be cited as the “Runaway and Homeless

Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act of 2026”.

SEC. __. FINDINGS.

Section 302 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (34

U.S.C. 11201) is amended to read as follows:

“SEC. 302. FINDINGS.

“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 disproportionate share of, trauma,

substance use disorders, and serious health, behavioral,

social, and emotional challenges because they lack sufficient

resources to obtain care and may live on the street for

extended periods of time, thereby endangering themselves;

“(2) many such young people, because of their age and

situation, are urgently in need of temporary shelter and

services, including services that consider their age, gender,

and social and developmental needs, are culturally and

linguistically appropriate, and acknowledge the environment

of youth seeking these services;

“(3) research has documented the fluid experiences of

homelessness of youth, where many youth experience 2 or more

different types of homelessness, including couch surfing,

living in motels, and staying on the streets;

“(4) research has documented that persons who are members

of historically marginalized and underserved communities of

color, LGBTQ youth, youth who do not complete high school or

achieve a high school equivalency, youth involved in the

child welfare system, youth who have been involved with the

criminal justice system, and pregnant and parenting youth are

most likely to experience homelessness in the United States

while unaccompanied by a parent or adult;

“(5) services to such young people should be developed and

provided using a positive youth development approach that

ensures a young person a sense of—

“(A) safety and structure;

“(B) belonging and membership;

“(C) self-worth, empowerment, voice, and choice;

“(D) independence and control over one's life; and

“(E) closeness in interpersonal relationships;

“(6) in view of the interstate nature of the problem, it

is the responsibility of the Federal Government to develop an

accurate national reporting system to report the prevalence

of youth homelessness, and to assist in the development of an

effective system of care (including prevention services and

aftercare services, short-term housing with services,

extended housing with supportive services, and street

outreach services) outside the welfare system and the law

enforcement system, in collaboration with public assistance

systems, the education system, and the child welfare system;

“(7) to make a successful transition to adulthood, youth

who run away, youth experiencing homelessness, and youth

living in the street need a safe and stable place to live,

connections to caring adults, and opportunities to complete

high school or earn a general equivalency degree, learn job

skills, and obtain employment;

“(8) improved coordination and collaboration at the

Federal level between programs that serve runaway and

homeless youth are necessary for the development of a long-

term strategy for responding to the needs of this population;

“(9) runaway and homeless youth are at a high risk of

substance use disorders and becoming victims of sexual

exploitation and trafficking;

“(10) since research has shown that the prevalence of

homelessness among youth is similar in rural and urban

communities, runaway and homeless youth programs, such as

those funded under this title, are integral services that

every community should provide, regardless of the size of the

community; and

“(11) runaway and homeless youth programs, such as those

funded under this title—

“(A) are expert adolescent service providers and integral

community partners for the child welfare and juvenile justice

systems as many youth exit these systems to homelessness; and

“(B) work to reunify youth with their family when safe and

appropriate.”.

SEC. __. BASIC CENTER GRANT PROGRAM.

Part A of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (34 U.S.C.

11211 et seq.) is amended—

(1) in section 311, by striking subsection (a) and

inserting the following:

“(a) Grants for Centers and Services.—

“(1) In general.—The Secretary shall—

“(A) not later than 90 days before the start date of the

grant, award 5-year grants to public and nonprofit private

entities, and combinations of such entities, to establish,

operate, and maintain (including renovate) local centers to

provide—

“(i) safe shelter and services for runaway and homeless

youth, including trauma-informed services; and

“(ii) if appropriate, services for the families of such

youth, including individuals identified by such youth as

family; and

“(B) establish an appeal process for grantees.

“(2) Services provided.—Services provided under paragraph

(1)—

“(A) shall be provided to runaway youth, street youth,

homeless youth, or youth at risk of separation from the

family;

“(B) shall include—

“(i) safe and appropriate shelter for not more than 30

days or the maximum allowed by the State, whichever is

greater;

“(ii) individual, family, or group counseling, as

appropriate, including counseling for individuals identified

by such youth as family, that considers the age, gender, and

social and developmental needs of such youth, and is

culturally and linguistically appropriate; and

“(iii) suicide prevention services; and

“(C) may include—

“(i) street-based services;

“(ii) home-based services for families with youth at risk

of separation from the family, to the extent practicable,

that consider the ages, genders, and social and developmental

needs of the family, and are culturally and linguistically

appropriate;

“(iii) prevention services;

“(iv) substance use disorder education and prevention

services;

“(v) at the request of runaway youth or homeless youth,

testing for sexually transmitted infections;

“(vi) trauma-informed services, including for such youth

who are victims of trafficking; and

“(vii) an assessment of—

“(I) family engagement in support and reunification, if

reunification is appropriate;

“(II) interventions; and

“(III) services for parents or legal guardians of such

youth or, if appropriate, individuals identified by such

youth as family.”;

(2) in section 312—

(A) in subsection (b)—

(i) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:

“(2) shall use such assistance to establish, strengthen,

or fund a runaway and homeless youth center that provides

temporary shelter or a locally controlled project, including

a host family home, that has—

“(A) a minimum capacity of not less than 4 youth, except

if there is an established minimum number of beds per youth

shelter or project location;

“(B) a maximum capacity of not more than 20 youth, except

where the applicant demonstrates that the State where the

center or locally controlled project is located has a State

or local law or regulation that allows a higher maximum to

comply with licensure requirements for child and youth

serving centers or projects;

“(C) a ratio of staff to youth that is sufficient to

ensure adequate supervision and treatment; and

“(D) if it is a mixed project, not more than 20 youth per

project, except where the applicant demonstrates that the

project has a State or local law or regulation that allows a

higher maximum to comply with licensure requirements for

child and youth serving projects;”;

(ii) in paragraph (5), by striking “or legal guardians”

and inserting “, legal guardians, or individuals identified

by such youth as family, if appropriate,”;

(iii) by striking paragraphs (6), (7), and (8), and

inserting the following:

“(6) shall develop an adequate plan, which may include the

use of online resources to reach and engage youth, for

establishing or coordinating with outreach programs designed

to attract persons, including persons who are members of

underserved populations, who are eligible to receive services

for which a grant under section 311(a) may be expended;

“(7) shall keep adequate statistical records profiling the

runaway youth or homeless youth and family members of such

youth whom the applicant serves, including demographic

information and the number of such youth who—

“(A) are not referred to out-of-home shelter services;

“(B) are members of vulnerable or underserved populations;

“(C) are victims of trafficking;

“(D) are pregnant or parenting;

“(E) have been involved in the child welfare system; and

“(F) have been involved in the juvenile justice system;

“(8) shall ensure that—

“(A) the information maintained on individual runaway

youth or homeless youth contained in the records described in

paragraph (7) shall not be disclosed without the consent of

the individual youth and the parent of the youth, the legal

guardian of the youth, or an individual identified by such

youth as family, to anyone other than an agency compiling

statistical records or a government agency involved in the

disposition of criminal charges against such youth; and

“(B) reports or other documents based on the statistics

described in paragraph (7) shall not disclose the identity of

any individual runaway youth or homeless youth;”;

(iv) in paragraph (12), by striking subparagraphs (B) and

“(B) detailed information on how the applicant has been

able to meet the goals of the plan of the applicant; and

“(C) statistical summaries describing—

“(i) the data the Secretary requires to be collected;

“(ii) the number and characteristics of runaway youth,

homeless youth, street youth, and youth at risk of separation

from the family, who participate in the project, including

information on such youth who—

“(I) are victims of trafficking;

“(II) are pregnant or parenting;

“(III) have been involved in the child welfare system; or

“(IV) have been involved with the criminal justice system;

and

“(iii) the services provided to such youth by the

project;”;

(v) in paragraph (13), by striking the period at the end

and inserting “for natural disasters, inclement weather, and

public health emergencies;”; and

(vi) by adding at the end the following:

“(14) shall provide services to runaway youth and homeless

youth that consider the age, gender, and social and

developmental needs of such youth, and are culturally and

linguistically appropriate, to the extent practicable; and

“(15) shall inform youth of their status as independent

students under section 480 of the Higher Education Act of

1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087vv), provide verification of such status

for the purposes of the Free Application for Federal Student

Aid described in section 483 of the Higher Education Act of

1965 (20 U.S.C. 1090), and assist youth in completing this

application at the request of the youth.”;

(B) in subsection (c)—

(i) in paragraph (3), by striking “and” after the

semicolon;

(ii) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at the end

and inserting “; and”; and

(iii) by adding at end the following:

“(5) develop a plan, consistent with local needs, for the

use of online resources, if appropriate, to reach and engage

youth.”;

(i) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:

“(1) provide counseling and information that consider the

age, gender, and social and developmental needs of such

youth, and are culturally and linguistically appropriate, to

the extent practicable, to youth and the families of such

youth (including unrelated individuals in the family

households of such youth and individuals identified by such

youth as family), including services relating to basic life

skills, interpersonal skill building, educational

advancement, job attainment skills, mental and physical

health care, suicide prevention, parenting skills, financial

planning, and referral to sources of other needed

services;”;

(ii) in paragraph (4), by inserting “, including training

on trauma-informed care” before the semicolon at the end;

and

(iii) in paragraph (5)—

(I) in subparagraph (A), by striking “and” after the

semicolon;

(II) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end

and inserting “; and”; and

(III) by adding at the end the following:

“(C) youth are eligible for home-based services when

determined by the applicant to be at risk of separation from

family.”;

(D) in subsection (e), by striking the subsection

enumerator and all that follows through “(b)—” and

inserting the following:

“(e) Applicants Providing Substance Use Disorder Education

and Prevention Services.—To be eligible to use assistance

under section 311(a) to provide substance use disorder

education and prevention services, an applicant shall include

in the plan required by subsection (b)—”; and

(E) by adding at the end the following:

“(f) Online Resources for Outreach.—An applicant may

develop a plan, consistent with local needs, for the use of

online resources to reach and engage youth.

“(g) Definition of Underserved Populations.—In this

section, the term `underserved populations' means victims of

homelessness or trafficking or runaway youth, who

disproportionately face barriers in accessing and using

victim services, including populations who are underserved

due to limited English proficiency or are historically

marginalized and underserved communities of color, and any

other population determined to be underserved by the

Secretary of Health and Human Services.”; and

(3) in section 313, by striking subsection (b) and

inserting the following:

“(b) Priority.—In selecting applications for grants under

section 311(a), the Secretary shall give priority to eligible

applicants who have demonstrated experience in providing

services to runaway youth and homeless youth.”.

SEC. __. TRANSITIONAL LIVING GRANT PROGRAM.

Part B of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (34 U.S.C.

11221 et seq.) is amended—

(1) in section 321—

(A) by inserting “5-year” after “to make”; and

(B) by inserting “and runaway youth. The Secretary shall

award such grants not later than 90 days before the start

date of the grant and establish an appeal process for

grantees” after “homeless youth”; and

(2) in section 322—

(A) in subsection (a)—

(i) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:

“(1) to provide to homeless youth, by grant, agreement, or

contract—

“(A) shelter, such as group homes, maternity group homes,

host family homes, and supervised apartments; and

“(B) services, such as information and counseling services

in basic life skills, which consider the age, gender, and

social and developmental needs of such youth, and are

culturally and linguistically appropriate, including topics

on money management, budgeting, consumer education, use of

credit, parenting skills, interpersonal skill building,

educational advancement, job attainment skills, mental and

physical health care, and suicide prevention services;”;

(ii) in paragraph (2), by inserting “and runaway” after

“to provide such shelter and such services to individual

homeless”;

(iii) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the

following:

“(4) that such shelter project used to carry out such

project shall—

“(A) have a minimum project capacity of not fewer than 4

youth, except if there is an established minimum number of

beds per individual shelter or project location;

“(B) have the capacity to accommodate not more than 20

individuals, excluding staff, within a single project, except

where the applicant demonstrates that the State where the

project is located has a State or local law or regulation

that allows a higher maximum to comply with licensure

requirements for child and youth serving projects; and

“(C) if it is a mixed project, limit runaway and homeless

youth shelter beds to 20 youth per project with segregated

access and programming, except where the applicant

demonstrates that the State where the project is located has

a State or local law or regulation that allows a higher

maximum to comply with licensure requirements for child and

youth serving projects;”;

(iv) by striking paragraphs (6), (7), (8), and (9), and

inserting the following:

“(6) to develop a written transitional living plan in

partnership with each youth based on an assessment of the

needs of each youth, designed to help the transition from

supervised participation in such project to independent

living or another appropriate living arrangement;

“(7) to develop an adequate plan to ensure proper

coordination, integration, and referral of homeless youth and

runaway youth, which considers the age, gender, and social

and developmental needs of such youth, and are culturally and

linguistically appropriate, to the extent practicable, to—

“(A) social service;

“(B) law enforcement;

“(C) educational training, including postsecondary

education;

“(D) vocational training, including services and programs

for youth available under the Workforce Innovation and

Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.);

“(E) welfare, including programs amended under the

Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation

Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193);

“(F) legal service;

“(G) mental health service and health care programs;

“(H) substance use disorder treatment; and

“(I) programs providing wrap-around services to victims of

trafficking and gender-based violence;

“(8) to provide for the establishment of outreach programs

designed to attract individuals who are eligible to

participate in the project, which may include the use of

online and social media engagements;

“(9) to submit to the Secretary an annual report that

includes information regarding the activities carried out

with funds under this part, the achievements of the project

under this part carried out by the applicant and statistical

summaries describing the number, characteristics, and

demographic information of the homeless youth and runaway

youth who participate in such project, including the

prevalence of trafficking of such youth, and the services

provided to such youth by such project, in the year for which

the report is submitted;”;

(v) in paragraph (15), by striking “and” after the

semicolon;

(vi) by striking paragraph (16) and inserting the

following:

“(16) to develop an adequate emergency preparedness and

management plan regarding responses to natural disasters,

inclement weather, and mental health emergencies; and”;

(vii) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (5) and (6)

through (16), as paragraphs (5) through (7) and (9) through

(19), respectively;

(viii) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:

“(3) to provide counseling to homeless and runaway youth

and to encourage, if appropriate, the involvement in such

counseling of their parents, legal guardians, or individuals

identified by such youth as family;

“(4) to provide aftercare services, if possible, to

homeless and runaway youth who have received shelter and

services from a transitional living youth project, including,

to the extent practicable, such youth who, after receiving

such shelter and services, relocate to a geographic area or

State other than the geographic area or State in which such

project is located;”;

(ix) by inserting after paragraph (7), as redesignated by

clause (vii), the following:

“(8) to develop a plan to provide services, which consider

the age, gender, and social and developmental needs of such

youth, and are culturally and linguistically appropriate,

that address the needs of runaway, homeless, and street

youth;”;

(x) by adding at end the following:

“(20) to inform youth of their status as independent

students under section 480 of the Higher Education Act of

1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087vv), provide verification of such status

for the purposes of the Free Application for Federal Student

Aid described in section 483 of the Higher Education Act of

1965 (20 U.S.C. 1090), and assist the youth in completing

this application at the request of the youth.”;

(B) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:

“(b) Priority.—In selecting eligible applicants to

receive grants under this part, the Secretary shall give

priority to entities that have experience in providing to

homeless youth shelter and services of the types described in

subsection (a)(1).”; and

“(d) Priority for Homeless Youth Less Than 22 Years of

Age.—An entity that receives a grant under this part—

“(1) shall, in carrying out activities under the grant,

prioritize service to homeless youth who are less than 22

years of age, but not less than 15 years of age; and

“(2) may use grant funds to serve homeless youth who are

ages 22 to less than 26.”.

SEC. __. NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM.

Section 331 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (34

U.S.C. 11231) is amended by inserting “, online, and social

media” after “telephone”.

SEC. __. COORDINATING, TRAINING, RESEARCH, AND OTHER

ACTIVITIES.

Part D of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (34 U.S.C.

11241 et seq.) is amended—

(1) in section 341—

(A) by inserting “safety, well-being,” after “health,”;

and

(B) in paragraph (2) by striking “other Federal entities”

and inserting “the Department of Housing and Urban

Development, the Department of Education, the Department of

Labor, and the Department of Justice”;

(2) in section 342—

(A) by inserting “5-year” after “make”;

(B) by inserting “(including onsite and web-based

techniques, such as on-demand and online learning)” after

“training”; and

“implementing in a trauma-informed manner”;

(3) in section 343(b)—

(A) in paragraph (5)—

(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking “abuse” and all that

follows through the semicolon at the end and inserting

“abuse, sexual assault, and trafficking;”;

(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking “abuse” and all

that follows through “; and” and inserting “abuse, sexual

assault, and trafficking;”;

(iii) in subparagraph (C), by striking “who have been

sexually victimized”; and

(iv) by adding at end the following:

“(D) best practices for identifying and providing services

that consider the age, gender, and social and developmental

background of an individual, and are culturally and

linguistically appropriate, to the extent practicable, to—

“(i) vulnerable and underserved youth populations; and

“(ii) youth who are victims of trafficking; and

“(E) informing youth of their status as independent

students under section 480 of the Higher Education Act of

1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087vv), providing verification of such

status for the purposes of the Free Application for Federal

Student Aid described in section 483 of the Higher Education

Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1090), and assisting youth in

completing this application at the request of the youth;”;

(B) in paragraph (9), by striking “and” after the

semicolon;

and inserting “; and”; and

(D) by adding at end the following:

“(11) examining the intersection between the runaway and

homeless youth populations and trafficking, including noting

whether such youth who are victims of trafficking were

previously involved in the child welfare system or juvenile

justice system.”;

(4) in section 344(a)(2)(A), by striking “$100,000” and

inserting “$200,000”;

(5) in section 345—

(A) in subsection (a)—

(i) by striking “Not later than” and all that follows

through “Homelessness” and inserting “Not later than 2

years after the date of enactment of the Runaway and Homeless

Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act of 2026, and at 3-year

intervals thereafter, the Secretary, acting through the

Associate Commissioner of the Family and Youth Services

Bureau”;

(ii) in paragraph (1)—

(I) by striking “13” and inserting “12”; and

(II) by striking “and” after the semicolon;

(iii) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end

and inserting a semicolon; and

(iv) by adding at end the following:

“(3) that includes demographic information of such

individuals, including youth who are victims of trafficking;

and

“(4) that does not disclose the identity of any such

individual.”; and

(B) in subsection (b)(1)—

(i) by striking “13” and inserting “12”;

(ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking “and” after the

semicolon;

(iii) in subparagraph (B)—

(I) in clause (ii), by striking “; and” and inserting “,

including mental health services;”;

(II) in clause (iii), by striking “and” after the

semicolon; and

(III) by adding at end the following:

“(iv) connections to caring adults; and

“(v) access to secondary education, higher education, and

job training; and”;

(iv) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (E);

and

(v) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following:

“(B) incidences, if any, of such individuals who—

“(i) are victims of trafficking;

“(ii) are victims of sexual exploitation; or

“(iii) were involved in the child welfare or foster care

system;

“(C) demographic characteristics, including race, color,

religion, national origin, sex, gender identity (as defined

in section 249(c) of title 18, United States Code), sexual

orientation, and disability;

“(D) statistics on youth who are or were pregnant or

parenting; and”.

SEC. __. SEXUAL ABUSE AND TRAFFICKING PREVENTION PROGRAM;

STREET OUTREACH PROGRAM.

Part E of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (34 U.S.C.

11261 et seq.) is amended by striking section 351 and

inserting the following:

“SEC. 351. AUTHORITY TO MAKE GRANTS.

“(a) In General.—The Secretary shall make 5-year grants

to public and nonprofit private entities, and combinations of

such entities, for the purpose of providing street-based

services to runaway, homeless, and street youth who have been

subjected to, or are at risk of being subjected to, sexual

abuse or trafficking. The Secretary shall award such grants

not later than 90 days before the start date of the grant and

establish an appeal process for grantees.

“(b) Priority.—In selecting applicants to receive grants

under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give priority to

public and nonprofit private entities that have experience in

providing services to runaway, homeless, and street youth.

“(c) Eligibility Requirements.—To be eligible to receive

a grant under subsection (a), an applicant shall certify to

the Secretary that such applicant has expertise in serving

runaway, homeless, and street youth and has systems in place

to ensure that such applicant can provide services that

consider the age, gender, and social and developmental

background of youth described in subsection (a), and are

culturally and linguistically appropriate.”.

SEC. __. GENERAL PROVISIONS.

Part F of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (34 U.S.C.

11271 et seq.) is amended—

(1) in the heading, by striking “part f” and inserting

“part g”;

(2) in section 381—

(A) in subsection (a)(3), by striking “facility” and

inserting “center or project”; and

(B) in subsection (b)(1), by striking “facility” both

places it appears and inserting “center or project”;

(3) in section 382(a)—

(A) by striking “2000” and inserting “2026”;

(B) by striking “the Workforce” and inserting

“Workforce”;

(i) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) through (D) as

subparagraphs (C) through (E), respectively; and

(ii) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following:

“(B) identifying youth who are victims of trafficking;”;

and

(D) in paragraph (2)—

(i) by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the

following:

“(A) the number and characteristics of youth served by

such projects, including such youth who—

“(i) are victims of trafficking;

“(ii) are pregnant or parenting;

“(iii) have been involved in the child welfare system; or

“(iv) have been involved in the juvenile or adult criminal

justice system, the incarceration system, or legal

proceedings related to such systems;”; and

(ii) by striking subparagraph (F) and inserting the

following:

“(F) the ability of such projects to encourage the

resolution of problems within the family, including with

individuals identified by such youth as family, through

counseling and development of self-sufficient living skills;

and”;

(4) in section 383(a) by striking “facility's budget” and

inserting “budget of the center or project”;

(5) in section 384, by adding at the end the following:

“Grantees are encouraged to share data with other programs

and systems, without identifying individual youth in any

shared records, to improve coordination and maximize the use

of resources.”;

(6) by inserting after section 384 the following:

“SEC. 384A. ADMINISTRATION AND ENFORCEMENT.

“(a) In General.—The Secretary, acting through the

Associate Commissioner of the Family and Youth Services

Bureau, may waive any provision under this title for a period

of not more than 3 years, unless an extension is granted

under subsection (f), if—

“(1) a potential grantee requests a waiver that describes

1 or more conflicting or duplicative requirements or

circumstances that prevent the effective delivery of services

to runaway and homeless youth, such as an extraordinary

circumstance, natural disaster, public health emergency, or

financial crisis;

“(2) the Secretary determines that the waiver will, by

itself, contribute to or enhance the ability of the grantee

to carry out the purposes of this title; and

“(3) the Secretary determines that the waiver will not be

inconsistent with the objectives of this title.

“(b) Contents.—A request made under subsection (a) shall

be provided to the Secretary in writing and shall—

“(1) detail each provision within this title for which the

grantee seeks relief;

“(2) describe how a waiver from such provision will, by

itself, improve delivery of services to runaway and homeless

youth; and

“(3) certify that the health, safety, and well-being of

runaway and homeless youth served through assistance received

under this title will not be compromised as a result of the

waiver.

“(c) Notification of Approval or Disapproval.—

“(1) In general.—Not later than 30 days after the receipt

of a waiver request made under subsection (a), the Secretary

shall inform the grantee of approval or disapproval of the

request.

“(2) Disapproval.—If the request is disapproved, the

Secretary shall inform the grantee, the Committee on the

Judiciary of the Senate, and the Committee on Education and

Workforce of the House of Representatives of the reasons for

the disapproval and give the grantee the opportunity to amend

the request or appeal the decision.

“(3) Approval.—If the request is approved, the Secretary

shall grant a waiver and, not later than 30 days after

granting such waiver, notify and submit a report to the

Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate, and the Committee

on Education and Workforce of the House of Representatives

that describes—

“(A) each specific provision waived;

“(B) the reason given by the grantee for the need for a

waiver; and

“(C) the expected impact of the waiver on youth served

under this program.

“(d) External Conditions.—The Secretary shall not require

or impose any new or additional requirements in exchange for

receipt of a waiver if such requirements are not specified in

this title.

“(e) Termination.—The Secretary shall terminate approval

of a request for a waiver authorized under this section if

the Secretary determines, after notice and opportunity for a

hearing, that the performance of a grantee who was granted

relief under this section has been inadequate, or if such

relief is no longer necessary to achieve its original

purposes.

“(f) Waiver Extension.—

“(1) In general.—The Secretary may grant an extension to

an existing waiver authorized under this section for a period

of not more than 1 year upon a request for a waiver extension

from the grantee.

“(2) Extension request.—A request for a waiver extension

described under paragraph (1) shall be submitted to the

Secretary not later than 30 days before the expiration date

of the existing waiver, and shall re-certify the provisions

in subsection (b) and explain the need for additional time of

relief from such provisions provided in this title.

“(g) Restrictions.—Nothing in this title shall be

construed as authorizing the Secretary to permit a grantee to

alter the eligibility requirements for eligible youth.

Nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing the

Secretary to waive anything related to the Secretary's

authority under this title.”;

(7) in section 386(a)—

(A) by striking “3 consecutive” and inserting “5

consecutive” both places it appears;

(B) by inserting “, acting through the Associate

Commissioner of the Family and Youth Services Bureau,” after

“Secretary”; and

“on-site,”;

(8) in section 386A—

(A) in subsection (a)—

(i) by striking “Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act of 2008”

and inserting “Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking

Prevention Act of 2026”; and

(ii) by inserting “371,” after “sections”; and

(B) in subsection (c), by inserting “371,” after

“sections”;

(9) in section 387—

(A) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (4), (5), (6), (7),

and (8), as paragraphs (9), (6), (7), (8), (11), and (13),

respectively;

(B) by inserting before paragraph (2) the following:

“(1) Culturally and linguistically appropriate.—The term

`culturally and linguistically appropriate', with respect to

services, has the meaning given the term `culturally and

linguistically appropriate services' in the `National

Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate

Services in Health and Health Care', issued in April 2013, by

the Office of Minority Health of the Department of Health and

Human Services.”;

(i) in clause (i), by striking “21” and inserting “26”;

and

(ii) by striking clause (ii) and inserting the following:

“(ii) for the purposes of part B, not less than 15 years

of age but less than 26 years of age, subject to section

322(d);”;

(D) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:

“(4) Mixed projects.—The term `mixed projects' means a

building, structure, or campus that may house multiple

programs serving youth under the age of 26. Any of these

programs may be funded as authorized under this Act as well

as funded by other entities, including private, public, and

other government funding.

“(5) Prevention services.—The term `prevention services'

means services to prevent youth from becoming runaway,

homeless, or street youth and may include—

“(A) individual, family, group, and peer counseling;

“(B) family mediation;

“(C) assessing the strengths, vulnerabilities, and needs

of youth;

“(D) connecting youth to public services and housing

options;

“(E) emergency respite care for clients within the

allowable age range of the underlying grant award, including

care that provides parents and other caregivers with

emergency services and temporary shelter that offer relief;

“(F) connecting youth to education and employment

programs;

“(G) case management and resource navigation; and

“(H) activities to improve access to local mental health

and substance use treatment and prevention.”;

(E) in paragraph (7)(B), as redesignated by subparagraph

(A)—

(i) in clause (i), by inserting “, including the use of

online methods of engagement, as appropriate, based on the

needs of the community and population served” after “street

youth”; and

(ii) by striking clause (v) and inserting the following:

“(v) advocacy, education, and prevention services related

to—

“(I) substance use disorder;

“(II) trafficking;

“(III) sexually transmitted infections, including human

immunodeficiency virus;

“(IV) violence, including physical assault, sexual

assault, domestic violence, and gender-based violence; and

“(V) suicide.”;

(F) in paragraph (8)(B), as redesignated by subparagraph

(A), by striking “prostitution, or drug abuse” and

inserting “trafficking, or substance use disorder”;

(G) in paragraph (9), as redesignated by subparagraph (A),

by striking the paragraph (9) enumerator and all that follows

through “services'—”, and inserting the following:

“(9) Substance use disorder education and prevention

services.—The term `substance use disorder education and

prevention services'—”;

(H) by inserting after paragraph (9), as redesignated by

subparagraph (A), the following:

“(10) Trafficking.—The term `trafficking' has the meaning

given the terms `severe forms of trafficking in persons' and

`sex trafficking' in section 103 of the Trafficking Victims

Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102).”;

(I) in paragraph (11), as redesignated by subparagraph (A),

by inserting “, to establish family or community supports,”

after “self-sufficient living”;

(J) by inserting after paragraph (11), as redesignated by

subparagraph (A), the following:

“(12) Trauma-informed.—The term `trauma-informed' has the

meaning given the term in section 103 of the Juvenile Justice

and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (34 U.S.C. 11103).”;

and

(K) in paragraph (13)(B), as redesignated by subparagraph

(A)—

(i) in clause (ii)—

(I) by inserting “or able” after “willing”; and

(II) by striking “or” after the semicolon;

(ii) in clause (iii), by striking the period at the end and

inserting “; or”; and

(iii) by adding at end the following:

“(iv) who is involved in the child welfare system,

juvenile justice system, or criminal justice system, but who

is not being housed by any such system.”.

SEC. __. PREVENTION SERVICES.

The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (34 U.S.C. 11201 et

seq.) is amended by inserting after part E the following:

“PART F—PREVENTION SERVICES

“SEC. 371. AUTHORITY TO MAKE GRANTS.

“(a) In General.—The Secretary is authorized to make 5-

year grants to an eligible entity, as described under

subsection (c), that applies for an optional, additional

prevention services grant. Any funds provided under this part

are in addition to other funds grantees receive under other

parts in this title.

“(b) Priority.—In selecting grantees to receive grants

under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give priority to

eligible entities that are—

“(1) public entities and nonprofit, private entities that

have experience in providing services to runaway, homeless,

and street youth, and youth at risk of separation from the

family; and

“(2) public entities and nonprofit, private entities that

request prevention services grants of not more than $75,000

per year.

“(c) Eligibility Requirements.—To be eligible to receive

a grant under subsection (a)—

“(1) the potential grantee shall—

“(A) be a successful basic center program or transitional

living program, which may include a program that operates a

maternity group home, that wants to establish, strengthen, or

provide prevention services for youth at risk of homelessness

and youth at risk of running away; and

“(B) submit to the Secretary a plan agreeing, as part of

such program, to provide prevention services; and

“(2) the potential grantee shall certify to the Secretary

that such grantee has systems in place to provide services to

youth described in subsection (a) that consider the age,

gender, and social and developmental background of such

youth, and are culturally and linguistically appropriate.”.

SEC. __. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

Section 388(a) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (34

U.S.C. 11280(a)) is amended to read as follows:

“(a) In General.—

“(1) Authorization.—There are authorized to be

appropriated to carry out this title (other than parts E and

F) $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2027, and such sums as may be

necessary for each of fiscal years 2028 through 2031.

“(2) Allocation.—

“(A) Parts a and b.—From the amount appropriated under

paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve

not less than 90 percent to carry out parts A and B.

“(B) Part b.—Of the amount reserved under subparagraph

(A), 45 percent and, in those fiscal years in which

continuation grant obligations and the quality and number of

applicants for parts A and B warrant not more than 55

percent, shall be reserved to carry out part B.

“(3) Parts c and d.—

“(A) In general.—In each fiscal year, after reserving the

amounts required by paragraph (2), the Secretary shall use

the remaining amount (if any) to carry out parts C and D

(other than section 345).

“(B) Periodic estimate.—Of the amount authorized to be

appropriated under paragraph (1), $2,000,000 shall be made

available to carry out section 345 for each of fiscal years

2027, 2029, and 2031.

“(4) Part e.—There are authorized to be appropriated to

carry out part E $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2027, and such

sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2028

through 2031.

“(5) Part f.—There are authorized to be appropriated to

carry out part F $67,500,000 for fiscal year 2027, and such

sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2028

through 2031.”.

SEC. __. APPROVAL OF APPLICATION.

The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (34 U.S.C. 11201 et

seq.) is amended by adding at end the following:

“SEC. 390. APPROVAL OF APPLICATIONS.

“(a) In General.—An application by a public or private

nonprofit entity for a grant under section 311, 321, or 351,

may be approved by the Secretary for an amount for a fiscal

year that is—

“(1) not less than $225,000 and not more than $275,000 if

the amount appropriated to carry out this title (other than

parts E and F) for the fiscal year is equal to or greater

than $200,000,000; or

“(2) not less than $200,000 and not more than $250,000 if

the amount appropriated to carry out this title (other than

parts E and F) for the fiscal year is less than $200,000,000.

“(b) Priority.—In selecting applications for grants under

sections 311, 321, and 351, the Secretary shall give priority

to eligible grantees who have demonstrated experience in

providing services to runaway and homeless youth.”.

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and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe

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