Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act of 2008
Latest action · Oct 8, 2008 Became Public Law No: 110-378.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedMay 6, 2008
- Passed SenateSep 25, 2008
- Passed HouseSep 26, 2008
- To the PresidentSep 30, 2008
- Became lawOct 8, 2008Public Law 110-378
Summary
(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the Senate on September 25, 2008. The summary of that version is repeated here.)
Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act of 2008 - (Sec. 3) Amends the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act to revise requirements for services provided under grants from the Secretary of Health and Human Services for centers for runaway and homeless youth and their families. Limits the length of stay in such a center to 21 days.
Increases grant minimum allotments from $100,000 to $200,000 for states and from $45,000 to $70,000 for the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Prohibits the allotted amounts for a state for FY2009-FY2010 from being less than the allotted amount for FY2008.
Requires the plan proposed by grant applicants for a runaway and homeless youth center to include an adequate emergency preparedness and management plan.
(Sec. 4) Revises requirements for transitional living programs. Specifies that shelter and services may be provided by grant, agreement, or contract (currently, directly or indirectly) to homeless youth.
Increases the maximum length of continuous stay in such programs from 540 days to 635 days, if a youth would benefit to an usual extent from additional time in the program.
Requires a transitional living program also to develop an adequate emergency preparedness and management plan.
(Sec. 5) Requires the Secretary to give priority (currently, special consideration) to grant applicants for specified research, evaluation, demonstration, and service projects regarding runaway youth and homeless youth.
Requires the Secretary to give special consideration to proposed projects relating to: (1) behavior (currently, mental) health care for runaway and homeless youth; (2) access to educational and workforce programs to achieve outcomes such as decreasing secondary school dropout rates, increasing rates of attaining a secondary school diploma (or equivalent), or increasing placement and retention in postsecondary education or advanced workforce training programs; and (3) programs, including innovative programs, that assist youth in obtaining and maintaining safe and stable housing (which may include programs with supportive services that continue after the youth completes the remainder of the programs).
Requires the Secretary to ensure that selected grant applicants: (1) represent diverse U.S. geographic regions; and (2) carry out projects that serve diverse populations of runaway or homeless youth.
(Sec. 6) Requires the Secretary to report periodically to specified congressional committees and the public: (1) estimates of the incidence and prevalence of runaway and homeless individuals between 13 to 26 years of age; and (2) an assessment of such individual's characteristics.
(Sec. 7) Requires the Secretary to give priority to public and, as under current law, nonprofit private agencies for sexual abuse prevention programs.
(Sec. 8) Requires the Secretary to establish performance standards for grant recipients.
(Sec. 9) Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to specified congressional committees on the processes for making grants under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act.
(Sec. 10) Redefines "homeless youth" to cover an individual seeking shelter in a runaway and homeless center who is less than a maximum age higher than 18, if the center is located in a state or locality with a child or youth-serving-facility licensure law or regulation that permits a higher maximum age.
Allows a homeless youth to participate in a transitional living program up to age 22, as of the expiration of the maximum stay permitted, if the individual commences such stay before attaining age 22.
Defines "runaway youth" as an individual under age 18 who absents himself or herself from home or place of legal residence without the permission of parents or legal guardians.
(Sec. 13) Authorizes appropriations for FY2009-FY2013.
Cosponsors 1
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on May 6, 2008.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-PA | Arlen Specter | Original | May 6, 2008 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Judiciary Committee | Referred May 6, 2008Markup May 22, 2008Reported May 22, 2008 |
Actions 20
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Oct 8, 2008Signed by President.
- Oct 8, 2008Became Public Law No: 110-378.
- Sep 30, 2008Presented to President.
- Sep 26, 2008Received in the House.
- Sep 26, 2008Message on Senate action sent to the House.
In the Congressional Record 5
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S9993 | Patrick J. Leahy D-VT | Sep 27, 2008 |
| House | Debate and remarks H10113Text printed H10113–H10115 | Robert E. Andrews D-NJ | Sep 26, 2008 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S9548–S9551Amendments S9541, S9548 | Patrick J. Leahy D-VT (amendment), Richard J. Durbin D-IL | Sep 25, 2008 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S9230 | Harry Reid D-NV, Tom Coburn R-OK | Sep 23, 2008 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S3795Text printed S3796–S3798 | Patrick J. Leahy D-VT (text) | May 6, 2008 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Congressional Budget Office cost estimates 2
- Jun 10, 2008S. 2982, Runaway and Homeless Youth Protection Act<p>Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on May 22, 2008</p>
- Jun 10, 2008S. 2982, Runaway and Homeless Youth Protection ActCost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on May 22, 2008
CRS reports 10
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 10
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
Amendments 1
Amendments offered to this bill.
| Amendment | Description | Offered by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| SA 5652 | In the nature of a substitute. | Patrick J. Leahy D-VT | Amendment SA 5652 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent. |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 5524 | Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act of 2008 | Related bill | Jun 10, 2008 |
Titles 6
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to amend the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act to authorize appropriations, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Runaway and Homeless Youth Protection Act
- Short Titles as Reported to Senate
- Runaway and Homeless Youth Protection Act
- Short Titles as Passed House
- Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act of 2008
- Short Titles as Passed Senate
- Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act of 2008
- Short Titles as Enacted
- Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act of 2008
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Families.
- Administrative procedure
- Administrative remedies
- Authorization
- Child development
- Child sexual abuse
- Congress
- Congressional investigations
- Congressional reporting requirements
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Economics and Public Finance
- Evaluation research (Social action programs)
- Families
- Government Operations and Politics
- Government publicity
- Grants-in-aid
- Homeless
- Housing and Community Development
- Juvenile delinquency
- Law
- Nonprofit organizations
- Parent and child
- Performance measurement
- Runaway children
- Social Welfare
- Youth services
Text 4
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Sep 29, 2008Enrolled Bill
- Sep 26, 2008Engrossed in Senate
- May 22, 2008Reported to Senate
- May 6, 2008Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
