Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise to join my colleague, the senior Senator from Vermont, in introducing the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act. This bill would update and reauthorize the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act programs, which have provided life- saving services and housing for America's homeless youth for more than forty years.

Homelessness is affecting youth in unprecedented numbers. According to a recent study by Voices of Youth Count, an estimated 4.2 million young people experience homelessness at some point each year. Some of these youth may stay away from home for a few nights, while others have been living on the streets for years. Approximately 73 percent experienced homelessness lasting more than one month. The study also found that homelessness is just as prevalent in rural communities as it is in urban communities.

And sadly, these statistics likely underestimate the scale of this problem. This month, I met with teachers and specialists from Lewiston, Maine, who work directly with young people in Lewiston High School whose families experience homelessness. We talked about the pressures that student homelessness places on teachers, school administrators, and their already strapped resources, and, of course, on the children and teens themselves. Although schools often serve as a first stop for assistance, the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act would reauthorize and strengthen the programs that help homeless youth meet their immediate needs, and it would help secure long-term residential services for those who cannot be reunified with their families safely.

The three Runaway and Homeless Youth Act programs--the Basic Center Program, the Street Outreach Program, and the Transitional Living Program--help community-based organizations reach these young people when they need support the most. These programs help runaway and homeless youth avoid the juvenile justice system, and early intervention can help them to escape victimization and trafficking.

As Chairman of the Senate Housing Appropriations Subcommittee, working to end the scourge of homelessness--among both youth and adults--has been one of my top priorities. Along with Senator Jack Reed, I created a grant program to reduce youth homelessness. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, there has been a 15 percent drop in chronic homelessness since 2007. We must build on this success. Homeless youth should have the same opportunities to succeed as their peers, and this bill is an important step in that direction.

In Maine, our homeless shelters are critical partners in the fight to end human trafficking. Earlier this year, I hosted U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson in Lewiston. We visited New Beginnings, where we saw firsthand how Runaway and Homeless Youth Act resources are providing essential safety nets for young people in need. Staff at New Beginnings help young people with case management, find referrals to local and State agencies, assist with housing needs and access to shelter, and connect them to local educational and employment programs.

These programs produce results. In 2015, I held a hearing during which Brittany Dixon, a former homeless youth from Auburn, Maine, testified about her personal experience with New Beginnings. After becoming homeless as a teenager, New Beginnings gave her the help and support she needed to develop critical life skills and become self- sufficient. She went on to earn a college degree and obtain a full-time job as an education technician at an elementary school.

Mr. President, teens run away and become homeless for many reasons. They are also at high risk of victimization, abuse, criminal activity, and even death. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children estimates that, in 2017, one in seven of nearly 25,000 youth reported to them as runaways were sex trafficking victims. In Maine, recent reports show that of the more than 10,000 reported human trafficking cases last year, 26 percent involved minors. Several hundreds of these victims identified as runaway or homeless youth. This population is at greater risk of suicide, unintended pregnancy, and substance abuse. Many are unable to continue with school and are more likely to enter our juvenile justice system.

Our bill focuses on this tragic problem by supporting wrap-around services for victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation. Congress has passed legislation in recent years to combat these horrific crimes and support survivors, and the policies and tools included in the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act are important pieces of the Federal response to human trafficking.

The data also show that a growing number of homeless youth identify as LGBT. According to the Voices of Youth Count report, LGBT young people are twice as likely to be homeless. Our bill would ensure that those seeking services through these Federal programs are not denied assistance based on their race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.

Mr. President, the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act will support those young people who run away, are kicked out, or are disconnected from families. A caring and safe place to sleep, eat, grow, study, and develop is critical for all young people. The programs reauthorized through this legislation help extend those basic services to the most vulnerable youth in our communities.

I thank Senator Leahy for his leadership on this bill and urge my colleagues to support it. ______

By Mr. DURBIN:

S. 2922. A bill to permit Amtrak to bring civil actions in Federal district court to enforce the right set forth in section 24308(c) of title 49, United States Code, which gives intercity and commuter rail passenger transportation preference over freight transportation in using a rail line, junction, or crossing; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

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