Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, I rise to join my colleague, the senior Senator from Illinois and chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Durbin, in introducing the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act of 2023. This bill would update and reauthorize Runaway and Homeless Youth Act programs, which have provided lifesaving services and housing for America's homeless youth for nearly half a century.

Homelessness is affecting youth in truly staggering numbers. According to the National Network for Youth, an estimated 4.2 million young people experience homelessness at some point each year. Some of these youth may be away from home for a few nights, while others have been living on the streets for years. No area of this country is immune from the scourge of homelessness, as it affects rural and urban communities alike.

Tragically, runaway and homeless youth are at high risk of victimization, abuse, criminal activity, and even death. 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 criminal justice system. The reality is that available data likely underestimate the scale and consequences of this problem.

I have met with teachers, social workers, and others from Maine who work directly with young people experiencing homelessness, and I have talked with homeless teens to learn from their experiences. We talked about the pressure that student homelessness places on teachers, school administrators and their already strapped resources, and--most important--the homeless students themselves. I have also visited New Beginnings in Lewiston, ME, where I saw firsthand how Runaway and Homeless Youth Act resources are providing essential safety nets for young people in need. The staff at New Beginnings provides a safe place, helps young people with case management, facilitates referrals to State and local agencies, assists with housing needs and access to shelter, and connects individuals to local educational and employment programs.

Several years ago, as the chair of the Senate Transportation and Housing Appropriations Subcommittee, I held a hearing that featured testimony from Brittany Dixon, a former homeless youth from Auburn, ME who gave powerful testimony on her personal experience with homelessness. After becoming homeless, Brittany was connected with New Beginnings. In her testimony, she said, ``New Beginnings provided many resources I could use to succeed, including assistance with college applications and financial aid . . . New Beginnings has helped me to develop critical life skills and to become self-sufficient . . . . Programs that support homeless youth are important to so many young people like me,'' she added. ``It gives young people the chance to have a safe place to stay while they get their footing and figure out what they want to do in their lives.''

Runaway and Homeless Youth Act programs helped make Brittany's success story possible. Sadly, however, there are still many homeless youth who do not have the support they need. We must build on our past efforts because homeless youth should have the same opportunities to succeed as their peers.

The three existing Runaway and Homeless Youth Act programs--the Basic Center Program, the Street Outreach Program, and the Transitional Living Program--help community-based organizations reach 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 escape victimization and trafficking.

The Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act would reauthorize and strengthen these programs that help homeless youth meet their immediate needs, and it would help secure long-term residential services for those who cannot be safely reunited with their families. Our legislation would also create a new program--the Prevention Services Program--designed to help prevent youth from becoming homeless in the first instance. Moreover, our bill supports wraparound services for victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation.

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

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

By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Ms. Cortez Masto, Ms. Hirono, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Butler, Mr. Welch, and Mr. Whitehouse):

S. 3128. A bill to streamline the reporting of violations against immigrant children in Federal custody, to provide protections for unaccompanied immigrant children, and to ensure safe release to sponsors, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

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