{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases/bonamici-collins-durbin-introduce-bipartisan-bicameral-legislation-help", "Bonamici, Collins, Durbin Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Help Runaway and Homeless Youth", "2023-11-01", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Suzanne Bonamici", "B001278", "bonamici.house.gov", "bonamici", "https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Don Bacon (R-NE), Zach Nunn (R-IA), Morgan McGarvey (D-KY), and U.S. Senator Susan Collins and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act of 2023. This bipartisan legislation will reauthorize key federal grant programs to provide states with funding to help thousands of homeless young people nationwide.\n\n\u201cYoung people thrive when they have a safe and stable home,\u201d said Rep. Bonamici, Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Homelessness. \u201cWe must help and protect youth experiencing homelessness and survivors of trafficking in their time of need. This bipartisan update to the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act will expand and improve the services many youth need when they do not have a place to call home, and it strengthens programs that can empower them to transition out of homelessness.\u201d\n\n\u201cHaving a caring and safe place to sleep, eat, grow, and study is crucial for any young person\u2019s development,\u201d said Senator Collins. \u201cOur bipartisan legislation would support young people who run away, are forced out of their homes, or are disconnected from their families, by extending basic social services to these most vulnerable youth in our communities.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis legislation is an investment in the future of our nation and a promise not to give up on any child,\u201d said Senator Durbin. \u201cIt will help us empower our youth\u2014especially those in underserved communities\u2014to realize their dreams for a better and brighter future, regardless of the traumatic experiences they may have faced.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs the number of homeless and runaway youth increases, we must increase our federal efforts to assist and protect these youth who are particularly susceptible to trafficking,\u201d said Rep. Bacon. \u201cThis bill provides agencies with the means to support youth who are in vulnerable positions and gives them the resources to address these problems.\u201d\n\n\u201cEvery young person deserves a safe and secure environment to grow up in,\u201d said Rep. Nunn. \u201cThis bipartisan legislation ensures young people in vulnerable situations can receive the help they need to sleep, eat, study, and develop.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo child should ever be forced to live on the streets in fear of their wellbeing and safety,\u201d said Rep. McGarvey. \u201cThis bipartisan legislation is going provide critical resources to young people experiencing homelessness, especially LGBTQ+ and trans youth who are at a higher risk of being forced out of their homes. I\u2019m proud to continue former Congressman Yarmuth\u2019s fight to help young people in Louisville and across our country; it takes a village to care for our children, and I\u2019m committed to safeguarding our most vulnerable youth.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe applaud our congressional champions for introducing the important Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act, because our young people continue to face limited access to housing options, education, and living wage employment. This legislation makes critical expansions to meet the needs of today\u2019s youth, and continues the powerful legacy of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act program. Further, it builds on what we already know: ending youth homelessness prevents human trafficking,\u201d said Darla Bardine, Executive Director, National Network for Youth.\n\nThe landmark Runaway and Homeless Youth Act was first passed by Congress in 1974, providing nationwide support to address youth and young adult homelessness. This reauthorization would expand protections to youths who are particularly vulnerable to human trafficking and would authorize funding for state and local programs to help provide transitional housing, street outreach, and crisis intervention programs to address the needs of homeless and runaway youth.\n\nAmong other improvements, this legislation would:\n\nReauthorize, modernize, and increase authorization levels for programs under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act;\n\nCreate a new Prevention Services Program that would make additional resources available to organizations providing counseling, mediation, and other services aimed at preventing youth from running away or becoming homeless;\n\nIncrease annual competitive grants for rural youth demographics from $100,000 to $200,000;\n\nRequire the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a national estimate of the prevalence of homeless youth every three years; and\n\nIncrease the allowable length of stay in the Basic Center Program from 21 days to 30 days.\n\nThe legislation is supported by youth advocacy organizations including the National Network for Youth, which has supported the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act since it was first enacted in 1974.\n\nA complete list of organizations endorsing this bill can be read HERE.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases/bonamici-collins-durbin-introduce-bipartisan-bicameral-legislation-help"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0418822057545185, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}