Enhancing Services for Runaway and Homeless Victims of Youth Trafficking Act of 2015

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 468, the Enhancing Services
for Runaway and Homeless Victims of Youth Trafficking Act of 2015.
I am honored to join my colleagues, the gentleman from Nevada (Mr.
Heck), the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg), and the chairman of
the full committee, Mr. Kline, and appreciate their leadership on this
important issue.

Our bill makes important changes in the Runaway and Homeless Youth
Act, so that victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking can get
more of the help that they need. We know that trafficking and youth
homelessness are often affecting the same populations.

Young people that have run away or are homeless are particularly
vulnerable to sexual exploitation and trafficking, and programs
targeted towards the runaway and homeless youth should be
simultaneously equipped to support victims of trafficking when there is
such an overlap.

Research consistently confirms the correlation between running away
and becoming exploited through prostitution. For example, according to
a 2006 FBI Uniform Crime Report, girls who run away from their homes,
group homes, foster homes, or treatment centers are at high risk of
being targeted by a trafficker or becoming exploited.

Street outreach programs were created to provide services to runaway
and homeless and street youth who have been subjected to or are at risk
of being subjected to sexual abuse. Every year, 25,000 of these young
people find shelter as a result of these programs.

The legislation being considered today ensures that street outreach
programs can rely on funding already available through the Runaway and
Homeless Youth Act. This allows the Department of Health and Human
Services to provide street-based services such as individual
assessments, treatment, counseling, or other shelter for runaway and
homeless youth who are also victims of trafficking.

Additionally, the bill authorizes States, organizations, and other
entities to use runaway and homeless youth research grants for staff
training to work with these young victims. Such additional training
will allow service providers to successfully address the behavioral and
emotional effects of the abuse and assault that these victims endure.

Our bill also enhances training programs so that staff will be able
to recognize and respond to the unique needs of trafficking victims.
This is a small but important change, one necessary to improve services
available.

Updating the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act with this legislation is
an important first step, but it is also important for Congress to
consider reauthorizing the entire act, which expired last year.

In the 113th Congress, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a
bipartisan reauthorization bill that would provide other critical
support to runaway and homeless youth, including extending time for
safe and appropriate shelter, establishing performance standards for
assistance programs, strengthening data collection, and ensuring that
adequate resources for all runaway and homeless youths are available.

It is my hope that the House can continue the spirit of
bipartisanship and comprehensively update the Runaway and Homeless
Youth Act. Our Nation's most vulnerable youth need us to come together
and work together on their behalf.

Meanwhile, Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support
the legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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