A resolution designating November 2019 as "National Runaway Prevention Month".

III 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. RES. 442 Designating November 2019 as ‘‘National Runaway Prevention Month’’. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES NOVEMBER 21, 2019 Ms. DUCKWORTH (for herself, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. SULLIVAN, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina, Ms. CANTWELL, Ms. MURKOWSKI, and Mrs. MURRAY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary DECEMBER 2, 2019 Committee discharged; considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Designating November 2019 as ‘‘National Runaway Prevention Month’’. Whereas results from the Voices of Youth Count national survey, as published by Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago in ‘‘Missed Opportunities: Youth Homelessness in America’’, indicates that an estimated 4,200,000 youth and young adults between 13 and 24 years of age experi- enced homelessness during a 12-month period ending in 2017, including— (1) an estimated 700,000 children between 13 and 17 years of age who experienced unaccompanied home- lessness; and VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:01 Dec 02, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR442.ATS SR442 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 SRES 442 ATS (2) an estimated 3,500,000 young adults between 18 and 24 years of age; Whereas the rates of youth experiencing homelessness are similar in rural and nonrural areas; Whereas runaway youth often have been expelled from their homes by their families, have experienced abuse and trau- ma, are involved in the foster care system, are too poor to secure their own basic needs, and may be ineligible or unable to access medical or mental health resources; Whereas individuals without a high school degree or general educational development certificate are nearly 4 times more likely to report homelessness than their peers, mak- ing lack of education a leading risk factor for homeless- ness; Whereas youth of color and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ) youth experience higher rates of homelessness than their straight and White peers; Whereas pregnant youth, parents who are 25 years of age or younger, and their children experience higher rates of homelessness than youth and young adults without chil- dren; Whereas runaway and homeless youth are at an increased risk for exploitation and becoming victims of sex and labor trafficking, and between 19 percent and 49 percent of young people who experience homelessness will become victims of trafficking; Whereas youth who run away from home or from foster care are more likely to be coerced into participating in crimi- nal activity, joining a gang, or using illegal drugs, which VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:01 Dec 02, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR442.ATS SR442 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 SRES 442 ATS lead to a higher likelihood of involvement in the criminal justice system; Whereas preventing youth from running away from home or from foster care and supporting youth in high-risk situa- tions is a family, community, and national responsibility; Whereas the future well-being of the Nation is dependent on the value placed on youth and the opportunities provided for youth to acquire the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to help youth successfully develop into safe, healthy, and productive adults; Whereas effective programs supporting runaway youth and assisting youth and their families in providing safe and stable homes succeed because of partnerships created among families, youth-based advocacy organizations, community-based human service agencies, law enforce- ment, schools, faith-based organizations, and businesses; and Whereas the National Runaway Safeline and the National Network for Youth are leading the promotion of National Runaway Prevention Month in November 2019— (1) to raise awareness of the runaway and homeless youth crisis and the issues these young people face; and (2) to educate the public about solutions and the role they can play in ending youth homelessness: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate— 1 (1) designates November 2019 as ‘‘National 2 Runaway Prevention Month’’; and 3 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:01 Dec 02, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR442.ATS SR442 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 SRES 442 ATS (2) recognizes and supports the goals and ideals 1 of National Runaway Prevention Month. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:01 Dec 02, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\SR442.ATS SR442 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS