Supporting efforts to promote greater public awareness of effective runaway youth prevention programs and the need for safe and productive alternatives, resources, and supports for youth in high-risk situations.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 805) supporting efforts to promote greater public awareness of effective runaway youth prevention programs and the need for safe and productive alternatives, resources, and supports for youth in high-risk situations.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 805.

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

I rise today in support of H. Res. 805 which seeks to promote greater public awareness of effective runaway youth prevention programs and the need for safe and productive alternatives, resources and supports for youth in high-risk situations. I would like to thank the leadership for allowing this resolution to come to the House floor as it highlights a very tragic and important issue.

Runaway and thrownaway episodes among our Nation's youth are serious and widespread, with one out of every seven children and youth in the United States running away or being turned

out of the home before the age of 18. A recent study by the Federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention estimates that nearly 1.7 million youth experienced a runaway or thrownaway episode in a single year. The prevalence of runaway and homeless youth in the Nation is astounding, with studies suggesting that between 1.6 million and 2.8 million young people live on the streets of the United States each year. The primary factors of running away or being thrown away are severe family conflict, abuse and neglect, and parental abuse of alcohol and drugs.

In the district that I represent in southern Nevada, the statistics are similar. In the year 2003, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department reported 4,527 runaways. There were approximately 3,500 children who required emergency shelter. 1,800 of these children were placed in foster care. In addition to that, the Clark County School District reported that 3,011 of our students were homeless. These astonishing statistics highlight the need for our support of those important programs that seek to prevent these types of incidents.

Many of the conditions that lead young people to leave or be turned out of their homes are preventable through interventions that can strengthen families and support youth in high-risk situations. Successful interventions are grounded in partnerships among families, community-based human service agencies, law enforcement agencies, schools, faith-based organizations and businesses.

The National Network For Youth and the National Runaway Switchboard have collaborated since 2002 in cosponsoring National Runaway Prevention Month during the month of November. National Runaway Prevention Month is a public education initiative aimed at increasing the awareness of issues facing runaways as well as making the public aware of the role they play in preventing youth from running away. As a result of this collaboration, communities across the country have undertaken a range of activities to commemorate National Runaway Prevention Month.

Preventing young people from running away and supporting youth in high-risk situations is a family, community and national concern. Please join us in encouraging all Americans to play a role in supporting the millions of young people who have run away and who are at risk of doing so each year. H.R. 805 supports efforts to promote greater public awareness of effective runaway youth prevention programs and the need for safe and productive alternatives, resources and supports for youth in high-risk situations.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey).

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Nevada and the gentleman from Michigan for introducing House Resolution 805 to bring awareness and express support for runaway youth prevention programs. As the author of H.R. 1925, the Runaway, Homeless, and Missing Children Protection Act, which was signed into law by President Bush almost a year ago today, I believe it is important to protect our children from early tragedy. As some of my colleagues may remember, H.R. 1925 reauthorizes and amends the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act and the Missing Children's Assistance Act and extends the National Center For Missing and Exploited Children and other program activities annual funding through the year 2008.

As an OB/GYN physician for almost 30 years and as a legislator, I have made it a priority to protect and defend children. The future well-being of the Nation is dependent on the value placed on young people and the opportunities provided for youth to acquire the knowledge, the skills and the abilities necessary to develop into safe, healthy and productive adults. I care about the safety of all youth and I want to end the vicious cycle that creates broken families and unwanted children.

With statistics indicating that one out of seven children run away from home before the age of 18, I believe we need to work to promote and encourage organizations that help children vacate dangerous homes and prevent others from making hasty and, oftentimes, unsafe decisions to leave.

Mr. Speaker, with November being National Runaway Prevention Month, I believe it is important for Congress to recognize effective runaway youth prevention programs so we can save lives and prevent tragedy. National Runaway Prevention Month will educate young people about the risks associated with running away from home and the resources available to them should they run away or be expelled from home. During the month of November, communities across the country will sponsor activities to celebrate National Runaway Prevention Month. Planned activities include inviting lawmakers, media, community leaders and others to visit programs that serve youth, organizing community service events and developing materials and presentations to educate youth, parents, teachers, law enforcement officials, businesses and other community members about local resources available to youths in crisis.

With the future well-being of our children at stake, I ask my colleagues to pass this resolution and support National Runaway Prevention Month.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution. H. Res. 805 promotes the need for greater public awareness of effective runaway youth prevention programs and the increasing need for safe and productive alternatives, resources and supports for youth in high-risk situations.

Mr. Speaker, let me first applaud the hard work of the front line workers who are on the ground working with runaway and homeless youth every day. For many youth, these workers represent the only responsible and caring adults they will have contact with during their time on the streets. Many of these workers are volunteers who make themselves available 24 hours a day. They venture into dangerous situations, providing a lifeline to these young people. They should be acknowledged for their efforts.

Mr. Speaker, the youth who come to these programs represent a lost generation. Most of them are not runaways. They have been thrown away, thrown away by their parents and by society. When they come to these programs, they do so out of a need for security, shelter and comfort they cannot find at home. These programs provide that comfort. They provide basic life skills, training, job preparation and placement, health referrals and services.

As of this fall, youth who visit these programs will be automatically eligible for school nutrition programs and will be able to receive meals and snacks through shelter programs. The reauthorization of child nutrition programs enacted this summer made this possible and ensures that these youth can get a nutritious meal even if they are on the street. Nearly 150,000 youth are served at basic centers and through transitional living programs. Yet as this resolution points out, many more runaways and homeless youth find themselves without these critical community services.

It is appropriate, Mr. Speaker, that Congress take time out to promote greater public awareness of the needs of these young people and the services that are available to them in the community.

In closing, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 805, a bill that supports efforts to promote greater public awareness of effective runaway youth prevention programs and the need for safe and productive alternatives, resources, and supports for youth in high- risk situations.

Studies suggest that somewhere between 1.6 and 2.8 million youth live on the streets of America, with one in seven youth running away at least once before their eighteenth birthday. 43 percent of runaway youth reports being abused by their caretaker, and over a quarter have been sexually assaulted. They face disproportionately high rates of sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS, and teen pregnancy. Tragically, two-thirds of these youth have attempted suicide. To survive on the street, many youth turn to illegal activities such as drugs, theft, prostitution, and pornography.

Runaways are not throwaways. Passing this important bipartisan resolution is an important step towards Congress' full recognition of this problem as a national crisis. Our children are this Nation's greatest resource, and none should be considered expendable. I urge my colleagues to not just support this resolution, but to also continue our strong support of Runaway and Homeless Youth (Basic Center) Grant Program, The Transitional Living Program (TLP), and The Sexual Abuse Prevention (Street Outreach) Program.

I would like to take a moment to recognize the important contributions made by Our Town Family Center in Tucson, Arizona. Volunteers at this facility assist in outreach efforts to runaway youth, missing children, and homeless street youth in case management, advocacy, phone intake, and administrative support, and help the mobile outreach team cruise the streets to make contact with street youth in need of food, clothing, shelter, and medical information.

It is the responsibility of Congress to support these valuable community contributions to America's most troubled youth. This resolution rightfully recognizes the problem that this country faces, and the important role that community action plays in working towards real solutions. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan statement of support.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as one of the original cosponsors of H. Res. 805. According to the second National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway and Throwaway Children released in October of 2002, it is estimated that there is approximately 800,000 children reported missing each year, which is more than 2,000 children each day. This legislation, in a way, honors the individuals and organizations who work so hard to reach out to our young people that are in some of the most desperate situations.

As we can all imagine, the situation on the streets for these young people is desperate and incredibly rough. Half of the HIV cases in the United States are in the youth population--homeless and runaway youth are two to ten times higher than non-homeless teens to have HIV and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that 94% of homeless youth are sexual active. We unfortunately

can not make street life disappear or even reach a level of utopia--but we can ensure that there are services available to help with the daily street life, whether it is trying to find a bed, a warm meal or some safe, genuine companionship.

Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation and again commend the individuals who have dedicated their lives to helping the lives of young people in need.