
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 42USC5701]

 
                 TITLE 42--THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
 
         CHAPTER 72--JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION
 
               SUBCHAPTER III--RUNAWAY AND HOMELESS YOUTH
 
Sec. 5701. Congressional statement of findings

    The Congress hereby finds that--
        (1) juveniles who have become homeless or who leave and remain 
    away from home without parental permission, are at risk of 
    developing serious health and other problems because they lack 
    sufficient resources to obtain care and may live on the street for 
    extended periods thereby endangering themselves and creating a 
    substantial law enforcement problem for communities in which they 
    congregate;
        (2) the exact nature of the problem is not well defined because 
    national statistics on the size and profile of the runaway youth 
    population are not tabulated;
        (3) many such young people, because of their age and situation, 
    are urgently in need of temporary shelter and counseling services;
        (4) the problem of locating, detaining, and returning runaway 
    children should not be the responsibility of already overburdened 
    police departments and juvenile justice authorities;
        (5) in view of the interstate nature of the problem, it is the 
    responsibility of the Federal Government to develop an accurate 
    national reporting system to report the problem, and to assist in 
    the development of an effective system of care (including preventive 
    services, emergency shelter services, and extended residential 
    shelter) outside the welfare system and the law enforcement system;
        (6) runaway and homeless youth have a disproportionate share of 
    health, behavioral, and emotional problems compared to the general 
    population of youth, but have less access to health care and other 
    appropriate services and therefore may need access to longer periods 
    of residential care, more intensive aftercare service, and other 
    assistance;
        (7) to make a successful transition to adulthood, runaway youth, 
    homeless youth, and other street youth need opportunities to 
    complete high school or earn a general equivalency degree, learn job 
    skills, and obtain employment;
        (8) services for runaway and homeless youth are needed in urban, 
    suburban, and rural areas;
        (9) early intervention services (such as home-based services) 
    are needed to prevent runaway and homeless youth from becoming 
    involved in the juvenile justice system and other law enforcement 
    systems; and
        (10) street-based services that target runaway and homeless 
    youth where they congregate are needed to reach youth who require 
    assistance but who would not otherwise avail themselves of such 
    assistance or services without street-based outreach.

(Pub. L. 93-415, title III, Sec. 302, Sept. 7, 1974, 88 Stat. 1129; Pub. 
L. 102-586, Sec. 3(a), Nov. 4, 1992, 106 Stat. 5017; Pub. L. 106-71, 
Sec. 3(a), Oct. 12, 1999, 113 Stat. 1035.)


                               Amendments

    1999--Par. (5). Pub. L. 106-71, Sec. 3(a)(1), substituted ``an 
accurate national reporting system to report the problem, and to assist 
in the development of'' for ``accurate reporting of the problem 
nationally and to develop''.
    Par. (8). Pub. L. 106-71, Sec. 3(a)(2), added par. (8) and struck 
out former par. (8) which read as follows: ``in view of the interstate 
nature of the problem, it is the responsibility of the Federal 
Government to develop an accurate national reporting system and to 
develop an effective system of care including prevention, emergency 
shelter services, and longer residential care outside the public welfare 
and law enforcement structures;''.
    1992--Par. (1). Pub. L. 102-586, Sec. 3(a)(1), amended par. (1) 
generally. Prior to amendment, par. (1) read as follows: ``the number of 
juveniles who leave and remain away from home without parental 
permission has increased to alarming proportions, creating a substantial 
law enforcement problem for the communities inundated, and significantly 
endangering the young people who are without resources and live on the 
street;''.
    Par. (5). Pub. L. 102-586, Sec. 3(a)(3), substituted ``care 
(including preventive services, emergency shelter services, and extended 
residential shelter) outside the welfare system and the law enforcement 
system;'' for ``temporary care outside the law enforcement structure.''
    Pars. (6) to (10). Pub. L. 102-586, Sec. 3(a)(2), (4), added pars. 
(6) to (10).


                               Short Title

    For short title of title III of Pub. L. 93-415, which enacted this 
subchapter, as the ``Runaway and Homeless Youth Act'', see section 301 
of Pub. L. 93-415, as amended, set out as a note under section 5601 of 
this title.
