With more human traffickers caught in California than in any other state, U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA) has proposed revamping federal programs that provide support for homeless and runaway youth, a population particularly at risk for human trafficking.
“Homelessness and human trafficking are two of the biggest problems we face in California’s Central Valley,” Rep. Denham said. “I’m working with programs in my community to improve the lives of at-risk youth, and this bill will further empower them to do that — especially when it comes to strengthening trafficking prevention efforts and victim assistance.”
The bipartisan Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act (RHYTPA), H.R. 5339, was introduced on March 20 by U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY), with U.S. Reps. David Reichert (R-WA) and Denham signing on as original cosponsors.
If enacted, H.R. 5339 would reauthorize the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, which expired in 2013, and would increase federal funds for outreach, basic programs, prevention efforts, and extended-support programs for at-risk youth, such as those that help more young people pursue general equivalency diplomas and Maternity Group Homes (MGH) for pregnant teens.
In a similar effort last November, Reps. Denham and Yarmouth urged budget leaders on both sides of the aisle in the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee and U.S. House Appropriations Committee to preserve grant funds for both MGH and the Transition Living Program (TLP) that are scheduled to end in April. Such a funding gap could result in programs downgrading, discontinuing or permanently closing, the lawmakers wrote in a Nov. 13, 2017 letter they co-signed.
“TLP and MGH grants are critical to helping runaway and homeless youth find employment, learn life skills, provide parental care and guidance, acquire and maintain affordable housing, and ultimately return to their communities,” according to the letter, which included the signatures of 78 congressional colleagues.
Rep. Denham also recently supported other human trafficking bills, including the Combating Human Trafficking in Commercial Vehicles Act, S. 1536 / H.R. 3813, which was signed into law on Jan. 3, and the No Human Trafficking on Our Roads Act, S. 1532 / H.R. 3814, which also became law when it was signed by the president on Jan. 8.
H.R. 5339 has been referred to the U.S. House Education and the Workforce Committee.