On June 10, 2025, Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01) and Don Bacon (R-NE-02) introduced the bipartisan Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act of 2025 (RHYTPA) (S.2012/H.R.3856). Joining them as original cosponsors are Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Representative Morgan McGarvey (D-KY-03).
This critical legislation reauthorizes and updates the current Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) program, which is the primary federal funding stream that supports community-based programs for youth, young adults, and young parent families experiencing homelessness and/or human trafficking. These programs connect young people with housing and services including education, employment, family reunification, healthcare, and more.
RHYTPA Makes these Critical Updates to the RHYA
- Prioritizes outreach and extends services to survivors of sexual abuse, exploitation, and/or trafficking.
- Requires staff training on human trafficking, trauma, sexual abuse, and assault.
- Allows RHYA grantees to apply for an additional $75,000 to provide services to prevent young people in their community from experiencing homelessness.
- Extends the allowable length of stay in for short-term crisis housing for minors from 21 to 30 days (or longer as state law allows).
- Increases the eligible age for transitional living programs from 22 to 25 years old, while still prioritizing youth under 22 years old and allowing the RHYA provider discretion over service provision for youth ages 22 to 25.
- More than doubles the authorized appropriations levels to $317.5 million to accommodate longer length of stays in short-term housing for minors, longer grant cycles, a new preventative services program, and the increased cost to provide services (last authorization increase was over ten years ago).
- Ensures youth are assisted in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
- Requires comprehensive nondiscriminatory practices across all RHYA-funded programs.
- Clarifies that providers can have more than 20 beds in a building if the building houses multiple, separate programs.
National Network for Youth applauds our Congressional champions and their dedication to preventing and ending homelessness and trafficking for youth, young adults, and young parents. Read the Senate Press Release.
Learn More
Title: Strengthening Support for Youth: Learn About RHYTPA
Date: Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Time: 2:00 – 3:00 PM Eastern (1:00 PM Central | 12:00 PM Mountain | 11:00 AM Pacific)
Join us for an in-depth webinar on this bipartisan legislation that reauthorizes and strengthens federal programs serving youth experiencing homelessness and those at risk of trafficking.
This webinar will cover how RHYTPA will update the important Runaway and Homeless Youth Act program and what you can do to help advocate for its passage.
