Senate Reintroduces Important Bill to Combat Youth Homelessness and Human Trafficking

For Release: January 28, 2015
Contact: Liz Baker, 202 503 3221

Washington, DC: The Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking (ATEST) today voiced its support for S.262, the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act, introduced by Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt), Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH).

“Many of our young people are alone, cold and homeless,” said Darla Bardine, Executive Director of the National Network for Youth, a member of ATEST. “The Runaway and Homeless Youth Trafficking Prevention Act provides life-saving housing, food and support for young people. Congress needs to show they care about our youth and pass this immediately.”

This bill reauthorizes a 40-year old piece of legislation that is crucial to preventing and ending youth homelessness in the United States. The bill improves services to homeless youth in crisis and strengthens efforts to collect data on human trafficking victims.

“We applaud Senators Leahy, Collins, Booker, and Ayotte for introducing this piece of legislation. This includes important protections for vulnerable youth and should immediately be passed,” said Melysa Sperber, Director of ATEST.