PRIA Logo™
Title 34, NavyRelease 119-110

§11201 Findings

Title 34 › Subtitle I — Comprehensive Acts › CHAPTER 111 — JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION › SUBCHAPTER III — RUNAWAY AND HOMELESS YOUTH › § 11201

Last updated Sep 23, 2026|Official source

Summary

Congress finds runaway and homeless youth face higher rates of serious health, behavior, and emotional problems because they lack care and may live on the street, which also causes community safety issues. Many need urgent, temporary shelter and services that are language‑appropriate and fit their situation. Services should help young people feel safe and supported, belong, be valued, be more independent, and have close relationships. Because the problem crosses state lines, the federal government must create a national reporting system and help build care outside the welfare and police systems, including prevention, aftercare, emergency and longer‑term shelters, and street outreach. To succeed as adults, these youth need chances to finish high school or get a GED, learn job skills, and find work. Federal programs must coordinate better to form a long‑term plan.

Full Legal Text

Title 34, §11201

Navy, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Congress finds that—
(1)youth who have become homeless or who leave and remain away from home without parental permission, are at risk of developing, and have a disproportionate share of, serious health, behavioral, and emotional 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)many such young people, because of their age and situation, are urgently in need of temporary shelter and services, including services that are linguistically appropriate and acknowledge the environment of youth seeking these services;
(3)services to such young people should be developed and provided using a positive youth development approach that ensures a young person a sense of—
(A)safety and structure;
(B)belonging and membership;
(C)self-worth and social contribution;
(D)independence and control over one’s life; and
(E)closeness in interpersonal relationships.
(4)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 and aftercare services, emergency shelter services, extended residential shelter, and street outreach services) outside the welfare system and the law enforcement system;
(5)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; and
(6)improved coordination and collaboration between the Federal programs that serve runaway and homeless youth are necessary for the development of a long-term strategy for responding to the needs of this population.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 5701 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Amendments

2008—Pars. (3) to (6). Pub. L. 110–378 added par. (3) and redesignated former pars. (3) to (5) as (4) to (6), respectively. 2003—Pub. L. 108–96 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section contained congressional statement of findings. 1999—Par. (5). Pub. L. 106–71, § 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, § 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, § 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, § 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, § 3(a)(2), (4), added pars. (6) to (10).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title

For

Short Title

of title III of Pub. L. 93–415, which is classified to this subchapter, as the “Runaway and Homeless Youth Act”, see section 301 of Pub. L. 93–415, set out as a

Short Title

of 1974 Act note under section 10101 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

34 U.S.C. § 11201

Title 34, Navy

Last Updated

Sep 23, 2026

Release point: 119-110