---
kind: "section"
citation: "34 U.S.C. § 11261"
title: "34"
title_heading: "Crime Control and Law Enforcement"
number: "11261"
heading: "Authority to make grants"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/34/11261"
units:
  - "Subtitle I — Comprehensive Acts"
  - "Chapter 111 — Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention"
  - "Subchapter III — Runaway and Homeless Youth"
  - "Part E — Sexual Abuse Prevention Program"
---

# §11261. Authority to make grants

- (a) **In general—** The Secretary may make grants to nonprofit private agencies for the purpose of providing street-based [services](/usc/34/12291.md?p=a-51) to runaway and [homeless](/usc/34/12291.md?p=a-17), and street [youth](/usc/34/12291.md?p=a-52), who have been subjected to, or are at risk of being subjected to, sexual abuse, prostitution, sexual exploitation, severe forms of trafficking in persons (as defined in section 7102(9)[^1] of title 22), or [sex trafficking](/usc/34/12291.md?p=a-34) (as defined in section 7102(10)[^1] of title 22).
- (b) **Priority—** In selecting applicants to receive grants under [subsection (a)](#a), the Secretary shall give priority to public and nonprofit private agencies that have experience in providing [services](/usc/34/12291.md?p=a-51) to runaway and [homeless](/usc/34/12291.md?p=a-17), and street [youth](/usc/34/12291.md?p=a-52).

## Footnotes

[^1]: See References in Text note below.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 93–415, title III, § 351, as added Pub. L. 106–71, § 3(n)(1)(C), Oct. 12, 1999, 113 Stat. 1040; amended Pub. L. 110–378, § 7, Oct. 8, 2008, 122 Stat. 4071; Pub. L. 114–22, title II, § 201(2), May 29, 2015, 129 Stat. 248.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Section 7102(9) and (10) of title 22, referred to in subsec. (a), was redesignated section 7102(11) and (12), respectively, of title 22 by Pub. L. 115–427, § 2(1), Jan. 9, 2019, 132 Stat. 5503.

### Codification

Section was formerly classified to section 5714–41 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

### Amendments

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 114–22 substituted “sexual exploitation, severe forms of trafficking in persons (as defined in section 7102(9) of title 22), or sex trafficking (as defined in section 7102(10) of title 22)” for “or sexual exploitation”.

2008—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 110–378 inserted “public and” after “priority to”.