[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3607 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3607

  To provide grants to grassroots organizations in certain cities to 
                   develop youth intervention models.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 31, 1998

 Mr. Conyers (for himself and Mr. Hyde) introduced the following bill; 
 which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition 
  to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide grants to grassroots organizations in certain cities to 
                   develop youth intervention models.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Youth Crime Prevention 
Demonstration Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of this Act are as follows:
            (1) To establish a demonstration project that establishes 
        violence-free zones that would involve successful youth 
        intervention models in partnership with law enforcement, local 
        housing authorities, private foundations, and other public and 
        private partners.
            (2) To document best practices based on successful 
        grassroots interventions in cities, including Washington, 
        District of Columbia; Boston, Massachusetts; Hartford, 
        Connecticut; and other cities to develop methodologies for 
        widespread replication.
            (3) To increase the efforts of the Department of Justice, 
        the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and other 
        agencies in supporting effective neighborhood mediating 
        approaches.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL YOUTH CRIME PREVENTION DEMONSTRATION 
              PROJECT.

    The Attorney General shall, subject to appropriations, award a 
grant to the National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise (referred to 
in this Act as the ``National Center'') to enable the National Center 
to award grants to grassroots entities in the following 8 cities:
            (1) Washington, District of Columbia.
            (2) Detroit, Michigan.
            (3) Hartford, Connecticut.
            (4) Indianapolis, Indiana.
            (5) Chicago (and surrounding metropolitan area), Illinois.
            (6) San Antonio, Texas.
            (7) Dallas, Texas.
            (8) Los Angeles, California.

SEC. 4. ELIGIBILITY.

    (a) In General.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this Act, 
a grassroots entity referred to in section 3 shall submit an 
application to the National Center to fund intervention models that 
establish violence-free zones.
    (b) Selection Criteria.--In awarding grants under this Act, the 
National Center shall consider--
            (1) the track record of a grassroots entity and key 
        participating individuals in youth group mediation and crime 
        prevention;
            (2) the engagement and participation of a grassroots entity 
        with other local organizations; and
            (3) the ability of a grassroots entity to enter into 
        partnerships with local housing authorities, law enforcement 
        agencies, and other public entities.

SEC. 5. USES OF FUNDS.

    (a) In General.--Funds received under this Act may be used for 
youth mediation, youth mentoring, life skills training, job creation 
and entrepreneurship, organizational development and training, 
development of long-term intervention plans, collaboration with law 
enforcement, comprehensive support services and local agency 
partnerships, and activities to further community objectives in 
reducing youth crime and violence.
    (b) Guidelines.--The National Center will identify local lead 
grassroots entities in each designated city which include the Alliance 
of Concerned Men of Washington in the District of Columbia; the 
Hartford Youth Peace Initiative in Hartford, Connecticut; the Family 
Help-Line in Los Angeles, California; the Victory Fellowship in San 
Antonio, Texas; and similar grassroots entities in other designated 
cities.
    (c) Technical Assistance.--The National Center, in cooperation with 
the Attorney General, shall also provide technical assistance for 
startup projects in other cities.

SEC. 6. REPORTS.

    The National Center shall submit a report to the Attorney General 
evaluating the effectiveness of grassroots agencies and other public 
entities involved in the demonstration project.

SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act--
            (1) the term ``grassroots entity'' means a not-for-profit 
        community organization with demonstrated effectiveness in 
        mediating and addressing youth violence by empowering at-risk 
        youth to become agents of peace and community restoration; and
            (2) the term ``National Center for Neighborhood 
        Enterprise'' is a not-for-profit organization incorporated in 
        the District of Columbia.

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this Act--
            (1) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 1999;
            (2) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2000;
            (3) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2001;
            (4) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2002; and
            (5) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2003.
    (b) Reservation.--The National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise 
may use not more than 20 percent of the amounts appropriated pursuant 
to subsection (a) in any fiscal year for administrative costs, 
technical assistance and training, comprehensive support services, and 
evaluation of participating grassroots organizations.
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