[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1895 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1895

    To develop programs that enhance school safety for our children.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 20, 1999

   Mr. Menendez (for himself, Mr. Bonior, Mr. Frost, Mr. Levin, Mr. 
 Etheridge, Mr. Wise, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Ms. Carson, Ms. Hooley 
  of Oregon, Mr. Berman, Mr. Strickland, Mr. Reyes, Mr. Baldacci, Mr. 
   McGovern, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Delahunt, Mr. Rothman, Mr. Holt, Mr. 
Hinojosa, Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Scott, Mr. Wynn, Mr. Waxman, 
   Ms. Lee, Mrs. Thurman, Mr. Weygand, Ms. Woolsey, and Mr. Davis of 
   Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
   Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the 
Committee on the Judiciary, 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 develop programs that enhance school safety for our children.

    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 ``School Anti-Violence Empowerment 
Act''.

                    TITLE I--SCHOOL SAFETY PROGRAMS

SEC. 101. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    The Secretary of Education is authorized to provide grants to local 
educational agencies to establish or enhance crisis intervention 
programs, including the hiring of school counselors and to enhance 
school safety programs for students, staff, and school facilities.

SEC. 102. GRANT AWARDS.

    (a) Local Awards.--The Secretary shall award grants to local 
educational agencies on a competitive basis.
    (b) Grant Programs.--From the amounts appropriated under section 
106, the Secretary shall reserve--
            (1) 50 percent of such amount to award grants to local 
        educational agencies to hire school counselors; and
            (2) 50 percent of such amount to award grants to local 
        educational agencies to enhance school safety programs for 
        students, staff, and school facilities.
    (c) Priority.--Such awards shall be based on one or more of the 
following factors:
            (1) Quality of existing or proposed violence prevention 
        program.
            (2) Greatest need for crisis intervention counseling 
        services.
            (3) Documented financial need based on number of students 
        served under part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary 
        Education Act of 1965.
    (d) Equitable Distribution.--In awarding grants under this title, 
the Secretary shall ensure, to the extent practicable, an equitable 
geographic distribution among the regions of the United States and 
among urban, suburban, and rural areas.
    (e) Administrative Costs.--The Secretary may reserve not more than 
1 percent from amounts appropriated under section 106 for 
administrative costs.
    (f) Eligibility.--A local educational agency that meets the 
requirements of this title shall be eligible to receive a grant to hire 
school counselors and a grant to enhance school safety programs for 
students, staff, and school facilities.

SEC. 103. APPLICATIONS.

    (a) In General.--Each local educational agency desiring a grant 
under this title shall submit an application to the Secretary at such 
time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the 
Secretary may require.
    (b) Contents.--Such application shall include a plan that contains 
the following:
            (1) In the case of a local educational agency applying for 
        a grant to enhance school safety programs--
                    (A) a description of any existing violence 
                prevention, safety, and crisis intervention programs;
                    (B) proposed changes to any such programs and a 
                description of any new programs; and
                    (C) documentation regarding financial need.
            (2) In the case of a local educational agency applying for 
        a grant to hire school counselors--
                    (A) a description of the need for a crisis 
                intervention counseling program; and
                    (B) documentation regarding financial need.

SEC. 104. REPORTING.

    Each local educational agency that receives a grant under this 
title shall provide an annual report to the Secretary. In the case of a 
local educational agency that receives a grant to enhance school safety 
programs, such report shall describe how such agency used funds 
provided under this title and include a description of new school 
safety measures and changes implemented to existing violence 
prevention, safety, and crisis intervention programs. In the case of a 
local educational agency that receives a grant to hire school 
counselors, such report shall describe how such agency used funds 
provided under this title and include the number of school counselors 
hired with such funds.

SEC. 105. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this title:
            (1) The terms ``elementary school'', ``local educational 
        agency'', and ``secondary school'' have the same meanings given 
        the terms in section 14101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801).
            (2) The term ``school counselor'' means an individual who 
        has documented competence in counseling children and 
        adolescents in a school setting and who--
                    (A) possesses State licensure or certification 
                granted by an independent professional regulatory 
                authority;
                    (B) in the absence of such State licensure or 
                certification, possesses national certification in 
                school counseling or a specialty of counseling granted 
                by an independent professional organization; or
                    (C) holds a minimum of a master's degree in school 
                counseling from a program accredited by the Council for 
                Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational 
                Programs or the equivalent.
            (3) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
        Education.
            (4) the term ``school safety'' means the safety of 
        students, faculty, and school facilities from acts of violence.

SEC. 106. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this title 
$700,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2000 through 2004.

                    TITLE II--INCREASED COPS FUNDING

SEC. 201. INCREASED FUNDING FOR THE COPS PROGRAM.

    Section 1001(a)(11) of part J of title I of the Omnibus Crime 
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3793(a)(11)) is amended 
by adding at the end the following:
    ``(C) In addition to amounts made available under subparagraph (A), 
there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out part Q, to remain 
available until expended, the total amount of $1,500,000,000 for fiscal 
years 2000 through 2004, of which 50 percent shall be used for 
cooperative partnerships between schools and State and local police 
departments to provide for the use of police officers in schools.''.

SEC. 202. GRANT AUTHORITY.

    Section 1701 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (i), by striking the second sentence; and
            (2) by striking subsection (k).

                    TITLE III--21ST CENTURY LEARNING

SEC. 301. AFTER-SCHOOL AND LIFE SKILLS PROGRAMS FOR AT-RISK YOUTH.

    Section 10907 of part I of title X of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8247) is amended by striking 
``appropriated'' and all that follows before the period and inserting 
the following: ``appropriated to carry out this part--
            ``(1) such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 1999; 
        and
            ``(2) $250,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2000 through 
        2004''.

               TITLE IV--MODEL PROGRAM AND CLEARINGHOUSE

SEC. 401. MODEL PROGRAM.

    Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of Education, in consultation with the Attorney 
General, shall develop a model violence prevention program to be made 
available to local educational agencies.

SEC. 402. CLEARINGHOUSE.

    The Secretary of Education shall establish and maintain a national 
clearinghouse to provide technical assistance regarding the 
establishment and operation of alternative violence prevention 
programs. The national clearinghouse shall make information regarding 
alternative violence prevention programs available to local educational 
agencies.
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