[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3235 Reported in House (RH)]
Union Calendar No. 515
106th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 3235
[Report No. 106-859]
To improve academic and social outcomes for youth and reduce both
juvenile crime and the risk that youth will become victims of crime by
providing productive activities conducted by law enforcement personnel
during nonschool hours.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 5, 1999
Mr. Barrett of Wisconsin (for himself and Mr. Kleczka) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
September 18, 2000
Additional sponsors: Ms. Millender-McDonald, Mr. George Miller of
California, Mr. Stupak, Mrs. Mink of Hawaii, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas,
Ms. Eshoo, Mr. Lantos, Mr. Sisisky, Mr. LaFalce, Mr. Rothman, Mr.
LaTourette, Mr. Etheridge, Mr. Filner, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania, Mr.
Blumenauer, Mr. Costello, Mr. Gilman, Mr. Deutsch, Mr. Martinez, Mr.
Berman, Ms. Pelosi, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. Dooley of California, Ms.
Lofgren, Mr. Shaw, Mr. Matsui, Ms. Brown of Florida, Mr. Sabo, Mrs.
Jones of Ohio, Mr. Wexler, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Farr of California, Mr.
Waxman, Mr. Cunningham, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, Mr. Kennedy of
Rhode Island, Mrs. Thurman, Mr. LoBiondo, Mr. Allen, Mr. Bilbray, Ms.
Carson, Mr. Horn, Mr. Diaz-Balart, Mr. Stark, Mr. Conyers, Ms. Woolsey,
Mr. Payne, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Mr. Gary Miller of California, Mr.
Campbell, Mr. Weygand, Mr. Kuykendall, Ms. Slaughter, Mrs. Bono, Mr.
Rodriguez, Mr. Andrews, Mr. Baldacci, Mr. Baca, Mr. Condit, Mr. Rogan,
Mr. Pallone, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Thompson of California, Mr. Holt, Mrs.
Tauscher, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Gallegly, Mr. Canady of Florida, Mr. Borski,
Mr. Serrano, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Scott, Ms. Baldwin, Mrs. Capps, Mr.
Hinojosa, Mr. Kildee, and Mr. Strickland
September 18, 2000
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on
November 5, 1999]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve academic and social outcomes for youth and reduce both
juvenile crime and the risk that youth will become victims of crime by
providing productive activities conducted by law enforcement personnel
during nonschool hours.
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 Police Athletic League
Youth Enrichment Act of 2000''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The goals of the Police Athletic League are to--
(A) increase the academic success of youth
participants in PAL programs;
(B) promote a safe, healthy environment for youth
under the supervision of law enforcement personnel
where mutual trust and respect can be built;
(C) increase school attendance by providing
alternatives to suspensions and expulsions;
(D) reduce the juvenile crime rate in participating
designated communities and the number of police calls
involving juveniles during nonschool hours;
(E) provide youths with alternatives to drugs,
alcohol, tobacco, and gang activity;
(F) create positive communications and interaction
between youth and law enforcement personnel; and
(G) prepare youth for the workplace.
(2) The Police Athletic League, during its 55-year history
as a national organization, has proven to be a positive force
in the communities it serves.
(3) The Police Athletic League is a network of 1,700
facilities serving over 3,000 communities. There are 320 PAL
chapters throughout the United States, the Virgin Islands, and
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, serving 1,500,000 youths, ages
5 to 18, nationwide.
(4) Based on PAL chapter demographics, approximately 82
percent of the youths who benefit from PAL programs live in
inner cities and urban areas.
(5) PAL chapters are locally operated, volunteer-driven
organizations. Although most PAL chapters are sponsored by a
law enforcement agency, PAL chapters receive no direct funding
from law enforcement agencies and are dependent in large part
on support from the private sector, such as individuals,
business leaders, corporations, and foundations. PAL chapters
have been exceptionally successful in balancing public funds
with private sector donations and maximizing community
involvement.
(6) Today's youth face far greater risks than did their
parents and grandparents. Law enforcement statistics
demonstrate that youth between the ages of 12 and 17 are at
risk of committing violent acts and being victims of violent
acts between the hours of 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
(7) Greater numbers of students are dropping out of school
and failing in school, even though the consequences of academic
failure are more dire in 1999 than ever before.
(8) Many distressed areas in the United States are still
underserved by PAL chapters.
SEC. 3. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to provide adequate resources in the
form of--
(1) assistance for the 320 established PAL chapters to
increase of services to the communities they are serving; and
(2) seed money for the establishment of 250 (50 per year
over a 5-year period) additional local PAL chapters in public
housing projects and other distressed areas, including
distressed areas with a majority population of Native
Americans, by not later than fiscal year 2006.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Assistant attorney general.--The term ``Assistant
Attorney General'' means the Assistant Attorney General for the
Office of Justice Programs of the Department of Justice.
(2) Distressed area.--The term ``distressed area'' means an
urban, suburban, or rural area with a high percentage of high-
risk youth, as defined in section 509A of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290aa-8(f)).
(3) PAL chapter.--The term ``PAL chapter'' means a chapter
of a Police or Sheriff's Athletic/Activities League.
(4) Police athletic league.--The term ``Police Athletic
League'' means the private, nonprofit, national representative
organization for 320 Police or Sheriff's Athletic/Activities
Leagues throughout the United States (including the Virgin
Islands and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico).
(5) Public housing; project.--The terms ``public housing''
and ``project'' have the meanings given those terms in section
3(b) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C.
1437a(b)).
SEC. 5. GRANTS AUTHORIZED.
(a) In General.--Subject to appropriations, for each of fiscal
years 2001 through 2005, the Assistant Attorney General shall award a
grant to the Police Athletic League for the purpose of establishing PAL
chapters to serve public housing projects and other distressed areas,
and expanding existing PAL chapters to serve additional youths.
(b) Application.--
(1) Submission.--In order to be eligible to receive a grant
under this section, the Police Athletic League shall submit to
the Assistant Attorney General an application, which shall
include--
(A) a long-term strategy to establish 250
additional PAL chapters and detailed summary of those
areas in which new PAL chapters will be established, or
in which existing chapters will be expanded to serve
additional youths, during the next fiscal year;
(B) a plan to ensure that there are a total of not
less than 570 PAL chapters in operation before January
1, 2004;
(C) a certification that there will be appropriate
coordination with those communities where new PAL
chapters will be located; and
(D) an explanation of the manner in which new PAL
chapters will operate without additional, direct
Federal financial assistance once assistance under this
Act is discontinued.
(2) Review.--The Assistant Attorney General shall review
and take action on an application submitted under paragraph (1)
not later than 120 days after the date of such submission.
SEC. 6. USE OF FUNDS.
(a) In General.--
(1) Assistance for new and expanded chapters.--Amounts made
available under a grant awarded under this Act shall be used by
the Police Athletic League to provide funding for the
establishment of PAL chapters serving public housing projects
and other distressed areas, or the expansion of existing PAL
chapters.
(2) Program requirements.--Each new or expanded PAL chapter
assisted under paragraph (1) shall carry out not less than 4
programs during nonschool hours, of which--
(A) not less than 2 programs shall provide--
(i) mentoring assistance;
(ii) academic assistance;
(iii) recreational and athletic activities;
or
(iv) technology training; and
(B) any remaining programs shall provide--
(i) drug, alcohol, and gang prevention
activities;
(ii) health and nutrition counseling;
(iii) cultural and social programs;
(iv) conflict resolution training, anger
management, and peer pressure training;
(v) job skill preparation activities; or
(vi) Youth Police Athletic League
Conferences or Youth Forums.
(b) Additional Requirements.--In carrying out the programs under
subsection (a), a PAL chapter shall, to the maximum extent
practicable--
(1) use volunteers from businesses, academic communities,
social organizations, and law enforcement organizations to
serve as mentors or to assist in other ways;
(2) ensure that youth in the local community participate in
designing the after-school activities;
(3) develop creative methods of conducting outreach to
youth in the community;
(4) request donations of computer equipment and other
materials and equipment; and
(5) work with State and local park and recreation agencies
so that activities funded with amounts made available under a
grant under this Act will not duplicate activities funded from
other sources in the community served.
SEC. 7. REPORTS.
(a) Report to Assistant Attorney General.--For each fiscal year for
which a grant is awarded under this Act, the Police Athletic League
shall submit to the Assistant Attorney General a report on the use of
amounts made available under the grant.
(b) Report to Congress.--Not later than May 1 of each fiscal year
for which amounts are made available to carry out this Act, the
Assistant Attorney General shall submit to the Committees on the
Judiciary of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report that
details the progress made under this Act in establishing and expanding
PAL chapters in public housing projects and other distressed areas, and
the effectiveness of the PAL programs in reducing drug abuse, school
dropouts, and juvenile crime.
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry
out this Act $16,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2001 through 2005.
(b) Funding for Program Administration.--Of the amount made
available to carry out this Act in each fiscal year--
(1) not less than 2 percent shall be used for research and
evaluation of the grant program under this Act;
(2) not less than 1 percent shall be used for technical
assistance related to the use of amounts made available under
grants awarded under this Act; and
(3) not less than 1 percent shall be used for the
management and administration of the grant program under this
Act, except that the total amount made available under this
paragraph for administration of that program shall not exceed 6
percent.
Union Calendar No. 515
106th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 3235
[Report No. 106-859]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve academic and social outcomes for youth and reduce both
juvenile crime and the risk that youth will become victims of crime by
providing productive activities conducted by law enforcement personnel
during non-school hours.
_______________________________________________________________________
September 18, 2000
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed