[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4892 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4892

      To repeal the Federal charter of the Boy Scouts of America.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 19, 2000

Ms. Woolsey (for herself, Mr. Stark, Ms. Lee, Ms. McKinney, Mr. Nadler, 
Ms. Velazquez, and Mr. Lewis of Georgia) introduced the following bill; 
            which was referred to the Committee on Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To repeal the Federal charter of the Boy Scouts of America.

    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 ``Scouting for All Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Federal charters are prestigious distinctions awarded 
        to organizations with a patriotic, charitable, or educational 
        purpose.
            (2) Although intended as an honorific title, a Federal 
        charter implies Government support for such organizations.
            (3) In 1916, the Federal Government granted a Federal 
        charter to the Boy Scouts of America.
            (4) Although the Boy Scouts of America promotes the social 
        and civic development of young boys through mentoring, it also 
        sets an example of intolerance through its discriminatory 
        policy regarding sexual orientation.
            (5) Federal support for the Boy Scouts of America 
        indirectly supports the organization's policy to exclude 
        homosexuals.
            (6) A policy of excluding homosexuals is contradictory to 
        the Federal Government's support for diversity and tolerance 
        and should not be condoned as patriotic, charitable, or 
        educational.

SEC. 3. REPEAL OF FEDERAL CHARTER OF BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA.

    (a) Repeal.--Chapter 309 of title 36, United States Code, which 
grants a Federal charter to the Boy Scouts of America, is repealed.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis at the beginning of subtitle 
II of title 36, United States Code, is amended by striking the item 
relating to chapter 309.
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