[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 981 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 981

To provide training to professionals who work with children affected by 
 violence, to provide for violence prevention, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 6, 1999

   Mr. Dodd introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide training to professionals who work with children affected by 
 violence, to provide for violence prevention, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Violence Prevention Training for 
Early Childhood Educators Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to provide grants to institutions that 
carry out early childhood education training programs to enable the 
institutions to include violence prevention training as part of the 
preparation of individuals pursuing careers in early childhood 
development and education.

SEC. 3. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Aggressive behavior in early childhood is the single 
        best predictor of aggression in later life.
            (2) Aggressive and defiant behavior predictive of later 
        delinquency is increasing among our Nation's youngest children. 
        Without prevention efforts, higher percentages of juveniles are 
        likely to become violent juvenile offenders.
            (3) Research has demonstrated that aggression is primarily 
        a learned behavior that develops through observation, 
        imitation, and direct experience. Therefore, children who 
        experience violence as victims or as witnesses are at increased 
        risk of becoming violent themselves.
            (4) In a study at a Boston city hospital, 1 out of every 10 
        children seen in the primary care clinic had witnessed a 
        shooting or a stabbing before the age of 6, with 50 percent of 
        the children witnessing in the home and 50 percent of the 
        children witnessing in the streets.
            (5) A study in New York found that children who had been 
        victims of violence within their families were 24 percent more 
        likely to report violent behavior as adolescents, and 
        adolescents who had grown up in families where partner violence 
        occurred were 21 percent more likely to report violent 
        delinquency than individuals not exposed to violence.
            (6) Aggression can become well-learned and difficult to 
        change by the time a child reaches adolescence. Early childhood 
        offers a critical period for overcoming risk for violent 
        behavior and providing support for prosocial behavior.
            (7) Violence prevention programs for very young children 
        yield economic benefits. By providing health and stability to 
        the individual child and the child's family, the programs may 
        reduce expenditures for medical care, special education, and 
        involvement with the judicial system.
            (8) Primary prevention can be effective. When preschool 
        teachers teach young children interpersonal problem-solving 
        skills and other forms of conflict resolution, children are 
        less likely to demonstrate problem behaviors.
            (9) There is evidence that family support programs in 
        families with children from birth through 5 years of age are 
        effective in preventing delinquency.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    (a) At-Risk Child.--The term ``at-risk child'' means a child who 
has been affected by violence through direct exposure to child abuse, 
other domestic violence, or violence in the community.
    (b) Early Childhood Education Training Program.--The term ``early 
childhood education training program'' means a program that--
            (1)(A) trains individuals to work with young children in 
        early child development programs or elementary schools; or
            (B) provides professional development to individuals 
        working in early child development programs or elementary 
        schools;
            (2) provides training to become an early childhood 
        education teacher, an elementary school teacher, a school 
        counselor, or a child care provider; and
            (3) leads to a bachelor's degree or an associate's degree, 
        a certificate for working with young children (such as a Child 
        Development Associate's degree or an equivalent credential), 
        or, in the case of an individual with such a degree, 
        certificate, or credential, provides professional development.
    (c) Elementary School.--The term ``elementary school'' has the 
meaning given the term in section 14101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801).
    (d) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
Education.
    (e) Violence Prevention.--The term ``violence prevention'' means--
            (1) preventing violent behavior in children;
            (2) identifying and preventing violent behavior in at-risk 
        children; or
            (3) identifying and ameliorating violent behavior in 
        children who act out violently.

SEC. 5. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    (a) Grant Authority.--The Secretary is authorized to award grants 
to institutions that carry out early childhood education training 
programs and have applications approved under section 6 to enable the 
institutions to provide violence prevention training as part of the 
early childhood education training program.
    (b) Amount.--The Secretary shall award a grant under this Act in an 
amount that is not less than $500,000 and not more than $1,000,000.
    (c) Duration.--The Secretary shall award a grant under this Act for 
a period of not less than 3 years and not more than 5 years.

SEC. 6. APPLICATION.

    (a) Application Required.--Each institution desiring a grant under 
this Act shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in 
such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may 
require.
    (b) Contents.--Each application shall--
            (1) describe the violence prevention training activities 
        and services for which assistance is sought;
            (2) contain a comprehensive plan for the activities and 
        services, including a description of--
                    (A) the goals of the violence prevention training 
                program;
                    (B) the curriculum and training that will prepare 
                students for careers which are described in the plan;
                    (C) the recruitment, retention, and training of 
                students;
                    (D) the methods used to help students find 
                employment in their fields;
                    (E) the methods for assessing the success of the 
                violence prevention training program; and
                    (F) the sources of financial aid for qualified 
                students;
            (3) contain an assurance that the institution has the 
        capacity to implement the plan; and
            (4) contain an assurance that the plan was developed in 
        consultation with agencies and organizations that will assist 
        the institution in carrying out the plan.

SEC. 7. SELECTION PRIORITIES.

    The Secretary shall give priority to awarding grants to 
institutions carrying out violence prevention programs that include 1 
or more of the following components:
            (1) Preparation to engage in family support (such as parent 
        education, service referral, and literacy training).
            (2) Preparation to engage in community outreach or 
        collaboration with other services in the community.
            (3) Preparation to use conflict resolution training with 
        children.
            (4) Preparation to work in economically disadvantaged 
        communities.
            (5) Recruitment of economically disadvantaged students.
            (6) Carrying out programs of demonstrated effectiveness in 
        the type of training for which assistance is sought, including 
        programs funded under section 596 of the Higher Education Act 
        of 1965 (as such section was in effect prior to October 7, 
        1998).

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
$35,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2000 through 2004.
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