[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5131 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5131

   To provide assistance to Special Olympics to support expansion of 
 Special Olympics and development of education programs and a Healthy 
               Athletes Program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 23, 2004

Mr. Blunt (for himself, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. Cantor, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Latham, 
  Mr. Kennedy of Rhode Island, Mrs. McCarthy of New York, Mr. George 
Miller of California, Mr. Regula, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, 
 Mr. Weldon of Florida, and Mr. Ehlers) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and 
in addition to the Committees on International Relations and Energy and 
Commerce, 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 assistance to Special Olympics to support expansion of 
 Special Olympics and development of education programs and a Healthy 
               Athletes Program, 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 ``Special Olympics Sport and 
Empowerment Act of 2004''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) Special Olympics celebrates the possibilities of a 
        world where everybody matters, everybody counts, every person 
        has value, and every person has worth.
            (2) The Government and the people of the United States 
        recognize the dignity and value the giftedness of children and 
        adults with an intellectual disability.
            (3) The Government and the people of the United States are 
        determined to end the isolation and stigmatization of people 
        with an intellectual disability.
            (4) For more than 36 years, Special Olympics has encouraged 
        skill, sharing, courage, and joy through year-round sports 
        training and athletic competition for children and adults with 
        intellectual disabilities.
            (5) Special Olympics provides year-round sports training 
        and competitive opportunities to 1,500,000 athletes with 
        intellectual disabilities in 26 sports and plans to expand the 
        joy of participation through sport to hundreds of thousands of 
        people with intellectual disabilities within the United States 
        and worldwide over the next 5 years.
            (6) Special Olympics has demonstrated its ability to 
        provide a major positive effect on the quality of life of 
        people with intellectual disabilities, improving their health 
        and physical well-being, building their confidence and self-
        esteem, and giving them a voice to become active and productive 
        members of their communities.
            (7) In society as a whole, Special Olympics has become a 
        vehicle and platform for breaking down artificial barriers, 
        improving public health, changing negative attitudes in 
        education, and helping athletes overcome the prejudice that 
        people with intellectual disabilities face in too many places.
            (8) The Government of the United States enthusiastically 
        supports Special Olympics, recognizes its importance in 
        improving the lives of people with intellectual disabilities, 
        and recognizes Special Olympics as a valued and important 
        component of the global community.
    (b) Purpose.--The purposes of this Act are to--
            (1) provide support to Special Olympics to increase athlete 
        participation in and public awareness about the Special 
        Olympics movement;
            (2) dispel negative stereotypes about people with 
        intellectual disabilities;
            (3) build athletic and family involvement through sport; 
        and
            (4) promote the extraordinary gifts of people with 
        intellectual disabilities.

SEC. 3. ASSISTANCE FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS.

    (a) Education Activities.--The Secretary of Education may award 
grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, 
Special Olympics to carry out the following:
            (1) Activities to promote the expansion of Special 
        Olympics, including activities to increase the participation of 
        individuals with intellectual disabilities within the United 
        States.
            (2) The design and implementation of Special Olympics 
        education programs, including character education and volunteer 
        programs that support the purposes of this Act, that can be 
        integrated into classroom instruction and are consistent with 
        academic content standards.
    (b) International Activities.--The Secretary of State may award 
grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, 
Special Olympics to carry out the following:
            (1) Activities to increase the participation of individuals 
        with intellectual disabilities in Special Olympics outside of 
        the United States.
            (2) Activities to improve the awareness outside of the 
        United States of the abilities and unique contributions that 
        individuals with intellectual disabilities can make to society.
    (c) Healthy Athletes.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
        may award grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative 
        agreements with, Special Olympics for the implementation of on-
        site health assessments, screening for health problems, health 
        education, data collection, and referrals to direct health care 
        services.
            (2) Coordination.--Activities under paragraph (1) shall be 
        coordinated with private health providers, existing authorized 
        programs of State and local jurisdictions, or the Department of 
        Health and Human Services, as applicable.
    (d) Limitation.--Amounts appropriated to carry out this section 
shall not be used for direct treatment of diseases, medical conditions, 
or mental health conditions. Nothing in the preceding sentence shall be 
construed to limit the use of non-Federal funds by Special Olympics.

SEC. 4. APPLICATION AND ANNUAL REPORT.

    (a) Application.--
            (1) In general.--To be eligible for a grant, contract, or 
        cooperative agreement under subsection (a), (b), or (c) of 
        section 3, Special Olympics shall submit an application at such 
        time, in such manner, and containing such information as the 
        Secretary of Education, Secretary of State, or Secretary of 
        Health and Human Services, as applicable, may require.
            (2) Content.--At a minimum, an application under this 
        subsection shall contain the following:
                    (A) Activities.--A description of activities to be 
                carried out with the grant, contract, or cooperative 
                agreement.
                    (B) Measurable goals.--Information on specific 
                measurable goals and objectives to be achieved through 
                activities carried out with the grant, contract, or 
                cooperative agreement.
    (b) Annual Report.--
            (1) In general.--As a condition on receipt of any funds 
        under subsection (a), (b), or (c) of section 3, Special 
        Olympics shall agree to submit an annual report at such time, 
        in such manner, and containing such information as the 
        Secretary of Education, Secretary of State, or Secretary of 
        Health and Human Services, as applicable, may require.
            (2) Content.--At a minimum, each annual report under this 
        subsection shall describe the degree to which progress has been 
        made toward meeting the goals and objectives described in the 
        applications submitted under subsection (a).

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated--
            (1) for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements under 
        section 3(a), $5,500,000 for fiscal year 2005, and such sums as 
        may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years;
            (2) for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements under 
        section 3(b), $3,500,000 for fiscal year 2005, and such sums as 
        may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years; and
            (3) for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements under 
        section 3(c), $6,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2005 through 
        2009.
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