[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2508 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2508

   To authorize grants to carry out projects to provide education on 
          preventing teen pregnancies, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 5, 2006

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To authorize grants to carry out projects to provide education on 
          preventing teen pregnancies, 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 ``Teen Pregnancy Prevention, 
Responsibility, and Opportunity Act of 2006''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds as follows:
            (1) The United States has the highest teen-pregnancy rate 
        and teen birth rate in the western industrialized world, 
        costing the United States not less than $7,000,000,000 
        annually.
            (2) About 1 out of 3 of all young women in the United 
        States becomes pregnant before she reaches the age of 20.
            (3) Teen pregnancy has serious consequences for young 
        women, their children, and communities as a whole. Too-early 
        childbearing increases the likelihood that a young woman will 
        drop out of high school and that she and her child will live in 
        poverty.
            (4) Statistically, the sons of teen mothers are more likely 
        to end up in prison. The daughters of teen mothers are more 
        likely to end up teen mothers too.
            (5) Teens that grow up in disadvantaged economical, social, 
        and familial circumstances are more likely to engage in risky 
        behavior and have a child during adolescence.
            (6) Teens with strong emotional attachments to their 
        parents are more likely to become sexually active at a later 
        age. 7 out of 10 teens say that they are prepared to listen to 
        things parents thought they were not ready to hear.
            (7) 78 percent of white and 70 percent of African American 
        teenagers report that lack of communication between a teenage 
        girl and her parents is frequently a reason a teenage girl has 
        a baby.
            (8) One study found that the likelihood of teens having sex 
        for the first time increased with the number of unsupervised 
        hours teens have during a week.
            (9) After-school programs reduce teen risky behavior by 
        involving teens in activities that provide alternatives to sex. 
        Teenage girls who play sports, for instance, are more likely to 
        delay sex and have fewer partners and less likely to become 
        pregnant.
            (10) After-school programs help prevent teen pregnancy by 
        advancing good decision-making skills and providing teens 
        health education and positive role models in a supervised 
        setting.
            (11) 8 in 10 girls and 6 in 10 boys report that they wish 
        they had waited until they were older to have sex.

SEC. 3. EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR PREVENTING TEEN PREGNANCIES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
(referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary'') may make grants to local 
educational agencies, State and local public health agencies, and 
nonprofit private entities for the purpose of carrying out projects to 
provide education on preventing teen pregnancies.
    (b) Preference in Making Grants.--In making grants under subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall give preference to applicants that will carry 
out the projects under such subsection in communities for which the 
rate of teen pregnancy is significantly above the average rate [in the 
United States?] of such pregnancies.
    (c) Certain Requirements.--A grant may be made under subsection (a) 
only if the applicant for the grant meets the following conditions with 
respect to the project involved:
            (1) The applicant agrees that information provided by the 
        project on pregnancy prevention will be age-appropriate, 
        factually and medically accurate and complete, and 
        scientifically-based.
            (2) The applicant agrees that the project will give 
        priority to preventing teen pregnancies by--
                    (A) encouraging teens to delay sexual activity;
                    (B) providing educational services and 
                interventions for sexually active teens or teens at 
                risk of becoming sexually active;
                    (C) educating both young men and women about the 
                responsibilities and pressures that come along with 
                parenting;
                    (D) helping parents communicate with teens about 
                sexuality; or
                    (E) teaching young people responsible decision-
                making.
    (d) Matching Funds.--
            (1) In general.--With respect to the costs of the project 
        to be carried out under subsection (a) by an applicant, a grant 
        may be made under such subsection only if the applicant agrees 
        to make available (directly or through donations from public or 
        private entities) non-Federal contributions toward such costs 
        in an amount that is not less than 25 percent of such costs ($1 
        for each $3 of Federal funds provided in the grant).
            (2) Determination of amount contributed.--Non-Federal 
        contributions required in paragraph (1) may be in cash or in 
        kind, fairly evaluated, including plant, equipment, or 
        services. Amounts provided by the Federal Government, or 
        services assisted or subsidized to any significant extent by 
        the Federal Government, may not be included in determining the 
        amount of such non-Federal contributions.
    (e) Maintenance of Effort.--With respect to the activities for 
which a grant under subsection (a) is authorized to be expended, such a 
grant may be made for a fiscal year only if the applicant involved 
agrees to maintain expenditures of non-Federal amounts for such 
activities at a level that is not less than the level of such 
expenditures maintained by the applicant for the fiscal year preceding 
the first fiscal year for which the applicant receives such a grant.
    (f) Evaluation of Projects.--The Secretary shall establish criteria 
for the evaluation of projects under subsection (a). A grant may be 
made under such subsection only if the applicant involved--
            (1) agrees to conduct evaluations of the project in 
        accordance with such criteria;
            (2) agrees to submit to the Secretary such reports 
        describing the results of the evaluations as the Secretary 
        determines to be appropriate; and
            (3) submits to the Secretary, in the application under 
        subsection (g), a plan for conducting the evaluations.
    (g) Application for Grant.--A grant may be made under subsection 
(a) only if an application for the grant is submitted to the Secretary 
and the application is in such form, is made in such manner, and 
contains such agreements, assurances, and information, including the 
agreements under subsections (c) through (f) and the plan under 
subsection (f)(3), as the Secretary determines to be necessary to carry 
out this section.
    (h) Report to Congress.--Not later than October 1, 2011, the 
Secretary shall submit to Congress a report describing the extent to 
which projects under subsection (a) have been successful in reducing 
the rate of teen pregnancies in the communities in which the projects 
have been carried out.
    (i) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Age-appropriate.--The term ``age-appropriate'', with 
        respect to information on pregnancy prevention, means topics, 
        messages, and teaching methods suitable to particular ages or 
        age groups of children and adolescents, based on developing 
        cognitive, emotional, and behavioral capacity typical for the 
        age or age group.
            (2) Factually and medically accurate and complete.--The 
        term ``factually and medically accurate and complete'' means 
        verified or supported by the weight of research conducted in 
        compliance with accepted scientific methods and--
                    (A) published in peer-reviewed journals, where 
                applicable; or
                    (B) comprising information that leading 
                professional organizations and agencies with relevant 
                expertise in the field recognize as accurate, 
                objective, and complete.
            (3) Local educational agency.--The term ``local educational 
        agency'' has the meaning given such term in section 9101 of the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        7801).
    (j) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying 
out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 
for each of the fiscal years [2007 through 2011].

SEC. 4. REAUTHORIZATION OF CERTAIN AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS.

    (a) 21st Century Community Learning Centers.--Section 4206 of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7176) is 
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (5), by striking ``$2,250,000,000'' and 
        inserting ``$2,500,000,000''; and
            (2) in paragraph (6), by striking ``$2,500,000,000'' and 
        inserting ``$2,750,000,000''.
    (b) Carol M. White Physical Education Program.--Section 5401 of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7241) is 
amended--
            (1) by striking ``There are'' and inserting ``(a) In 
        General.--There are''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(b) Physical Education.--In addition to the amounts authorized to 
be appropriated by subsection (a), there are authorized to be 
appropriated $73,000,000 for each of fiscal years [2007 and 2008] to 
carry out subpart 10.''.
    (c) Federal TRIO Programs.--Section 402A(f) of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a-11(f)) is amended by striking 
``$700,000,000 for fiscal year 1999, and such sums as may be necessary 
for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years'' and inserting 
``$883,000,000 for fiscal year [2007] and such sums as may be necessary 
for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years''.
    (d) GEARUP.--Section 404H of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1070a-28) is amended by striking ``$200,000,000 for fiscal year 
1999 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding 
fiscal years'' and inserting ``$325,000,000 for fiscal year [2007] and 
such sums as may be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal 
years''.

SEC. 5. DEMONSTRATION GRANTS TO ENCOURAGE CREATIVE APPROACHES TO TEEN 
              PREGNANCY PREVENTION AND AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary may make grants to public or 
nonprofit private entities for the purpose of assisting the entities in 
demonstrating innovative approaches to prevent teen pregnancies.
    (b) Certain Approaches.--Approaches under subsection (a) may 
include the following:
            (1) Encouraging teen-driven approaches to pregnancy 
        prevention.
            (2) Exposing teens to realistic simulations of the 
        physical, emotional, and financial toll of pregnancy and 
        parenting.
            (3) Facilitating communication between parents and 
        children, especially programs that have been evaluated and 
        proven effective.
    (c) Matching Funds.--
            (1) In general.--With respect to the costs of the project 
        to be carried out under subsection (a) by an applicant, a grant 
        may be made under such subsection only if the applicant agrees 
        to make available (directly or through donations from public or 
        private entities) non-Federal contributions toward such costs 
        in an amount that is not less than 25 percent of such costs ($1 
        for each $3 of Federal funds provided in the grant).
            (2) Determination of amount contributed.--Non-Federal 
        contributions required in paragraph (1) may be in cash or in 
        kind, fairly evaluated, including plant, equipment, or 
        services. Amounts provided by the Federal Government, or 
        services assisted or subsidized to any significant extent by 
        the Federal Government, may not be included in determining the 
        amount of such non-Federal contributions.
    (d) Evaluation of Projects.--The Secretary shall establish criteria 
for the evaluation of projects under subsection (a). A grant may be 
made under such subsection only if the applicant involved--
            (1) agrees to conduct evaluations of the project in 
        accordance with such criteria;
            (2) agrees to submit to the Secretary such reports 
        describing the results of the evaluations as the Secretary 
        determines to be appropriate; and
            (3) submits to the Secretary, in the application under 
        subsection (e), a plan for conducting the evaluations.
    (e) Application for Grant.--A grant may be made under subsection 
(a) only if an application for the grant is submitted to the Secretary 
and the application is in such form, is made in such manner, and 
contains such agreements, assurances, and information, including the 
agreements under subsections (c) and (d) and the plan under subsection 
(d)(3), as the Secretary determines to be necessary to carry out this 
section.
    (f) Report to Congress.--Not later than October 1, 2011, the 
Secretary shall submit to Congress a report describing the extent to 
which projects under subsection (a) have been successful in reducing 
the rate of teen pregnancies in the communities in which the projects 
have been carried out. Such reports shall describe the various 
approaches used under subsection (a) and the effectiveness of each of 
the approaches.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying 
out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 for 
each of the fiscal years [2007 through 2011].
                                 <all>