[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1184 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1184

To increase community service by students at risk of education failure 
              and thereby reduce youth and gang violence.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 16, 2007

  Ms. Watson introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
   Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on 
Education and Labor, 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 increase community service by students at risk of education failure 
              and thereby reduce youth and gang violence.

    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 ``At-Risk Youth Protection Act of 
2007''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS TO REDUCE YOUTH AND GANG VIOLENCE.

    (a) Grants to SEAs.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Education may make grants 
        to State educational agencies for the purpose of making 
        subgrants to alternative schools or programs that agree to 
        implement a community service requirement and thereby reduce 
        youth and gang violence.
            (2) Application.--To seek a grant under this section, a 
        State educational agency shall submit an application to the 
        Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
        information as the Secretary may require.
    (b) Subgrants to Alternative Schools or Programs.--
            (1) In general.--A State educational agency receiving a 
        grant under this section shall use the grant to make subgrants 
        to alternative schools or programs that agree to require each 
        secondary school student enrolled in the school or program--
                    (A) to perform not less than 100 hours of community 
                service each school year; and
                    (B) to receive training or counseling on conflict 
                resolution as a prerequisite to performing such 
                community service.
            (2) Application.--To seek a subgrant under this section, an 
        alternative school or program shall submit an application to 
        the State educational agency at such time, in such manner, and 
        containing such information as the Secretary may require.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``alternative school or program'' means a 
        public school or program designed to address student needs that 
        typically cannot be met in regular schools because the student 
        is at risk of education failure (as indicated by poor grades, 
        truancy, disruptive behavior, pregnancy, or similar factors 
        associated with temporary or permanent withdrawal from school).
            (2) The term ``community service'' means a method of 
        service learning--
                    (A) under which the student involved learns and 
                develops through active participation in thoughtfully 
                organized and adult-supervised service that--
                            (i) is conducted in, and meets the needs 
                        of, a community;
                            (ii) is coordinated with the student's 
                        alternative school or program, and with the 
                        community; and
                            (iii) helps foster civic responsibility; 
                        and
                    (B) that--
                            (i) is integrated into and enhances the 
                        academic curriculum of the student, or the 
                        educational components of the community service 
                        program in which the student is enrolled; and
                            (ii) provides structured time for the 
                        student to reflect on the service experience.
            (3) The term ``institution of higher education'' has the 
        meaning given to that term in section 101 of the Higher 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).
            (4) The term ``secondary school'' has the meaning given to 
        that term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (5) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
        Education.
            (6) The term ``State educational agency'' has the meaning 
        given to that term in section 9101 of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).

SEC. 3. COMMUNITY SERVICE DEDUCTION.

    (a) In General.--Part VI of subchapter B of chapter 1 of the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to itemized deductions for 
individuals and corporations) is amended by inserting after section 181 
the following new section:

``SEC. 182. COMMUNITY SERVICE DEDUCTION.

    ``(a) Allowance of Deduction.--In the case of a business, there 
shall be allowed as a deduction an amount determined in accordance with 
subsection (b).
    ``(b) Amount of Deduction.--In the case of a business, the amount 
determined under this subsection, with respect to a taxable year, is 
the sum of--
            ``(1) $750 per 100 hours of community service completed by 
        a qualified student through such business during such taxable 
        year, plus
            ``(2) $2,000 per qualified employee employed through such 
        business.
    ``(c) Dollar Limitation.--In the case of a business, the amount 
determined under subsection (b)(1), with respect to each qualified 
student completing hours of community service through such business, 
shall not exceed $1,500.
    ``(d) Definitions.--For purposes of this section, with respect to a 
taxable year--
            ``(1) Qualified student.--The term `qualified student' 
        means a student enrolled in an alternative school or program 
        (as defined in section 2(c) of the At-Risk Youth Protection Act 
        of 2007) who performs community service through a place of 
        business located not more than 20 miles from the location of 
        the student's alternative school or program in order to comply 
        with such school or program's community service requirement.
            ``(2) Qualified employee.--With respect to a business, the 
        term `qualified employee' means a graduate of an alternative 
        school or program (as defined in section 2(c) of the At-Risk 
        Youth Protection Act of 2007) who completes 1 year of 
        employment through such business during such taxable year.
            ``(3) Community service.--The term `community service' has 
        the meaning given to such term in section 2(c) of the At-Risk 
        Youth Protection Act of 2007.
    ``(e) Regulations.--The Secretary shall prescribe such regulations 
as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of this 
section and to ensure that the community service completed by a 
qualified student through a business that is allowed a deduction under 
subsection (a) meets the requirements described in section 2(c) of the 
At-Risk Youth Protection Act of 2007.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for part VI of 
subchapter B of chapter 1 of such Code is amended by inserting after 
the item relating to section 181 the following new item:

``Sec. 182. Community service deduction.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2007.
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