[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4898 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4898

  To provide assistance to Best Buddies to support the expansion and 
       development of mentoring programs, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 19, 2007

 Mr. Hoyer (for himself and Mr. Blunt) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide assistance to Best Buddies to support the expansion and 
       development of mentoring programs, 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 ``Best Buddies Empowerment for People 
with Intellectual Disabilities Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) Best Buddies is the first national social and 
        recreational program in the United States for people with 
        mental retardation.
            (2) Best Buddies is dedicated to helping people with 
        intellectual disabilities become part of mainstream society.
            (3) Best Buddies is determined to end social isolation for 
        people with intellectual disabilities by establishing 
        meaningful friendships with their non-disabled peers in order 
        to help increase the self-esteem, confidence, and abilities of 
        people with and without intellectual disabilities.
            (4) Since 1989, Best Buddies has enhanced the lives of 
        people with intellectual disabilities by providing 
        opportunities for one-to-one friendships and integrated 
        employment.
            (5) Best Buddies is an international organization spanning 
        1300 middle school, high school, and college campuses.
            (6) The Best Buddies organization implements programs that 
        will positively impact more than 350,000 individuals this year 
        and expect to be able to reach 500,000 people by 2010.
            (7) The Best Buddies Jobs program continues the integration 
        of people with intellectual disabilities into the community 
        through supported employment.
            (8) The Best Buddies Citizens program pairs people with 
        mental retardation in one-to-one friendships with other 
        individuals in the corporate and civic communities.
            (9) The Best Buddies Colleges program pairs people with 
        mental retardation in one-to-one friendships with college 
        students.
            (10) The Best Buddies High Schools program pairs students 
        with mental retardation in one-to-one friendships with high 
        school students.
            (11) The Best Buddies e-Buddies program creates respective 
        e-mail friendships between people with and without intellectual 
        disabilities.
    (b) Purpose.--The purposes of this Act are to--
            (1) provide support to Best Buddies to increase 
        participation in and public awareness about Best Buddies 
        programs that serve people with intellectual disabilities;
            (2) dispel negative stereotypes about people with 
        intellectual disabilities; and
            (3) promote the extraordinary gifts of people with 
        intellectual disabilities.

SEC. 3. ASSISTANCE FOR BEST BUDDIES.

    (a) Education Activities.--The Secretary of Education may award 
grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, Best 
Buddies to carry out the following:
            (1) Activities to promote the expansion of Best Buddies, 
        including activities to increase the participation of 
        individuals with intellectual disabilities within the United 
        States.
            (2) The design and implementation of Best Buddies education 
        and outreach 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) Limitations.--
            (1) In general.--Amounts appropriated to carry out this Act 
        may not be used for direct treatment of diseases, medical 
        conditions, or mental health conditions.
            (2) Administrative activities.--Not more than three percent 
        of amounts appropriated to carry out this Act may be used for 
        administrative activities.
    (c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed 
to limit the use of non-Federal funds by Best Buddies.

SEC. 4. APPLICATION AND ANNUAL REPORT.

    (a) Application.--
            (1) In general.--To be eligible for a grant, contract, or 
        cooperative agreement under section 3(a), Best Buddies shall 
        submit an application at such time, in such manner, and 
        containing such information as the Secretary of Education or 
        Secretary of State, as applicable, may require.
            (2) Content.--At a minimum, an application under this 
        subsection shall contain the following:
                    (A) A description of activities to be carried out 
                with the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement.
                    (B) 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 section 3(a), Best Buddies shall agree to submit an 
        annual report at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
        information as the Secretary of Education or Secretary of 
        State, 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 specific measurable goals and 
        objectives described in the applications submitted under 
        subsection (a).

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated for grants, contracts, or 
cooperative agreements under section 3(a), $10,000,000 to the Secretary 
of Education for fiscal year 2009, and such sums as may be necessary 
for each of the four succeeding fiscal years.

SEC. 6. BUDGET NEUTRAL.

    The following provisions of law are hereby repealed:
            (1) Section 5523 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7265b).
            (2) Section 5533 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7267b).
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