[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3701 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3701

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 19, 2008

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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 2008''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) Best Buddies operates the first national social and 
        recreational program in the United States for people with 
        intellectual disabilities.
            (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 between them and 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 1-to-1 friendships and integrated employment.
            (5) Best Buddies is an international organization spanning 
        1,300 middle school, high school, and college campuses.
            (6) Best Buddies implements programs that will positively 
        impact more than 350,000 individuals in 2008 and expects to 
        impact 500,000 people by 2010.
            (7) The Best Buddies Middle Schools program matches middle 
        school students with intellectual disabilities with other 
        middle school students and creates 1-to-1 friendships between 
        them.
            (8) The Best Buddies High Schools program matches high 
        school students with intellectual disabilities with other high 
        school students and creates 1-to-1 friendships between them.
            (9) The Best Buddies Colleges program matches adults with 
        intellectual disabilities with college students and creates 1-
        to-1 friendships between them.
            (10) The Best Buddies e-Buddies program creates e-mail 
        friendships between people with and without intellectual 
        disabilities.
            (11) The Best Buddies Citizens program pairs adults with 
        intellectual disabilities in 1-to-1 friendships with other 
        individuals in the corporate and civic communities.
            (12) The Best Buddies Jobs program promotes the integration 
        of people with intellectual disabilities into the community 
        through supported employment.
    (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 activities to promote the expansion of Best 
Buddies, including activities to increase the participation of people 
with intellectual disabilities in social relationships and other 
aspects of community life, including education and employment, within 
the United States.
    (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 5 percent of 
        amounts appropriated to carry out this Act for a fiscal year 
        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 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 
                under the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement.
                    (B) Information on specific measurable goals and 
                objectives to be achieved through activities carried 
                out under the grant, contract, or cooperative 
                agreement.
    (b) Annual Report.--
            (1) In general.--As a condition of 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 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 to the Secretary of 
Education for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements under 
section 3(a), $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2009, and such sums as may be 
necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.
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