[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3559 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3559

    To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to 
         strengthen mentoring programs, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 30, 2010

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to 
         strengthen 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 ``Mentoring America's Children Act of 
2009''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO MENTORING PROGRAMS.

    (a) Purpose; Definitions.--Section 4130(a) of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7140(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``achievement 
                of such children'' and inserting ``outcomes of such 
                children by improving their school connectedness, 
                decreasing absenteeism, and increasing academic 
                performance'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``and'' after 
                the semicolon;
                    (C) in subparagraph (E), by striking the period and 
                inserting ``; and''; and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(F) to foster character education.'';
            (2) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ``or who lacks strong 
        positive role models'' and inserting ``who lacks strong 
        positive role models, who is a foster youth, or who has 1 or 
        both parents incarcerated'';
            (3) in paragraph (2)(B)(iii), by striking ``a partnership 
        between a local educational agency and a nonprofit, community-
        based organization'' and inserting ``a consortium between or 
        among 1 or more local educational agencies, nonprofit 
        community-based organizations, and other partners, such as 
        corporations, universities, or foster care group homes''; and
            (4) in paragraph (2)(C)(iii), by inserting ``and 
        successful'' after ``responsible''.
    (b) Grant Program.--Section 4130(b) of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7140(b)) is amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) of paragraph 
        (1), by striking ``this subpart under section 4003(2)'' and 
        inserting ``this section under subsection (d)'';
            (2) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ``(particularly'' and 
        all that follows through ``failure)'' and inserting ``, 
        particularly children living in rural, suburban, or urban areas 
        facing high rates of crime, gang involvement, drug use, school 
        dropouts, or youth suicides,'';
            (3) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking clauses (vi) and 
        (viii) and inserting the following:
                            ``(vi) Encourage setting goals and planning 
                        for the future, including encouragement of 
                        graduation from secondary school, planning for 
                        postsecondary education or training, and 
                        participating in internships.
                            ``(vii) Discourage involvement in gangs.'';
            (4) in paragraph (4)--
                    (A) by striking subparagraph (D) and inserting the 
                following:
                    ``(D) an assurance that each mentor will be 
                assigned to not more than 3 children, and that when 
                assigned to more than 1 child (which is preferable 
                where practicable), the assignment shall not undermine 
                the mentor's ability to be an effective mentor or to 
                establish a close relationship with each mentored 
                child;'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (I), by striking ``and'' after 
                the semicolon;
                    (C) in subparagraph (J)(iv), by striking the period 
                and inserting a semicolon; and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(K) information regarding the staffing plan and 
                levels the eligible entity will use to monitor the 
                mentor and mentee match over the duration of the match; 
                and
                    ``(L) information regarding how the eligible entity 
                will meet the matching funds requirement described in 
                paragraph (7).'';
            (5) in paragraph (5)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (B), by striking clause (i) and 
                inserting the following:
                            ``(i) serves children with greatest need 
                        who live in rural areas, high-crime areas, 
                        troubled home environments, or communities with 
                        a high rate of youth suicide, who attended a 
                        school with violence problems, or who are 
                        foster children;'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (C)--
                            (i) in clause (i), by striking ``urban and 
                        rural'' and inserting ``urban, suburban, and 
                        rural'';
                            (ii) in clause (ii)(II), by inserting 
                        ``children,'' after ``organizations,''; and
                            (iii) in clause (iii), by inserting ``and 
                        sustain the mentoring program for the duration 
                        of the grant and beyond'' after ``mentoring 
                        program''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end following:
                    ``(E) Subsequent grants.--In awarding grants under 
                subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall consider eligible 
                entities who have received funding in a prior grant 
                cycle for a new grant only if each of the following 
                criteria is met:
                            ``(i) Performance during the initial grant 
                        was satisfactory in terms of program design and 
                        numbers of children served.
                            ``(ii) The subsequent grant will 
                        exclusively support expanded service to a new 
                        geographic area or target population.
                            ``(iii) The eligible entity demonstrates 
                        that the eligible entity is able to provide the 
                        matching funds required under paragraph (7)(B) 
                        for all years of the new grant.
                    ``(F) Policy on one entity receiving two grants at 
                same time.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Except as provided in 
                        clause (ii), in awarding grants under 
                        subparagraph (A) the Secretary may have in 
                        effect a policy under which an eligible entity 
                        is prohibited from receiving 2 grants under 
                        this subsection at the same time.
                            ``(ii) Exception.--The policy described in 
                        clause (i) shall not prohibit an eligible 
                        entity from receiving 2 grants under this 
                        subsection at the same time when the periods of 
                        the 2 grants overlap by 3 months or less.''; 
                        and
            (6) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(7) Matching funds.--Each eligible entity receiving a 
        grant under this subsection shall provide, toward the cost of 
        the activities assisted under the grant, matching funds in an 
        amount that--
                    ``(A) in the case of the first multiyear grant 
                awarded to the eligible entity under this subsection--
                            ``(i) in the first year of the grant, is 
                        not less than 10 percent of the grant amount 
                        awarded for that year;
                            ``(ii) in the second year of the grant, is 
                        not less than 25 percent of the grant amount 
                        awarded for that year; and
                            ``(iii) in the third year of the grant, is 
                        not less than 50 percent of the grant amount 
                        awarded for that year; and
                    ``(B) in the case of the eligible entity receiving 
                subsequent grant funding under paragraph (5)(E) for a 
                year, is not less than 50 percent of the grant amount 
                awarded for that year.''.
    (c) Additional Provisions.--
            (1) In general.--Section 4130 of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7140) is amended by 
        adding at the end the following:
    ``(c) Ensuring Quality Grants.--
            ``(1) Support for eligible entities.--In order to ensure 
        the strongest possible outcomes for children mentored through 
        this section, the Secretary shall--
                    ``(A) provide training and technical assistance to 
                eligible entities that receive a grant under subsection 
                (b), beginning in the first year of the grant and 
                continuing throughout the duration of the grant;
                    ``(B) track the mentoring practices and outcomes of 
                all eligible entities that receive a grant under 
                subsection (b) throughout the duration of the grant 
                utilizing a robust online tracking and evaluation 
                system; and
                    ``(C) submit an annual report to Congress detailing 
                the number of children served by eligible entities that 
                receive a grant under subsection (b) and the outcomes 
                achieved for those children.
            ``(2) Research on school-based mentoring.--In order to 
        ensure that eligible entities that receive a grant under 
        subsection (b) have access to the most current research-based 
        knowledge about building and carrying out strong and effective 
        mentoring programs, the Secretary shall carry out the 
        following:
                    ``(A) Consult with leading mentoring organizations 
                and researchers, including the Federal Mentoring 
                Council and the National Mentoring Working Group, to 
                determine priorities for research on school-based 
                mentoring and appropriate research design, with 
                consideration for--
                            ``(i) determining the ideal school 
                        environments in which school-based mentoring 
                        succeeds;
                            ``(ii) identifying techniques for matching 
                        children with specific characteristics (such as 
                        age, academic situation, risk factors) with the 
                        most appropriate mentoring models;
                            ``(iii) determining the ideal 
                        infrastructure needed to foster the expansion 
                        of school-based mentoring in a sustainable way; 
                        and
                            ``(iv) refining best practices, match 
                        activities, and a range of mentoring models to 
                        lead to the best possible outcomes for 
                        children.
                    ``(B) Award grants or contracts to high-quality 
                research entities to perform research on the priorities 
                identified in subparagraph (A), which research shall 
                meet the following criteria:
                            ``(i) The proposed research design shall 
                        meet accepted standards within the academic 
                        community.
                            ``(ii) All research results and findings 
                        shall be widely disseminated to eligible 
                        entities that receive a grant under subsection 
                        (b) and to the larger mentoring community.
                    ``(C) Award grants or contracts under subparagraph 
                (B) only if amount the appropriated under subsection 
                (d)(1) for each fiscal year for which such grant or 
                contract is awarded exceeds $50,000,000.
    ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations; Reservations of Certain 
Amounts.--
            ``(1) Authorization.--There are authorized to be 
        appropriated to carry out this section $100,000,000 for fiscal 
        year 2011 and such sums as may be necessary for each succeeding 
        fiscal year.
            ``(2) Reservations.--Each fiscal year the Secretary shall 
        reserve--
                    ``(A) not more than 5 percent of the amount 
                appropriated for that fiscal year under paragraph (1) 
                for expenditure on support for eligible entities as 
                authorized by subsection (c)(1); and
                    ``(B) not more than 10 percent of the amount 
                appropriated for that fiscal year under paragraph (1) 
                for expenditure on research as authorized by subsection 
                (c)(2).''.
            (2) Conforming amendments.--Section 4130(b) of the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        7140(b)) is further amended--
                    (A) in the matter preceding clause (i) of paragraph 
                (2)(B), by striking ``this section'' and inserting 
                ``this subsection'';
                    (B) in paragraph (3), by striking ``this section'' 
                and inserting ``this subsection'';
                    (C) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) of 
                paragraph (4), by striking ``this section'' and 
                inserting ``this subsection'';
                    (D) in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (5), by 
                inserting ``under this subsection'' after ``grants''; 
                and
                    (E) in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (6), by 
                striking ``this section'' each place the term appears 
                and inserting ``this subsection''.
    (d) Revisions to Other Education Programs.--
            (1) Transition services.--Section 1418(a)(2)(C) of the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        6438(a)(2)(C)) is amended--
                    (A) in clause (iv), by striking ``and'' after the 
                semicolon;
                    (B) in clause (v), by striking the period and 
                inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(vi) youth mentoring programs.''.
            (2) National safe and drug-free schools programs.--Section 
        4121(a)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
        1965 (20 U.S.C. 7131(a)(2)) is amended--
                    (A) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``and'' after 
                the semicolon;
                    (B) in subparagraph (D), by inserting ``and'' after 
                the semicolon; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(E) school and community-based mentoring 
                programs;''.
            (3) Inclusion of mentoring for minority programs.--
                    (A) Improvement of educational opportunities for 
                indian children.--Section 7121(c)(1) of the Elementary 
                and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
                7441(c)(1)) is amended--
                            (i) in subparagraph (E), by inserting ``, 
                        including mentoring programs and projects,'' 
                        after ``programs and projects''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (J), by inserting ``, 
                        including mentoring programs,'' after 
                        ``programs''.
                    (B) Native hawaiian education.--Section 7205(a)(3) 
                of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
                (20 U.S.C. 7515(a)(3)) is amended--
                            (i) in subparagraph (H)(ii), by inserting 
                        ``, including afterschool mentoring programs'' 
                        after ``programs''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (I)(iii), by inserting 
                        ``, mentoring,'' after ``counseling''.
                    (C) Alaska native education.--Section 7304(a)(2)(P) 
                of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
                (20 U.S.C. 7544(a)(2)(P)) is amended by inserting ``or 
                mentoring programs'' after ``Success program''.
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