[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 15 (Tuesday, February 22, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[Congressional Record: February 22, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
SAFE SCHOOLS ACT OF 1994
Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2455) to help local school systems achieve goal six of the
national education goals, which provides that by the year 2000, every
school in America will be free of drugs and violence and will offer a
disciplined environment conducive to learning, by ensuring that all
schools are safe and free of violence, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 2455
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 ``Safe Schools Act of 1994''.
SEC. 2. SAFE SCHOOLS PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.
(a) In General.--With funds appropriated under subsection
(b)(1), the Secretary of Education shall make competitive
grants to eligible local educational agencies to carry out
projects designed to achieve Goal Six of the National
Education Goals, which provides that by the year 2000, every
school in America will be free of drugs and violence and will
offer a disciplined environment conducive to learning, by
helping to ensure that all schools are safe and free of
violence.
(b) Model Project.--The Secretary of Education, shall
develop a written safe schools model so all schools can
develop models that enable all students to participate
regardless of any language barriers.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations and Reservation.--
(1) Authorization.--There are authorized to be appropriated
to carry out this Act $50,000,000 for fiscal year 1994.
(2) Reservation.--From the sums appropriated to carry out
this Act for any fiscal year, the Secretary may reserve not
more than 5 percent to carry out national leadership
activities under section 6.
SEC. 3. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS.
To be eligible to receive a grant under this Act, a local
educational agency shall demonstrate in its application under
section 4(a) that it--
(1) serves an area in which there is a high rate of--
(A) homicides committed by persons between the ages 5 to
18, inclusive;
(B) referrals of youth to juvenile court;
(C) youth under the supervision of the courts;
(D) expulsions and suspensions of students from school;
(E) referrals of youth, for disciplinary reasons, to
alternative schools; or
(F) victimization of youth by violence, crime, or other
forms of abuse; and
(2) has serious school crime, violence, and discipline
problems, as indicated by other appropriate data.
SEC. 4. APPLICATIONS AND PLANS.
(a) In General.--In order to receive a grant under this
Act, an eligible local educational agency shall submit to the
Secretary an application that includes--
(1) an assessment of the current violence and crime
problems in the schools to be served by the grant and in the
community to be served by the applicant;
(2) an assurance that the applicant has written policies
regarding school safety, student discipline, and the
appropriate handling of violent or disruptive acts;
(3) a description of the schools and communities to be
served by the grant, the activities and projects to be
carried out with grant funds, and how these activities and
projects will help to reduce the current violence and crime
problems in the schools and communities served;
(4) a description of educational materials to be developed
in the second most predominate language of the schools and
communities to be served by the grant, if applicable;
(5) if the local educational agency receives Federal
education funds, an explanation of how activities assisted
under this Act will be coordinated with and support any
systemic education improvement plan prepared with such funds;
(6) the applicant's plan to establish school-level advisory
committees, which include faculty, parents, staff, and
students, for each school to be served by the grant and a
description of how each committee will assist in assessing
that school's violence and discipline problems as well as in
designing appropriate programs, policies, and practices to
combat those problems;
(7) the applicant's plan for collecting baseline and future
data, by individual schools, to monitor violence and
discipline problems and to measure its progress in achieving
the purpose of this Act;
(8) a description of how, in subsequent fiscal years, the
grantee will integrate the violence prevention activities it
carries out with funds under this Act with activities carried
out under its comprehensive plan for drug and violence
prevention adopted under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and
Communities Act of 1986;
(9) a description of how the grantee will coordinate its
school crime and violence prevention efforts with education,
law enforcement, judicial, health, social service, programs
supported under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention Act of 1974, and other appropriate agencies and
organizations serving the community;
(10) a description of how the grantee will inform parents
about the extent of crime and violence in their children's
schools and maximize the participation of parents in its
violence prevention activities;
(11) an assurance that grant funds under this Act will be
used to supplement and not supplant State and local funds
that would, in the absence of funds under this Act, be made
available by the applicant for the purposes of the grant;
(12) an assurance that the applicant will cooperate with,
and provide assistance to, the Secretary in gathering
statistics and other data the Secretary determines are
necessary to determine the effectiveness of projects and
activities under this Act or the extent of school violence
and discipline problems throughout the Nation; and
(13) such other information as the Secretary may require.
(b) Priorities.--In awarding grants under this Act, the
Secretary shall take into account the special needs of local
educational agencies located in both rural and urban
communities.
SEC. 5. GRANTS AND USE OF FUNDS.
(a) Duration and Amount of Grants.--Grants under this Act
may not exceed--
(1) 1 year in duration; and
(2) $3,000,000.
(b) Use of Funds.--
(1) Activities.--A local educational agency may use funds
awarded under section 2(a) for 1 or more of the following
activities:
(A) Identifying and assessing school violence and
discipline problems, including coordinating needs assessment
activities with education, law-enforcement, judicial, health,
social service, juvenile justice programs, gang prevention
activities, and other appropriate agencies and organizations.
(B) Conducting school safety reviews or violence prevention
reviews of programs, policies, practices, and facilities to
determine what changes are needed to reduce or prevent
violence and promote safety and discipline.
(C) Planning for comprehensive, long-term strategies for
combating and preventing school violence and discipline
problems through the involvement and coordination of school
programs with other education, law-enforcement, judicial,
health, social service, and other appropriate agencies and
organizations.
(D) Activities which involve parents in efforts to promote
school safety and prevent school violence;
(E) Community education programs involving parents,
businesses, local government, the medical, and other
appropriate entities about the local educational agency's
plan to promote school safety and reduce and prevent school
violence and discipline problems and the need for community
support.
(F) Coordination of school-based activities designed to
promote school safety and reduce or prevent school violence
and discipline problems with related efforts of education,
law-enforcement, judicial, health, social service, juvenile
justice programs, and other appropriate agencies and
organizations.
(G) Developing and implementing violence prevention
activities and materials, including--
(i) conflict resolution and social skills development for
students, teachers, aides, other school personnel, and
parents;
(ii) disciplinary alternatives to expulsion and suspension
of students who exhibit violent or anti-social behavior;
(iii) student-led activities such as peer mediation, peer
counseling, and student courts; or
(iv) alternative after-school programs that provide safe
havens for students, which may include cultural,
recreational, educational and instructional activities, and
mentoring and community service programs.
(H) Educating students and parents about the dangers of
guns and other weapons and the consequences of their use.
(I) Developing and implementing innovative curricula to
prevent violence in schools and training staff how to stop
disruptive or violent behavior if it occurs.
(J) Supporting ``safe zones of passage'' for students
between home and school through such measures as Drug- and
Weapon-Free School Zones, enhanced law enforcement, and
neighborhood patrols.
(K) Counseling programs for victims and witnesses of school
violence and crime.
(L) Evaluating its project under this Act.
(M) The cost of administering the project of the local
educational agency under this Act.
(N) Other activities that meet the purposes of this Act.
(2) Other limitations.--A local educational agency may use
not more than 5 percent of its grant for activities described
in paragraph (1)(M).
(3) Construction.--A local educational agency may not use
funds under this Act for construction.
SEC. 6. NATIONAL LEADERSHIP.
To carry out the purpose of this Act, the Secretary may use
funds reserved under section 2(b)(2) to conduct national
leadership activities such as research, program development
and evaluation, data collection, public awareness activities,
training and technical assistance, to provide grants to
noncommercial telecommunications entities for the production
and distribution of national video-based projects that
provide young people with models for conflict resolution and
responsible decisionmaking, and to conduct peer review of
applications under this Act. The Secretary may carry out such
activities directly, through interagency agreements, or
through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements.
SEC. 7. REPORTS.
(a) Report to Secretary.--Local educational agencies that
receive funds under this part shall submit to the Secretary a
report not later than March 1, 1995, that describes progress
achieved in carrying out the plan required under section 4.
(b) Report to Congress.--The Secretary shall submit to the
Committee on Education and Labor of the House of
Representatives a report not later than October 1, 1995,
which contains a detailed statement regarding grant awards,
activities of grant recipients, a compilation of statistical
information submitted by applicants under section 4, and an
evaluation of programs established under this part.
SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act:
(1) Local educational agency.--The term ``local educational
agency'' has the meaning given such term in section 1471(12)
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 2891(12)).
(2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Education.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Michigan [Mr. Kildee] will be recognized for 20 minutes, and the
gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Goodling] will be recognized for 20
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Kildee].
Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, violence in our schools is a problem of national
concern.
In testimony before my Subcommmitte on Elementary, Secondary, and
Vocational Education, Madeleine Kunin, Deputy Secretary of Education,
stated that:
Approximately 3 million thefts and violent crimes occur on or near
schools every year;
Sixteen percent of high school seniors reported having been
threatened with a weapon at school during the previous year; and,
Seven percent reported being injured with a weapon.
H.R. 2455 takes a first step toward making our schools safer.
The next step will come on Thursday when H.R. 6, which includes the
reauthorization of the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act,
comes to the floor.
That program provides funds for activities aimed at making schools
safer such as the DARE Program.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2455 authorizes $50 million in funds to enable
schools to implement comprehensive violence reduction strategies
designed to reduce the incidence of violence in schools and to increase
opportunities for schools to maintain disciplined environments
conducive to learning.
Authorized activities include:
Developing student-led programs incorporating peer counseling and
peer mediation;
Teaching conflict resolution techniques to students and teachers;
and,
Developing community education programs involving parents,
businesses, local governments, and others.
Mr. Speaker, the fiscal year 1994 appropriations bill contained $20
million to address violence in schools subject to the enactment of
legislation.
This bill will enable the Department of Education to begin work in
this important area.
I want to commend Major Owens for introducing this legislation on
behalf of the administration and to thank him for his hard work on the
issue.
I am pleased to be able to bring the bill to the House floor in a
timely manner.
H.R. 2455 addresses a critical need which has long been a concern to
teachers and parents in the State of Michigan.
Unfortunately, this issue struck close to home when just recently a
student in Flint, MI in my district was shot by another student while
at school.
H.R. 2455 is a good bill and I urge its passage.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GOODLING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. GOODLING asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. GOODLING. Mr. Speaker, I recently read the following, and I
quote: ``Mom, can I tell you something? I'm worried. All of the boys I
grew up with are dead. I lie awake at night and think about it. What am
I supposed to do?''
The question was asked by a 13-year-old boy in New Orleans. His
mother suddenly realized that of a group of 6-year-olds who had started
school together 7 years earlier, only her son was still living. All the
others had met violent deaths.
Nearly 1 million adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19 are
victims of violent crimes each year, and this has been true at least
since 1985. The victimization of adolescents, particularly 12- to 15-
year-olds, is growing. Teenagers are twice as likely to be assaulted as
persons aged 20 and older. The rate and intensity of violence involving
children and youth, moreover, has escalated dramatically, and much of
it is accounted for by adolescents attacking their peers. Adolescent
homicide rates have reached the highest levels in history.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2455, the Safe Schools Act.
I am alarmed, as I am sure is everyone in this body, at the growing
number of violent acts in our Nation's schools. Children are afraid to
walk to and from school because they don't know if one of their
classmates is waiting around the corner with a weapon to attack them
because of something they said. When students are in school they are
also afraid because they do not know when one of their classmates may,
at the slightest provocation, pull out a gun and start shooting.
Mr. Speaker, this is not an environment conducive to learning and it
is no wonder that children in such surroundings have a difficult time
concentrating on their education.
The bill we have before us today takes a modest step at addressing
this problem by giving schools riddled with crime, violence, and
discipline problems some additional dollars to develop and implement
violence prevention activities. For instance, it allows funds to be
used for conflict resolution programs, which help teach children
alternative methods of resolving their differences.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out that H.R. 2455, as reported by
the Committee on Education and Labor, recognizes that violence is not
limited to urban schools. As the representative of a rural area in
Pennsylvania, I can tell you that school violence exists no matter
where you go. It is a serious problem that affects the ability of
educators to provide students with the skills they need to graduate and
become productive citizens. I am very pleased that this legislation
recognizes this fact and encourages the Secretary to award grants to
initiate programs in rural areas.
I urge enactment of this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield, such time as she may consume to the
gentlewoman from Connecticut [Ms. DeLauro].
{time} 1430
Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of h.R. 2455, the
Safe Schools Act, and I commend its sponsor, Representative Owens, and
Chairman Kildee, and the other members of the Education and Labor
Committee for their leadership on this legislation.
Soon, we will embark on one of the most crucial debates of this
session--the debate over crime. I am particularly pleased that before
our deliberations begin, we are coming together, in a bipartisan
spirit, to pass the Safe Schools Act. Our action today sends a clear
signal to the American people: Congress is committed to helping rid
schools of violence and crime. By authorizing $50 million for the
Department of Education to develop model programs and policies to
promote school safety and reduce and prevent violence in schools, the
act will encourage the development of more innovative programs, such
as: Alternative after-school activities, peer mediation and counseling,
and conflict resolution programs.
This legislation is especially meaningful to me because last fall, I
established a regional anti-crime youth council, this council, which is
comprised of junior and high school students, has been meeting to
discuss the crime problems they face. They are now developing their own
creative solutions to these problems, and the problems the Safe Schools
Act authorizes will help these students translate their ideas into
action.
The Safe Schools Act is an important investment in our children--and
a critical investment in our fight against crime. I urge your strong
support.
Mr. FORD of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2455,
the Safe Schools Act of 1994.
We will soon confer with the Senate on our respective versions of the
Goals 2000 Educate America Act and the School-to-Work Opportunities
Act. But neither bill will achieve our intentions if we do not provide
an environment where children can learn and teachers can teach.
This legislation could not come sooner. It will help promote school
safety and prevent school violence. It will assist school
administrators, teachers and parents as they work to abate crime.
H.R. 2455 would authorize $50 million in competitive grants to local
equation agencies that serve areas with high rates of youth crime and
violence. Individual grants are limited to $3 million and 1 year.
Local agencies applying for the grants would assess their needs,
described how they will coordinate their activities with other school
improvement plans and the Safe and Drug-Free Schools initiatives to
come.
It should be a national imperative that all children enrolled in our
15,173 school districts be offered a rigorous and challenging
curriculum, but it is a given that their schools should be safe and
secure.
A recent Louis Harris poll found that nearly 1 in 4 students and 1 in
10 teachers have been victims of violence on or near school property.
Thirteen percent of students said that they had carried a weapon to
school. Six percent of the boys and 1 percent of the girls said they
had threatened someone with a knife or gun in or around school.
The New York Times reported on a Justice Department survey that
indicate that more than one-fifth of the boys at 10 inner city high
schools owned guns. A Harvard University survey showed that 15 percent
of students had carried a handgun within a month of the poll.
It is clear that excellence in academic performance is impossible
amid the shootings, brutality and sociopathic behavior that engulf many
of our school campuses.
Mr. Speaker, the Federal Government has a vital role to play in
restoring safety to our schools. Every child has a right to learn in an
environment free of intimidation, tension, and violence. We hope this
bill will help our students be free. I urge my colleagues to vote for
the bill.
Mr. GOODLING. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Montgomery). The question is on the
motion offered by the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Kildee] that the
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2455, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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