[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 42 (Wednesday, March 17, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2841-S2844]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BINGAMAN:
  S. 640. A bill to establish a pilot program to promote the 
replication of recent successful juvenile crime reduction strategies; 
to the Committee on the Judiciary.


                   safer communities partnership act

  Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce three measures 
that are linked together by a common theme--the desire to create a 
safer environment for young people to grow up in.
  Two of these bills are designed to help communities better combat 
juvenile crime and the related problem of truancy. The third proposal 
will help better protect students from violence in the school building 
through the use of technology.
  It's clear that in order to create a safer environment for young 
people, we must not only reduce the number of children who commit 
crimes, but also the number of children who are victims of crime.
  Before I outline these specific bills, I'd like to put them in a 
larger context. Mr. President, I'd like to spend just a minute 
discussing the broader question of what children need--in addition to 
safe surroundings--in order to grow into healthy, productive adults.
  Let me start by describing my own childhood. I grew up in a small 
mining town in southwestern New Mexico called Silver City. Both my 
parents were teachers, so naturally a top concern was that I got a 
solid education. Fortunately, the local schools were good, and when I 
graduated with my classmates from what is now Silver High, we felt we 
could compete with just about any other student in the country.
  Silver City was also relatively safe. People tended to know their 
neighbors and while no town is completely crime-free, we felt secure in 
our homes, around town, and in school.
  Finally, Silver City was by no means a wealthy town. But I'm sure I'm 
not the only one who grew up optimistic that a person could work hard, 
achieve a decent standard of living, and support their family without 
fear that one turn of bad luck would put them out on the streets.
  In short, Mr. President, Silver City was a pretty good place to grow 
up. In fact, we used to feel sorry for people in neighboring states 
where the quality of life was not so good.
  Even today, New Mexico is blessed with rich cultural diversity, 
tremendous natural beauty, strong families and a sense of tradition. 
All of these things make New Mexico a wonderful place to live. Each 
time I go home I'm astonished at the number of new people who are 
moving there, no doubt for some of these very reasons.
  And yet, Mr. President, some things seem to have changed since I was 
a kid in New Mexico. I seem to hear more and more frequently from 
parents who tell me how hard it is to raise a child in a state where 
crime and unemployment rates are high, yet family income and school 
graduation rates are low. Where alcohol and drug abuse are widespread, 
but health insurance and treatment options are scarce.
  Those of us from New Mexico know that a Washington-based study 
ranking our state as the worst place to raise children can not be taken 
at face-value. And yet, there is a troubling reality we must face. In 
many ways, our state is failing to provide what is needed to ensure all 
of our young people have the necessary foundation to grow into healthy, 
productive adults. In several key respects, New Mexico has fallen 
behind the other states we used to feel sorry for.
  So, Mr. President, as we stand on the brink of a new century, I rise 
today to urge that we recommit ourselves--as elected officials, as 
community leaders, as parents, and as citizens-- to better meeting the 
needs of people growing up in our state and to setting higher goals for 
New Mexico's future.
  I began by saying that a child needs to grow up safe from harm. That 
means safe from family violence, safe from gang warfare, and safe in 
school. But a child has other needs that must be met as well. I'd like 
to mention three other areas that I believe are cornerstones to strong 
foundation for any child.
  The first of these is economic security. If a child is living in 
poverty, or on the edge of poverty, it is very difficult for anything 
else to fall into place.
  A child should grow up in a family whose economic circumstances are 
stable. This stability comes first and foremost from parents with 
decent job opportunities. It also comes from a family's ability to 
successfully juggle numerous economic demands--and to adapt to change, 
the only certainty in today's global economy. Our efforts in this area 
should center on creating more high-wage jobs and on giving families 
the tools to manage the unpredictable forces that can throw them into 
financial turmoil.
  The second cornerstone is education. In America, a quality public 
education has long been the great leveler between the haves and the 
have-nots. Children need access to a quality education that will give 
them the skills to achieve a good standard of living.
  A quality education system is one characterized by accountability and 
flexibility. Accountability means that clear goals are set for things 
like student achievement and teacher quality, information is readily 
available on student progress toward these goals, and schools are held 
accountable for this progress. Flexibility means that schools have the 
resources and the ability to adapt to meet the needs of students--
particularly students at risk of dropping out.

[[Page S2842]]

  Third, children must have access to affordable, quality health care. 
A child who is sick cannot go to school--cannot be expected to learn. 
And yet according to the Children's Defense Fund, no state has a 
greater percentage of uninsured children than New Mexico.
  We have to ensure that this health care is not only promised, but 
delivered--and that it is just as available to rural areas as it is to 
urban ones.
  In the coming weeks, I intend to introduce legislation and pursue 
strategies in each of these remaining three areas--that I hope will 
begin to help parents provide a strong foundation for their children. 
All of us who grew up in New Mexico have fond memories of those days, 
and we want to assure that feeling for future generations of New 
Mexicans so that they can grow up, raise their families, and build a 
future in our state.
  Mr. President, I'd now like to describe the three bills I am 
introducing today.
  While adult crime rates are declining in many areas, the juvenile 
crime rate continues to rise--especially drug-related crime. But there 
is some hope, and there are good solutions out there. Not too long ago, 
I heard about the success the City of Boston had in getting control of 
their serious juvenile crime problem. In 1992, Boston had 152 
homicides--a horrendous statistic. Realizing the community had to come 
together to work on a common solution, the City of Boston developed and 
implemented a collaborative strategy to address their crime problem. 
Boston's strategy was very successful, and between 1995 and 1997, their 
homicide rate dropped significantly. Most notably, they went two years 
without a single juvenile homicide.
  Boston got law enforcement, community organizations, health 
providers, prosecutors, and even religious leaders working together to 
tackle different aspects of juvenile crime.
  The Boston strategy worked because it got people from different 
organizations working together on a specific set of goals--like taking 
guns away from felons, using probation officers to help identify and 
apprehend probation violators, and providing alternatives to children 
to keep them from getting into trouble in the first place.
  Boston recognized that juvenile crime affects the entire community, 
and a community that pulls together to address it will have a better 
chance of success.
  The legislation I am introducing today, called the Safer Communities 
Partnership Act, is patterned after a bill authored by Senator Kennedy. 
It provides funding for communities that want to implement this 
``Boston'' strategy. And because there is no one-size-fits-all approach 
that works for every community, this bill provides the flexibility to 
integrate this strategy into the crime-fighting efforts already 
occurring at the local level.
  The next two proposals have two goals: (1) to keep kids in school, 
and (2) to keep kids in school safe.
  Although truancy is often the first sign of trouble in the life of a 
young person, this problem has long been overlooked. Truancy not only 
indicates a young person's disinterest in school, it often indicates 
that a young person is headed for a life of crime, drugs and other 
serious problems.
  It is clear that truancy and crime go hand-in-hand--44 percent of 
violent juvenile crime takes place during school hours and 57 percent 
of violent crimes committed by juveniles occur on school days. Most of 
these crimes take place at a time when we expect young people to be in 
school.
  In most cases, parents are not aware that their children are truant. 
We all have to do a better job of notifying parents when kids skip 
school. In fact, most studies indicate that when parents, educators, 
law enforcement and community leaders all work together to prevent 
truancy at an early stage, school attendance increases and daytime 
crime decreases.
  The Truancy Prevention and Juvenile Crime Reduction Act I am 
introducing today authorizes $25 million per year for local 
partnerships to address truancy. The funds can be used for a variety of 
purposes. They can be used to create penalties for truants and parents 
when truancy becomes a chronic problem. They can be used by schools to 
acquire the technology needed to automatically notify parents when 
their children are absent without an excuse.
  Not only do we need to keep our young people in school, we need to 
keep our students in school safe! Most of us understand the importance 
of protecting our assets, yet we have neglected to protect our biggest 
investment of all: our school children. The third and final bill I am 
introducing today is intended to do just that.
  We all remember the horrible tragedies that struck Jonesboro, 
Arkansas, Paducah, Kentucky, and other communities within the last 
year. At a time when violent crime in the nation is decreasing, one in 
ten public schools reported at least one serious violent crime during 
the 1996-97 school year. The school yard fist fight is no longer a 
child's worst fear: 71 percent of children ages 7 to 10 say they worry 
about being shot or stabbed. A violent environment is not a good 
learning environment.
  Educators and law enforcement know that one way to prevent crime in 
our schools is through the use of technology. The Safe School Security 
Act would establish the School Security Technology Center at Sandia 
National Laboratories and provide grant money for local school 
districts to access the technology. Because Sandia is one of our 
nation's premier labs when it comes to providing physical security for 
our nation's most important assets, it is fitting that they would be 
chosen to provide security to school districts throughout our nation.
  The latest technology was recently tested in a pilot project 
involving Sandia Labs and Belen High School in Belen, New Mexico and 
the results were astounding. After two years, Belen High School 
reported a 75 percent reduction in school violence, a 30 percent 
reduction in truancy, an 80 percent reduction in vehicle break-ins and 
a 75 percent reduction in vandalism. Moreover, insurance claims due to 
theft or vandalism at Belen High School dropped from $50,000 to $5,000 
after the pilot project went into effect. Clearly, the cost of making 
our schools safer and more secure is a good investment for our nation.
  Mr. President, these three bills represent only a small fraction of 
what should be done to ensure that children grow up safe. There is much 
more I hope we can do this year. For instance, no discussion of the 
safety of children would be complete without acknowledging the problem 
of drug and alcohol abuse, which is not only a problem for many young 
people, but is often a source of family violence committed by addicted 
parents.
  In recent weeks, we have seen the community of Espanola in northern 
New Mexico begin to come to terms with a very serious heroin problem. 
In other parts of the state, federal, state and local officials are 
combating an increase in production and trafficking of 
methamphetamines, or meth. And of course, the problem of alcohol abuse 
continues to plague communities big and small, urban and rural.
  All of these problems must be approached on two fronts--from the law 
enforcement side, and from the treatment side. Last year we obtained an 
increase of over one million dollars for New Mexico-based efforts to 
stop the drug trade along the Mexican border, and I recently joined in 
introducing a measure that will help local law enforcement crack down 
on the production and distribution of methamphetamines.
  On the treatment side, Congress this year will update the budget for 
all federally-funded drug and alcohol treatment programs through the 
reauthorization of SAMHSA. I have already secured a commitment from the 
head of this agency to travel to northern New Mexico, and I plan to 
play a leading role in ensuring adequate funding for treatment 
facilities in underserved areas like our state.
  Mr. President, in closing I'd like to say that I am not the only 
person interested in working to make New Mexico a better place to grow 
up. There are valiant efforts underway all across the state, and I 
commend those who are striving to make a difference. But this is not 
something that can occur overnight. This is a long term effort that 
requires cooperation between all levels of government, community 
leaders, average citizens, and of course, parents.
  As we prepare to close the book on the 20th century, I'd like to 
suggest a

[[Page S2843]]

new horizon for our state that will give us the time to make the 
progress we all want to make. We are a little more than 12 years away 
from New Mexico's 100th anniversary as a state of these United States. 
This anniversary will occur on January 6, 2012. I say we set our sights 
beyond the turn of the century and focus on that year--2012. Then we 
can set high goals for New Mexico and the future of our children, 
knowing we have 12 more years to do all we can to meet them. New Mexico 
can still be a great place to grow up, if we all work together toward 
that goal.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bills be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bills were ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 638

       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 School Security Act of 
     1999''.

     SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF SCHOOL SECURITY TECHNOLOGY CENTER.

       (a) School Security Technology Center.--
       (1) Establishment.--The Attorney General, the Secretary of 
     Education, and the Secretary of Energy shall enter into an 
     agreement for the establishment at the Sandia National 
     Laboratories, in partnership with the National Law 
     Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center--Southeast, of 
     a center to be known as the ``School Security Technology 
     Center''. The School Security Technology Center shall be 
     administered by the Attorney General.
       (2) Functions.--The School Security Technology Center shall 
     be a resource to local educational agencies for school 
     security assessments, security technology development, 
     technology availability and implementation, and technical 
     assistance relating to improving school security.
       (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this section--
       (1) $2,850,000 for fiscal year 2000;
       (2) $2,950,000 for fiscal year 2001; and
       (3) $3,050,000 for fiscal year 2002.

     SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR LOCAL SCHOOL SECURITY PROGRAMS.

       Subpart 1 of part A of title IV of the Elementary and 
     Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7111 et seq.) is 
     amended by adding at the end the following:

     ``SEC. 4119. LOCAL SCHOOL SECURITY PROGRAMS.

       ``(a) In General.--
       ``(1) Grants authorized.--From amounts appropriated under 
     subsection (c), the Secretary shall award grants on a 
     competitive basis to local educational agencies to enable the 
     agencies to acquire security technology for, or carry out 
     activities related to improving security at, the middle and 
     secondary schools served by the agencies, including obtaining 
     school security assessments, and technical assistance, for 
     the development of a comprehensive school security plan from 
     the School Security Technology Center.
       ``(2) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
     this section, a local educational agency shall submit to the 
     Secretary an application in such form and containing such 
     information as the Secretary may require, including 
     information relating to the security needs of the agency.
       ``(3) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
     Secretary shall give priority to local educational agencies 
     that demonstrate the highest security needs, as reported by 
     the agency in the application submitted under paragraph (2).
       ``(b) Applicability.--The provisions of this part (other 
     than this section) shall not apply to this section.
       ``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for 
     each of fiscal years 2000, 2001, and 2002.''.

     SEC. 4. SAFE AND SECURE SCHOOL ADVISORY REPORT.

       Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary 
     of Education and the Secretary of Energy, or their designees, 
     shall--
       (1) develop a proposal to further improve school security; 
     and
       (2) submit that proposal to Congress.
                                  ____


                                 S. 639

       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 ``Truancy Prevention and 
     Juvenile Crime Reduction Act of 1999''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) Truancy is often the first sign of trouble--the first 
     indicator that a young person is giving up and losing his or 
     her way.
       (2) Many students who become truant eventually drop out of 
     school, and high school drop outs are two and a half times 
     more likely to be on welfare than high school graduates, 
     twice as likely to be unemployed, or if employed, earn lower 
     salaries.
       (3) Truancy is the top-ranking characteristic of 
     criminals--more common than such factors as coming from 
     single-parent families and being abused as children.
       (4) High rates of truancy are linked to high daytime 
     burglary rates and high vandalism.
       (5) As much as 44 percent of violent juvenile crime takes 
     place during school hours.
       (6) As many as 75 percent of children ages 13 to 16 who are 
     arrested and prosecuted for crimes are truants.
       (7) Some cities report as many as 70 percent of daily 
     student absences are unexcused, and the total number of 
     absences in a single city can reach 4,000 per day.
       (8) Society pays a significant social and economic cost due 
     to truancy: only 34 percent of inmates have completed high 
     school education; 17 percent of youth under age 18 entering 
     adult prisons have not completed grade school (8th grade or 
     less), 25 percent completed 10th grade, and 2 percent 
     completed high school.
       (9) Truants and later high school drop outs cost the Nation 
     $240,000,000,000 in lost earnings and foregone taxes over 
     their lifetimes, and the cost of crime control is staggering.
       (10) In many instances, parents are unaware a child is 
     truant.
       (11) Effective truancy prevention, early intervention, and 
     accountability programs can improve school attendance and 
     reduce daytime crime rates.
       (12) There is a lack of targeted funding for effective 
     truancy prevention programs in current law.

     SEC. 3. GRANTS.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Eligible partnership.--The term ``eligible 
     partnership'' means a partnership between 1 or more qualified 
     units of local government and 1 or more local educational 
     agencies.
       (2) Local educational agency.--The term ``local educational 
     agency'' has the meaning given the term in section 14101 of 
     the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
     8801).
       (3) Qualified unit of local government.--The term 
     ``qualified unit of local government'' means a unit of local 
     government that has in effect, as of the date on which the 
     eligible partnership submits an application for a grant under 
     this section, a statute or regulation that meets the 
     requirements of section 223(a)(14) of the Juvenile Justice 
     and Delinquency and Prevention Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 
     5633(a)(14)).
       (4) Unit of local government.--The term ``unit of local 
     government'' means any city, county, township, town, borough, 
     parish, village, or other general purpose political 
     subdivision of a State, or any Indian tribe.
       (b) Grant Authority.--The Attorney General, in consultation 
     with the Secretary of Education, shall make grants in 
     accordance with this section on a competitive basis to 
     eligible partnerships to reduce truancy and the incidence of 
     daytime juvenile crime.
       (c) Maximum Amount; Allocation; Renewal.--
       (1) Maximum amount.--The total amount awarded to an 
     eligible partnership under this section in any fiscal year 
     shall not exceed $100,000.
       (2) Allocation.--Not less than 25 percent of each grant 
     awarded to an eligible partnership under this section shall 
     be allocated for use by the local educational agency or 
     agencies participating in the partnership.
       (3) Renewal.--A grant awarded under this section for a 
     fiscal year may be renewed for an additional period of not 
     more than 2 fiscal years.
       (d) Use of Funds.--
       (1) In general.--Grant amounts made available under this 
     section may be used by an eligible partnership to 
     comprehensively address truancy through the use of--
       (A) parental involvement in prevention activities, 
     including meaningful incentives for parental responsibility;
       (B) sanctions, including community service, or drivers' 
     license suspension for students who are habitually truant;
       (C) parental accountability, including fines, teacher-aid 
     duty, or community service;
       (D) in-school truancy prevention programs, including 
     alternative education and in-school suspension;
       (E) involvement of the local law enforcement, social 
     services, judicial, business, and religious communities, and 
     nonprofit organizations;
       (F) technology, including automated telephone notice to 
     parents and computerized attendance system;
       (G) elimination of 40-day count and other unintended 
     incentives to allow students to be truant after a certain 
     time of school year; or
       (H) juvenile probation officer collaboration with 1 or more 
     local educational agencies.
       (2) Model programs.--In carrying out this section, the 
     Attorney General may give priority to funding the following 
     programs and programs that attempt to replicate one or more 
     of the following model programs:
       (A) The Truancy Intervention Project of the Fulton County, 
     Georgia, Juvenile Court.
       (B) The TABS (Truancy Abatement and Burglary Suppression) 
     program of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
       (C) The Roswell Daytime Curfew Program of Roswell, New 
     Mexico.
       (D) The Stop, Cite and Return Program of Rohnert Park, 
     California.
       (E) The Stay in School Program of New Haven, Connecticut.
       (F) The Atlantic County Project Helping Hand of Atlantic 
     County, New Jersey.

[[Page S2844]]

       (G) The THRIVE (Truancy Habits Reduced Increasing Valuable 
     Education) initiative of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
       (H) The Norfolk, Virginia project using computer software 
     and data collection.
       (I) The Community Service Early Intervention Program of 
     Marion, Ohio.
       (J) The Truancy Reduction Program of Bakersfield, 
     California.
       (K) The Grade Court program of Farmington, New Mexico.
       (L) Any other model program that the Attorney General 
     determines to be appropriate.
       (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this section, $25,000,000 for 
     each of fiscal years 2000, 2001, and 2002.
                                  ____


                                 S. 640

       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 ``Safer Communities 
     Partnership Act of 1999''.

     SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM TO PROMOTE REPLICATION OF RECENT 
                   SUCCESSFUL JUVENILE CRIME REDUCTION STRATEGIES.

       (a) In General.--
       (1) Establishment.--The Attorney General (or a designee of 
     the Attorney General), in conjunction with the Secretary of 
     the Treasury (or the designee of the Secretary), shall 
     establish a pilot program (referred to in this section as the 
     ``program'') to encourage and support communities that adopt 
     a comprehensive approach to suppressing and preventing 
     violent juvenile crime and reducing drug and alcohol abuse 
     among juveniles, patterned after successful State juvenile 
     crime reduction strategies.
       (2) Program.--In carrying out the program, the Attorney 
     General shall--
       (A) make and track grants to grant recipients (referred to 
     in this section as ``coalitions'');
       (B) in conjunction with the Secretary of the Treasury and 
     the Secretary of Health and Human Services, provide for 
     technical assistance and training, in addition to data 
     collection, and dissemination of relevant information; and
       (C) provide for the general administration of the program.
       (3) Administration.--Not later than 30 days after the date 
     of enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall appoint 
     or designate an Administrator (referred to in this section as 
     the ``Administrator'') to carry out the program.
       (4) Program authorization.--To be eligible to receive an 
     initial grant or a renewal grant under this section, a 
     coalition shall meet each of the following criteria:
       (A) Composition.--The coalition shall consist of 1 or more 
     representatives of--
       (i) the local or tribal police department or sheriff's 
     department;
       (ii) the local prosecutors' office;
       (iii) State or local probation officers;
       (iv) religious affiliated or fraternal organizations 
     involved in crime prevention;
       (v) schools;
       (vi) parents or local grass roots organizations such as 
     neighborhood watch groups;
       (vii) social service agencies involved in crime prevention;
       (viii) a juvenile or youth court judge; and
       (ix) substance and alcohol abuse counselors and treatment 
     providers.
       (B) Other participants.--If possible, in addition to the 
     representatives from the categories listed in subparagraph 
     (A), the coalition shall include 1 or more representatives 
     of--
       (i) the United States Attorney's office;
       (ii) the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
       (iii) the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms;
       (iv) the Drug Enforcement Administration;
       (v) the business community; and
       (vi) researchers who have studied criminal justice and can 
     offer technical or other assistance.
       (C) Coordinated strategy.--A coalition shall submit to the 
     Attorney General, or the Attorney General's designee, a 
     comprehensive plan for reducing violent juvenile crime. To be 
     eligible for consideration, a plan shall--
       (i) ensure close collaboration among all members of the 
     coalition in suppressing and preventing juvenile crime;
       (ii) place heavy emphasis on coordinated enforcement 
     initiatives, such as Federal and State programs that 
     coordinate local police departments, prosecutors, and local 
     community leaders to focus on the suppression of violent 
     juvenile crime involving gangs;
       (iii) ensure that there is close collaboration between 
     police and probation officers in the supervision of juvenile 
     offenders, such as initiatives that coordinate the efforts of 
     parents, school officials, and police and probation officers 
     to patrol the streets and make home visits to ensure that 
     offenders comply with the terms of their probation;
       (iv) ensure that a program is in place to trace all 
     firearms seized from crime scenes or offenders in an effort 
     to identify illegal gun traffickers;
       (v) ensure that effective crime prevention programs are in 
     place, such as programs that provide after-school safe havens 
     and other opportunities for at-risk youth to escape or avoid 
     gang or other criminal activity, and to reduce recidivism; 
     and
       (vi) ensure that a program is in place to divert nonviolent 
     juvenile offenders into substance or alcohol abuse treatment, 
     the successful completion of which may result in a suspended 
     sentence for the offense, and the unsuccessful completion of 
     which may result in an enhanced sentence for the offense.
       (D) Accountability.--A coalition shall--
       (i) establish a system to measure and report outcomes 
     consistent with common indicators and evaluation protocols 
     established by the Administrator and that receives the 
     approval of the Administrator; and
       (ii) devise a detailed model for measuring and evaluating 
     the success of the plan of the coalition in reducing violent 
     juvenile crime, and provide assurances that the plan will be 
     evaluated on a regular basis to assess progress in reducing 
     violent juvenile crime.
       (5) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
     Attorney General shall give priority to coalitions 
     representing communities with demonstrated juvenile crime and 
     drug abuse problems.
       (6) Grant amounts.--
       (A) In general.--The Administrator may award a grant to an 
     eligible coalition under this section, in an amount not to 
     exceed the lesser of--
       (i) the amount of non-Federal funds raised by the 
     coalition, including in-kind contributions, for that fiscal 
     year; and
       (ii) $400,000.
       (B) Nonsupplanting requirement.--A coalition seeking funds 
     shall provide reasonable assurances that funds made available 
     under this program to States or units of local government 
     shall be so used as to supplement and increase (but not 
     supplant) the level of the State, local, and other non-
     Federal funds that would in the absence of such Federal funds 
     be made available for programs described in this section, and 
     shall in no event replace such State, local, or other non-
     Federal funds.
       (C) Suspension of grants.--If a coalition fails to continue 
     to meet the criteria set forth in this section, the 
     Administrator may suspend the grant, after providing written 
     notice to the grant recipient and an opportunity to appeal.
       (D) Renewal grants.--Subject to subparagraph (D), the 
     Administrator may award a renewal grant to grant recipient 
     under this subparagraph for each fiscal year following the 
     fiscal year for which an initial grant is awarded, in an 
     amount not to exceed the amount of non-Federal funds raised 
     by the coalition, including in-kind contributions, for that 
     fiscal year, during the 4-year period following the period of 
     the initial grant.
       (7) Permitted use of funds.--A coalition receiving funds 
     under this section may expend such Federal funds on any use 
     or program that is contained in the plan submitted to the 
     Administrator.
       (8) Congressional consultation.--
       (A) In general.--Two years after the date of implementation 
     of the program established in this section, the Comptroller 
     General of the United States shall submit to Congress a 
     report reviewing the effectiveness of the program in 
     suppressing and reducing violent juvenile crime in the 
     participating communities.
       (B) Contents of report.--The report submitted under 
     subparagraph (A) shall include--
       (i) an analysis of each community participating in the 
     program, along with information regarding the plan undertaken 
     in the community, and the effectiveness of the plan in 
     reducing violent juvenile crime; and
       (ii) recommendations regarding the efficacy of continuing 
     the program.
       (b) Information Collection and Dissemination With Respect 
     to Coalitions.--
       (1) Coalition information.--For the purpose of audit and 
     examination, the Attorney General--
       (A) shall have access to any books, documents, papers, and 
     records that are pertinent to any grant or grant renewal 
     request under this section; and
       (B) may periodically request information from a coalition 
     to ensure that the coalition meets the applicable criteria.
       (2) Reporting.--The Attorney General shall, to the maximum 
     extent practicable and in a manner consistent with applicable 
     law, minimize reporting requirements by a coalition and 
     expedite any application for a renewal grant made under this 
     section.
       (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--
       (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
     carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
     2000 through 2003, of which--
       (A) not less than $1,000,000 in each fiscal year shall be 
     used for coalitions representing communities with a 
     population of not more than 50,000; and
       (B) not less than 2 percent in each fiscal year shall be 
     used for technical assistance and training under subsection 
     (a)(2)(B).
       (2) Source of sums.--Amounts authorized to be appropriated 
     pursuant to this subsection may be derived from the Violent 
     Crime Reduction Trust Fund.
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