[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 91 (Thursday, June 24, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7605-S7606]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. BOXER (for herself and Mr. Durbin):
  S. 1286. A bill to authorize the Attorney General to make grants to 
local educational agencies to carry out school violence prevention and 
school safety activities in secondary schools; to the Committee on the 
Judiciary.


                         School Safety Fund Act

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, it has been two months since the tragic 
shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado. That incident heightened 
awareness around the country--and I saw it first hand when I traveled 
throughout California--of the need to take steps to make our schools 
safer.
  It seems to me that being safe in school is a fundamental right. It 
ought to be a top priority of every school district in America--and I 
know that a lot of schools are committed to making improvements. But 
some are having a hard time finding the money to do what needs to be 
done. I believe it ought to be a top priority of the federal government 
to help localities do what they need to do to ensure the safety of our 
children when they are in school.
  So, today, I am introducing, along with my colleague, Senator Durbin, 
the School Safety Fund Act. This bill would allow the Attorney General 
to provide grants to school districts to undertake a variety of 
activities to prevent school violence and to make our schools safer. 
The key is we want local schools to make the decision about what they 
need to do, but we want the federal government to provide some 
financial help.
  Now, what are some of the things that schools want to--and should--
do?
  Schools could establish hotlines and tiplines, so that students could 
anonymously report potentially dangerous situations. We could put more 
community police officers in the public schools. Some schools need 
metal detectors and other security equipment. I think almost all 
schools could use more counselors, psychologists, and school social 
workers. Many teachers and administrators need training on the 
identification of the early warning signs of troubled youth. And, many 
of our students need conflict resolution programs and mentoring.
  The point is, each school needs to decide the extent of its problem 
and what the best solution will be in that community. We are not 
dictating here. We are saying that we want to--we need to--help our 
local schools.
  Let me talk about how these grants will be funded, because I think it 
is an interesting approach. Rather than set up a specific authorization 
level--rather than pulling a number out of a hat and saying, this is 
the need--my bill would give discretion to the Attorney General. The 
bill says that the Attorney General can make these grants out of the 
Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund to meet the need that is out there.
  For example, if there is a particular crisis in a particular 
community, the Attorney General has the flexibility to make grants. She 
does not have to wait for Congress to act--or watch as Congress fails 
to act. If the problem improves, the Attorney General can spend less 
or, perhaps someday, no money at all for school safety. Again, the 
number of grants would be based on an assessment of the needs.
  Finally, let me say a word about my cosponsor, Senator Durbin. I am 
very pleased to have him join me in this effort because several weeks 
ago, he fought this fight hard. He was a member of the conference 
committee on the supplemental appropriations bill, and he tried to get 
additional emergency funding--and it was and still is, in many 
respects, an emergency--for many of the activities we are talking about 
in this bill. Some on the other side of the aisle resisted his efforts, 
and eventually they voted him down. But, with his previous work on the 
subject, I am so pleased that he has joined me on this bill.
  Mr. President, it is now mid-June, and many schools are closed for 
the summer or will close shortly. We must reject the notion that 
because our children are no longer in school, there is no longer a 
problem. There is a problem, and unless we begin to find ways to solve 
it--and unless the federal government helps fund the solutions our 
local communities come up with--I fear that when the school house doors 
open again in the Fall, the problem might again hit the front pages of 
the newspapers.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I ask unanimous 
consent that a copy be printed in the Record.

[[Page S7606]]

  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1286

       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 ``School Safety Fund Act of 
     1999''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act, the terms ``local educational agency'' and 
     ``secondary school'' have the meanings given the terms in 
     section 14101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
     of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801).

     SEC. 3. PURPOSE.

       The purpose of this Act is to assist local educational 
     agencies in preventing and responding to the threat of 
     juvenile violence in secondary schools through the 
     implementation of effective school violence prevention and 
     school safety programs.

     SEC. 4. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

       The Attorney General is authorized to carry out a program 
     under which the Attorney General awards grants to local 
     educational agencies to assist the local educational agencies 
     in establishing and operating school violence prevention and 
     school safety activities in secondary schools.

     SEC. 5. APPLICATIONS.

       Each local educational agency desiring a grant under this 
     section shall submit an application to the Attorney General 
     at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such 
     information as the Attorney General may require. Each 
     application shall--
       (1) include a detailed explanation of--
       (A) the intended uses of funds provided under the grant; 
     and
       (B) how the activities funded under the grant will meet the 
     purpose of this Act; and
       (2) a written assurance that the funds provided under the 
     grant will be used to supplement and not supplant other State 
     and local public funds available for school violence 
     prevention and school safety activities in secondary schools.

     SEC. 6. AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.

       A local educational agency may use grant funds provided 
     under this Act--
       (1) to establish hotlines or tiplines for the reporting of 
     potentially dangerous students and situations;
       (2) to hire community police officers;
       (3) to purchase metal detectors, surveillance cameras, and 
     other school security equipment;
       (4) to provide training to teachers, administrators, and 
     other school personnel in the identification and detection 
     of, and responses to, early warning signs of troubled and 
     potentially violent youth;
       (5) to establish conflict resolution, counseling, 
     mentoring, and other violence prevention and intervention 
     programs for students;
       (6) to hire counselors, psychologists, mental health 
     professionals, and school social workers; and
       (7) for any other purpose that the Attorney General 
     determines to be appropriate and consistent with the purpose 
     of this Act.

     SEC. 7. FUNDING.

       From amounts appropriated to the Department of Justice from 
     the Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund established under 
     section 310001 of the Violent Crime Control and Law 
     Enforcement Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 14211), the Attorney 
     General may make available such sums as may be necessary to 
     carry out this Act for each of the fiscal years 2000 through 
     2004.

     SEC. 8. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

       Not later than November 30th of each year, the Attorney 
     General shall report to Congress regarding the number of 
     grants funded under this Act for the preceding fiscal year, 
     the amount of funds provided under the grants for the 
     preceding fiscal year, and the activities for which grant 
     funds were used for the preceding fiscal year.

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