[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 120 (Monday, October 2, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H8580-H8583]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONAL POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUE YOUTH ENRICHMENT ACT OF 2000
Mr. CANADY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 3235) to improve academic and social outcomes for
youth and reduce both juvenile crime and the risk that youth will
become victims of crime by providing productive activities conducted by
law enforcement personnel during non-school hours, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 3235
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 ``National Police Athletic
League Youth Enrichment Act of 2000''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The goals of the Police Athletic League are to--
(A) increase the academic success of youth participants in
PAL programs;
(B) promote a safe, healthy environment for youth under the
supervision of law enforcement personnel where mutual trust
and respect can be built;
(C) increase school attendance by providing alternatives to
suspensions and expulsions;
(D) reduce the juvenile crime rate in participating
designated communities and the number of police calls
involving juveniles during nonschool hours;
(E) provide youths with alternatives to drugs, alcohol,
tobacco, and gang activity;
(F) create positive communications and interaction between
youth and law enforcement personnel; and
(G) prepare youth for the workplace.
(2) The Police Athletic League, during its 55-year history
as a national organization, has proven to be a positive force
in the communities it serves.
(3) The Police Athletic League is a network of 1,700
facilities serving over 3,000 communities. There are 320 PAL
chapters throughout the United States, the Virgin Islands,
and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, serving 1,500,000
youths, ages 5 to 18, nationwide.
(4) Based on PAL chapter demographics, approximately 82
percent of the youths who benefit from PAL programs live in
inner cities and urban areas.
(5) PAL chapters are locally operated, volunteer-driven
organizations. Although most PAL chapters are sponsored by a
law enforcement agency, PAL chapters receive no direct
funding from law enforcement agencies and are dependent in
large part on support from the private sector, such as
individuals, business leaders, corporations, and foundations.
PAL chapters have been exceptionally successful in balancing
public funds with private sector donations and maximizing
community involvement.
(6) Today's youth face far greater risks than did their
parents and grandparents. Law enforcement statistics
demonstrate that youth between the ages of 12 and 17 are at
risk of committing violent acts and being victims of violent
acts between the hours of 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
(7) Greater numbers of students are dropping out of school
and failing in school, even though the consequences of
academic failure are more dire in 1999 than ever before.
(8) Many distressed areas in the United States are still
underserved by PAL chapters.
SEC. 3. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to provide adequate resources in
the form of--
(1) assistance for the 320 established PAL chapters to
increase of services to the communities they are serving; and
(2) seed money for the establishment of 250 (50 per year
over a 5-year period) additional local PAL chapters in public
housing projects and other distressed areas, including
distressed areas with a majority population of Native
Americans, by not later than fiscal year 2006.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Assistant attorney general.--The term ``Assistant
Attorney General'' means the Assistant Attorney General for
the Office of Justice Programs of the Department of Justice.
(2) Distressed area.--The term ``distressed area'' means an
urban, suburban, or rural area with a high percentage of
high-risk youth, as defined in section 509A of the Public
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290aa-8(f)).
(3) PAL chapter.--The term ``PAL chapter'' means a chapter
of a Police or Sheriff's Athletic/Activities League.
(4) Police athletic league.--The term ``Police Athletic
League'' means the private, nonprofit, national
representative organization for 320 Police or Sheriff's
Athletic/Activities Leagues throughout the United States
(including the Virgin Islands and the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico).
(5) Public housing; project.--The terms ``public housing''
and ``project'' have the meanings given those terms in
section 3(b) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42
U.S.C. 1437a(b)).
SEC. 5. GRANTS AUTHORIZED.
(a) In General.--Subject to appropriations, for each of
fiscal years 2001 through 2005, the Assistant Attorney
General shall award a grant to the Police Athletic League for
the purpose of establishing PAL chapters to serve public
housing projects and other distressed areas, and expanding
existing PAL chapters to serve additional youths.
(b) Application.--
(1) Submission.--In order to be eligible to receive a grant
under this section, the Police Athletic League shall submit
to the Assistant Attorney General an application, which shall
include--
(A) a long-term strategy to establish 250 additional PAL
chapters and detailed summary of those areas in which new PAL
chapters will be established, or in which existing chapters
will be expanded to serve additional youths, during the next
fiscal year;
(B) a plan to ensure that there are a total of not less
than 570 PAL chapters in operation before January 1, 2004;
(C) a certification that there will be appropriate
coordination with those communities where new PAL chapters
will be located; and
(D) an explanation of the manner in which new PAL chapters
will operate without additional, direct Federal financial
assistance once assistance under this Act is discontinued.
(2) Review.--The Assistant Attorney General shall review
and take action on an application submitted under paragraph
(1) not later than 120 days after the date of such
submission.
SEC. 6. USE OF FUNDS.
(a) In General.--
(1) Assistance for new and expanded chapters.--Amounts made
available under a grant awarded under this Act shall be used
by the Police Athletic League to provide funding for the
establishment of PAL chapters serving public housing projects
and other distressed areas, or the expansion of existing PAL
chapters.
(2) Program requirements.--Each new or expanded PAL chapter
assisted under paragraph (1) shall carry out not less than 4
programs during nonschool hours, of which--
(A) not less than 2 programs shall provide--
[[Page H8581]]
(i) mentoring assistance;
(ii) academic assistance;
(iii) recreational and athletic activities; or
(iv) technology training; and
(B) any remaining programs shall provide--
(i) drug, alcohol, and gang prevention activities;
(ii) health and nutrition counseling;
(iii) cultural and social programs;
(iv) conflict resolution training, anger management, and
peer pressure training;
(v) job skill preparation activities; or
(vi) Youth Police Athletic League Conferences or Youth
Forums.
(b) Additional Requirements.--In carrying out the programs
under subsection (a), a PAL chapter shall, to the maximum
extent practicable--
(1) use volunteers from businesses, academic communities,
social organizations, and law enforcement organizations to
serve as mentors or to assist in other ways;
(2) ensure that youth in the local community participate in
designing the after-school activities;
(3) develop creative methods of conducting outreach to
youth in the community;
(4) request donations of computer equipment and other
materials and equipment; and
(5) work with State and local park and recreation agencies
so that activities funded with amounts made available under a
grant under this Act will not duplicate activities funded
from other sources in the community served.
SEC. 7. REPORTS.
(a) Report to Assistant Attorney General.--For each fiscal
year for which a grant is awarded under this Act, the Police
Athletic League shall submit to the Assistant Attorney
General a report on the use of amounts made available under
the grant.
(b) Report to Congress.--Not later than May 1 of each
fiscal year for which amounts are made available to carry out
this Act, the Assistant Attorney General shall submit to the
Committees on the Judiciary of the Senate and the House of
Representatives a report that details the progress made under
this Act in establishing and expanding PAL chapters in public
housing projects and other distressed areas, and the
effectiveness of the PAL programs in reducing drug abuse,
school dropouts, and juvenile crime.
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out this Act $16,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2001
through 2005.
(b) Funding for Program Administration.--Of the amount made
available to carry out this Act in each fiscal year--
(1) not less than 2 percent shall be used for research and
evaluation of the grant program under this Act;
(2) not less than 1 percent shall be used for technical
assistance related to the use of amounts made available under
grants awarded under this Act; and
(3) not less than 1 percent shall be used for the
management and administration of the grant program under this
Act, except that the total amount made available under this
paragraph for administration of that program shall not exceed
6 percent.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Canady) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Canady).
General Leave
Mr. CANADY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend
their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill now under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Mr. CANADY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3235, the National Police
Athletic League Youth Enrichment Act of 2000. The gentleman from
Wisconsin (Mr. Barrett) introduced H.R. 3235 last November and the
Committee on the Judiciary reported the bill by voice vote on July 25
of this year.
The bill would direct the Office of Justice Programs of the
Department of Justice to award a grant to the Police Athletic League
for the purposes of establishing Police Athletic League chapters to
serve public housing projects and other distressed areas and expanding
existing chapters to serve additional youth. The bill was modeled on
legislation enacted in 1997 to increase the number of Boys and Girls
Clubs serving low-income areas.
The Police Athletic League was founded by police officers in New York
City in 1914; and its goal is to offer an alternative to crime, drugs,
and violence for our Nation's most at-risk youth. Since 1914, the
Police Athletic League, also known as PAL, has grown into one of the
largest youth crime prevention programs in the Nation, with a network
of 320 local chapters and 1,700 facilities that serve more than 3,000
communities and 1.5 million children. Local chapters are volunteer-
driven and receive most of their funding from private sources. In
partnership with local law enforcement agencies, PAL chapters help to
narrow the gap in trust between children and police, especially in low-
income and high-crime neighborhoods. PAL offers after-school athletic,
recreational, and educational programs designed to give children an
alternative to gangs, drugs, and crime and to reinforce the values of
responsibility, hard work, and community. These programs are geared to
the after-school hours of 3 o'clock to 8 p.m., the peak hours for
juvenile crime and other antisocial behavior.
H.R. 3235 would authorize the appropriation of $16 million a year for
5 years beginning with fiscal year 2001. The money would be used to
enhance the services provided by the 320 established PAL chapters and
provide seed money for the establishment of 250, 50 per year over a 5-
year period, additional PAL chapters in public housing projects and
other distressed areas, including distressed areas with a majority
population of Native Americans.
In order to be eligible to receive a grant, the bill would require
PAL to submit to the Assistant Attorney General an application which
includes, one, a long-term strategy to establish 250 additional
chapters; two, a plan to ensure that there is a total of not less than
570 chapters in operation before January 1, 2004; three, a
certification that there will be appropriate coordination with those
communities where new chapters will be located; and, four, an
explanation of the manner in which new chapters will operate without
additional direct Federal financial assistance once assistance under
this act is discontinued.
Mr. Speaker, this is a very worthwhile piece of legislation. I urge
all my colleagues to support it.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SCOTT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in support of H.R. 3235, the National Police Athletic League
Youth Enrichment Act of 2000. I am a cosponsor of this bill. Although
we have not had hearings on it and I generally do not support
consideration of legislation without hearings, I believe that the
congressional record in this Congress sufficiently supports the passage
of this legislation and to have its passage take place expeditiously.
H.R. 3235 would award grant moneys to the Police Athletic League to
assist the establishment of Police Athletic League chapters in high-
crime and low-income areas as well as enhance existing services
provided by the Police Athletic League. They offer young people
opportunities to engage in constructive activities, including
recreational programming and activities in creative and performing
arts. I am pleased to note that research on these programs shows that
communities with this program show a decrease in juvenile crime. In a
survey of the California Police Athletic League, for example,
preliminary data shows that communities served by the program reported
a 34 percent decrease in juvenile arrests, a 58 percent decrease in
aggravated assaults committed by juveniles and a 47 percent drop in the
number of armed robberies by juveniles.
In short, Mr. Speaker, the record reflects that prevention and early
intervention as compared to other approaches to reducing juvenile crime
and delinquency are the most effective. In March 1999, for example, the
Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing on H.R. 1150,
the Juvenile Crime Control and Delinquency Prevention Act. During that
hearing, the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention identified promoting prevention as the most
cost-effective approach to reducing delinquency.
At the same hearing, the Commissioner at the Administration on
Children, Youth and Families at Health and Human Services also
summarized what should be our priorities and said the following:
The early years are critical. We know that and we must
continue to invest in early childhood. But we must also stick
with kids as they grow older. Children are like gardens. It
is critical that we prepare the soil and plant the seeds. But
if that is all we do, we should not be surprised if they do
not flourish. We have to pay attention to them
[[Page H8582]]
on an ongoing basis. Just as one would fertilize a garden,
we must stimulate growth in young people. Just as one would
weed a garden, we must root out the negative influences, peer
pressure and self-doubt that threaten to stunt the positive
development of our children. Especially during preadolescence
and adolescence, we must have continued youth development
activities to provide something to which the young people can
say yes instead of just asking them to say no to risky
behaviors.
Mr. Speaker, as a result of hearings such as these, the Subcommittee
on Early Childhood, Youth and Families of the Committee on Education
and the Workforce passed in this Congress H.R. 1150, the Juvenile Crime
Control and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1999, which highlighted the
importance of prevention and early intervention as the means of
addressing juvenile crime. That passed out of the Committee on
Education and the Workforce subcommittee with support from all of the
subcommittee members. Similarly, the Subcommittee on Crime unanimously
passed the first version of H.R. 1501, which provided for flexible
accountability and early intervention approaches for juveniles before
the court system with cosponsorship of the entire subcommittee.
Additionally, many of us had the opportunity to participate in a
bipartisan task force to examine youth violence. The task force
reviewed the research on the problem of youth violence and heard
testimony from witnesses from academia, law enforcement, the judicial
system, and advocacy groups.
{time} 1615
I quote from the final report:
Overall, the need for prevention and early intervention
programs at every step is paramount. Since the most important
contributing factor to youth violence is the absence of a
nurturing and supportive home environment, we know that youth
can be steered away from crime. Building strong relationships
between children and their parents and communities are the
best way to ensure their health and well-being.
Mr. Speaker, experts who met with the bipartisan task force
essentially agreed that early intervention and prevention efforts are
essential to reducing youth violence. Furthermore, the task force
concluded that such prevention efforts also require coordination and
partnership with community organizations.
In sum, the record shows that we know how to reduce juvenile crime
and delinquency. We must focus on prevention and early intervention,
and we must seek help from community organizations such as police
athletic leagues.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3235, the National Police Athletic League Youth
Enrichment Act of 1999, would foster much-needed community partnerships
and help to accomplish our goal of reducing juvenile crime. I therefore
support the legislation and urge my colleagues to support the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from Wisconsin (Mr. Barrett), the chief sponsor of the legislation.
Mr. BARRETT of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in
support of H.R. 3235, a bill I introduced to make the programs of the
Police Athletic League available to more kids across the country.
I would like to thank the gentleman from Florida (Chairman McCollum)
and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) of the Subcommittee on
Crime for their work in moving this bill through committee and on to
the floor before the House adjourns for this year.
I would also like to thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Canady)
for his support in helping move this bill. Since this is sort of the
waning days of the gentleman's days in Congress, I want to publicly
thank him for his service to the people of Florida and his country, and
wish him and his young family the best of luck as he returns to life as
a normal person.
I also would like to applaud Ron Exley, a board member of the
National Police Athletic League, for his tireless efforts in promoting
this bill.
Mr. Speaker, since you are going to be going back to Indiana, I want
to thank you for the opportunity to serve with you as well. This is
sort of a bittersweet time of year for many of us. Both of you have
really done a great job for the people you represent.
The Police Athletic League is a network of more than 320 chapters in
42 states serving over 1.5 million kids each year. Individual chapters
are volunteer-driven and receive most of their funding from private
sources. In partnership with local law enforcement activities, PAL
chapters help to narrow the gap in trust that exists between kids and
the police, especially in low-income and high-crime neighborhoods.
PAL offers after-school athletic and recreation programs designed to
give kids an alternative to gangs, drugs and crime, and to reinforce in
them the values of responsibility, hard work and community.
Just last week I was reminded of what PAL means for our kids when I
attended the ground breaking for the Milwaukee chapter's new facility.
This event was the perfect illustration of what we are trying to
accomplish with this legislation. The new facility will be located in a
neighborhood plagued by high crime and poverty, bringing these valuable
programs and activities to the kids who need them.
The National Police Athletic League Youth Enrichment Act is modeled
after legislation enacted in 1997 to increase the number of Boys and
Girls Clubs serving low-income areas. Similarly, this bill calls for
the establishment of 250 new PAL chapters over 5 years in public
housing projects in other distressed areas and would provide additional
resources to help existing chapters expand and enhance their services
in underserved areas.
In addition to recreational activities, the new PAL chapters would be
required to offer mentoring and academic assistance, technology
training and drug and alcohol counseling. The bill would also direct
the chapters to seek volunteers and donations from the business,
academic and law enforcement communities.
Mr. Speaker, one of the strengths of this program is that it allows
young kids, who many times encounter police only in stressful
situations, to encounter police in a meaningful, friendly situation. I
think that is a huge plus for the young kids.
It is also a plus for the police officers, who many times encounter
these young kids again in stressful situations, and for the police
officers to see these young people in athletic settings and learning
how to run computers I think is very important, positive.
I have always said I would much rather have kids shooting basketballs
than shooting each other, and I would much rather have them pushing
computer keys than pushing drugs, and this bill will go a long way in
trying to provide young people with alternatives to crime.
I am a strong believer in giving kids an alternative to the
temptations of the street. The Police Athletic League has established
an impressive track record of providing such an alternative in
America's cities. But there are many kids out there who do not have
access to help and deserve our attention. I urge my colleagues to help
these kids by supporting this bill.
Mr. SCOTT. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CANADY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I again want to congratulate the gentleman from
Wisconsin (Mr. Barrett) for his outstanding leadership on this
important legislation and to acknowledge the gentleman from Florida
(Mr. McCollum) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) for helping
move us to the point where this bill is considered by the House today.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of
H.R. 3235, the ``National Police Athletic League Youth Enrichment Act
of 1999.'' I commend my colleagues on the Judiciary Committee for
reporting the bill by voice vote. As a cosponsor of this legislation, I
am delighted that it enjoys bipartisan support. I does so for a good
reason.
It helps our children find alternatives to crime through a sensible
grant program administered by the Department of Justice. America
urgently needs such legislation to allow children, especially at-risk
youth, to obtain greater exposure through such legislative solutions.
Our children need the right kind of incentives that allow them to learn
in a welcoming environment without the threat of violence.
The Police Athletic League (PAL) was founded by police officers in
New York city in 1914. Its goal is to offer an alternative to crime,
drugs, and violence for at-risk youths. PAL offers after school
numerous school athletic, prevention programs in the nation, with a
[[Page H8583]]
network of 320 local chapters and 1,700 facilities that serve more than
3,000 communities and 1.5 million children. Local chapters are
volunteer driven and receive most of their funding from private
sources. That is certainly a record to be proud of.
H.R. 3235 would authorize the appropriation of $16 million a year for
5 years beginning with this fiscal year. The funds would be used to
enhance services provided by the present chapters, and provide seed
money for the establishment of 250 additional chapters in public
housing projects and other distressed areas. This could make an
enormous difference to the life of so many children that need a
fighting chance.
To be eligible to receive a grant, PAL would have to submit an
application to DOJ with a few important requirements. First, a long-
term strategy on how and where the 250 new chapters will be established
and maintained, along with how the present 320 chapters will be
maintained. Second, a certification that there will be coordination
with the communities in which the new chapters are established. Third,
an explanation of how the new chapters will continue to exist when the
full federal funding stops.
Mr. Speaker, I believe these are very reasonable procedures to help
find alternative steps to violence. These are reasonable and necessary
incentives for communities to come together on behalf of our children.
Children need these after school athletic, recreational, and
educational programs to improve their lives. As cosponsor of this
important legislation, I urge my colleagues to embrace this measure in
the widest bipartisan manner possible.
Mr. HORN. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 3235. In California,
the PAL programs play an integral role in our communities. PAL programs
provide positive activities for youth to participate in as an
alternative to gangs and violence. They instill family values, teach
teamwork, honesty, and personal accountability. PAL programs keep our
communities safe and our youth out of danger.
In Long Beach, California, a city I proudly represent, PAL programs
have served thousands of youth in the area throughout the past ten
years. Not only are young people enjoying recreational activities, they
are receiving help with homework, learning to use computers, and
positively influencing their peers to participate. This invaluable
program has helped so many youngsters that would have otherwise been at
risk of getting involved in criminal activity, gang violence or drug
abuse.
Every community should be as fortunate to have a preventive program
like the PAL program to help reduce juvenile crime. I commend the Long
Beach chapter for their excellent work on behalf of our community and
the lives of every youth that PAL has touched. I also look forward to
hearing about more success stories from PAL programs across the
country.
As a cosponsor and strong supporter of H.R. 3235, I encourage all of
my colleagues to support and pass this bill. Our nation's youth
deserves this commitment of resources.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pease). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Canady) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3235, 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.
____________________