[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 7 (Tuesday, February 5, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S349-S350]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. INHOFE (for himself and Mr. Cleland):
  S. 1911. A bill to amend the Community Services block Grant Act to 
reauthorize national and regional programs designed to provide 
instruction activities for low-income youth; to the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. INHOFE. Madam President, every summer since 1968 the National 
Youth Sports Program, NYSP, has enabled thousands of children, ages ten 
to sixteen, the opportunity to develop their athletic, academic and 
leadership skills in a character-building environment. Utilizing both 
private and public resources, the NYSP successfully partners with the 
National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA, the U.S. Department of 
Health and Human Services, HHS, the U.S. Department of Housing and 
Urban Development, HUD, and 200 institutions of higher learning across 
the country to provide an enriching summer experience for kids from 
disadvantaged backgrounds.
  Each participant in the National Youth Sports Program engages with a 
caring, dedicated adult volunteer while being exposed to the skills, 
discipline, and self-esteem that organized sports provide. Each student 
also receives academic enrichment in the classroom, instruction on 
healthy living and drug and alcohol abuse prevention, leadership 
training, and a comprehensive medical exam. Collegiate athletes and 
others from the community volunteer for the five-week program to 
nurture kids and promote their development of body and mind. The 
improvement of physical fitness through a variety of daily activities 
from swimming to soccer is a key component of the program. Using the 
vehicle of high-energy sports, each student is able to learn valuable 
life lessons. The academic portion of the National Youth Sports Program 
has evolved since its beginnings to include special enrichment for math 
and science and useful computer training. To encourage life-long health 
and physical fitness, substance abuse prevention training is 
incorporated at several program sites, and every child receives a 
thorough medical exam by a local doctor. Quality medical attention is a 
luxury that many of these children do not otherwise have.
  President Bush has encouraged our Nation to come together to build 
communities of character. The National Youth Sports Program is truly a 
nation-wide community effort. In forty-nine states, the District of 
Columbia, and Puerto Rico, volunteers give their time to help young 
people strive for their best, develop body and mind, and build strong 
character.
  In support of the continued success and vision of the National Youth 
Sports Program, today I am introducing the K.I.D.S. Act: Keeping 
Inspiration and Development Strong. This bill amends the Community 
Services Block Grant Act to reauthorize appropriations for the National 
Youth Sports Program at $20 million for Fiscal Year 2003 and provides 
for its authorization through Fiscal Year 2008. I urge my colleagues to 
join me in support of this legislation and to make the development of 
our Nation's greatest resource, children, a national priority.
  I ask unanimous consent that the bill be printed in the Record.
  Their being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1911

       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 ``Keep Inspiration and 
     Development Strong Act'' or the ``KIDS Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) since 1968, when the National Youth Sports Program 
     (referred to in this Act as the `Program') began, the Program 
     has provided a character-building environment for low-income 
     children to develop athletic, educational, and leadership 
     skills;
       (2)(A) the Program utilizes community resources, private 
     funding, and public funding to carry out the Program's goals; 
     and
       (B) for every $1 in Federal funds appropriated for the 
     Program, the Program receives nearly $3 from private sources, 
     through cash contributions or services provided at Program 
     sites;
       (3)(A) the continued investment of Federal resources in the 
     Program is in the Nation's best interest, especially given a 
     recent increase in child obesity in the United States; and
       (B) the Surgeon General's report to the President, 
     published in the fall of 2000 and

[[Page S350]]

     entitled ``Promoting Better Health for Young People Through 
     Physical Activity and Sports'', indicated that child obesity 
     had doubled in the preceding 20 years;
       (4)(A) the Program enhances the health of children by 
     providing quality medical care; and
       (B) in 2001, 77,106 medical examinations were administered 
     at Program sites for children who might otherwise not have 
     visited a doctor;
       (5) the Program encourages educational growth in children 
     by exposing the children to a collegiate atmosphere at an 
     early age and establishing higher education as a natural life 
     goal for the children;
       (6) the Program is truly a national program, expanding in 
     2001 to college and university campuses in 49 States, the 
     District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; 
     and
       (7) the Nation can best prepare the children of the United 
     States to embrace their future by encouraging healthy bodies 
     and healthy minds.

     SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION.

       Section 682(g) of the Community Services Block Grant Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 9923(g)) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
     $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2003 and such sums as may be 
     necessary for each of fiscal years 2004 through 2008.''.

  Mr. CLELAND. Madam President, the National Youth Sports Program, 
NYSP, is an educational partnership that has worked successfully for 33 
years. It provides at-risk children, ages 10-16, a 5-week summer 
program offering sports and academic enrichment at U.S. colleges and 
universities nationwide. Begun in 1969 as a sports enrichment program, 
the NYSP now reaches beyond athletics to offer academic instruction, 
substance abuse prevention, and character education. Originally offered 
at two higher ed institutions, last year the program served over 73,000 
participants at 196 host colleges and universities in 49 States, the 
District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. For many of these young people, 
it was their first opportunity to experience a college or university 
campus from the inside.
  In order to enhance the educational commitment of the NYSP, selected 
programs at 123 sites across the Nation now include special emphasis on 
math and science skills. In addition, NYSP programs serving older 
participants, those from ages 13-16, help them enhance their computer 
skills and academic performance through reading and writing activities 
that offer mentoring opportunities to younger NYSP participants.
  For over three decades the National Youth Sports Program has been a 
model of what a successful collaboration should be. The U.S. Department 
of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Housing and urban 
Development, HUD, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA, which 
provides a hot, USDA-approved meal to NYSP students each day, and the 
National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA, have worked together to 
provide a wholesome summer experience to over 1.7 million participants 
who have passed through the program since its inception. And over time, 
local medical communities have joined in. In 2000, over 74,300 medical 
examinations were administered free of charge or at a reduced rate. If 
a health problem is found, as is the case in approximately one-third of 
the examinations, the child is referred for adequate follow-up 
treatment. During the summer session, children who are injured or 
become ill during NYSP activities are covered by health insurance and 
treated by a certified medical professional.
  The National Youth Sports Program is a vital and effective investment 
in our youth. This program has successfully leveraged Federal funding 
to secure substantial matching community investments. For every one 
dollar provided by the Federal Government, two dollars are provided by 
participating colleges and universities, local public and private 
businesses, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the National 
Youth Sports Program Fund and other National Governing Bodies of 
amateur sport.
  Today I join my distinguished colleague from Oklahoma, Senator 
Inhofe, in introducing legislation to reauthorize the National Youth 
Sports Program and to increase its funding authorization to $20 
million. This increase in funding will allow 4,500 additional at-risk 
youth to participate in this effective program and 15 new program sites 
to serve communities where disadvantaged youth are in need of nurturing 
and support. In addition, a $3 million increase in NYSP funding will 
increase the number of program sites offering math and science 
instruction as well as expand the NYSP's highly successful senior 
program, which emphasizes and encourages leadership skills and 
character education.
  The NYSP is a program which, year after year, has provided our 
Nation's youth with the opportunity to utilize the best resources our 
colleges and universities have to offer and to develop the skills 
necessary to succeed. At a time when President Bush has called for a 
renewed commitment to national service, the NYSP, with almost 1500 
volunteers, is an outstanding example of what community service is all 
about. For three decades the National Youth Sports Program has provided 
a positive and enriching experience and a safe haven for some of this 
Nation's most vulnerable youth. This highly effective and successful 
program is deserving of Congress's support.
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