[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 121 (Friday, September 5, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1726]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




INTRODUCTION OF THE IMPROVING THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT ACT OF 
                                  2003

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                            HON. TOM OSBORNE

                              of nebraska

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 5, 2003

  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to introduce the 
``Improving the Community Services Block Grant Act of 2003'' to 
reauthorize the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program.
  The CSBG is an anti-poverty block grant that funds a state-
administered network of over 1,100 public and private community action 
agencies delivering social services to low-income Americans. The CSBG 
Act was established in 1981 in response to President Reagan's proposal 
to consolidate the Community Services Administration and 11 other anti-
poverty programs.
  Block grant funds may be used for a wide-range of anti-poverty 
activities to help families and individuals achieve self-sufficiency. 
Such activities may include providing assistance in finding and 
retaining employment, obtaining adequate housing, and providing 
emergency food services. The CSBG also includes funding for certain 
discretionary activities, including community economic development, 
rural community facilities improvement, the community food and 
nutrition assistance, and the national youth sports program. The CSBG 
program is an essential tool in meeting the unique needs of each area 
and serves as a conduit for community services.
  The bill I am introducing today would build upon improvements made to 
the program during the last reauthorization. It would promote increased 
quality by requiring states to reevaluate whether the lowest performing 
grantees should continue to receive funding. It modifies the current 
grandfather provisions that are tied to the definition of eligibility 
that guarantee funding for current grantees to a provision giving all 
current grantees a priority for continued funding based on their 
ability to meet grantee determined goals.
  This bill promotes increased accountability by ensuring that states 
are monitoring local grantees to ensure services are being provided in 
the most efficient manner and that services are reaching those with the 
greatest need. The bill also requires the development of local grantee 
determined goals that each local grantee is responsible for meeting.
  The bill further encourages initiatives to improve economic 
conditions and mobilization of new resources in rural areas to help 
eliminate obstacles to the self sufficiency of families and individuals 
in rural communities, and expands opportunities for providing youth 
mentoring services to encourage education, life skills training, and 
youth crime prevention.
  Finally, the bill continues the CSBG grants and discretionary 
programs at current authorization levels and extends them through FY 
2009.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to back this important legislation 
that supports improved services for low-income individuals and 
families.

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