[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 17 (Wednesday, February 16, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1554-S1555]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. COLEMAN (for himself, Mr. DeWine, and Mr. Alexander):
  S. 409. A bill to establish a Federal Youth Development Council to 
improve the administration and coordination of Federal programs serving 
youth, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, today I am pleased to introduce the 
Federal Youth Coordination Act with my good friends, Senator Mike 
DeWine and Senator Lamar Alexander.
  The idea for this legislation emanated from the 2003 White House Task 
Force for Disadvantaged Youth report that indicated Federal youth 
programs were spread across 12 different departments and agencies. It 
identified 150 programs that served children and youth up to age 21, 
but also discovered several of these programs were no longer in 
existence.
  Today, there is a real need for strong role models in our communities 
to help at-risk youth. As a parent, I know there are a number of things 
that influence and shape our children's lives and unfortunately 
sometimes there are more negative things than positive. Youth programs 
help combat the negative influences and help restore hope, provide 
guidance, and help kids stay on the right track. While we have the 
resources to help our kids, a lack of coordination among youth programs 
has limited the full potential we have to change lives. Our bill will 
unleash that potential and bring our youth groups to full strength.
  The Federal Youth Coordination Act will bring efficiency and 
accountability to federal youth policy by developing a Federal Youth 
Development Council. Composed of Department Secretaries, youth serving 
organizations and youth themselves, the Council will coordinate 
existing federal programs, research and other initiatives, enabling a 
more comprehensive approach to serving the nation's young people.
  The purpose of the Council is not to eliminate existing programs, nor 
to create new ones. The Council will ensure communication among youth 
serving agencies, assess the needs of youth, set quantifiable goals and 
objectives for federal youth programs and develop a coordinated plan to 
achieve those goals. This approach is also cost-effective. The Council 
will only cost about $1.5 million, and the cost-savings that will be 
achieved through improved efficiency and reduced duplication of efforts 
will easily recoup those costs.
  This legislation has bipartisan support and the strong support of our 
nation's youth serving organizations including the Boy Scouts of 
America, the Girl Scouts of America, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, 
the YMCA and the Child Welfare League of America. I hope the Senate 
will be able to act on this important legislation early this year to 
ensure our kids have the support they need.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record. 
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 409

       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 ``Federal Youth Coordination 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT AND MEMBERSHIP.

       (a) Members and Terms.--There is established the Federal 
     Youth Development Council (in this Act referred to as the 
     ``Council'') composed of--
       (1) the Attorney General, the Secretary of Agriculture, the 
     Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the 
     Secretary of Education, the Secretary of the Interior, the 
     Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Defense, the 
     Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of National Drug 
     Control Policy, the Director of the Office of Management and 
     Budget, the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, 
     the Director of the U.S.A. Freedom Corps, the Deputy 
     Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of 
     Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, and the Chief 
     Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and 
     Community Service, and other Federal officials as directed by 
     the President, to serve for the life of the Council; and
       (2) such additional members as the President, in 
     consultation with the majority and minority leadership of the 
     House of Representatives and the Senate, shall appoint from 
     among representatives of faith-based organizations, community 
     based organizations, child and youth focused foundations, 
     universities, non-profit organizations, youth service 
     providers, State and local government, and youth in 
     disadvantaged situations, to serve for terms of 2 years and 
     who may be reappointed by the President for a second 2-year 
     term.
       (b) Chairperson.--The Chairperson of the Council shall be 
     designated by the President.
       (c) Meetings.--The Council shall meet at the call of the 
     Chairperson, not less frequently than 4 times each year. The 
     first meeting shall be not less than 6 months after the date 
     of enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 3. DUTIES OF THE COUNCIL.

       The duties of the Council shall be--
       (1) to ensure communication among agencies administering 
     programs designed to serve youth, especially those in 
     disadvantaged situations;
       (2) to assess the needs of youth, especially those in 
     disadvantaged situations, and those who work with youth, and 
     the quantity and quality of Federal programs offering 
     services, supports, and opportunities to help

[[Page S1555]]

     youth in their educational, social, emotional, physical, 
     vocational, and civic development;
       (3) to set objectives and quantifiable 5-year goals for 
     such programs;
       (4) to make recommendations for the allocation of resources 
     in support of such goals and objectives;
       (5) to identify target populations of youth who are 
     disproportionately at risk and assist agencies in focusing 
     additional resources on them;
       (6) to develop a plan, including common indicators of youth 
     well-being, and assist agencies in coordinating to achieve 
     such goals and objectives;
       (7) to assist Federal agencies, at the request of one or 
     more such agency, in collaborating on model programs and 
     demonstration projects focusing on special populations, 
     including youth in foster care, migrant youth, projects to 
     promote parental involvement, and projects that work to 
     involve young people in service programs;
       (8) to solicit and document ongoing input and 
     recommendations from--
       (A) youth, especially those in disadvantaged situations, by 
     forming an advisory council of youth to work with the 
     Council;
       (B) national youth development experts, parents, faith and 
     community-based organizations, foundations, business leaders, 
     youth service providers, and teachers;
       (C) researchers; and
       (D) State and local government officials; and
       (9) to work with Federal agencies to conduct high-quality 
     research and evaluation, identify and replicate model 
     programs, and provide technical assistance, and, subject to 
     the availability of appropriations, to fund additional 
     research to fill identified needs.

     SEC. 4. ASSISTANCE OF STAFF.

       (a) Director and Staff.--The Chairperson, in consultation 
     with the Council, shall employ and set the rate of pay for a 
     Director and any necessary staff to assist in carrying out 
     its duties.
       (b) Staff of Federal Agencies.--Upon request of the 
     Council, the head of any Federal department or agency may 
     detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of that 
     department or agency to the Council to assist it in carrying 
     out its duties under this Act.

     SEC. 5. POWERS OF THE COUNCIL.

       (a) Mails.--The Council may use the United States mails in 
     the same manner and under the same conditions as other 
     departments and agencies of the United States.
       (b) Administrative Support Services.--Upon the request of 
     the Council, the Administrator of General Services shall 
     provide to the Council, on a reimbursable basis, the 
     administrative support services necessary for the Council to 
     carry out its responsibilities under this Act.

     SEC. 6. ASSISTANCE TO STATES.

       (a) In General.--Subject to the availability of 
     appropriations, the Council may provide technical assistance 
     and make grants to States to support State councils for 
     coordinating State youth efforts.
       (b) Applications.--Applicants for grants must be States. 
     Applications for grants under this section shall be submitted 
     at such time and in such form as determined by the Council.
       (c) Priority.--Priority for grants will be given to States 
     that--
       (1) have already initiated an interagency coordination 
     effort focused on youth;
       (2) plan to work with at least 1 locality to support a 
     local youth council for coordinating local youth efforts;
       (3) demonstrate the inclusion of nonprofit organizations, 
     including faith-based and community-based organizations, in 
     the work of the State council; and
       (4) demonstrate the inclusion of young people, especially 
     those in disadvantaged situations, in the work of the State 
     council.

     SEC. 7. REPORT.

       Not later than 1 year after the Council holds its first 
     meeting, and on an annual basis for a period of 4 years 
     thereafter, the Council shall transmit to the President and 
     to Congress a report of the findings and recommendations of 
     the Council. The report shall--
       (1) include a comprehensive compilation of recent research 
     and statistical reporting by various Federal agencies on the 
     overall wellbeing of youth;
       (2) include the assessment of the needs of youth and those 
     who serve them, the goals and objectives, the target 
     populations of at-risk youth, and the plan called for in 
     section 3;
       (3) report on the link between quality of service 
     provision, technical assistance and successful youth outcomes 
     and recommend ways to coordinate and improve Federal training 
     and technical assistance, information sharing, and 
     communication among the various programs and agencies serving 
     youth;
       (4) include recommendations to better integrate and 
     coordinate policies across agencies at the Federal, State, 
     and local levels, including recommendations for legislation 
     and administrative actions;
       (5) include a summary of actions the Council has taken at 
     the request of Federal agencies to facilitate collaboration 
     and coordination on youth serving programs and the results of 
     those collaborations, if available; and
       (6) include a summary of the input and recommendations from 
     the groups identified in section 3(8).

     SEC. 8. TERMINATION.

       The Council shall terminate 60 days after transmitting its 
     fifth and final report pursuant to section 6.

     SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There is authorized to be appropriated for fiscal years 
     2005 through 2009 such sums as may be necessary to carry out 
     this Act.
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