[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 151 (Tuesday, November 15, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H10179-H10182]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FEDERAL YOUTH COORDINATION ACT
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 856) to establish a Federal Youth Development Council to
improve the administration and coordination of Federal programs serving
youth, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 856
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 members as follows:
(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, or a designee of each such individual who
holds significant decision-making authority, and other
Federal officials as directed by the President, to serve for
the life of the Council.
(2) Any additional members as the President 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. In making the appointments under
this paragraph, the President shall consult with the Speaker
of the House of Representatives, who shall take into account
the recommendations of the Majority Leader and the Minority
Leader of the House of Representatives, and the president pro
tempore of the Senate, who shall take into account the
recommendations of the Majority Leader and the minority
Leader of the Senate. Each member appointed under this
paragraph shall serve for 1 term of 2 years.
(b) Chairperson.--The Chairperson of the Council shall be
the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
(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 4 months after the date
of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 3. DUTIES OF THE COUNCIL.
(a) 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 youth in their
educational, social, emotional, physical, vocational, and
civic development;
(3) to recommend 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 areas of overlap or duplication in purpose
and operation of programs serving youth and recommend ways to
better facilitate coordination and consultation, improve
efficiency, and streamline such programs;
(6) to identify target populations of youth who are
disproportionately at risk and assist agencies in focusing
additional resources on them;
(7) to develop a recommended plan, including common
indicators of youth well-being, and assist agencies, at the
request of 1 or more agency, in coordinating to achieve such
goals and objectives;
(8) to assist Federal agencies, at the request of 1 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;
(9) to solicit and document ongoing input and
recommendations from--
(A) youth, especially those in disadvantaged situations;
(B) national youth development experts, researchers,
parents, faith and community-based organizations,
foundations, business leaders, youth service providers, and
teachers; and
(C) State and local government agencies, particularly
agencies serving children and youth; and
(10) to work with Federal agencies to conduct high-quality
research and evaluation, identify and replicate model
programs and best practices, provide technical assistance,
and coordinate the collection and dissemination of youth
services-related data and research.
(b) The Council may provide technical assistance to a State
at the request of a State to support State-funded councils
for coordinating State youth efforts.
[[Page H10180]]
SEC. 4. ASSISTANCE OF STAFF.
(a) Director.--The Chairperson, in consultation with the
Council, shall employ and set the rate of pay for a Director.
(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. REPORT.
Not later than 1 year after the Council holds its first
meeting, the Council shall transmit to Congress an interim
report of its findings, and not later than 2 years after the
Council holds its first meeting, the Council shall transmit
to Congress a final report including its findings and
recommendations. The report shall--
(1) include a comprehensive list of recent research and
statistical reporting by various Federal agencies on the
overall well-being of youth, including the ratings of the
Program Assessment Ratings Tool (PART) of Federal programs
serving youth used by the Office of Management and Budget, if
applicable;
(2) include the assessment of the needs of youth and those
who serve them;
(3) include a summary of the plan called for in section
3(a)(7);
(4) recommend ways to coordinate and improve Federal
training and technical assistance, information sharing, and
communication among the various programs and agencies serving
youth;
(5) include recommendations to better integrate and
coordinate policies across agencies at the Federal, State,
and local levels, including recommendations for legislation
and administrative actions;
(6) 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;
(7) include a summary of the action the Council has taken
at the request of States to provide technical assistance
under section 3(b), if applicable; and
(8) include a summary of the input and recommendations from
the groups identified in section 3(a)(9).
SEC. 7. TERMINATION.
The Council shall terminate 60 days after transmitting its
final report under section 6.
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000 for each
of fiscal years 2007 and 2008 to carry out this Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne).
General Leave
Mr. OSBORNE. 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 information on H.R. 856.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Nebraska?
There was no objection.
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 856, the Federal
Youth Coordination Act. I am very pleased that the House of
Representatives will have the opportunity to consider this important
legislation.
I have long advocated for a stronger emphasis at the Federal level on
youth development programming because I believe our Nation's future is
linked to a healthy, educated, morally sound next generation.
The genesis of this bill is in the report of the White House Task
Force on Disadvantaged Youth. Although the final report was issued
several years ago, I believe that the task force report and its
thoughtful analysis and recommendations should be implemented. This
legislation does that. Although the executive branch is charged with
implementing youth programs, Congress creates many of these programs
and funds them. We need to know that our efforts are producing the best
results for our young people.
The White House Task Force on Disadvantaged Youth noted a number of
facts about America's young people and the programs that serve them:
First, the National Academy of Sciences estimates that one-quarter of
adolescents in this country, almost 10 million teens, are at serious
risk of not achieving productive adulthood.
Number two, most young people will grow up just fine without
government involvement, but the most vulnerable young people may be
missed by programs designed to help them. And, worse, the programs we
think will help them the most may not at all. There is a serious lack
of rigorous evaluation of Federal youth efforts at the present time.
Number three, a large number of youth-serving programs are targeting
many youth subgroups. These services and target populations often
overlap, creating unnecessary duplication and multiple programs that
are ofttimes not necessary.
Number four, the current Federal response to youth failure is
convoluted and complex and is a perfect example of what the GAO has
called ``mission fragmentation.'' The GAO recommends that programs with
similar goals, target populations, and services be coordinated,
consolidated, or streamlined to ensure that goals are consistent.
The White House Task Force identified a number of goals and changes
that would help to better coordinate the hundreds of programs across 12
Federal departments that serve youth. The three largest youth-serving
agencies are the Department of Health and Human Services, Justice, and
Education. To support these efforts, in February of this year, I, along
with my colleagues, Mr. Hoekstra, Mr. Ford, and Mr. Payne, introduced
H.R. 856, the Federal Youth Coordination Act, which was crafted to help
implement many of the recommendations of the White House Task Force on
Disadvantaged Youth.
The Federal Youth Coordination Act creates the Federal Youth
Development Council to evaluate, coordinate, and improve Federal youth-
serving programs and hold Federal agencies accountable for achieving
results. The purpose of this bipartisan legislation is to maximize the
return on Federal investment in young people, not to eliminate programs
that work.
America's young people deserve high-quality, effective, and
meaningful youth development programs. Our Nation's taxpayers deserve
their tax dollars to be spent on high-quality, effective, and
meaningful youth development programs as well.
Among the Council's duties will be: to ensure communication among
agencies administering programs designed to serve youth. Many of these
programs are not allowed by statute to even communicate with each
other, and this is a mistake.
To recommend objectives and quantifiable 5-year goals for Federal
youth programs. Many of these programs do not have any measurable
quantifiable goals at all.
To make recommendations as to how to better facilitate coordination
and consultation.
To improve efficiency in programs, identify target populations of
youth who are disproportionately at risk and assist agencies in
focusing additional resources on them.
To assist agencies in coordinating and collaborating on youth
programs.
And to conduct research and evaluation programs, solicit input and
recommendations from outside groups.
In addition, the Council may provide technical assistance to a State
at the request of a State to support State-funded councils for
coordinating State youth efforts.
The Council will also be charged with issuing a report to Congress so
that Congress and the authorizing and appropriations committees can use
the information in future decisions. This additional information will
lead to a more cohesive, efficient, and effective Federal youth policy
that our young people deserve. Further, while the Council is chaired by
the Department of Health and Human Services, its charge is to
coordinate across the full range of Federal departments with a focus on
the needs of youth, not on the needs of bureaucracy.
This legislation was developed with the assistance of a number of
organizations and has been endorsed by over 250 organizations. I want
to thank all of these organizations for their grassroots support, which
helped propel this legislation. Among these organizations has been the
National Collaboration for Youth, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Campfire
USA, Volunteers of America,
[[Page H10181]]
YMCA of the USA, Forum for Youth Investment, Youth Service America,
Volunteers of America, and America's Promise--the Alliance for Youth.
I want to thank all of the cosponsors of the legislation as well as
the chairman of the Education and Workforce Committee, John Boehner,
and the chairman of the Subcommittee on Select Education, Pat Tiberi.
Their support has been critical.
I would also like to thank the staff who worked on this legislation,
particularly Erin Duncan from my staff, Whitney Rhoades of the
Education and Workforce Committee, Krisann Pearce and Jo-Marie St.
Martin, also of the Education and Workforce Committee, as well as Brady
Young of the Legislative Counsel's Office.
I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this important effort
toward creating more cohesive and meaningful positive youth development
programs by passing H.R. 856.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1500
Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 856, entitled Federal Youth Coordination
Act. I would like to commend the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne)
for bringing this bill forward. I would also like to add that I admire
the gentleman's exemplary work in support of our youth from mentoring
and outreach programs to this type of effort to coordinate Federal
youth programs.
His commitment to young people is genuine, and his leadership is
greatly appreciated. His Federal Youth Coordination Act would establish
a Federal Youth Development Council consisting of all of the Federal
agencies that have youth development programs. With input from the
community, this council would be tasked with ensuring communication
across Federal agencies serving youth and developing a plan and set of
recommendations to improve Federal services to youth.
I think that we can all agree that coordination is sorely needed.
Today's population of adolescents and young adults is the largest in
our Nation's history. High schools and colleges are seeing record
enrollments.
Tragically, the White House Task Force on Disadvantaged Youth
reported that one-quarter of our young people are at serious risk of
not achieving productive adulthood. We know from numerous reports that
nearly one-third of our high school students fail to earn a diploma
with their peers. For African American and Hispanic students, the
number is even worse with only 50 percent graduating. Furthermore, many
of our young people are not leaving high school ready for college or
for work.
It is incumbent upon all of us to build communities with the
educational opportunities and support system in place to help our youth
become successful adults. Our record number of teenagers must become a
record number of high school and college graduates, and a record number
of teachers, scientists, doctors, lawyers, and unskilled professionals.
We must not allow this generation to produce record numbers for the
juvenile justice, runaway, and homeless youth or foster care systems.
Clearly, success will require strong coordination, schools, families,
community-based organizations, employers, health providers, and social
service agencies all working together. The Federal Government should
lead by example, coordinating its own efforts to support our youth, and
H.R. 856 is a step in the right direction.
I would note one concern with the legislation as drafted, however.
The amended version of the bill requires the council to report using
the results from the Office of Management and Budget's program
assessment rating tool, often referred to by the acronym PART. This
tool is the subject of significant controversy. For example, a recent
GAO report highlighted the closed nature of the PART process and its
emphasis on short-term budget planning over long-term goal setting.
In fact, the administration has used the PART as a means to eliminate
programs that are not viewed as priorities. Some of these programs are
critical to youth and young families, such as the Even Start Family
Literacy program, TRIO program, and the GEAR UP and Dropout Prevention
programs. It would be ironic to have the PART tool used to provide a
rationalization for eliminating programs to help youth rather than
expanding their reach and effectiveness.
It is my hope that our focus on accountability for programs will
remain with the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993, our
public law that provides for an open public process for developing
objective information on the effectiveness and efficiency of Federal
programs and spending.
In closing, I would like to encourage my colleagues to support this
legislation, H.R. 856, to coordinate our Federal youth programs. May it
spark an even greater sustained investment in our young people.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner), the chairman of the Committee on
Education and the Workforce.
Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this
time, and thank him for his work on bringing this bill to the floor. He
and I have talked about the idea that we ought to take all of these
programs that the Federal Government has that affect disadvantaged
youth and try to bring some coordination to the overall effort.
As many of us know, Congress gets in the business of duplicating
programs coming from different committees and different agencies of the
Federal Government. Before we know it, we have a proliferation of
programs, many of them not connected to each other in any way, shape,
or form.
I think the proposal brought to us by the gentleman from Nebraska
creating this coordinating council really will, in fact, help us
achieve what we are attempting to achieve by closer coordination of
these 30 different programs.
I can go through a lot of different areas, but I can talk about the
Workforce Investment Act, for example. A little different example, but
I looked up, along with the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon) some
10 years ago, and we found 63 Federal job training and retraining
programs scattered across the different agencies of the government that
we were able to bring together under one roof to serve those who needed
training and retraining. We have one-stop-shop centers now all over the
country.
This is a little different example of trying to reorganize how we do
what we do, well meaning, well intentioned; but when we have all of
these different programs working on their own without the kind of
coordination that this council would bring, I do not think we bring as
much of an impact to these children who need our help as we could.
I think the goal here is pretty clear from Mr. Osborne, myself, and
others that this coordinating council would be there to see that these
programs are working, that they are working together to help those
disadvantaged youth who need help.
I do not think there is any effort here to consolidate programs, but
I think the effort here ought to be making sure that they are effective
and making sure that they work together for the advantage of these
disadvantaged youth who so desperately need our help. I congratulate my
colleague from Nebraska for his work and ask my colleagues to support
the bill.
Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Davis).
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R.
856. I commend the gentleman from Nebraska for introducing this
legislation, as well as for many of the other creative ideas and
thoughts that I have seen and heard him express in the Education
Committee.
I also want to commend my colleague from Texas for yielding to me and
for the leadership he displays as the ranking member on one of our
subcommittees.
I think that coordination, while it does not necessarily appear to be
earth-shaking or earth-shattering, is a tremendous concept that is
greatly needed. Unfortunately, many of our programs operate in
isolation. Unfortunately, there are instances where there is
duplication and things oftentimes get missed.
When we can bring together all of these tremendous resources we have
at
[[Page H10182]]
our disposal so they are coordinated in such a way that the recipients
become the beneficiaries of this coordinated approach, then I think it
will tremendously aid in the development of our young people. It is a
great piece of legislation. It is a great idea. It is a great concept.
I simply want to add my voice to those who are in support of it and
urge that we support it.
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr.
Boehner) for his support and comments and the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Hinojosa) for his support, as well, and the support of the gentleman
from Illinois (Mr. Davis). I have enjoyed working with these gentlemen
on this project and the staff.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to work with
Congressman Osborne, and I want to say that I think this piece of
legislation is one that is going to be very beneficial.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Cole of Oklahoma). The question is on
the motion offered by the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) that
the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 856, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those present have voted in the affirmative.
Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this question will
be postponed.
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