[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 161 (Wednesday, November 13, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8001-S8006]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Mr. LEAHY (for himself, Mr. Portman, Mr. Durbin, Ms.
Klobuchar, Mr. Franken, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Brown, Ms. Landrieu,
and Mr. Menendez):
S. 1690. A bill to reauthorize the Second Chance Act of 2007; to the
Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, today I join with Senator Portman to
introduce the bipartisan Second Chance Reauthorization Act, a bill that
builds on recent successes and takes important new steps to ensure that
people coming out of prison have the opportunity to turn their lives
around, rather than returning to a life of crime. Investing in
community-based reentry programs prevents crime, reduces prison costs,
improves public safety, and saves taxpayer dollars. It is also the
right thing to do.
This important legislation improves Federal reentry policy and funds
collaborations between State and local corrections agencies,
nonprofits, educational institutions, service providers, and families
to ensure that former offenders have the resources and support they
need to become contributing members of the community. Our bill also
seeks to expand upon the successes of the original Second Chance Act by
continuing, improving, and consolidating its programs, while
reauthorizing these important grant programs at reduced levels in
recognition of current fiscal constraints.
In 2008, I joined with Senators Biden, Specter, and Brownback as an
original cosponsor of the Second Chance Act, and helped to shepherd
that legislation through the Senate. I was proud when the Senate
recognized the value
[[Page S8002]]
of the Second Chance Act and, after a great deal of work and
compromise, passed the bill unanimously.
The bipartisan spirit of this legislation also continues in the
House, where today Representatives Sensenbrenner and Davis will
introduce an identical version of the Senate bill authored by myself
and Senator Portman. Together, we have been working hard for the past
several months to reach an agreement that is fair, fiscally
responsible, and meets the needs of key stakeholders. As a result, we
have the support of faith groups, law enforcement, and community groups
who provide services to the mentally ill and those struggling with
addiction. This broad coalition has one thing in common--we all want to
see our justice system work better.
In the past few decades, Congress and the states have passed new
criminal laws creating longer sentences for more and more crimes. As a
result, our country currently incarcerates more than two million
people, and more than 13 million people spend some time in jail or
prison each year. This has resulted in severely stretched budgets and
we have fewer resources for programs that actually prevent crime in the
first place. We cannot afford to stay on our current path, and I am
working on separate legislation to address the exploding costs of our
Federal prisons. The Second Chance Reauthorization Act helps support
innovative reentry programs at the state and local level which have
brought down costs and reduced recidivism, and the federal system
should replicate these efforts.
More than 650,000 ex-offenders are released from prison each year.
The experience inmates have in prison, how we prepare them to rejoin
society, and how we integrate them into the broader community when they
are released are issues that profoundly affect the communities in which
we live.
The Second Chance Act funds grants for key reentry programs and
requires that these programs demonstrate measurable positive results,
including a reduction in recidivism.
The Second Chance Act of 2008 authorized research into educational
methods used in prisons and jails. Today's reauthorization bill directs
the Attorney General to review that research, identify best practices,
and implement them in our prisons and jails.
The bill also makes nonprofit organizations eligible for grants
promoting family-based substance abuse treatment and training in
technology careers. It gives priority consideration to applicants that
conduct individualized post-release employment planning, demonstrate
connections to employers within the local community, or track and
monitor employment outcomes.
This legislation also makes improvements to federal reentry policy
that have the added benefit of reducing Bureau of Prison costs. It
continues the successful Elderly and Family Reunification for Certain
Non-Violent Offenders Pilot Program and expands the pool of inmates
eligible to apply for the program.
Finally, the Second Chance Reauthorization Act promotes
accountability by requiring periodic audits of grantees to ensure that
federal dollars are spent responsibly. Grantees who have unresolved
audit problems will not be eligible for funding in future years.
As a former prosecutor, I believe strongly in securing tough and
appropriate prison sentences for people who break our laws. But it is
also important that we do everything we can to ensure that when people
get out of prison, they enter our communities as productive members of
society, so we can start to reverse the dangerous cycle of recidivism
and violence. The Second Chance Reauthorization Act helps break this
cycle.
I thank Senator Portman, Representative Sensenbrenner, and
Representative Davis for their hard work and cooperation in leading
these efforts. We have come together in a truly exceptional way in this
bipartisan, bicameral effort. I am proud of the work we have done so
far and I look forward to joining with Democrats and Republicans to get
this bill passed and signed into law.
Mr. President, President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of
the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 1690
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 ``Second Chance
Reauthorization Act of 2013''.
SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO EXISTING PROGRAMS.
(a) Reauthorization of Adult and Juvenile Offender State
and Local Demonstration Projects.--Section 2976 of title I of
the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42
U.S.C. 3797w) is amended--
(1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:
``(a) Grant Authorization.--The Attorney General shall make
grants to States, local governments, territories, or Indian
tribes, or any combination thereof (in this section referred
to as an `eligible entity'), in partnership with interested
persons (including Federal corrections and supervision
agencies), services providers, and nonprofit organizations
for the purpose of strategic planning and implementation of
adult and juvenile offender reentry projects.'';
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``or reentry courts,''
after ``community,'';
(B) in paragraph (6), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(C) in paragraph (7), by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; and''; and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
``(8) promoting employment opportunities consistent with
the Transitional Jobs strategy (as defined in section 4 of
the Second Chance Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17502)).'';
(3) by striking subsections (d), (e), and (f) and inserting
the following:
``(d) Combined Grant Application; Priority Consideration.--
``(1) In general.--The Attorney General shall develop a
procedure to allow applicants to submit a single application
for a planning grant under subsection (e) and an
implementation grant under subsection (f).
``(2) Priority consideration.--The Attorney General shall
give priority consideration to grant applications under
subsections (e) and (f) that include a commitment by the
applicant to partner with a local evaluator to identify and
analyze data that will--
``(A) enable the grantee to target the intended offender
population; and
``(B) serve as a baseline for purposes of the evaluation.
``(e) Planning Grants.--
``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (3), the
Attorney General may make a grant to an eligible entity of
not more than $75,000 to develop a strategic, collaborative
plan for an adult or juvenile offender reentry demonstration
project as described in subsection (h) that includes--
``(A) a budget and a budget justification;
``(B) a description of the outcome measures that will be
used to measure the effectiveness of the program in promoting
public safety and public health;
``(C) the activities proposed;
``(D) a schedule for completion of the activities described
in subparagraph (C); and
``(E) a description of the personnel necessary to complete
the activities described in subparagraph (C).
``(2) Maximum total grants and geographic diversity.--
``(A) Maximum amount.--The Attorney General may not make
planning grants and implementation grants to 1 eligible
entity in a total amount that is more than a $1,000,000.
``(B) Geographic diversity.--The Attorney General shall
make every effort to ensure equitable geographic distribution
of grants under this section and take into consideration the
needs of underserved populations, including rural and tribal
communities.
``(3) Period of grant.--A planning grant made under this
subsection shall be for a period of not longer than 1 year,
beginning on the first day of the month in which the planning
grant is made.
``(f) Implementation Grants.--
``(1) Applications.--An eligible entity desiring an
implementation grant under this subsection shall submit to
the Attorney General an application that--
``(A) contains a reentry strategic plan as described in
subsection (h), which describes the long-term strategy and
incorporates a detailed implementation schedule, including
the plans of the applicant to fund the program after Federal
funding is discontinued;
``(B) identifies the local government role and the role of
governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations that will
be coordinated by, and that will collaborate on, the offender
reentry strategy of the applicant, and certifies the
involvement of such agencies and organizations;
``(C) describes the evidence-based methodology and outcome
measures that will be used to evaluate the program funded
with a grant under this subsection, and specifically explains
how such measurements will provide valid measures of the
impact of that program; and
``(D) describes how the project could be broadly replicated
if demonstrated to be effective.
``(2) Requirements.--The Attorney General may make a grant
to an applicant under this subsection only if the
application--
``(A) reflects explicit support of the chief executive
officer, or their designee, of the State, unit of local
government, territory, or
[[Page S8003]]
Indian tribe applying for a grant under this subsection;
``(B) provides extensive discussion of the role of Federal
corrections, State corrections departments, community
corrections agencies, juvenile justice systems, and tribal or
local jail systems in ensuring successful reentry of
offenders into their communities;
``(C) provides extensive evidence of collaboration with
State and local government agencies overseeing health,
housing, child welfare, education, substance abuse, victims
services, and employment services, and with local law
enforcement agencies;
``(D) provides a plan for analysis of the statutory,
regulatory, rules-based, and practice-based hurdles to
reintegration of offenders into the community;
``(E) includes the use of a State, local, territorial, or
tribal task force, described in subsection (i), to carry out
the activities funded under the grant;
``(F) provides a plan for continued collaboration with a
local evaluator as necessary to meeting the requirements
under subsection (h); and
``(G) demonstrates that the applicant participated in the
planning grant process or engaged in comparable planning for
the reentry project.
``(3) Priority considerations.--The Attorney General shall
give priority to grant applications under this subsection
that best--
``(A) focus initiative on geographic areas with a
disproportionate population of offenders released from
prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities;
``(B) include--
``(i) input from nonprofit organizations, in any case where
relevant input is available and appropriate to the grant
application;
``(ii) consultation with crime victims and offenders who
are released from prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities;
``(iii) coordination with families of offenders;
``(iv) input, where appropriate, from the juvenile justice
coordinating council of the region;
``(v) input, where appropriate, from the reentry
coordinating council of the region; and
``(vi) other interested persons, as appropriate;
``(C) demonstrate effective case assessment and management
abilities in order to provide comprehensive and continuous
reentry, including--
``(i) planning for prerelease transitional housing and
community release that begins upon admission for juveniles
and jail inmates, and, as appropriate, for prison inmates,
depending on the length of the sentence;
``(ii) establishing prerelease planning procedures to
ensure that the eligibility of an offender for Federal,
tribal, or State benefits upon release is established prior
to release, subject to any limitations in law, and to ensure
that offenders obtain all necessary referrals for reentry
services, including assistance identifying and securing
suitable housing; and
``(iii) delivery of continuous and appropriate mental
health services, drug treatment, medical care, job training
and placement, educational services, vocational services, and
any other service or support needed for reentry;
``(D) review the process by which the applicant adjudicates
violations of parole, probation, or supervision following
release from prison, jail, or a juvenile facility, taking
into account public safety and the use of graduated,
community-based sanctions for minor and technical violations
of parole, probation, or supervision (specifically those
violations that are not otherwise, and independently, a
violation of law);
``(E) provide for an independent evaluation of reentry
programs that include, to the maximum extent possible, random
assignment and controlled studies to determine the
effectiveness of such programs;
``(F) target moderate and high-risk offenders for reentry
programs through validated assessment tools; and
``(G) target offenders with histories of homelessness,
substance abuse, or mental illness, including a prerelease
assessment of the housing status of the offender and
behavioral health needs of the offender with clear
coordination with mental health, substance abuse, and
homelessness services systems to achieve stable and permanent
housing outcomes with appropriate support service.
``(4) Amount.--The amount of a grant made under this
subsection may not be more than $925,000.
``(5) Period of grant.--A grant made under this subsection
shall be effective for a 2-year period--
``(A) beginning on the date on which the planning grant
awarded under subsection (e) concludes; or
``(B) in the case of an implementation grant awarded to an
eligible entity that did not receive a planning grant,
beginning on the date on which the implementation grant is
awarded.'';
(4) in subsection (h)--
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs
(3) and (4), respectively; and
(B) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
``(1) In general.--As a condition of receiving financial
assistance under subsection (f), each application shall
develop a comprehensive reentry strategic plan that--
``(A) contains a plan to assess inmate reentry needs and
measurable annual and 3-year performance outcomes;
``(B) uses, to the maximum extent possible, randomly
assigned and controlled studies, or rigorous quasi-
experimental studies with matched comparison groups, to
determine the effectiveness of the program funded with a
grant under subsection (f); and
``(C) includes as a goal of the plan to reduce the rate of
recidivism for offenders released from prison, jail or a
juvenile facility with funds made available under subsection
(f).
``(2) Local evaluator.--A partnership with a local
evaluator described in subsection (d)(2) shall require the
local evaluator to use the baseline data and target
population characteristics developed under a subsection (e)
planning grant to derive a feasible and meaningful target
goal for recidivism reduction during the 3-year period
beginning on the date of implementation of the program.'';
(5) in subsection (i)(1)--
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking
``under this section'' and inserting ``under subsection
(f)''; and
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``subsection (e)(4)''
and inserting ``subsection (f)(2)(D)'';
(6) in subsection (j)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``for an implementation
grant under subsection (f)'' after ``applicant'';
(B) in paragraph (2)--
(i) in subparagraph (E), by inserting ``, where
appropriate'' after ``support''; and
(ii) by striking subparagraphs (F), (G), and (H), and
inserting the following:
``(F) increased number of staff trained to administer
reentry services;
``(G) increased proportion of individuals served by the
program among those eligible to receive services;
``(H) increased number of individuals receiving risk
screening needs assessment, and case planning services;
``(I) increased enrollment in, and completion of treatment
services, including substance abuse and mental health
services among those assessed as needing such services;
``(J) increased enrollment in and degrees earned from
educational programs, including high school, GED, vocational
training, and college education;
``(K) increased number of individuals obtaining and
retaining employment;
``(L) increased number of individuals obtaining and
maintaining housing;
``(M) increased self-reports of successful community
living, including stability of living situation and positive
family relationships;
``(N) reduction in drug and alcohol use; and
``(O) reduction in recidivism rates for individuals
receiving reentry services after release, as compared to
either baseline recidivism rates in the jurisdiction of the
grantee or recidivism rates of the control or comparison
group.'';
(C) in paragraph (3), by striking ``facilities.'' and
inserting ``facilities, including a cost-benefit analysis to
determine the cost effectiveness of the reentry program.'';
(D) in paragraph (4), by striking ``this section'' and
inserting ``subsection (f)''; and
(E) in paragraph (5), by striking ``this section'' and
inserting ``subsection (f)'';
(7) in subsection (k)(1), by striking ``this section'' each
place the term appears and inserting ``subsection (f)'';
(8) in subsection (l)--
(A) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``beginning on the date
on which the most recent implementation grant is made to the
grantee under subsection (f)'' after ``2-year period''; and
(B) in paragraph (4), by striking ``over a 2-year period''
and inserting ``during the 2-year period described in
paragraph (2)'';
(9) in subsection (o)(1), by striking ``appropriated'' and
all that follows and inserting the following: ``appropriated
$35,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.'';
and
(10) by adding at the end the following:
``(p) Definition.--In this section, the term `reentry
court' means a program that--
``(1) monitors juvenile and adult eligible offenders
reentering the community;
``(2) provides continual judicial supervision;
``(3) provides juvenile and adult eligible offenders
reentering the community with coordinated and comprehensive
reentry services and programs, such as--
``(A) drug and alcohol testing and assessment for
treatment;
``(B) assessment for substance abuse from a substance abuse
professional who is approved by the State or Indian tribe and
licensed by the appropriate entity to provide alcohol and
drug addiction treatment, as appropriate;
``(C) substance abuse treatment from a provider that is
approved by the State or Indian tribe, and licensed, if
necessary, to provide medical and other health services;
``(D) health (including mental health) services and
assessment;
``(E) aftercare and case management services that--
``(i) facilitate access to clinical care and related health
services; and
``(ii) coordinate with such clinical care and related
health services; and
``(F) any other services needed for reentry;
``(4) convenes community impact panels, victim impact
panels, or victim impact educational classes;
``(5) provides and coordinates the delivery of community
services to juvenile and adult eligible offenders,
including--
``(A) housing assistance;
``(B) education;
``(C) job training;
[[Page S8004]]
``(D) conflict resolution skills training;
``(E) batterer intervention programs; and
``(F) other appropriate social services; and
``(6) establishes and implements graduated sanctions and
incentives.''.
(b) Grants for Family-Based Substance Abuse Treatment.--
Part DD of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe
Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3797s et seq.) is amended--
(1) in section 2921 (42 U.S.C. 3797s), in the matter
preceding paragraph (1), by inserting ``nonprofit
organizations,'' before ``and Indian'';
(2) in section 2923 (42 U.S.C. 3797s-2), by adding at the
end the following:
``(c) Priority Considerations.--The Attorney General shall
give priority consideration to grant applications for grants
under section 2921 that are submitted by a nonprofit
organization that demonstrates a relationship with State and
local criminal justice agencies, including--
``(1) within the judiciary and prosecutorial agencies; or
``(2) with the local corrections agencies, which shall be
documented by a written agreement that details the terms of
access to facilities and participants and provides
information on the history of the organization of working
with correctional populations.''; and
(3) by striking section 2926(a) (42 U.S.C. 3797s-5(a)), and
inserting the following:
``(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated
to carry out this part $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years
2014 through 2018.''.
(c) Grant Program To Evaluate and Improve Educational
Methods at Prisons, Jails, and Juvenile Facilities.--Title I
of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42
U.S.C. 3711 et seq.) is amended--
(1) by redesignating part KK (42 U.S.C. 3797ee et seq.) as
part LL;
(2) by redesignating the second part designated as part JJ,
as added by the Second Chance Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-
199; 122 Stat. 677), relating to grants to evaluate and
improve educational methods, as part KK;
(3) by redesignating the second section designated as
section 3001 and section 3002 (42 U.S.C. 3797dd and 3797dd-
1), as added by the Second Chance Act of 2007 (Public Law
110-199; 122 Stat. 677), relating to grants to evaluate and
improve educational methods, as sections 3005 and 3006,
respectively;
(4) in section 3005, as so redesignated--
(A) in subsection (a)--
(i) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(ii) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end
and inserting ``; and''; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(4) implement methods to improve academic and vocational
education for offenders in prisons, jails, and juvenile
facilities consistent with the best practices identified in
subsection (c).'';
(B) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and
(C) by inserting after subsection (b), the following:
``(c) Best Practices.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of enactment of the Second Chance Reauthorization Act of
2013, the Attorney General shall identify and publish best
practices relating to academic and vocational education for
offenders in prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities. The
best practices shall consider the evaluations performed and
recommendations made under grants made under subsection (a)
before the date of enactment of the Second Chance
Reauthorization Act of 2013.''; and
(5) in section 3006, as so redesignated, by striking ``to
carry'' and all that follows through ``2010'' and inserting
``for each of fiscal years 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018
for grants for purposes described in section 3005(a)(4)''.
(d) Careers Training Demonstration Grants.--Section 115 of
the Second Chance Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17511) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) by striking ``and Indian'' and inserting ``nonprofit
organizations, and Indian''; and
(B) by striking ``technology career training to prisoners''
and inserting ``career training, including subsidized
employment, when part of a training program, to prisoners and
reentering youth and adults'';
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) by striking ``technology careers training'';
(B) by striking ``technology-based''; and
(C) by inserting ``, as well as upon transition and reentry
into the community'' after ``facility'';
(3) by striking subsections (c) and (e);
(4) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
``(c) Priority Consideration.--Priority consideration shall
be given to any application under this section that--
``(1) provides assessment of local demand for employees in
the geographic areas to which offenders are likely to return;
``(2) conducts individualized reentry career planning upon
the start of incarceration or post-release employment
planning for each offender served under the grant;
``(3) demonstrates connections to employers within the
local community; or
``(4) tracks and monitors employment outcomes.''; and
(5) by adding at the end the following:
``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section
$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017,
and 2018.''.
(e) Offender Reentry Substance Abuse and Criminal Justice
Collaboration Program.--Section 201(f)(1) of the Second
Chance Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17521(f)(1)) is amended to read
as follows:
``(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated
to carry out this section $15,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2014 through 2018.''.
(f) Community-based Mentoring and Transitional Service
Grants to Nonprofit Organizations.--
(1) In general.--Section 211 of the Second Chance Act of
2007 (42 U.S.C. 17531) is amended--
(A) in the header, by striking ``MENTORING GRANTS TO
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS'' and inserting ``COMMUNITY-BASED
MENTORING AND TRANSITIONAL SERVICE GRANTS TO NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATIONS'';
(B) in subsection (a), by striking ``mentoring and other'';
(C) in subsection (b), by striking paragraph (2) and
inserting the following:
``(2) transitional services to assist in the reintegration
of offenders into the community, including--
``(A) educational, literacy, and vocational, services and
the Transitional Jobs strategy;
``(B) substance abuse treatment and services;
``(C) coordinated supervision and comprehensive services
for offenders, including housing and mental and physical
health care;
``(D) family services; and
``(E) validated assessment tools to assess the risk factors
of returning inmates; and''; and
(D) in subsection (f), by striking ``this section'' and all
that follows and inserting the following: ``this section
$15,000,000 for fiscal years 2014 through 2018.''.
(2) Table of contents amendment.--The table of contents in
section 2 of the Second Chance Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17501
note) is amended by striking the item relating to section 211
and inserting the following:
``Sec. 211. Community-based mentoring and transitional service
grants.''.
(g) Definitions.--
(1) In general.--Section 4 of the Second Chance Act of 2007
(42 U.S.C. 17502) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
``In this Act--
``(1) the term `exoneree' means an individual who--
``(A) has been convicted of a Federal, tribal, or State
offense that is punishable by a term of imprisonment of more
than 1 year;
``(B) has served a term of imprisonment for not less than 6
months in a Federal, tribal, or State prison or correctional
facility as a result of the conviction described in
subparagraph (A); and
``(C) has been determined to be factually innocent of the
offense described in subparagraph (A);
``(2) the term `Indian tribe' has the meaning given in
section 901 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act
of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3791);
``(3) the term `offender' includes an exoneree; and
``(4) the term `Transitional Jobs strategy' means an
employment strategy for youth and adults who are chronically
unemployed or those that have barriers to employment that--
``(A) is conducted by State, tribal, and local governments,
State, tribal, and local workforce boards, and nonprofit
organizations;
``(B) provides time-limited employment using individual
placements, team placements, and social enterprise
placements, without displacing existing employees;
``(C) pays wages in accordance with applicable law, but in
no event less than the higher of the rate specified in
section 6(a)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29
U.S.C. 206(a)(1)) or the applicable State or local minimum
wage law, which are subsidized, in whole or in part, by
public funds;
``(D) combines time-limited employment with activities that
promote skill development, remove barriers to employment, and
lead to unsubsidized employment such as a thorough
orientation and individual assessment, job readiness and life
skills training, case management and supportive services,
adult education and training, child support-related services,
job retention support and incentives, and other similar
activities;
``(E) places participants into unsubsidized employment; and
``(F) provides job retention, re-employment services, and
continuing and vocational education to ensure continuing
participation in unsubsidized employment and identification
of opportunities for advancement.''.
(2) Table of contents amendment.--The table of contents in
section 2 of the Second Chance Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17501
note) is amended by striking the item relating to section 4
and inserting the following:
``Sec. 4. Definitions.''.
(h) Extension of the Length of Section 2976 Grants.--
Section 6(1) of the Second Chance Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C.
17504(1)) is amended by inserting ``or under section 2976 of
the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42
U.S.C. 3797w)'' after ``and 212''.
SEC. 3. AUDIT AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF GRANTEES.
(a) Definition.--In this section, the term ``unresolved
audit finding'' means an audit
[[Page S8005]]
report finding or recommendation that a grantee has used
grant funds for an unauthorized expenditure or otherwise
unallowable cost that is not closed or resolved during a 1-
year period beginning on the date of an initial notification
of the finding or recommendation.
(b) Audit Requirement.--Beginning in fiscal year 2013, and
every 3 years thereafter, the Inspector General of the
Department of Justice shall conduct an audit of not less than
5 percent of all grantees that are awarded funding under--
(1) section 2976(b) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control
and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3797w(b));
(2) part CC of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and
Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3797q et seq.), as
amended by this Act;
(3) part DD of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and
Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3797s et seq.);
(4) part JJ of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and
Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3797dd et seq.); or
(5) section 115, 201, or 211 of the Second Chance Act of
2007 (42 U.S.C. 17511, 17521, and 17531).
(c) Mandatory Exclusion.--A grantee that is found to have
an unresolved audit finding under an audit conducted under
subsection (b) may not receive grant funds under the grant
programs described in paragraphs (1) through (5) of
subsection (b) in the fiscal year following the fiscal year
to which the finding relates.
(d) Priority of Grant Awards.--The Attorney General, in
awarding grants under the programs described in paragraphs
(1) through (5) of subsection (b) shall give priority to
eligible entities that during the 2-year period preceding the
application for a grant have not been found to have an
unresolved audit finding.
SEC. 4. FEDERAL REENTRY IMPROVEMENTS.
(a) Responsible Reintegration of Offenders.--Section 212 of
the Second Chance Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17532) is repealed.
(b) Federal Prisoner Reentry Initiative.--Section 231 of
the Second Chance Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17541) is amended--
(1) in subsection (g)--
(A) in paragraph (3), by striking ``carried out during
fiscal years 2009 and 2010'' and inserting ``carried out
during fiscal years 2014 through 2018''; and
(B) in paragraph (5)(A)--
(i) in clause (i), by striking ``65 years'' and inserting
``60 years''; and
(ii) in clause (ii), by striking ``or 75 percent'' and
inserting ``or \2/3\'';
(2) by striking subsection (h);
(3) by redesignating subsection (i) as subsection (h); and
(4) in subsection (h), as so redesignated, by striking
``2009 and 2010'' and inserting ``2014 through 2018''.
(c) Enhancing Reporting Requirements Pertaining to
Community Corrections.--Section 3624(c) of title 18, United
States Code, is amended--
(1) in paragraph (5), in the second sentence, by inserting
``, and number of prisoners not being placed in community
corrections facilities for each reason set forth'' before ``,
and any other information''; and
(2) in paragraph (6), by striking ``the Second Chance Act
of 2007'' and inserting ``the Second Chance Reauthorization
Act of 2013''.
(d) Termination of Study on Effectiveness of Depot
Naltrexone for Heroin Addiction.--Section 244 of the Second
Chance Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17554) is repealed.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations for Research.--Section
245 of the Second Chance Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17555) is
amended--
(1) by striking ``243, and 244'' and inserting ``and 243'';
and
(2) by striking ``$10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years
2009 and 2010'' and inserting ``$5,000,000 for each of the
fiscal years 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018''.
(f) Federal Prisoner Recidivism Reduction Programming
Enhancement.--
(1) In general.--Section 3621 of title 18, United States
Code, is amended--
(A) by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection (h); and
(B) by inserting after subsection (f) the following:
``(g) Partnerships to Expand Access to Reentry Programs
Proven to Reduce Recidivism.--
``(1) Definition.--The term `demonstrated to reduce
recidivism' means that the Director of Bureau of Prisons has
determined that appropriate research has been conducted and
has validated the effectiveness of the type of program on
recidivism.
``(2) Eligibility for recidivism reduction partnership.--A
faith-based or community-based nonprofit organization that
provides mentoring or other programs that have been
demonstrated to reduce recidivism is eligible to enter into a
recidivism reduction partnership with a prison or community-
based facility operated by the Bureau of Prisons.
``(3) Recidivism reduction partnerships.--The Director of
the Bureau of Prisons shall develop policies to require
wardens of prisons and community-based facilities to enter
into recidivism reduction partnerships with faith-based and
community-based nonprofit organizations that are willing to
provide, on a volunteer basis, programs described in
paragraph (2).
``(4) Reporting requirement.--The Director of the Bureau of
Prisons shall submit to Congress an annual report on the last
day of each fiscal year that--
``(A) details, for each prison and community-based facility
for the fiscal year just ended--
``(i) the number of recidivism reduction partnerships under
this section that were in effect;
``(ii) the number of volunteers that provided recidivism
reduction programming; and
``(iii) the number of recidivism reduction programming
hours provided; and
``(B) explains any disparities between facilities in the
numbers reported under subparagraph (A).''.
(2) Effective date.--The amendments made by paragraph (1)
shall take effect 180 days after the date of enactment of
this Act.
(g) Repeals.--
(1) Section 2978 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control
and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3797w-2) is repealed.
(2) Part CC of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and
Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3797q et seq.) is
repealed.
SEC. 5. TASK FORCE ON FEDERAL PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES
RELATING TO REENTRY OF OFFENDERS.
(a) Task Force Required.--The Attorney General, in
consultation with the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of
Education, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of Agriculture,
and the heads of such other agencies of the Federal
Government as the Attorney General considers appropriate, and
in collaboration with interested persons, service providers,
nonprofit organizations, States, tribal, and local
governments, shall establish an interagency task force on
Federal programs and activities relating to the reentry of
offenders into the community (referred to in this section as
the ``Task Force'').
(b) Duties.--The Task Force shall--
(1) identify such programs and activities that may be
resulting in overlap or duplication of services, the scope of
such overlap or duplication, and the relationship of such
overlap and duplication to public safety, public health, and
effectiveness and efficiency;
(2) identify methods to improve collaboration and
coordination of such programs and activities;
(3) identify areas of responsibility in which improved
collaboration and coordination of such programs and
activities would result in increased effectiveness or
efficiency;
(4) develop innovative interagency or intergovernmental
programs, activities, or procedures that would improve
outcomes of reentering offenders and children of offenders;
(5) develop methods for increasing regular communication
among agencies that would increase interagency program
effectiveness;
(6) identify areas of research that can be coordinated
across agencies with an emphasis on applying evidence-based
practices to support, treatment, and intervention programs
for reentering offenders;
(7) identify funding areas that should be coordinated
across agencies and any gaps in funding; and
(8) in collaboration with the National Adult and Juvenile
Offender Reentry Resources Center, identify successful
programs currently operating and collect best practices in
offender reentry from demonstration grantees and other
agencies and organizations, determine the extent to which
such programs and practices can be replicated, and make
information on such programs and practices available to
States, localities, nonprofit organizations, and others.
(c) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Task Force shall submit a
report, including recommendations, to Congress on barriers to
reentry.
(2) Contents.--The report required under paragraph (1)
shall identify Federal and other barriers to successful
reentry of offenders into the community and analyze the
effects of such barriers on offenders and on children and
other family members of offenders, including--
(A) admissions and evictions from Federal housing programs;
(B) child support obligations and procedures;
(C) Social Security benefits, veterans benefits, food
stamps, and other forms of Federal public assistance;
(D) Medicaid Program and Medicare Program procedures,
requirements, regulations, and guidelines;
(E) education programs, financial assistance, and full
civic participation;
(F) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program funding
criteria and other welfare benefits;
(G) employment and training;
(H) reentry procedures, case planning, and transitions of
persons from the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons to
a Federal parole or probation program or community
corrections;
(I) laws, regulations, rules, and practices that may
require a parolee to return to the same county that they were
living in before their arrest and therefore prevent offenders
from changing their setting upon release; and
(J) trying to establish pre-release planning procedures for
prisoners to ensure that a prisoner's eligibility for Federal
or State benefits (including Medicaid, Medicare, Social
Security and veterans benefits) upon release is established
prior to release, subject
[[Page S8006]]
to any limitations in law, and to ensure that prisoners are
provided with referrals to appropriate social and health
services or are referred to appropriate nonprofit
organizations.
(d) Updated Reports.--On an annual basis, the Task Force
shall submit to Congress an updated report on the activities
of the Task Force, including specific recommendations on
issues described in subsections (b) and (c).
______
By Mr. HARKIN (for himself and Mr. Heller):
S. 1694. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a
credit against income tax for the purchase of hearing aids; to the
Committee on Finance.
Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of
the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 1694
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 ``Hearing Aid Assistance Tax
Credit Act''.
SEC. 2. CREDIT FOR HEARING AIDS.
(a) In General.--Subpart A of part IV of subchapter A of
chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to
nonrefundable personal credits) is amended by inserting after
section 25D the following new section:
``SEC. 25E. CREDIT FOR HEARING AIDS.
``(a) Allowance of Credit.--In the case of an individual,
there shall be allowed as a credit against the tax imposed by
this chapter an amount equal to the amount paid during the
taxable year, not compensated by insurance or otherwise, by
the taxpayer for the purchase of any qualified hearing aid.
``(b) Maximum Amount.--The amount allowed as a credit under
subsection (a) shall not exceed $500 per qualified hearing
aid.
``(c) Qualified Hearing Aid.--For purposes of this section,
the term `qualified hearing aid' means a hearing aid--
``(1) which is described in sections 874.3300 and 874.3305
of title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, and is authorized
under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act for commercial
distribution, and
``(2) which is intended for use--
``(A) by the taxpayer, or
``(B) by an individual with respect to whom the taxpayer,
for the taxable year, is allowed a deduction under section
151(c) (relating to deduction for personal exemptions for
dependents).
``(d) Election Once Every 5 Years.--This section shall
apply with respect to any individual for any taxable year
only if there is an election in effect with respect to such
individual (at such time and in such manner as the Secretary
may by regulations prescribe) to have this section apply for
such taxable year. An election to have this section apply
with respect to any individual may not be made for any
taxable year if such an election is in effect with respect to
such individual for any of the 4 taxable years preceding such
taxable year.
``(e) Denial of Double Benefit.--No credit shall be allowed
under subsection (a) for any expense for which a deduction or
credit is allowed under any other provision of this
chapter.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for subpart
A of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by inserting after the item
relating to section 25D the following new item:
``Sec. 25E. Credit for hearing aids.''.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section
shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31,
2013.
______
By Mr. MARKEY:
S. 1698. A bill to provide for the establishment of clean technology
consortia to enhance the economic, environmental, and energy security
of the United States by promoting domestic development, manufacture,
and deployment of clean technologies; to the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources.
Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Consortia-Led
Energy and Advanced Manufacturing Networks Act.
For more than a century, America's innovation community has been the
foundation of our high-tech economy and generated broad-based growth to
support a strong middle class. While our innovators remain the best in
the world, we have seen a disturbing trend in recent years. When it
comes to moving innovations out of the lab and into the factory, we are
getting beat. Breakthroughs achieved in U.S. research universities and
laboratories are all too often being commercialized and manufactured
overseas. As recent research by the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology and others has demonstrated, innovation and production are
closely related. When manufacturing facilities move overseas, we lose
more than just those manufacturing jobs. We can lose our ability to
continue to innovate in that industry and lose our hold on those jobs
forever.
At the same time, we have some industries in the United States
dominated by deeply entrenched companies that are resistant to
innovation or adaptation of century-old business models. In those
sectors, we need to look at ways of partnering with our innovators on
proof-of-concept and demonstration projects so that more breakthroughs
can bridge the so-called ``Valley of Death'' between the lab bench and
commercialization of a new technology. That will ensure that innovative
and potentially disruptive technologies can actually reach the market,
and provide badly needed competition in industries where incumbents may
be failing to innovate. This is what my legislation is intended to
address.
In order to reach their full market potential, scientific
breakthroughs must be translated into commercial applications,
demonstrated, connected to appropriate markets, and scaled up. The bill
I am introducing today would fertilize America's innovation ecosystems
by making available $100 million to 6 or more consortia to support
these types of activities and help shepherd innovations through the
commercialization process. Consortia could include a mix of research
universities, large and small companies, national laboratories, venture
capital, and state and nonprofit entities with expertise in technology
commercialization. The bill includes rigorous cost-share requirements
to ensure that taxpayers are only partnering on the best ideas in which
the private sector also has significant capital committed.
We have seen the benefits of regional innovation ecosystems in places
like Silicon Valley; Boston, Cambridge and the Route 128 Corridor; the
Research Triangle in North Carolina; Austin, TX; and elsewhere. The
geographic proximity of institutions in these areas improves the flow
of information between scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs, and it
facilitates the sharing of skilled human resources and facilities. Most
critically when it comes to commercializing innovations, these regions
have demonstrated a unique ability to pull investor capital off the
sidelines and channel it into new production. We need to bolster these
existing ecosystems and help nurture new ones.
America's universities and research institutions are truly national
treasures. Our venture capitalists and entrepreneurs are the sharpest
in the world. When we sprinkle the right mix of scientific brain power
and capitalist drive, we get something uniquely American and extremely
potent.
This legislation will help link inventors with investors, professors
with producers, and get technologies out of laboratories and into
factories. It provides the type of responsible and forward-looking
partnership that we need with the private sector right now. This
legislation builds on provisions I included in both the Waxman-Markey
bill and the America COMPETES reauthorization, bills that passed the
U.S. House of Representatives in 2009 and 2010, respectively.
____________________