[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 8 (Monday, January 12, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S137-S138]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 4169. Mrs. BLACKBURN submitted an amendment intended to be
proposed by her to the bill H.R. 6938, making consolidated
appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
SEC. _____. GRANTS FOR AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) ESEA terms.--The terms ``local educational agency'' and
``secondary school'' have the meanings given those terms in
section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(2) Eligible applicant.--The term ``eligible applicant''
means an eligible local educational agency or an eligible
nonprofit organization.
(3) Eligible local educational agency.--The term ``eligible
local educational agency'' means a local educational agency
that serves 1 or more secondary schools that are located in a
county in which the juvenile offense rate for the most recent
fiscal year for which data is available was not less than 10
percent.
(4) Eligible nonprofit organization.--The term ``eligible
nonprofit organization'' means an organization described in
section 501(c)(3) and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that--
(A) has experience in operating an after school program or
similar program for secondary school students; and
(B) is located in a county in which the juvenile offense
rate for the most recent fiscal year for which data is
available was not less than 10 percent.
(5) Eligible students.--The term ``eligible students''
means students in any of grades 6 through 12.
(6) Juvenile offense rate.--The term ``juvenile offense
rate'' means the percentage of violent offenses committed by
any individual who is not more than 19 years of age as
compared to the total number of violent offenses committed by
all age groups in a given county, as published in the Uniform
Crime Reporting Program of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation.
(b) Program Established.--The Attorney General shall award
grants, in accordance with subsection (c), to eligible
applicants that have an approved application in order to
enable those eligible applicants to provide after school
programs for eligible students, as described in subsection
(f).
(c) Formula.--From the total amount made available to carry
out this section, the Attorney General shall allot to each
eligible applicant having an application approved under
subsection (e), an amount that bears the same relationship to
that total amount as the number of eligible students who will
be served by such eligible applicant under this section bears
to the number of eligible students who will be served by all
eligible applicants under this section.
(d) Notice of Eligibility.--On the first day of the first
fiscal year beginning after the date of enactment of this
Act, and of each fiscal year thereafter, the Attorney General
shall--
(1) determine which counties in the United States had a
juvenile offense rate of not less than 10 percent during the
most recent fiscal year for which data is available;
(2) publish the determination of the Attorney General under
paragraph (1); and
(3) publish an application that eligible applicants seeking
a grant under this section can submit.
(e) Application.--An eligible applicant seeking a grant
under this section shall submit the application described in
subsection (d)(3) to the Attorney General at such time, in
such manner, and containing such information as the Attorney
General may require, including--
(1) the juvenile offense rate for the most recent fiscal
year for which data are available for--
(A) if the eligible applicant is an eligible local
educational agency, the county in which 1 or more secondary
schools served by the eligible local educational agency are
located; or
(B) if the eligible applicant is an eligible nonprofit
organization, the county in which the eligible nonprofit
organization is located;
(2) an assurance that the eligible applicant--
(A) if the eligible applicant is an eligible local
educational agency, will carry out the after school programs
or will partner only with an eligible nonprofit organization
to carry out such programs; or
(B) if the eligible applicant is an eligible nonprofit
organization, will carry out the after school programs; and
(3) information about the activities and frequency of the
after school programs that will be carried out with grant
funds under this section.
(f) Uses of Funds.--
(1) In general.--An eligible applicant that receives a
grant under this section shall use such grant funds to
operate after school programs for eligible students, which
may include--
(A) expanding existing after school programs for eligible
students;
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(B) developing and carrying out new after school programs
for eligible students; or
(C) if the eligible applicant is an eligible local
educational agency, partnering with an eligible nonprofit
organization to administer and operate after school programs
for eligible students.
(2) Comprehensive program activities.--An eligible
applicant that receives a grant under this section shall
ensure that the after school programs carried out with grant
funds are programs that--
(A) are held when school is out of session; and
(B) include activities that have an educational purpose
that aim to--
(i) expand learning opportunities,
(ii) foster foundational skill development,
(iii) provide youth leadership opportunities; and
(iv) provide a safe and supportive environment.
(g) Reports.--
(1) Eligible applicant reports.--Each eligible applicant
that receives a grant under this section shall submit an
annual report to the Attorney General that describes--
(A) the number of schools served by an after school program
established or maintained using funds under this section;
(B) the number of children served at each such school; and
(C) the general successes and vulnerabilities of the after
school programs established or maintained using funds under
this section.
(2) Attorney general report.--Not later than 90 days after
the date as of which the Attorney General has received all
the reports for a year under paragraph (1), the Attorney
General shall submit to Congress a report summarizing the
reports received under that paragraph.
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section $15,000,000 for
each of fiscal years 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2029, to remain
available until expended.
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