[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 41 (Monday, October 18, 1999)]
[Pages 2059-2060]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]
<R04>
Memorandum on the White House Council on Youth Violence
October 15, 1999
Memorandum of the Attorney General, the Secretary of Labor, the
Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Education, the
Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy
Subject: White House Council on Youth Violence
Violence by youth and against youth is an issue that deeply concerns
us all. Youth violence can be thought of as a juvenile crime issue, as a
public health issue, and as a school safety issue. It affects every
region and demographic group. As many recent incidents have made us
aware, it is a problem that can strike with unexpected force--and that
now demands uncommonly unified responses. That is why I announced, on
August 17, 1999, that a nonprofit, nonpartisan ``National Campaign
Against Youth Violence'' had been established to bring together all
segments of society to help prevent youth violence.
The Federal Government already addresses many aspects of youth
violence through its programs. I am particularly proud of the joint
efforts of the Attorney General, the Secretary of Health and Human
Services, and the Secretary of Education in developing the Safe Schools/
Healthy Students initiative. These agencies also worked well together to
help us respond quickly to the Columbine High School incident. I have
read with interest the report of the Attorney General's Coordinating
Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. I look forward
to the report that the Surgeon General in response to my May request is
preparing on the causes of youth violence. The Secretary of Labor's
efforts to address the needs of youth are also about to bear fruit, as
high-poverty communities implement our new Youth Opportunity Grants, and
as the Secretary and the Attorney General finalize their agreement for
cooperative work on those grants and on Labor's Youth Offender grant
program.
With so many agencies and programs involved, and with the need for
my Administration to work closely with different elements of State and
local governments, tribes, schools, community groups, and families, it
has become increasingly clear to me that the Federal Government needs a
more effective policy coordination strategy for youth violence issues.
Therefore, today I direct the Assistant for Domestic Policy to form a
White House Council on Youth Violence to provide this policy
coordination, to provide flexible and timely responses to the challenge
of youth violence, and to ensure that our Nation's citizens are able to
benefit from the Federal Government's many antiviolence initiatives.
Structure of the Council
The Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy will chair the
Council. The Office of the Vice President and the Office of Management
and Budget will be regular participants. Four agency heads will be the
regular program members of the Council:
<bullet> The Attorney General, responding to the juvenile crime
aspects;
<bullet> The Secretary of Health and Human Services, responding to
the public health aspects, including mental health aspects,
and to family issues;
<bullet> The Secretary of Education, responding to the school safety
issues; and
<bullet> The Secretary of Labor, responding to youth employment and
out-of-school youth issues.
The Chair of the Council may add such other officials as he deems
appropriate to further the purposes of this overall effort or to
participate in specific aspects of it. For example, matters relating to
public health aspects would involve the Surgeon General. Matters
relating to firearms control or drug abuse would involve the Secretary
of the Treasury and the Director of National Drug Control Policy,
respectively. Implications for economic development policies would call
for involvement of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the
Secretary of Agriculture, and the Secretary of Commerce. Comparable
policies for Indian country would engage the Secretary of the Interior.
Issues relating to community service opportunities for youth would
involve the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and
Community Service.
[[Page 2060]]
The Chair, after consultation with Council members, will appoint
staff members to coordinate the Council's efforts. The Chair may call
upon the participating agencies for logistical support to the Council,
as necessary.
Duties of the Council
1. Develop a citizen's information hub. The Council will develop and
maintain a coordinated inventory of relevant agency programs and provide
analyses of their effectiveness. It will make this inventory widely
available in summary form--and upon request in more detail--through the
services of the appropriate Council member, to elected officials,
community groups, police organizations, school systems, parents, and
others working on local solutions to these issues. The inventory and
full texts of program reports and evaluations should be available on an
easily accessible website. The availability of this compilation will be
widely publicized.
2. Produce reports on youth violence. The Council will prepare or
have prepared reports on various aspects of the problem of youth
violence, describing, for instance, best practices in combating the
problem. In doing so, the Council should consult with nonprofits,
foundations, and other organizations that have conducted research and/or
developed resources on the prevention of youth violence. In addition,
the Surgeon General is now carrying out a broad study of the potential
causes of youth violence. I ask that the Surgeon General consult closely
with the Council in the development of the study so that I may have the
benefit of participation of all the involved agencies in its analysis
and findings.
3. Expand the Safe Schools/Healthy Students model of collaboration.
This initiative of the Departments of Justice, Education, and Health and
Human Services has evolved into a highly effective collaboration among
the agencies. The Council will oversee this effort and examine options
for improving its operations and applying the model to other
governmental efforts. The Secretary of Labor will begin participation in
the initiative through establishing linkages to Youth Opportunities and
Youth Offender grants.
4. Provide tools for parents to deal with the issue. Many Federal
programs address issues relating to strengthening the family and helping
parents raise children. The Council will explore the possibility of
devising a cross-program strategy to help parents address youth
violence. It will also report on new tools emerging in both the private
and public sectors to assist parents.
5. Coordinate the Federal research agenda. The Council will oversee
coordination of agency research agendas and the development of needed
cross-agency research collaborations. I ask the Council to seek to have
this structure in place to support the planning for FY 2001 research
funds, and where feasible, to improve the planned use of funds available
from prior years.
6. Develop further policy responses. The Council will meet at the
call of the Chair to discuss new findings from analyses of the youth
violence issue and to consider new or modified Administration responses
to it, especially those that involve more than one agency.
Recommendations for initiatives will be discussed in the Council for
consistency with overall coordinated policy before being presented for
formal decision in the budget process. From time to time, the Council
will report to me directly on the results of its efforts.
William J. Clinton
cc: The Vice President
The Secretary of the Treasury
The Secretary of the Interior
The Secretary of Agriculture
The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
The Director of the Office of Management and Budget
The Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy