Safe Schools Act of 1998

Summary: Safe Schools Act of 1998 - Authorizes the Attorney General to:  (1) make grants to States, local governments, Indian tribal governments, and other public and private entities and multijurisdictional or regional consortia thereof, to increase police presence, and expand and improve cooperative efforts between law enforcement agencies and members of the community, to address crime and disorder problems in and around schools; (2) give preferential consideration for such grants to applications for hiring and rehiring additional career law enforcement officers that involve a non-Federal contribution exceeding a 25 percent minimum; and (3) provide technical assistance to further the purposes of this Act. 
Limits the costs of a program, project, or activity provided by such a grant to 75 percent, unless the Attorney General waives the requirement of a non-Federal contribution.  Directs that the Federal share decrease from year to year for up to five years, in relation to a grant for a period exceeding one year for hiring or rehiring career law enforcement officers, looking toward the continuation of the increased hiring level using State or local sources of funding following the conclusion of Federal support. 
Terminates authority for grants to hire officers after six years. Directs the Attorney General, prior to the expiration of such authority, to report to the Congress. 
Authorizes the use of grants under this Act to:  (1) rehire law enforcement officers who have been laid off as a result of State and local budget reductions for deployment in school-based policing; and (2) hire and train new, additional career law enforcement officers for deployment in school-based policing across the Nation. 
Sets forth application requirements, including requirements that applications demonstrate a specific public safety need and specify plans for obtaining necessary support and continuing the proposed activity following the conclusion of Federal support. 
Authorizes the Attorney General to waive specified requirements and make special provisions to facilitate the expedited submission, processing, and approval of applications of local government or law enforcement agencies having jurisdiction over areas with populations of less than 50,000. 
Sets forth provisions regarding monitoring and evaluation of activities funded under this Act and revocation or suspension of funding. 
Authorizes appropriations.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Safe Schools Act of 1998''.

SEC. 2. GRANT AUTHORIZATION.

    (a) In General.--The Attorney General may make grants to States, 
units of local government, Indian tribal governments and other public 
and private entities and multijurisdiction or regional consortia 
thereof to increase police presence, to expand and improve cooperative 
efforts between law enforcement agencies and members of the community 
to address crime and disorder problems in and around schools.
    (b) Preferential Consideration.--In awarding grants under this Act, 
the Attorney General may give preferential consideration, to the extent 
practicable, to applications for hiring and rehiring additional career 
law enforcement officers that involve a non-Federal contribution 
exceeding the 25 percent minimum under subsection (d).
    (c) Technical Assistance.--
            (1) In general.--The Attorney General may provide technical 
        assistance to States, units of local government, Indian tribal 
        governments, and to other public and private entities, in 
        furtherance of the purposes of this Act.
            (2) Model.--The technical assistance provided by the 
        Attorney General may include the development of a flexible 
        model that will define for State and local governments, and 
        other public and private entities, definitions and strategies 
        associated with community and school-based policing and 
        methodologies for its implementation.
            (3) Training centers and facilities.--The technical 
        assistance provided by the Attorney General may include the 
        establishment and operation of training centers or facilities, 
        either directly or by contracting or cooperative arrangements. 
        The functions of the centers or facilities established under 
        this paragraph may include instruction and seminars for police 
        executives, managers, trainers, supervisors, and such others as 
        the Attorney General considers to be appropriate concerning 
        community and school-based policing and improvements in police-
        community interaction and cooperation that further the purposes 
        of this Act.
    (d) Matching Funds.--The portion of the costs of a program, 
project, or activity provided by a grant under subsection (a) may not 
exceed 75 percent, unless the Attorney General waives, wholly or in 
part, the requirement under this subsection of a non-Federal 
contribution to the costs of a program, project, or activity. In 
relation to a grant for a period exceeding 1 year for hiring or 
rehiring career law enforcement officers, the Federal share shall 
decrease from year to year for up to 5 years, looking toward the 
continuation of the increased hiring level using State or local sources 
of funding following the conclusion of Federal support, as provided in 
an approved plan pursuant to section 4(c)(8).
    (e) Termination of Grants for Hiring Officers.--The authority under 
subsection (a) of this section to make grants for the hiring and 
rehiring of additional career law enforcement officers shall lapse at 
the conclusion of 6 years from the date of enactment of this Act. Prior 
to the expiration of this grant authority, the Attorney General shall 
submit a report to Congress concerning the experience with and effects 
of such grants. The report may include any recommendations the Attorney 
General may have for amendments to this Act and related provisions of 
law in light of the termination of the authority to make grants for the 
hiring and rehiring of additional career law enforcement officers.

SEC. 3. USES OF FUNDS.

    Grants made under this Act may be used--
            (1) to rehire law enforcement officers who have been laid 
        off as a result of State and local budget reductions for 
        deployment in school-based policing; and
            (2) to hire and train new, additional career law 
        enforcement officers for deployment in school-based policing 
        across the Nation.

SEC. 4. APPLICATIONS.

    (a) In General.--No grant may be made under this Act unless an 
application has been submitted to, and approved by, the Attorney 
General.
    (b) Application.--An application for a grant under this Act shall 
be submitted in such form, and contain such information, as the 
Attorney General may prescribe by regulations or guidelines.
    (c) Contents.--In accordance with the regulations or guidelines 
established by the Attorney General, each application for a grant under 
this Act shall--
            (1) include a long-term strategy and detailed 
        implementation plan that reflects consultation with community 
        groups and appropriate private and public agencies;
            (2) demonstrate a specific public safety need;
            (3) explain the applicant's inability to address the need 
        without Federal assistance;
            (4) identify related governmental and community initiatives 
        which complement or will be coordinated with the proposal;
            (5) certify that there has been appropriate coordination 
        with all affected agencies;
            (6) outline the initial and ongoing level of community 
        support for implementing the proposal including financial and 
        in-kind contributions or other tangible commitments;
            (7) specify plans for obtaining necessary support and 
        continuing the proposed program, project, or activity following 
        the conclusion of Federal support;
            (8) if the application is for a grant for hiring or 
        rehiring additional career law enforcement officers, specify 
        plans for the assumption by the applicant of a progressively 
        larger share of the cost in the course of time, looking toward 
        the continuation of the increased hiring level using State or 
        local sources of funding following the conclusion of Federal 
        support;
            (9) assess the impact, if any, of the increase in police 
        resources on other components of the criminal justice system;
            (10) explain how the grant will be utilized to reorient the 
        affected law enforcement agency's mission toward school-based 
        policing or enhance its involvement in or commitment to school-
        based policing; and
            (11) provide assurances that the applicant will, to the 
        extent practicable, seek, recruit, and hire members of racial 
        and ethnic minority groups and women in order to increase their 
        ranks within the sworn positions in the law enforcement agency.
    (d) Special Provision.--Notwithstanding any other provision of this 
Act, in relation to applications under this Act of units of local 
government or law enforcement agencies having jurisdiction over areas 
with populations of less than 50,000, the Attorney General may waive 1 
or more of the requirements of subsection (c) and may otherwise make 
special provisions to facilitate the expedited submission, processing, 
and approval of such applications.

SEC. 5. PERFORMANCE EVALUATION.

    (a) Monitoring Components.--Each program, project, or activity 
funded under this Act shall contain a monitoring component, developed 
pursuant to guidelines established by the Attorney General. The 
monitoring required by this subsection shall include systematic 
identification and collection of data about activities, 
accomplishments, and programs throughout the life of the program, 
project, or activity and presentation of such data in a usable form.
    (b) Evaluation Components.--Selected grant recipients shall be 
evaluated on the local level or as part of a national evaluation, 
pursuant to guidelines established by the Attorney General. Such 
evaluations may include assessments of individual program 
implementations. In selected jurisdictions that are able to support 
outcome evaluations, the effectiveness of funded programs, projects, 
and activities may be required. Outcome measures may include crime and 
victimization indicators, quality of life measures, community 
perceptions, and police perceptions of their own work.
    (c) Periodic Review and Reports.--The Attorney General may require 
a grant recipient to submit to the Attorney General the results of the 
monitoring and evaluations required under subsections (a) and (b) and 
such other data and information as the Attorney General deems 
reasonably necessary.

SEC. 6. REVOCATION OR SUSPENSION OF FUNDING.

    If the Attorney General determines, as a result of the reviews 
required by section 5, or otherwise, that a grant recipient under this 
Act is not in substantial compliance with the terms and requirements of 
an approved grant application submitted under section 4, the Attorney 
General may revoke or suspend funding of that grant, in whole or in 
part.

SEC. 7. GENERAL REGULATORY AUTHORITY.

    The Attorney General may promulgate regulations and guidelines to 
carry out this Act.

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
$175,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1999 through 2002.