I

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 102

To provide grants to grassroots organizations in certain cities to develop

youth intervention models.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 6, 1999

Mr. CONYERS (for himself and Mr. HYDE) introduced the following bill; which

was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the

Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such

provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To provide grants to grassroots organizations in certain cities

to develop youth intervention models.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Youth Crime

5 Prevention Demonstration Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

7 The purposes of this Act are as follows:

8 (1) To establish a demonstration project that

9 establishes violence-free zones that would involve
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1 successful youth intervention models in partnership

2 with law enforcement, local housing authorities, pri3 vate foundations, and other public and private part4 ners.

5 (2) To document best practices based on suc6 cessful grassroots interventions in cities, including

7 Washington, District of Columbia; Boston, Massa8 chusetts; Hartford, Connecticut; and other cities to

9 develop methodologies for widespread replication.

10 (3) To increase the efforts of the Department

11 of Justice, the Department of Housing and Urban

12 Development, and other agencies in supporting effec13 tive neighborhood mediating approaches.

14 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL YOUTH CRIME PRE15 VENTION DEMONSTRATION PROJECT.

16 The Attorney General shall, subject to appropria17 tions, award a grant to the National Center for Neighbor18 hood Enterprise (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘National

19 Center’’) to enable the National Center to award grants

20 to grassroots entities in the following 8 cities:

21 (1) Washington, District of Columbia.

22 (2) Detroit, Michigan.

23 (3) Hartford, Connecticut.

24 (4) Indianapolis, Indiana.
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1 (5) Chicago (and surrounding metropolitan

2 area), Illinois.

3 (6) San Antonio, Texas.

4 (7) Dallas, Texas.

5 (8) Los Angeles, California.

6 SEC. 4. ELIGIBILITY.

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a grant

8 under this Act, a grassroots entity referred to in section

9 3 shall submit an application to the National Center to

10 fund intervention models that establish violence-free

11 zones.

12 (b) SELECTION CRITERIA.—In awarding grants

13 under this Act, the National Center shall consider—

14 (1) the track record of a grassroots entity and

15 key participating individuals in youth group medi16 ation and crime prevention;

17 (2) the engagement and participation of a

18 grassroots entity with other local organizations; and

19 (3) the ability of a grassroots entity to enter

20 into partnerships with local housing authorities, law

21 enforcement agencies, and other public entities.

22 SEC. 5. USES OF FUNDS.

23 (a) IN GENERAL.—Funds received under this Act

24 may be used for youth mediation, youth mentoring, life

25 skills training, job creation and entrepreneurship, organi-
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1 zational development and training, development of long2 term intervention plans, collaboration with law enforce3 ment, comprehensive support services and local agency

4 partnerships, and activities to further community objec5 tives in reducing youth crime and violence.

6 (b) GUIDELINES.—The National Center will identify

7 local lead grassroots entities in each designated city which

8 include the Alliance of Concerned Men of Washington in

9 the District of Columbia; the Hartford Youth Peace Initia10 tive in Hartford, Connecticut; the Family Help-Line in

11 Los Angeles, California; the Victory Fellowship in San An12 tonio, Texas; and similar grassroots entities in other des13 ignated cities.

14 (c) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The National Center,

15 in cooperation with the Attorney General, shall also pro16 vide technical assistance for startup projects in other cit17 ies.

18 SEC. 6. REPORTS.

19 The National Center shall submit a report to the At20 torney General evaluating the effectiveness of grassroots

21 agencies and other public entities involved in the dem22 onstration project.

23 SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.

24 For purposes of this Act—
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1 (1) the term ‘‘grassroots entity’’ means a not2 for-profit community organization with dem3 onstrated effectiveness in mediating and addressing

4 youth violence by empowering at-risk youth to be5 come agents of peace and community restoration;

6 and

7 (2) the term ‘‘National Center for Neighbor8 hood Enterprise’’ is a not-for-profit organization in9 corporated in the District of Columbia.

10 SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro12 priated to carry out this Act—

13 (1) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2000;

14 (2) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2001;

15 (3) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2002;

16 (4) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2003; and

17 (5) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2004.

18 (b) RESERVATION.—The National Center for Neigh19 borhood Enterprise may use not more than 20 percent of

20 the amounts appropriated pursuant to subsection (a) in

21 any fiscal year for administrative costs, technical assist22 ance and training, comprehensive support services, and

23 evaluation of participating grassroots organizations.

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