I 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1337 

To support certain national youth organizations, including the Boy Scouts 

of America, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 16, 2005 

Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia (for herself, Mr. SULLIVAN, Mr. SOUDER, Mr. 

HAYES, Mr. FITZPATRICK of Pennsylvania, Mr. HERGER, Mr. AKIN, Mr. 

BONILLA, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. WHITFIELD, Mr. KUHL of New 

York, Mr. MCHENRY, Mr. PEARCE, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. WILSON of South 

Carolina, Mr. FOSSELLA, Mr. JONES of North Carolina, Mr. WESTMORELAND, Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey, Mr. KLINE, Mr. MCCAUL of Texas, 

Mr. ISSA, Mr. WICKER, Mr. CASE, Mr. SHAW, Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland, Mr. CANNON, Mr. ISTOOK, Mr. KENNEDY of Minnesota, Mr. GUTKNECHT, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. CHOCOLA, Mr. FORBES, and 

Mr. BOYD) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, 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 support certain national youth organizations, including 

the Boy Scouts of America, and for other purposes. 

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

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Support our Scouts 

3 Act of 2005’’. 

4 SEC. 2. SUPPORT FOR YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS. 

5 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 

6 (1) the term ‘‘Federal agency’’ means each de7 partment, agency, instrumentality, or other entity of 

8 the United States Government; and 

9 (2) the term ‘‘youth organization’’ means any 

10 organization described under part B of subtitle II of 

11 title 36, United States Code, that is intended to 

12 serve individuals under the age of 21 years. 

13 (b) IN GENERAL.— 

14 (1) SUPPORT FOR YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS.—No 

15 Federal law (including any rule, regulation, direc16 tive, instruction, or order) shall be construed to limit 

17 any Federal agency from providing any form of sup18 port for a youth organization (including the Boy 

19 Scouts of America or any group officially affiliated 

20 with the Boy Scouts of America) that would result 

21 in that Federal agency providing less support to that 

22 youth organization (or any similar organization 

23 chartered under the chapter of title 36, United 

24 States Code, relating to that youth organization) 

25 than was provided during each of the preceding 4 

26 fiscal years. 
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1 (2) TYPES OF SUPPORT.—Support described 

2 under paragraph (1) shall include— 

3 (A) holding meetings, camping events, or 

4 other activities on Federal property; and 

5 (B) hosting any official event of such orga6 nization. 

7 SEC. 3. EQUAL ACCESS FOR YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS. 

8 Section 109 of the Housing and Community Develop9 ment Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5309) is amended— 

10 (1) in the first sentence of subsection (b) by in11 serting ‘‘or (e)’’ after ‘‘subsection (a)’’; and 

12 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

13 ‘‘(e) EQUAL ACCESS.— 

14 ‘‘(1) DEFINITION.—The term ‘youth organiza15 tion’ means any organization described under part B 

16 of subtitle II of title 36, United States Code, that 

17 is intended to serve individuals under the age of 21 

18 years. 

19 ‘‘(2) IN GENERAL.—No State or unit of general 

20 local government that has a designated open forum, 

21 limited public forum, or nonpublic forum and that is 

22 a recipient of assistance under this chapter shall 

23 deny equal access or a fair opportunity to meet to, 

24 or discriminate against, any youth organization, in25 cluding the Boy Scouts of America or any group of-
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1 ficially affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America, 

2 that wishes to conduct a meeting or otherwise par3 ticipate in that designated open forum, limited pub4 lic forum, or nonpublic forum.’’. 

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