I

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1895

To develop programs that enhance school safety for our children.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAY 20, 1999

Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. BONIOR, Mr. FROST, Mr. LEVIN, Mr.

ETHERIDGE, Mr. WISE, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Ms. CARSON, Ms.

HOOLEY of Oregon, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. STRICKLAND, Mr. REYES, Mr.

BALDACCI, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mr.

ROTHMAN, Mr. HOLT, Mr. HINOJOSA, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. DEFAZIO,

Mr. SCOTT, Mr. WYNN, Mr. WAXMAN, Ms. LEE, Mrs. THURMAN, Mr.

WEYGAND, Ms. WOOLSEY, and Mr. DAVIS of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the

Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 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 develop programs that enhance school safety for our

children.

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 ‘‘School Anti-Violence

5 Empowerment Act’’.
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1 TITLE I—SCHOOL SAFETY

2 PROGRAMS

3 SEC. 101. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

4 The Secretary of Education is authorized to provide

5 grants to local educational agencies to establish or en6 hance crisis intervention programs, including the hiring of

7 school counselors and to enhance school safety programs

8 for students, staff, and school facilities.

9 SEC. 102. GRANT AWARDS.

10 (a) LOCAL AWARDS.—The Secretary shall award

11 grants to local educational agencies on a competitive basis.

12 (b) GRANT PROGRAMS.—From the amounts appro13 priated under section 106, the Secretary shall reserve—

14 (1) 50 percent of such amount to award grants

15 to local educational agencies to hire school coun16 selors; and

17 (2) 50 percent of such amount to award grants

18 to local educational agencies to enhance school safe19 ty programs for students, staff, and school facilities.

20 (c) PRIORITY.—Such awards shall be based on one

21 or more of the following factors:

22 (1) Quality of existing or proposed violence pre23 vention program.

24 (2) Greatest need for crisis intervention coun25 seling services.
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1 (3) Documented financial need based on num2 ber of students served under part A of title I of the

3 Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.

4 (d) EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION.—In awarding grants

5 under this title, the Secretary shall ensure, to the extent

6 practicable, an equitable geographic distribution among

7 the regions of the United States and among urban, subur8 ban, and rural areas.

9 (e) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—The Secretary may re10 serve not more than 1 percent from amounts appropriated

11 under section 106 for administrative costs.

12 (f) ELIGIBILITY.—A local educational agency that

13 meets the requirements of this title shall be eligible to re14 ceive a grant to hire school counselors and a grant to en15 hance school safety programs for students, staff, and

16 school facilities.

17 SEC. 103. APPLICATIONS.

18 (a) IN GENERAL.—Each local educational agency de19 siring a grant under this title shall submit an application

20 to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accom21 panied by such information as the Secretary may require.

22 (b) CONTENTS.—Such application shall include a

23 plan that contains the following:
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1 (1) In the case of a local educational agency ap2 plying for a grant to enhance school safety

3 programs—

4 (A) a description of any existing violence

5 prevention, safety, and crisis intervention pro6 grams;

7 (B) proposed changes to any such pro8 grams and a description of any new programs;

9 and

10 (C) documentation regarding financial

11 need.

12 (2) In the case of a local educational agency ap13 plying for a grant to hire school counselors—

14 (A) a description of the need for a crisis

15 intervention counseling program; and

16 (B) documentation regarding financial

17 need.

18 SEC. 104. REPORTING.

19 Each local educational agency that receives a grant

20 under this title shall provide an annual report to the Sec21 retary. In the case of a local educational agency that re22 ceives a grant to enhance school safety programs, such

23 report shall describe how such agency used funds provided

24 under this title and include a description of new school

25 safety measures and changes implemented to existing vio-
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1 lence prevention, safety, and crisis intervention programs.

2 In the case of a local educational agency that receives a

3 grant to hire school counselors, such report shall describe

4 how such agency used funds provided under this title and

5 include the number of school counselors hired with such

6 funds.

7 SEC. 105. DEFINITIONS.

8 For purposes of this title:

9 (1) The terms ‘‘elementary school’’, ‘‘local edu10 cational agency’’, and ‘‘secondary school’’ have the

11 same meanings given the terms in section 14101 of

12 the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of

13 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801).

14 (2) The term ‘‘school counselor’’ means an indi15 vidual who has documented competence in coun16 seling children and adolescents in a school setting

17 and who—

18 (A) possesses State licensure or certifi19 cation granted by an independent professional

20 regulatory authority;

21 (B) in the absence of such State licensure

22 or certification, possesses national certification

23 in school counseling or a specialty of counseling

24 granted by an independent professional organi25 zation; or
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1 (C) holds a minimum of a master’s degree

2 in school counseling from a program accredited

3 by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling

4 and Related Educational Programs or the

5 equivalent.

6 (3) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary

7 of Education.

8 (4) the term ‘‘school safety’’ means the safety

9 of students, faculty, and school facilities from acts

10 of violence.

11 SEC. 106. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

12 There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out

13 this title $700,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2000

14 through 2004.

15 TITLE II—INCREASED COPS

16 FUNDING

17 SEC. 201. INCREASED FUNDING FOR THE COPS PROGRAM.

18 Section 1001(a)(11) of part J of title I of the Omni19 bus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42

20 U.S.C. 3793(a)(11)) is amended by adding at the end the

21 following:

22 ‘‘(C) In addition to amounts made available under

23 subparagraph (A), there are authorized to be appropriated

24 to carry out part Q, to remain available until expended,

25 the total amount of $1,500,000,000 for fiscal years 2000
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1 through 2004, of which 50 percent shall be used for coop2 erative partnerships between schools and State and local

3 police departments to provide for the use of police officers

4 in schools.’’.

5 SEC. 202. GRANT AUTHORITY.

6 Section 1701 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control

7 and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd) is

8 amended—

9 (1) in subsection (i), by striking the second sen10 tence; and

11 (2) by striking subsection (k).

12 TITLE III—21ST CENTURY

13 LEARNING

14 SEC. 301. AFTER-SCHOOL AND LIFE SKILLS PROGRAMS FOR

15 AT-RISK YOUTH.

16 Section 10907 of part I of title X of the Elementary

17 and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8247)

18 is amended by striking ‘‘appropriated’’ and all that follows

19 before the period and inserting the following: ‘‘appro20 priated to carry out this part—

21 ‘‘(1) such sums as may be necessary for fiscal

22 year 1999; and

23 ‘‘(2) $250,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2000

24 through 2004’’.
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1 TITLE IV—MODEL PROGRAM

2 AND CLEARINGHOUSE

3 SEC. 401. MODEL PROGRAM.

4 Not later than 120 days after the date of the enact5 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Education, in consulta6 tion with the Attorney General, shall develop a model vio7 lence prevention program to be made available to local

8 educational agencies.

9 SEC. 402. CLEARINGHOUSE.

10 The Secretary of Education shall establish and main11 tain a national clearinghouse to provide technical assist12 ance regarding the establishment and operation of alter13 native violence prevention programs. The national clear14 inghouse shall make information regarding alternative vio15 lence prevention programs available to local educational

16 agencies.

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