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[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 475 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 475

To reauthorize the Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act of 2004, 
  to provide assistance to Best Buddies to support the expansion and 
       development of mentoring programs, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 6, 2013

 Mr. Harkin (for himself and Mr. Blunt) introduced the following bill; 
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
To reauthorize the Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act of 2004, 
  to provide assistance to Best Buddies to support the expansion and 
       development of mentoring programs, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Eunice Kennedy 
Shriver Act''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
            TITLE I--REAUTHORIZATION OF SPECIAL OLYMPICS ACT

Sec. 101. Reauthorization.
                         TITLE II--BEST BUDDIES

Sec. 201. Findings and purpose.
Sec. 202. Assistance for Best Buddies.
Sec. 203. Application and annual report.
Sec. 204. Authorization of appropriations.

            TITLE I--REAUTHORIZATION OF SPECIAL OLYMPICS ACT

SEC. 101. REAUTHORIZATION.

    Sections 2 through 5 of the Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment 
Act of 2004 (42 U.S.C. 15001 note) are amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    ``(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            ``(1) Special Olympics creates the possibilities of a world 
        where everybody matters, everybody counts, and every person 
        contributes.
            ``(2) The Government and the people of the United States 
        recognize the dignity and value the giftedness of children and 
        adults with intellectual disabilities.
            ``(3) The Government and the people of the United States 
        recognize that children and adults with intellectual 
        disabilities experience significant health disparities, 
        including lack of access to primary care services and 
        difficulties in accessing community-based prevention and 
        treatment programs for chronic diseases.
            ``(4) The Government and the people of the United States 
        are determined to end the isolation and stigmatization of 
        people with intellectual disabilities, and to ensure that such 
        people are assured of equal opportunities for community 
        participation, access to appropriate health care, and inclusive 
        education, and to experience life in a nondiscriminatory 
        manner.
            ``(5) For more than 40 years, Special Olympics has 
        encouraged skill development, sharing, courage, and confidence 
        through year-round sports training and athletic competition for 
        children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
            ``(6) Special Olympics provides year-round sports training 
        and competitive opportunities to more than 4,200,000 athletes 
        with intellectual disabilities in 30 individual and team sports 
        and plans to expand the benefits of participation through sport 
        to more than a million additional people with intellectual 
        disabilities within the United States and worldwide over the 
        next 5 years.
            ``(7) Research shows that participation in activities 
        involving both people with intellectual disabilities and people 
        without disabilities results in more positive support for 
        inclusion in society, including in schools.
            ``(8) Special Olympics has demonstrated its ability to 
        provide a major positive effect on the quality of life of 
        people with intellectual disabilities, improving their health 
        and physical well-being, building their confidence and self-
        esteem, and giving them a voice to become active and productive 
        members of their communities. In the United States, for 
        example, adults with intellectual disabilities who have 
        participated in Special Olympics have a 100 percent greater 
        chance of being employed than adults with intellectual 
        disabilities who have not.
            ``(9) In society as a whole, Special Olympics has become a 
        vehicle and platform for reducing prejudice, improving public 
        health, promoting inclusion efforts in schools and communities, 
        and encouraging society to value the contributions of all 
        members.
            ``(10) The Government of the United States enthusiastically 
        supports the Special Olympics movement, recognizes its 
        importance in improving the lives of people with intellectual 
        disabilities and their families, and recognizes Special 
        Olympics as a valued and important component of the global 
        community.
    ``(b) Purpose.--The purposes of this Act are to--
            ``(1) provide support to Special Olympics to increase 
        athlete participation in, and public awareness about, the 
        Special Olympics movement, including efforts to promote broader 
        community inclusion;
            ``(2) dispel negative stereotypes and establish positive 
        attitudes about people with intellectual disabilities;
            ``(3) build community engagement through sports and related 
        activities; and
            ``(4) promote the extraordinary gifts and contributions of 
        people with intellectual disabilities.

``SEC. 3. ASSISTANCE FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS.

    ``(a) Education Activities.--The Secretary of Education may award 
grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, 
Special Olympics to carry out each of the following:
            ``(1) Activities to promote the expansion of Special 
        Olympics, including activities to increase the full 
        participation of people with intellectual disabilities in 
        athletics, sports and recreation, and other inclusive school 
        and community activities with people without disabilities.
            ``(2) The design and implementation of Special Olympics 
        education programs, including character education and volunteer 
        programs that support the purposes of this Act, that can be 
        integrated into classroom instruction and community settings, 
        and are consistent with academic content standards.
    ``(b) International Activities.--The Secretary of State, acting 
through the Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural 
Affairs, may award grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative 
agreements with, Special Olympics to carry out each of the following:
            ``(1) Activities to increase the participation of people 
        with intellectual disabilities in Special Olympics outside of 
        the United States.
            ``(2) Activities to improve the awareness outside of the 
        United States of the abilities of people with intellectual 
        disabilities and the unique contributions that people with 
        intellectual disabilities can make to society, and to promote 
        active support for sports programs for people with intellectual 
        disabilities.
    ``(c) Healthy Athletes.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services may award grants to, or enter into contracts or 
        cooperative agreements with, Special Olympics for the 
        implementation of on-site health assessments, screening for 
        health problems, health education, community-based prevention, 
        data collection, and referrals to direct health care services.
            ``(2) Coordination.--Activities under paragraph (1) shall 
        be coordinated with appropriate health care entities, including 
        private health care providers, entities carrying out local, 
        State, Federal, or international programs, and the Department 
        of Health and Human Services, as applicable.
    ``(d) Limitation.--Amounts appropriated to carry out this section 
shall not be used for direct treatment of diseases, medical conditions, 
or mental health conditions. Nothing in the preceding sentence shall be 
construed to limit the use of non-Federal funds by Special Olympics.

``SEC. 4. APPLICATION AND ANNUAL REPORT.

    ``(a) Application.--
            ``(1) In general.--To be eligible for a grant, contract, or 
        cooperative agreement under subsection (a), (b), or (c) of 
        section 3, Special Olympics shall submit an application at such 
        time, in such manner, and containing such information as the 
        Secretary of Education, Secretary of State, or Secretary of 
        Health and Human Services, as applicable, may require.
            ``(2) Content.--At a minimum, an application under this 
        subsection shall contain each of the following:
                    ``(A) Activities.--A description of activities to 
                be carried out with the grant, contract, or cooperative 
                agreement.
                    ``(B) Measurable goals.--A description of specific 
                measurable annual benchmarks and long-term goals and 
                objectives to be achieved through specified activities 
                carried out with the grant, contract, or cooperative 
                agreement, which specified activities shall include, at 
                a minimum, each of the following activities:
                            ``(i) Activities to increase the full 
                        participation of people with intellectual 
                        disabilities in athletics, sports and 
                        recreation, and other inclusive school and 
                        community activities with people without 
                        disabilities.
                            ``(ii) Education programs that dispel 
                        negative stereotypes about people with 
                        intellectual disabilities.
                            ``(iii) Activities to increase the 
                        participation of people with intellectual 
                        disabilities in Special Olympics outside of the 
                        United States and promote volunteerism on 
                        behalf of such activities.
                            ``(iv) Health-related activities as 
                        described in section 3(c).
    ``(b) Annual Report.--
            ``(1) In general.--As a condition on receipt of any funds 
        for a program under subsection (a), (b), or (c) of section 3, 
        Special Olympics shall agree to submit an annual report at such 
        time, in such manner, and containing such information as the 
        Secretary of Education, Secretary of State, or Secretary of 
        Health and Human Services, as applicable, may require.
            ``(2) Content.--At a minimum, each annual report under this 
        subsection shall describe--
                    ``(A) the degree to which progress has been made 
                toward meeting the annual benchmarks and long-term 
                goals and objectives described in the applications 
                submitted under subsection (a); and
                    ``(B) demographic data about Special Olympics 
                participants, including the number of people with 
                intellectual disabilities served in each program 
                referred to in paragraph (1).

``SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``There are authorized to be appropriated--
            ``(1) for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements 
        under section 3(a), $9,500,000 for fiscal year 2014, and such 
        sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal 
        years;
            ``(2) for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements 
        under section 3(b), $4,500,000 for fiscal year 2014, and such 
        sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal 
        years; and
            ``(3) for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements 
        under section 3(c), $8,500,000 for fiscal year 2014, and such 
        sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal 
        years.''.

                         TITLE II--BEST BUDDIES

SEC. 201. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) Best Buddies operates the first national social and 
        recreational program in the United States for people with 
        intellectual disabilities.
            (2) Best Buddies is dedicated to helping people with 
        intellectual disabilities become part of mainstream society.
            (3) Best Buddies is determined to end social isolation for 
        people with intellectual disabilities by promoting meaningful 
        friendships between them and their typical peers in order to 
        help increase the self-esteem, confidence, and abilities of 
        people with and without intellectual disabilities.
            (4) Since 1989, Best Buddies has enhanced the lives of 
        people with intellectual disabilities by providing 
        opportunities for 1-to-1 friendships and integrated employment.
            (5) Best Buddies is an international organization spanning 
        1,500 middle school, high school, and college campuses.
            (6) Best Buddies implements programs that will positively 
        impact more than 700,000 individuals in 2013.
            (7) The Best Buddies Middle Schools program matches middle 
        school students with intellectual disabilities with other 
        middle school students and supports 1-to-1 friendships between 
        them.
            (8) The Best Buddies High Schools program matches high 
        school students with intellectual disabilities with other high 
        school students and supports 1-to-1 friendships between them.
            (9) The Best Buddies Colleges program matches adults with 
        intellectual disabilities with college students and creates 1-
        to-1 friendships between them.
            (10) The Best Buddies e-Buddies program supports e-mail 
        friendships between people with and without intellectual 
        disabilities.
            (11) The Best Buddies Citizens program pairs adults with 
        intellectual disabilities in 1-to-1 friendships with other 
        people in the corporate and civic communities.
            (12) The Best Buddies Jobs program promotes the integration 
        of people with intellectual disabilities into the community 
        through supported employment.
            (13) The Best Buddies Ambassadors program educates and 
        empowers people with intellectual disabilities to be leaders 
        and public speakers in their schools, communities, and 
        workplaces. Best Buddies Ambassadors prepares people with 
        intellectual disabilities to become active agents of change.
            (14) Best Buddies Promoters empowers youth to become 
        advocates for people with intellectual disabilities. Students 
        who take part in Best Buddies Promoters are introduced to the 
        disability rights movement and the importance of inclusion 
        through local awareness events.
    (b) Purpose.--The purposes of this title are to--
            (1) provide support to Best Buddies to increase 
        participation in and public awareness about Best Buddies 
        programs that serve people with intellectual disabilities;
            (2) dispel negative stereotypes about people with 
        intellectual disabilities; and
            (3) promote the extraordinary contributions of people with 
        intellectual disabilities.

SEC. 202. ASSISTANCE FOR BEST BUDDIES.

    (a) Education Activities.--The Secretary of Education may award 
grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, Best 
Buddies to carry out activities to promote the expansion of Best 
Buddies, including activities to increase the participation of people 
with intellectual disabilities in social relationships and other 
aspects of community life, including education and employment, within 
the United States.
    (b) Limitations.--Amounts appropriated to carry out this title may 
not be used for direct treatment of diseases, medical conditions, or 
mental health conditions.
    (c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this title shall be construed 
to limit the use of non-Federal funds by Best Buddies.

SEC. 203. APPLICATION AND ANNUAL REPORT.

    (a) Application.--
            (1) In general.--To be eligible for a grant, contract, or 
        cooperative agreement under section 202(a), Best Buddies shall 
        submit an application at such time, in such manner, and 
        containing such information as the Secretary of Education may 
        require.
            (2) Content.--At a minimum, an application under this 
        subsection shall contain the following:
                    (A) A description of activities to be carried out 
                under the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement.
                    (B) Information on specific measurable goals and 
                objectives to be achieved through activities carried 
                out under the grant, contract, or cooperative 
                agreement.
    (b) Annual Report.--
            (1) In general.--As a condition of receipt of any funds 
        under section 202(a), Best Buddies shall agree to submit an 
        annual report at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
        information as the Secretary of Education may require.
            (2) Content.--At a minimum, each annual report under this 
        subsection shall describe the degree to which progress has been 
        made toward meeting the specific measurable goals and 
        objectives described in the applications submitted under 
        subsection (a).

SEC. 204. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of 
Education for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements under 
section 202(a), $4,000,000 for fiscal year 2014 and such sums as may be 
necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.
                                 <all>
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