II 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 642 

To support certain national youth organizations, including the Boy Scouts 

of America, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 16, 2005 

Mr. FRIST (for himself, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. TALENT, Mr. ENZI, Mr. ENSIGN, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. CRAIG, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. BURNS, Mr. 

CHAMBLISS, Mr. BUNNING, Mr. SMITH, Mr. VITTER, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. 

CORNYN, Mr. SANTORUM, Mr. GRASSLEY, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. 

BROWNBACK, Mr. NELSON of Nebraska, and Mr. NELSON of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

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

5 Act of 2005’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SUPPORT FOR YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS. 

7 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 
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1 (1) the term ‘‘Federal agency’’ means each de2 partment, agency, instrumentality, or other entity of 

3 the United States Government; and 

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

5 organization described under part B of subtitle II of 

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

7 serve individuals under the age of 21 years. 

8 (b) IN GENERAL.— 

9 (1) SUPPORT FOR YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS.—No 

10 Federal law (including any rule, regulation, direc11 tive, instruction, or order) shall be construed to limit 

12 any Federal agency from providing any form of sup13 port for a youth organization (including the Boy 

14 Scouts of America or any group officially affiliated 

15 with the Boy Scouts of America) that would result 

16 in that Federal agency providing less support to that 

17 youth organization (or any similar organization 

18 chartered under the chapter of title 36, United 

19 States Code, relating to that youth organization) 

20 than was provided during each of the preceding 4 

21 fiscal years. 

22 (2) TYPES OF SUPPORT.—Support described 

23 under paragraph (1) shall include— 

24 (A) holding meetings, camping events, or 

25 other activities on Federal property; and 
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1 (B) hosting any official event of such orga2 nization. 

3 SEC. 3. EQUAL ACCESS FOR YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS. 

4 Section 109 of the Housing and Community Develop5 ment Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5309) is amended— 

6 (1) in the first sentence of subsection (b) by in7 serting ‘‘or (e)’’ after ‘‘subsection (a)’’; and 

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

9 ‘‘(e) EQUAL ACCESS.— 

10 ‘‘(1) DEFINITION.—The term ‘youth organiza11 tion’ means any organization described under part B 

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

13 is intended to serve individuals under the age of 21 

14 years. 

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

16 local government that has a designated open forum, 

17 limited public forum, or nonpublic forum and that is 

18 a recipient of assistance under this chapter shall 

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

20 or discriminate against, any youth organization, in21 cluding the Boy Scouts of America or any group of22 ficially affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America, 

23 that wishes to conduct a meeting or otherwise par-
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1 ticipate in that designated open forum, limited pub2 lic forum, or nonpublic forum.’’. 

Æ