H. R. 5131

One Hundred Eighth Congress

of the

United States of America

AT THE SECOND SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,

the twentieth day of January, two thousand and four

An Act

To provide assistance to Special Olympics to support expansion of Special Olympics

and development of education programs and a Healthy Athletes Program, 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.

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Special Olympics Sport and

Empowerment Act of 2004’’.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:

(1) Special Olympics celebrates the possibilities of a world

where everybody matters, everybody counts, every person has

value, and every person has worth.

(2) The Government and the people of the United States

recognize the dignity and value the giftedness of children and

adults with an intellectual disability.

(3) The Government and the people of the United States

are determined to end the isolation and stigmatization of people

with an intellectual disability.

(4) For more than 36 years, Special Olympics has encouraged skill, sharing, courage, and joy through year-round sports

training and athletic competition for children and adults with

intellectual disabilities.

(5) Special Olympics provides year-round sports training

and competitive opportunities to 1,500,000 athletes with

intellectual disabilities in 26 sports and plans to expand the

joy of participation through sport to hundreds of thousands

of people with intellectual disabilities within the United States

and worldwide over the next 5 years.

(6) 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.

(7) In society as a whole, Special Olympics has become

a vehicle and platform for breaking down artificial barriers,

improving public health, changing negative attitudes in education, and helping athletes overcome the prejudice that people

with intellectual disabilities face in too many places.

(8) The Government of the United States enthusiastically

supports Special Olympics, recognizes its importance in
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improving the lives of people with intellectual disabilities, 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;

(2) dispel negative stereotypes about people with intellectual disabilities;

(3) build athletic and family involvement through sport;

and

(4) promote the extraordinary gifts 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 the following:

(1) Activities to promote the expansion of Special Olympics,

including activities to increase the participation of individuals

with intellectual disabilities within the United States.

(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 are consistent

with academic content standards.

(b) INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary of State may

award grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements

with, Special Olympics to carry out the following:

(1) Activities to increase the participation of individuals

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 and unique contributions that

individuals with intellectual disabilities can make to society.

(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, data collection, and referrals

to direct health care services.

(2) COORDINATION.—Activities under paragraph (1) shall

be coordinated with private health providers, existing authorized programs of State and local jurisdictions, or 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,
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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 the following:

(A) ACTIVITIES.—A description of activities to be carried

out with the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement.

(B) MEASURABLE GOALS.—Information on specific measurable goals and objectives to be achieved through activities

carried out with the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement.

(b) ANNUAL REPORT.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—As a condition on receipt of any funds

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 the degree to which progress

has been made toward meeting the goals and objectives

described in the applications submitted under subsection (a).

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There are authorized to be appropriated—

(1) for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements under

section 3(a), $5,500,000 for fiscal year 2005, 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), $3,500,000 for fiscal year 2005, 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), $6,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2005 through

2009.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.