108TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 5131

AN ACT

To provide assistance to Special Olympics to supletes Program, and for other purposes. ment of education programs and a Healthy Ath- port expansion of Special Olympics and develop-

108TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 5131

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.

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 ‘‘Special Olympics Sport

3 and Empowerment Act of 2004’’.

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

5 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:

6 (1) Special Olympics celebrates the possibilities

7 of a world where everybody matters, everybody

8 counts, every person has value, and every person has

9 worth.

10 (2) The Government and the people of the

11 United States recognize the dignity and value the

12 giftedness of children and adults with an intellectual

13 disability.

14 (3) The Government and the people of the

15 United States are determined to end the isolation

16 and stigmatization of people with an intellectual dis17 ability.

18 (4) For more than 36 years, Special Olympics

19 has encouraged skill, sharing, courage, and joy

20 through year-round sports training and athletic com21 petition for children and adults with intellectual dis22 abilities.

23 (5) Special Olympics provides year-round sports

24 training and competitive opportunities to 1,500,000

25 athletes with intellectual disabilities in 26 sports and

26 plans to expand the joy of participation through
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1 sport to hundreds of thousands of people with intel2 lectual disabilities within the United States and

3 worldwide over the next 5 years.

4 (6) Special Olympics has demonstrated its abil5 ity to provide a major positive effect on the quality

6 of life of people with intellectual disabilities, improv7 ing their health and physical well-being, building

8 their confidence and self-esteem, and giving them a

9 voice to become active and productive members of

10 their communities.

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

12 become a vehicle and platform for breaking down ar13 tificial barriers, improving public health, changing

14 negative attitudes in education, and helping athletes

15 overcome the prejudice that people with intellectual

16 disabilities face in too many places.

17 (8) The Government of the United States en18 thusiastically supports Special Olympics, recognizes

19 its importance in improving the lives of people with

20 intellectual disabilities, and recognizes Special Olym21 pics as a valued and important component of the

22 global community.

23 (b) PURPOSE.—The purposes of this Act are to—
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1 (1) provide support to Special Olympics to in2 crease athlete participation in and public awareness

3 about the Special Olympics movement;

4 (2) dispel negative stereotypes about people

5 with intellectual disabilities;

6 (3) build athletic and family involvement

7 through sport; and

8 (4) promote the extraordinary gifts of people

9 with intellectual disabilities.

10 SEC. 3. ASSISTANCE FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS.

11 (a) EDUCATION ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary of Edu12 cation may award grants to, or enter into contracts or co13 operative agreements with, Special Olympics to carry out

14 the following:

15 (1) Activities to promote the expansion of Spe16 cial Olympics, including activities to increase the

17 participation of individuals with intellectual disabil18 ities within the United States.

19 (2) The design and implementation of Special

20 Olympics education programs, including character

21 education and volunteer programs that support the

22 purposes of this Act, that can be integrated into

23 classroom instruction and are consistent with aca24 demic content standards.
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1 (b) INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary of

2 State may award grants to, or enter into contracts or co3 operative agreements with, Special Olympics to carry out

4 the following:

5 (1) Activities to increase the participation of in6 dividuals with intellectual disabilities in Special

7 Olympics outside of the United States.

8 (2) Activities to improve the awareness outside

9 of the United States of the abilities and unique con10 tributions that individuals with intellectual disabil11 ities can make to society.

12 (c) HEALTHY ATHLETES.—

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and

14 Human Services may award grants to, or enter into

15 contracts or cooperative agreements with, Special

16 Olympics for the implementation of on-site health

17 assessments, screening for health problems, health

18 education, data collection, and referrals to direct

19 health care services.

20 (2) COORDINATION.—Activities under para21 graph (1) shall be coordinated with private health

22 providers, existing authorized programs of State and

23 local jurisdictions, or the Department of Health and

24 Human Services, as applicable.
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1 (d) LIMITATION.—Amounts appropriated to carry

2 out this section shall not be used for direct treatment of

3 diseases, medical conditions, or mental health conditions.

4 Nothing in the preceding sentence shall be construed to

5 limit the use of non-Federal funds by Special Olympics.

6 SEC. 4. APPLICATION AND ANNUAL REPORT.

7 (a) APPLICATION.—

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible for a grant,

9 contract, or cooperative agreement under subsection

10 (a), (b), or (c) of section 3, Special Olympics shall

11 submit an application at such time, in such manner,

12 and containing such information as the Secretary of

13 Education, Secretary of State, or Secretary of

14 Health and Human Services, as applicable, may re15 quire.

16 (2) CONTENT.—At a minimum, an application

17 under this subsection shall contain the following:

18 (A) ACTIVITIES.—A description of activi19 ties to be carried out with the grant, contract,

20 or cooperative agreement.

21 (B) MEASURABLE GOALS.—Information on

22 specific measurable goals and objectives to be

23 achieved through activities carried out with the

24 grant, contract, or cooperative agreement.

25 (b) ANNUAL REPORT.—
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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—As a condition on receipt of

2 any funds under subsection (a), (b), or (c) of section

3 3, Special Olympics shall agree to submit an annual

4 report at such time, in such manner, and containing

5 such information as the Secretary of Education, Sec6 retary of State, or Secretary of Health and Human

7 Services, as applicable, may require.

8 (2) CONTENT.—At a minimum, each annual re9 port under this subsection shall describe the degree

10 to which progress has been made toward meeting the

11 goals and objectives described in the applications

12 submitted under subsection (a).

13 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

14 There are authorized to be appropriated—

15 (1) for grants, contracts, or cooperative agree16 ments under section 3(a), $5,500,000 for fiscal year

17 2005, and such sums as may be necessary for each

18 of the 4 succeeding fiscal years;

19 (2) for grants, contracts, or cooperative agree20 ments under section 3(b), $3,500,000 for fiscal year

21 2005, and such sums as may be necessary for each

22 of the 4 succeeding fiscal years; and
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1 (3) for grants, contracts, or cooperative agree2 ments under section 3(c), $6,000,000 for each of fis3 cal years 2005 through 2009.

Passed the House of Representatives October 6,

2004.

Attest:

Clerk.