I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3529 

To direct the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance to establish 

a grant program to promote re-entry training programs and reduce 

recidivism, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 25, 2021 

Mr. NEHLS (for himself, Mrs. DEMINGS, Mr. WEBER of Texas, Mr. BABIN, 

Mr. CARTER of Texas, and Mr. SESSIONS) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To direct the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance 

to establish a grant program to promote re-entry training 

programs and reduce recidivism, 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 ‘‘Second Chance Oppor5 tunity for Re-Entry Education Act of 2021’’ or the 

6 ‘‘SCORE Act of 2021’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. GRANT TO PROMOTE RE-ENTRY TRAINING PRO2 GRAMS AND REDUCE RECIDIVISM. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

4 date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Bu5 reau of Justice Assistance shall establish a grant program 

6 called the ‘‘Second Chance Opportunity for Re-Entry Edu7 cation Grant Program’’ (in this Act referred to as the 

8 ‘‘Program’’) to promote re-entry training programs and 

9 reduce recidivism to county jails for qualified non-violent 

10 inmates. 

11 (b) GRANT AUTHORITY.—In carrying out the Pro12 gram, the Director may award a grant on a competitive 

13 basis in accordance with this section. 

14 (c) ELIGIBLE RECIPIENTS.— 

15 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Director may award a 

16 grant under the Program to a county with a county 

17 jail inmate population of 500 or more inmates, de18 termined by the Director to have the authority and 

19 capability to carry out a project described in sub20 section (d). 

21 (2) COUNTY COORDINATION.—The Director 

22 may award a grant under the Program to two or 

23 more counties, as a group, with a county jail inmate 

24 population of less than 500 inmates if the combined 

25 inmate population of these counties is 500 or more 

26 inmates and together these counties are determined 


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1 by the Director to have the authority and capability 

2 to carry out a project described in subsection (d). 

3 (d) ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.—Grant funds awarded 

4 under the Program may only be used to develop or manage 

5 an existing career training program at a county jail to pro6 vide training in welding, heating ventilation, and air condi7 tioning (HVAC), plumbing, or any other career training 

8 program determined to be an eligible project by the Direc9 tor. 

10 (e) APPLICATIONS.— 

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

12 under the Program, a county with a county jail in13 mate population of 500 or more inmates may submit 

14 to the Director an application in such form, at such 

15 time, and containing such information as the Direc16 tor determines to be appropriate. 

17 (2) COUNTY COORDINATION.—To be eligible for 

18 a grant under the Program, two or more counties 

19 with a combined county jail inmate population of 

20 500 or more inmates may submit to the Director an 

21 application as a group, in such form, at such time, 

22 and containing such information as the Director de23 termines to be appropriate. 


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1 (f) PRIORITY.—In making a grant under the Pro2 gram, the Director shall give priority to an eligible recipi3 ent that— 

4 (1) has career training programs and facilities 

5 for such programs; 

6 (2) coordinates with local or adjacent civilian 

7 trade schools, technical or vocational institutes, or 

8 community colleges that can provide paid instructors 

9 for inmate classroom instruction; 

10 (3) as county owned or leased land that can 

11 support construction of classroom and vocational 

12 training space; 

13 (4) has county assets so that the county can 

14 transport, feed, and secure inmates during inmate 

15 classroom instruction and traveling to and from such 

16 classroom instruction; 

17 (5) has administrative support from a county 

18 sheriff, county judge, or county commissioners court 

19 members, as applicable; and 

20 (6) coordinates with non-profit organizations 

21 and unions that have expertise and experience in ca22 reer training programs. 

23 (g) LIMITATION ON GRANT AMOUNTS.—The amount 

24 of a grant under the Program shall not exceed $500,000, 

25 including if a grant is made to two or more counties with 


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1 a combined county jail inmate population of 500 or more 

2 inmates. 

3 (h) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of the cost 

4 of a project assisted with a grant under the Program shall 

5 not exceed 75 percent. 

6 (i) EVALUATION OF PROGRAM.—Not later than 365 

7 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annu8 ally thereafter, an eligible recipient who is awarded a 

9 grant under the Program shall submit to the Director a 

10 report on the Program, including: 

11 (1) The number of inmates that entered career 

12 training programs developed pursuant to the Pro13 gram. 

14 (2) The number of inmates that completed or 

15 graduated career training programs developed pur16 suant to the Program. 

17 (3) The number of inmates that completed or 

18 graduated career training programs developed pur19 suant to the Program and re-entered the county jail 

20 after their release from jail. 

21 (4) The number of inmates that completed or 

22 graduated career training programs developed pur23 suant to the Program who found employment after 

24 release and what career field they are employed in. 


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1 (j) QUALIFIED NON-VIOLENT INMATES DEFINED.— 

2 In this section, the term ‘‘qualified non-violent inmates’’ 

3 means— 

4 (1) a non-violent individual who has not been 

5 convicted of an offense during the course of which— 

6 (A) the individual used a firearm or other 

7 dangerous weapon; or 

8 (B) there occurred the death of, or serious 

9 bodily injury to, any person; 

10 (2) a non-violent individual who has not been 

11 charged or convicted of any offense under Federal or 

12 State law, punishable by imprisonment for a term 

13 exceeding one year, that is murder, voluntary man14 slaughter, kidnapping, aggravated assault, a forcible 

15 sex offense, robbery, arson, extortion, or the use or 

16 unlawful possession of a firearm described in section 

17 5845(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1968 (26 

18 U.S.C. 5845(a)) or explosive material as defined in 

19 section 841(c) of title 18, United States Code. 

20 (k) FUNDING OF PROGRAM.—Section 506 of the Om21 nibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 198 (34 

22 U.S.C. 10157) is amended by inserting the following new 

23 subsection: 

24 ‘‘(c) Of the total amount made available to carry out 

25 this part for a fiscal year, the Attorney General shall reVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:34 Jul 03, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3529.IH H3529

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1 serve not more than 3 percent to be granted to 1 or more 

2 county for the grant program established pursuant to the 

3 ‘SCORE Act of 2021’ for each of the fiscal years 2022 

4 to 2027.’’. 

Æ 


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