103D CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 2455
AN ACT
To help local school systems achieve Goal Six of the National
Education Goals, which provides that by the year 2000,
every school in America will be free of drugs and violence
and will offer a disciplined environment conducive to
learning, by ensuring that all schools are safe and free
of violence.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Safe Schools Act of
1994’’.
SEC. 2. SAFE SCHOOLS PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.
(a) IN GENERAL.—With funds appropriated under
subsection (b)(1), the Secretary of Education shall make
competitive grants to eligible local educational agencies to
carry out projects designed to achieve Goal Six of the Na-
tional Education Goals, which provides that by the year
2000, every school in America will be free of drugs and
violence and will offer a disciplined environment conducive
to learning, by helping to ensure that all schools are safe
and free of violence.
(b) MODEL PROJECT.—The Secretary of Education,
shall develop a written safe schools model so all schools
can develop models that enable all students to participate
regardless of any language barriers.
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS AND RES-
ERVATION.—
(1) AUTHORIZATION.—There are authorized to
be appropriated to carry out this Act $50,000,000
for fiscal year 1994.
(2) RESERVATION.—From the sums appro-
priated to carry out this Act for any fiscal year, the
Secretary may reserve not more than 5 percent to
carry out national leadership activities under section
6.
SEC. 3. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS.
To be eligible to receive a grant under this Act, a
local educational agency shall demonstrate in its applica-
tion under section 4(a) that it—
(1) serves an area in which there is a high rate
of—
(A) homicides committed by persons be-
tween the ages 5 to 18, inclusive;
(B) referrals of youth to juvenile court;
(C) youth under the supervision of the
courts;
(D) expulsions and suspensions of students
from school;
(E) referrals of youth, for disciplinary rea-
sons, to alternative schools; or
(F) victimization of youth by violence,
crime, or other forms of abuse; and
(2) has serious school crime, violence, and dis-
cipline problems, as indicated by other appropriate
data.
SEC. 4. APPLICATIONS AND PLANS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—In order to receive a grant under
this Act, an eligible local educational agency shall submit
to the Secretary an application that includes—
(1) an assessment of the current violence and
crime problems in the schools to be served by the
grant and in the community to be served by the ap-
plicant;
(2) an assurance that the applicant has written
policies regarding school safety, student discipline,
and the appropriate handling of violent or disruptive
acts;
(3) a description of the schools and commu-
nities to be served by the grant, the activities and
projects to be carried out with grant funds, and how
these activities and projects will help to reduce the
current violence and crime problems in the schools
and communities served;
(4) a description of educational materials to be
developed in the second most predominate language
of the schools and communities to be served by the
grant, if applicable;
(5) if the local educational agency receives Fed-
eral education funds, an explanation of how activi-
ties assisted under this Act will be coordinated with
and support any systemic education improvement
plan prepared with such funds;
(6) the applicant’s plan to establish school-level
advisory committees, which include faculty, parents,
staff, and students, for each school to be served by
the grant and a description of how each committee
will assist in assessing that school’s violence and dis-
cipline problems as well as in designing appropriate
programs, policies, and practices to combat those
problems;
(7) the applicant’s plan for collecting baseline
and future data, by individual schools, to monitor vi-
olence and discipline problems and to measure its
progress in achieving the purpose of this Act;
(8) a description of how, in subsequent fiscal
years, the grantee will integrate the violence preven-
tion activities it carries out with funds under this
Act with activities carried out under its comprehen-
sive plan for drug and violence prevention adopted
under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Commu-
nities Act of 1986;
(9) a description of how the grantee will coordi-
nate its school crime and violence prevention efforts
with education, law enforcement, judicial, health, so-
cial service, programs supported under the Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974,
and other appropriate agencies and organizations
serving the community;
(10) a description of how the grantee will in-
form parents about the extent of crime and violence
in their children’s schools and maximize the partici-
pation of parents in its violence prevention activities;
(11) an assurance that grant funds under this
Act will be used to supplement and not supplant
State and local funds that would, in the absence of
funds under this Act, be made available by the appli-
cant for the purposes of the grant;
(12) an assurance that the applicant will co-
operate with, and provide assistance to, the Sec-
retary in gathering statistics and other data the Sec-
retary determines are necessary to determine the ef-
fectiveness of projects and activities under this Act
or the extent of school violence and discipline prob-
lems throughout the Nation; and
(13) such other information as the Secretary
may require.
(b) PRIORITIES.—In awarding grants under this Act,
the Secretary shall take into account the special needs of
local educational agencies located in both rural and urban
communities.
SEC. 5. GRANTS AND USE OF FUNDS.
(a) DURATION AND AMOUNT OF GRANTS.—Grants
under this Act may not exceed—
(1) 1 year in duration; and
(2) $3,000,000.
(iii) student-led activities such as peer
mediation, peer counseling, and student
courts; or
(iv) alternative after-school programs
that provide safe havens for students,
which may include cultural, recreational,
educational and instructional activities,
and mentoring and community service pro-
grams.
(H) Educating students and parents about
the dangers of guns and other weapons and the
consequences of their use.
(I) Developing and implementing innova-
tive curricula to prevent violence in schools and
training staff how to stop disruptive or violent
behavior if it occurs.
(J) Supporting ‘‘safe zones of passage’’ for
students between home and school through such
measures as Drug- and Weapon-Free School
Zones, enhanced law enforcement, and neigh-
borhood patrols.
(K) Counseling programs for victims and
witnesses of school violence and crime.
(L) Evaluating its project under this Act.
(M) The cost of administering the project
of the local educational agency under this Act.
(N) Other activities that meet the purposes
of this Act.
(2) OTHER LIMITATIONS.—A local educational
agency may use not more than 5 percent of its grant
for activities described in paragraph (1)(M).
(3) 
CONSTRUCTION.—A 
local 
educational
agency may not use funds under this Act for
construction.
SEC. 6. NATIONAL LEADERSHIP.
To carry out the purpose of this Act, the Secretary
may use funds reserved under section 2(b)(2) to conduct
national leadership activities such as research, program
development and evaluation, data collection, public aware-
ness activities, training and technical assistance, to pro-
vide grants to noncommercial telecommunications entities
for the production and distribution of national video-based
projects that provide young people with models for conflict
resolution and responsible decisionmaking, and to conduct
peer review of applications under this Act. The Secretary
may carry out such activities directly, through interagency
agreements, or through grants, contracts, or cooperative
agreements.
SEC. 7. REPORTS.
(a) REPORT
TO
SECRETARY.—Local educational
agencies that receive funds under this part shall submit
to the Secretary a report not later than March 1, 1995,
that describes progress achieved in carrying out the plan
required under section 4.
(b) REPORT
TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary shall
submit to the Committee on Education and Labor of the
House of Representatives a report not later than October
1, 1995, which contains a detailed statement regarding
grant awards, activities of grant recipients, a compilation
of statistical information submitted by applicants under
section 4, and an evaluation of programs established under
this part.
SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act:
(1) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.—The term
‘‘local educational agency’’ has the meaning given
such term in section 1471(12) of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
2891(12)).
(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of Education.
Passed the House of Representatives February 22,
1994.
Attest:
Clerk.