I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1556
To establish a National Commission on the Prevention of School Violence.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 26, 1999
Mr. GREENWOOD (for himself, Mr. CASTLE, Mr. GOODLING, Mr. KILDEE, Mr.
PICKERING, Mr. TANCREDO, Mr. BERRY, Mr. INSLEE, Mr. MALONEY of
Connecticut, Mrs. CUBIN, Mr. BOEHLERT, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. BILIRAKIS,
and Mr. DEUTSCH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce
A BILL
To establish a National Commission on the Prevention of
School 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; FINDINGS.
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the
‘‘Prevention of School Violence Act of 1999’’.
(b) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following:
(1) Students have a right to be safe and secure
in their persons while attending school.
(2) While America’s schools are among the
safest places to be on a day-to-day basis, the recent
tragic and sudden acts of violence in some of our
Nation’s schools, including the incidents in Pearl,
Mississippi; Paducah, Kentucky; Jonesboro, Arkan-
sas; Springfield, Oregon; Edinboro, Pennsylvania;
Fayetteville, Tennessee; and Littleton, Colorado, re-
mind us that no school and no community can be
complacent in their efforts to make their schools
even safer and in doing so provide a high quality
learning environment for their students.
(3) There is an increasing and urgent need to
better understand the causes of violence committed
by students and to identify those initiatives and
strategies that are effective in preventing acts of vio-
lence in our schools.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL COMMISSION ON
THE PREVENTION OF SCHOOL VIOLENCE.
There is established a Commission to be known as
the ‘‘National Commission on the Prevention of School Vi-
olence’’ (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Commis-
sion’’).
SEC. 3. MEMBERSHIP OF COMMISSION.
(a) APPOINTMENT.—
(1) GENERALLY.—The Commission shall be
composed of 11 members as follows:
(A) Three individuals shall be appointed by
the Speaker of the House.
(B) One individual shall be appointed by
the Minority Leader of the House.
(C) Three individuals shall be appointed by
the Majority Leader of the Senate.
(D) One individual shall be appointed by
the Minority Leader of the Senate.
(E) One individual shall be appointed by
the Secretary of Education.
(F) One individual shall be appointed by
the Attorney General.
(G) One individual shall be appointed by
the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
(2) CONSULTATION
BY
APPOINTING
OFFI-
CIALS.—The appointing officials shall consult with
each other on their appointments to assure the
qualifications set forth in subsection (b) are met.
(b) QUALIFICATIONS.—
(1) GENERALLY.—Each of the individuals ap-
pointed under subsection (a) shall be—
(A) a nationally recognized individual
prominently acknowledged by that individual’s
peers, through publication, awards, or other
such honors, as having expertise in fields re-
lated to child and adolescent behavior;
(B) an individual with expertise and expe-
rience in dealing with at-risk children and ado-
lescents; or
(C) an individual with expertise and expe-
rience in school safety and violence issues.
(2) SPECIAL
QUALIFICATIONS.—The expertise
of each individual appointed shall relate to the im-
pact of these issues on producing a high quality
learning experience. The panel shall include a parent
and a recent high school graduate from a school
where a recent violent incident has occurred. The
panel shall include professionals with expertise in
issues dealing with violent and delinquent youth, ju-
venile justice, or the impact of media and entertain-
ment on children and adolescents. Such professionals
shall be representative of the fields of psychology,
psychiatry, mental health, social work, school safety,
school counseling, behavioral science, juvenile justice;
the impact of media and entertainment on children
and adolescents. Whenever possible, preference shall
be given to those who are also parents.
(c) CONSULTATION.—In the course of carrying out
their responsibilities, the members of the Commission shall
consult—
(1) experts from education, such as school ad-
ministrators, teachers, counselors, and principals;
(2) experts from the criminal justice field, such
as law enforcement officers, judges, prosecutors, and
juvenile probation officers;
(3) behavioral scientists with experience with
violent or delinquent youth;
(4) organizations or research facilities with ex-
pertise in school violence and safety issues;
(5) school safety experts such as school security
officials;
(6) school psychologists with experience in iden-
tifying youth at risk of violence;
(7) organizations with experience in dealing
with at risk youth;
(8) members of the public who come in contact
with at risk youth;
(9) public health officials who have studied vio-
lence as a public health problem;
(10) statisticians who have studied youth and
interpersonal violence;
(11) criminologists;
(3) the Chairman of the Committee on Labor
and Human Resources may act under such sub-
section for the Majority Leader of the Senate; and
(4) the Ranking Minority Member of the Com-
mittee on Labor and Human Resources may act
under such subsection for the Minority Leader of
the Senate.
(g) VOTING.—Each member of the Commission shall
be entitled to one vote, which shall be equal to the vote
of every other member of the Commission.
(h) VACANCIES.—Any vacancy on the Commission
shall not affect its powers, but shall be filled in the manner
in which the original appointment was made.
(i) PROHIBITION OF ADDITIONAL PAY.—Members of
the Commission shall receive no additional pay, allow-
ances, or benefits by reason of their service on the Com-
mission. Members appointed from among private citizens
of the United States may be allowed travel expenses, in-
cluding per diem, in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by
law for persons serving intermittently in the government
service to the extent funds are available for such expenses.
(j) INITIAL MEETING.—The initial meeting of the
Commission shall occur within 40 days after the date of
enactment of this Act.
SEC. 4. FUNCTIONS OF COMMISSION.
(a) SPECIFIC FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.—
The Commission shall study incidents of school violence.
To the extent feasible, the Commission shall interview the
perpetrators of school shootings, members of their fami-
lies, their friends, and associates, teachers, guidance coun-
selors, and other professionals who can provide insight
into the perpetrators experiences, feelings, and expres-
sions. The Commission shall make findings and specific
recommendations regarding the following:
(1) The extent, patterns, and root of the prob-
lem surrounding violence in and around schools, at
school events, and on the way to and from school.
(2) The key factors relating to school violence,
including the characteristics of both perpetrator and
victim, as well as their families and communities; the
relationship between perpetrator and victim; social
interactions; family dynamics; and the impact of en-
tertainment, media, and cultural influences.
(3) Successful approaches to preventing school
violence, including such programs as early identifica-
tion of troubled children, anger management, con-
flict resolution, and problem solving.
(4) Recommendations to parents, educators,
communities, and government entities as to those
programs and strategies that will best prevent school
violence and ensure the safety of students, faculty,
and others, and lead to a high quality learning envi-
ronment.
(b) FINAL REPORT.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2),
the Commission shall submit to the President and to
the Congress, not later than 1 year after the date
of the first meeting of the Commission, a report
which shall contain a detailed statement of the find-
ings and conclusions of the Commission, including
the Commission’s recommendations for administra-
tive and legislative action that the Commission con-
siders advisable.
(2) MAJORITY
VOTE
REQUIRED
FOR
REC-
OMMENDATIONS.—Any recommendation described in
paragraph (1) shall be made by the Commission to
the President and to the Congress only if such rec-
ommendation is adopted by a majority vote of the
members of the Commission who are present and
voting.
SEC. 5. POWERS OF COMMISSION.
(a) HEARINGS.—The Commission may, for the pur-
pose of carrying out this Act, hold such hearings and sit
and act at such times and places, as the Commission may
find advisable.
(b) RULES
AND REGULATIONS.—The Commission
may adopt such rules and regulations as may be necessary
to establish the Commission’s procedures and to govern
the manner of the Commission’s operations, organization,
and personnel.
(c) ASSISTANCE FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES.—
(1) INFORMATION.—The Commission may re-
quest from the head of any Federal agency or in-
strumentality such information as the Commission
may require for the purpose of this Act. Each such
agency or instrumentality shall, to the extent per-
mitted by law and subject to the exceptions set forth
in section 552 of title 5, United States Code (com-
monly referred to as the Freedom of Information
Act), furnish such information to the Commission,
upon request made by the Chairperson of the Com-
mission.
(2) FACILITIES AND SERVICES, PERSONNEL DE-
TAIL
AUTHORIZED.—Upon request of the Chair-
person of the Commission, the head of any Federal
agency or instrumentality shall, to the extent pos-
sible and subject to the discretion of such head—
(A) make any of the facilities and services
of such agency or instrumentality available to
the Commission; and
(B) detail any of the personnel of such
agency or instrumentality to the Commission,
on a nonreimbursable basis, to assist the Com-
mission in carrying out the Commission’s duties
under this Act.
(d) MAILS.—The Commission may use the United
States mails in the same manner and under the same con-
ditions as other Federal agencies.
(e) CONTRACTING.—The Commission, to such extent
and in such amounts as are provided in appropriation
Acts, may enter into contracts with State agencies, private
firms, institutions, and individuals for the purpose of con-
ducting research or surveys necessary to enable the Com-
mission to discharge the Commission’s duties under this
Act.
(f) STAFF.—Subject to such rules and regulations as
may be adopted by the Commission, and to such extent
and in such amounts as are provided in appropriation
Acts, the Chairperson of the Commission shall have the
power to appoint, terminate, and fix the compensation
(without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States
Code, governing appointments in the competitive service,
and without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and
subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title, or of any other
provision, or of any other provision of law, relating to the
number, classification, and General Schedule rates) of an
Executive Director, and of such additional staff as the
Chairperson deems advisable to assist the Commission, at
rates not to exceed a rate equal to the maximum rate for
level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5332 of
such title.
SEC. 6. EXPENSES OF COMMISSION.
There are authorized to be appropriated to pay any
expenses of the Commission such sums as may be nec-
essary not to exceed $650,000. Any sums appropriated for
such purposes are authorized to remain available until ex-
pended, or until one year after the termination of the
Commission pursuant to section 7, whichever occurs first.
SEC. 7. TERMINATION OF COMMISSION.
The Commission shall cease to exist on the date that
is 60 days after the date on which the Commission is re-
quired to submit its final report in accordance with section
4(b).
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