IB
Union Calendar No. 515
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3235
[Report No. 106–859]
To improve academic and social outcomes for youth and reduce both juvenile
crime and the risk that youth will become victims of crime by providing
productive activities conducted by law enforcement personnel during non-
school hours.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NOVEMBER 5, 1999
Mr. BARRETT of Wisconsin (for himself and Mr. KLECZKA) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
SEPTEMBER 18, 2000
Additional sponsors: Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of
California, Mr. STUPAK, Mrs. MINK of Hawaii, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of
Texas, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. SISISKY, Mr. LAFALCE, Mr. ROTH-
MAN, Mr. LATOURETTE, Mr. ETHERIDGE, Mr. FILNER, Mr. BRADY of
Pennsylvania, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. COSTELLO, Mr. GILMAN, Mr.
DEUTSCH, Mr. MARTINEZ, Mr. BERMAN, Ms. PELOSI, Mrs. NAPOLITANO,
Mr. DOOLEY of California, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. SHAW, Mr. MATSUI, Ms.
BROWN of Florida, Mr. SABO, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Mr. WEXLER, Mr.
MCDERMOTT, Mr. FARR of California, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. CUNNINGHAM,
Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island, Mrs.
THURMAN, Mr. LOBIONDO, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. BILBRAY, Ms. CARSON, Mr.
HORN, Mr. DIAZ-BALART, Mr. STARK, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr.
PAYNE, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. GARY MILLER of California, Mr.
CAMPBELL, Mr. WEYGAND, Mr. KUYKENDALL, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mrs.
BONO, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, Mr. ANDREWS, Mr. BALDACCI, Mr. BACA, Mr.
CONDIT, Mr. ROGAN, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. THOMPSON of
California, Mr. HOLT, Mrs. TAUSCHER, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. GALLEGLY,
Mr. CANADY of Florida, Mr. BORSKI, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. GONZALEZ, Mr.
SCOTT, Ms. BALDWIN, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. HINOJOSA, Mr. KILDEE, and
Mr. STRICKLAND
SEPTEMBER 18, 2000
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on November 5, 1999]
A BILL
To improve academic and social outcomes for youth and
reduce both juvenile crime and the risk that youth will
become victims of crime by providing productive activities
conducted by law enforcement personnel during non-
school hours.
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 ‘‘National Police Athletic
League Youth Enrichment Act of 2000’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The goals of the Police Athletic League are
to—
(A) increase the academic success of youth
participants in PAL programs;
(B) promote a safe, healthy environment for
youth under the supervision of law enforcement
personnel where mutual trust and respect can be
built;
(C) increase school attendance by providing
alternatives to suspensions and expulsions;
(D) reduce the juvenile crime rate in par-
ticipating designated communities and the num-
ber of police calls involving juveniles during non-
school hours;
(E) provide youths with alternatives to
drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and gang activity;
(F) create positive communications and
interaction between youth and law enforcement
personnel; and
(G) prepare youth for the workplace.
(2) The Police Athletic League, during its 55-
year history as a national organization, has proven
to be a positive force in the communities it serves.
(3) The Police Athletic League is a network of
1,700 facilities serving over 3,000 communities. There
are 320 PAL chapters throughout the United States,
the Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico, serving 1,500,000 youths, ages 5 to 18, nation-
wide.
(4) Based on PAL chapter demographics, ap-
proximately 82 percent of the youths who benefit from
PAL programs live in inner cities and urban areas.
(5) PAL chapters are locally operated, volunteer-
driven organizations. Although most PAL chapters
are sponsored by a law enforcement agency, PAL
chapters receive no direct funding from law enforce-
ment agencies and are dependent in large part on
support from the private sector, such as individuals,
business leaders, corporations, and foundations. PAL
chapters have been exceptionally successful in bal-
ancing public funds with private sector donations
and maximizing community involvement.
(6) Today’s youth face far greater risks than did
their parents and grandparents. Law enforcement sta-
tistics demonstrate that youth between the ages of 12
and 17 are at risk of committing violent acts and
being victims of violent acts between the hours of 3
p.m. and 8 p.m.
(7) Greater numbers of students are dropping
out of school and failing in school, even though the
consequences of academic failure are more dire in
1999 than ever before.
(8) Many distressed areas in the United States
are still underserved by PAL chapters.
SEC. 3. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to provide adequate re-
sources in the form of—
(1) assistance for the 320 established PAL chap-
ters to increase of services to the communities they are
serving; and
(2) seed money for the establishment of 250 (50
per year over a 5-year period) additional local PAL
chapters in public housing projects and other dis-
tressed areas, including distressed areas with a ma-
jority population of Native Americans, by not later
than fiscal year 2006.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL.—The term
‘‘Assistant Attorney General’’ means the Assistant At-
torney General for the Office of Justice Programs of
the Department of Justice.
(2) DISTRESSED
AREA.—The term ‘‘distressed
area’’ means an urban, suburban, or rural area with
a high percentage of high-risk youth, as defined in
section 509A of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 290aa–8(f)).
(3) PAL CHAPTER.—The term ‘‘PAL chapter’’
means a chapter of a Police or Sheriff’s Athletic/Ac-
tivities League.
(4) POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUE.—The term ‘‘Po-
lice Athletic League’’ means the private, nonprofit,
national representative organization for 320 Police or
Sheriff’s Athletic/Activities Leagues throughout the
United States (including the Virgin Islands and the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico).
(5) PUBLIC
HOUSING; 
PROJECT.—The terms
‘‘public housing’’ and ‘‘project’’ have the meanings
given those terms in section 3(b) of the United States
Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)).
SEC. 5. GRANTS AUTHORIZED.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to appropriations, for each
of fiscal years 2001 through 2005, the Assistant Attorney
General shall award a grant to the Police Athletic League
for the purpose of establishing PAL chapters to serve public
housing projects and other distressed areas, and expanding
existing PAL chapters to serve additional youths.
(b) APPLICATION.—
(1) SUBMISSION.—In order to be eligible to re-
ceive a grant under this section, the Police Athletic
League shall submit to the Assistant Attorney General
an application, which shall include—
(A) a long-term strategy to establish 250
additional PAL chapters and detailed summary
of those areas in which new PAL chapters will
be established, or in which existing chapters will
be expanded to serve additional youths, during
the next fiscal year;
(B) a plan to ensure that there are a total
of not less than 570 PAL chapters in operation
before January 1, 2004;
(C) a certification that there will be appro-
priate coordination with those communities
where new PAL chapters will be located; and
(D) an explanation of the manner in which
new PAL chapters will operate without addi-
tional, direct Federal financial assistance once
assistance under this Act is discontinued.
(2) REVIEW.—The Assistant Attorney General
shall review and take action on an application sub-
mitted under paragraph (1) not later than 120 days
after the date of such submission.
SEC. 6. USE OF FUNDS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—
(1) ASSISTANCE FOR NEW AND EXPANDED CHAP-
TERS.—Amounts made available under a grant
awarded under this Act shall be used by the Police
Athletic League to provide funding for the establish-
ment of PAL chapters serving public housing projects
and other distressed areas, or the expansion of exist-
ing PAL chapters.
(2) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.—Each new or ex-
panded PAL chapter assisted under paragraph (1)
shall carry out not less than 4 programs during non-
school hours, of which—
(A) not less than 2 programs shall
provide—
(i) mentoring assistance;
(ii) academic assistance;
(iii) recreational and athletic activi-
ties; or
(iv) technology training; and
(B) 
any 
remaining 
programs 
shall
provide—
(i) drug, alcohol, and gang prevention
activities;
(ii) health and nutrition counseling;
(iii) cultural and social programs;
(iv) conflict resolution training, anger
management, and peer pressure training;
(v) job skill preparation activities; or
(vi) Youth Police Athletic League Con-
ferences or Youth Forums.
(b) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out the
programs under subsection (a), a PAL chapter shall, to the
maximum extent practicable—
(1) use volunteers from businesses, academic
communities, social organizations, and law enforce-
ment organizations to serve as mentors or to assist in
other ways;
(2) ensure that youth in the local community
participate in designing the after-school activities;
(3) develop creative methods of conducting out-
reach to youth in the community;
(4) request donations of computer equipment and
other materials and equipment; and
(5) work with State and local park and recre-
ation agencies so that activities funded with amounts
made available under a grant under this Act will not
duplicate activities funded from other sources in the
community served.
SEC. 7. REPORTS.
(a) REPORT TO ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL.—
For each fiscal year for which a grant is awarded under
this Act, the Police Athletic League shall submit to the As-
sistant Attorney General a report on the use of amounts
made available under the grant.
(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than May 1 of
each fiscal year for which amounts are made available to
carry out this Act, the Assistant Attorney General shall sub-
mit to the Committees on the Judiciary of the Senate and
the House of Representatives a report that details the
progress made under this Act in establishing and expanding
PAL chapters in public housing projects and other dis-
tressed areas, and the effectiveness of the PAL programs in
reducing drug abuse, school dropouts, and juvenile crime.
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated to carry out this Act $16,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2001 through 2005.
(b) FUNDING FOR PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION.—Of the
amount made available to carry out this Act in each fiscal
year—
(1) not less than 2 percent shall be used for re-
search and evaluation of the grant program under
this Act;
(2) not less than 1 percent shall be used for tech-
nical assistance related to the use of amounts made
available under grants awarded under this Act; and
(3) not less than 1 percent shall be used for the
management and administration of the grant pro-
gram under this Act, except that the total amount
made available under this paragraph for administra-
tion of that program shall not exceed 6 percent.
Union Calendar No. 515
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3235
[Report No. 106–859]
A BILL
To improve academic and social outcomes for youth
and reduce both juvenile crime and the risk that
youth will become victims of crime by providing
productive activities conducted by law enforce-
ment personnel during non-school hours.
SEPTEMBER 18, 2000
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union,
and ordered to be printed