IIB 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1824 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
APRIL 23, 2009 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions 
AN ACT 
To provide assistance to Best Buddies to support the expan-
sion and development of mentoring programs, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Best Buddies Em-
powerment for People with Intellectual Disabilities Act of 
2009’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Best Buddies operates the first national so-
cial and recreational program in the United States 
for people with intellectual disabilities. 
(2) Best Buddies is dedicated to helping people 
with intellectual disabilities become part of main-
stream society. 
(3) Best Buddies is determined to end social 
isolation for people with intellectual disabilities by 
promoting meaningful friendships between them and 
their non-disabled peers in order to help increase the 
self-esteem, confidence, and abilities of people with 
and without intellectual disabilities. 
(4) Since 1989, Best Buddies has enhanced the 
lives of people with intellectual disabilities by pro-
viding opportunities for 1-to-1 friendships and inte-
grated employment. 
(5) Best Buddies is an international organiza-
tion spanning 1,300 middle school, high school, and 
college campuses. 
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(6) Best Buddies implements programs that 
will positively impact more than 400,000 individuals 
in 2009 and expects to impact 500,000 people by 
2010. 
(7) The Best Buddies Middle Schools program 
matches middle school students with intellectual dis-
abilities with other middle school students and sup-
ports 1-to-1 friendships between them. 
(8) The Best Buddies High Schools program 
matches high school students with intellectual dis-
abilities with other high school students and sup-
ports 1-to-1 friendships between them. 
(9) The Best Buddies Colleges program 
matches adults with intellectual disabilities with col-
lege students and creates 1-to-1 friendships between 
them. 
(10) The Best Buddies e-Buddies program sup-
ports e-mail friendships between people with and 
without intellectual disabilities. 
(11) The Best Buddies Citizens program pairs 
adults with intellectual disabilities in 1-to-1 friend-
ships with other individuals in the corporate and 
civic communities. 
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(12) The Best Buddies Jobs program promotes 
the integration of people with intellectual disabilities 
into the community through supported employment. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purposes of this Act are to— 
(1) provide support to Best Buddies to increase 
participation in and public awareness about Best 
Buddies programs that serve people with intellectual 
disabilities; 
(2) dispel negative stereotypes about people 
with intellectual disabilities; and 
(3) promote the extraordinary contributions of 
people with intellectual disabilities. 
SEC. 3. ASSISTANCE FOR BEST BUDDIES. 
(a) EDUCATION ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary of Edu-
cation may award grants to, or enter into contracts or co-
operative agreements with, Best Buddies to carry out ac-
tivities to promote the expansion of Best Buddies, includ-
ing activities to increase the participation of people with 
intellectual disabilities in social relationships and other as-
pects of community life, including education and employ-
ment, within the United States. 
(b) LIMITATIONS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Amounts appropriated to 
carry out this Act may not be used for direct treat-
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ment of diseases, medical conditions, or mental 
health conditions. 
(2) ADMINISTRATIVE
ACTIVITIES.—Not more 
than 5 percent of amounts appropriated to carry out 
this Act for a fiscal year may be used for adminis-
trative activities. 
(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act 
shall be construed to limit the use of non-Federal funds 
by Best Buddies. 
SEC. 4. APPLICATION AND ANNUAL REPORT. 
(a) APPLICATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible for a grant, 
contract, or cooperative agreement under section 
3(a), Best Buddies shall submit an application at 
such time, in such manner, and containing such in-
formation as the Secretary of Education may re-
quire. 
(2) CONTENT.—At a minimum, an application 
under this subsection shall contain the following: 
(A) A description of activities to be carried 
out under the grant, contract, or cooperative 
agreement. 
(B) Information on specific measurable 
goals and objectives to be achieved through ac-
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tivities carried out under the grant, contract, or 
cooperative agreement. 
(b) ANNUAL REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—As a condition of receipt of 
any funds under section 3(a), Best Buddies shall 
agree to submit an annual report at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information as 
the Secretary of Education may require. 
(2) CONTENT.—At a minimum, each annual re-
port under this subsection shall describe the degree 
to which progress has been made toward meeting the 
specific measurable goals and objectives described in 
the applications submitted under subsection (a). 
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary of Education for grants, contracts, or cooperative 
agreements under section 3(a), $10,000,000 for fiscal year 
2010, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 
4 succeeding fiscal years. 
Passed the House of Representatives April 22, 2009. 
Attest: 
LORRAINE C. MILLER, 
Clerk. 
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