I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 856 
To establish a Federal Youth Development Council to improve the administra-
tion and coordination of Federal programs serving youth, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 16, 2005 
Mr. OSBORNE (for himself, Mr. FORD, Mr. HOEKSTRA, and Mr. PAYNE) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Edu-
cation and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To establish a Federal Youth Development Council to im-
prove the administration and coordination of Federal 
programs serving youth, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Federal Youth Coordi-
nation Act’’. 
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT AND MEMBERSHIP. 
(a) MEMBERS AND TERMS.—There is established the 
Federal Youth Development Council (in this Act referred 
to as the ‘‘Council’’) composed of—
(1) the Attorney General, the Secretary of Agri-
culture, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Hous-
ing and Urban Development, the Secretary of Edu-
cation, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary 
of Commerce, the Secretary of Defense, the Sec-
retary of Homeland Security, the Director of Na-
tional Drug Control Policy, the Director of the Of-
fice of Management and Budget, the Assistant to 
the President for Domestic Policy, the Director of 
the U.S.A. Freedom Corps, the Deputy Assistant to 
the President and Director of the Office of Faith- 
Based and Community Initiatives, and the Chief Ex-
ecutive Officer of the Corporation for National and 
Community Service, and other Federal officials as 
directed by the President, to serve for the life of the 
Council; and 
(2) such additional members as the President, 
in consultation with the majority and minority lead-
ership of the House of Representatives and the Sen-
ate, shall appoint from among representatives of 
faith-based organizations, community-based organi-
zations, child and youth focused foundations, univer-
sities, nonprofit organizations, youth service pro-
viders, State and local government, and youth in dis-
advantaged situations, to serve for terms of 2 years 
and who may be reappointed by the President for a 
second 2-year term. 
(b) CHAIRPERSON.—The Chairperson of the Council 
shall be designated by the President. 
(c) MEETINGS.—The Council shall meet at the call 
of the Chairperson, not less frequently than 4 times each 
year. The first meeting shall be not less than 6 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 3. DUTIES OF THE COUNCIL. 
The duties of the Council shall be— 
(1) to ensure communication among agencies 
administering programs designed to serve youth, es-
pecially those in disadvantaged situations; 
(2) to assess the needs of youth, especially 
those in disadvantaged situations, and those who 
work with youth, and the quantity and quality of 
Federal programs offering services, supports, and 
opportunities to help youth in their educational, so-
cial, emotional, physical, vocational, and civic devel-
opment; 
(3) to set objectives and quantifiable 5-year 
goals for such programs; 
(4) to make recommendations for the allocation 
of resources in support of such goals and objectives;
(5) to identify target populations of youth who 
are disproportionately at risk and assist agencies in 
focusing additional resources on them; 
(6) to develop a plan, including common indica-
tors of youth well-being, and assist agencies in co-
ordinating to achieve such goals and objectives; 
(7) to assist Federal agencies, at the request of 
one or more such agency, in collaborating on model 
programs and demonstration projects focusing on 
special populations, including youth in foster care, 
migrant youth, projects to promote parental involve-
ment, and projects that work to involve young people 
in service programs; 
(8) to solicit and document ongoing input and 
recommendations from— 
(A) youth, especially those in disadvan-
taged situations, by forming an advisory council 
of youth to work with the Council; 
(B) national youth development experts, 
parents, faith and community-based organiza-
tions, foundations, business leaders, youth serv-
ice providers, and teachers; 
(C) researchers; and 
(D) State and local government officials; 
and
(9) to work with Federal agencies to conduct 
high-quality research and evaluation, identify and 
replicate model programs, and provide technical as-
sistance, and, subject to the availability of appro-
priations, to fund additional research to fill identi-
fied needs. 
SEC. 4. ASSISTANCE OF STAFF. 
(a) DIRECTOR
AND STAFF.—The Chairperson, in 
consultation with the Council, shall employ and set the 
rate of pay for a Director and any necessary staff to assist 
in carrying out its duties. 
(b) STAFF OF FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Upon request 
of the Council, the head of any Federal department or 
agency may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the 
personnel of that department or agency to the Council to 
assist it in carrying out its duties under this Act. 
SEC. 5. POWERS OF THE COUNCIL. 
(a) MAILS.—The Council may use the United States 
mails in the same manner and under the same conditions 
as other departments and agencies of the United States. 
(b) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES.—Upon 
the request of the Council, the Administrator of General 
Services shall provide to the Council, on a reimbursable 
basis, the administrative support services necessary for the 
Council to carry out its responsibilities under this Act.
SEC. 6. ASSISTANCE TO STATES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of ap-
propriations, the Council may provide technical assistance 
and make grants to States to support State councils for 
coordinating State youth efforts. 
(b) APPLICATIONS.—Applicants for grants must be 
States. Applications for grants under this section shall be 
submitted at such time and in such form as determined 
by the Council. 
(c) PRIORITY.—Priority for grants will be given to 
States that— 
(1) have already initiated an interagency coordi-
nation effort focused on youth; 
(2) plan to work with at least 1 locality to sup-
port a local youth council for coordinating local 
youth efforts; 
(3) demonstrate the inclusion of nonprofit orga-
nizations, including faith-based and community- 
based organizations, in the work of the State coun-
cil; and 
(4) demonstrate the inclusion of young people, 
especially those in disadvantaged situations, in the 
work of the State council. 
SEC. 7. REPORT. 
Not later than 1 year after the Council holds its first 
meeting, and on an annual basis for a period of 4 years
thereafter, the Council shall transmit to the President and 
to Congress a report of the findings and recommendations 
of the Council. The report shall— 
(1) include a comprehensive compilation of re-
cent research and statistical reporting by various 
Federal agencies on the overall well-being of youth; 
(2) include the assessment of the needs of 
youth and those who serve them, the goals and ob-
jectives, the target populations of at-risk youth, and 
the plan called for in section 3; 
(3) report on the link between quality of service 
provision, technical assistance and successful youth 
outcomes and recommend ways to coordinate and 
improve Federal training and technical assistance, 
information sharing, and communication among the 
various programs and agencies serving youth; 
(4) include recommendations to better integrate 
and coordinate policies across agencies at the Fed-
eral, State, and local levels, including recommenda-
tions for legislation and administrative actions; 
(5) include a summary of actions the Council 
has taken at the request of Federal agencies to fa-
cilitate collaboration and coordination on youth serv-
ing programs and the results of those collaborations, 
if available; and
(6) include a summary of the input and rec-
ommendations from the groups identified in section 
3(8). 
SEC. 8. TERMINATION. 
The Council shall terminate 60 days after transmit-
ting its fifth and final report pursuant to section 6. 
SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There is authorized to be appropriated for fiscal years 
2005 through 2009 such sums as may be necessary to 
carry out this Act. 
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