I
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2455
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.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 17, 1993
Mr. OWENS (for himself, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. ENGEL, Mr.
KLINK, Mr. PAYNE of New Jersey, Mrs. UNSOELD, Mr. REED, Mr. WIL-
LIAMS, Mr. MARTINEZ, Mr. CLAY, and Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and
Labor
A BILL
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
1993’’.
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) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS AND RES-
ERVATION.—
(1) AUTHORIZATION.—There are authorized to
be appropriated to carry out this Act $75,000,000
for fiscal year 1994, $100,000,000 for fiscal year
1995, and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal
year 1996 and each of the 2 succeeding fiscal years.
(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) receives assistance under section 1006 of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 2712) or meets the criteria of
clauses (i) and (ii) of section 1006(a)(1)(A) of such
Act;
(2) 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
(3) 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) 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;
(5) 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;
(6) 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;
(7) 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;
(8) an assurance that the applicant will cooper-
ate with, and provide assistance to, the Secretary in
gathering statistics and other data the Secretary de-
termines are necessary to determine the effectiveness
of projects and activities under this Act or the ex-
tent of school violence and discipline problems
throughout the Nation; and
(9) such other information as the Secretary
may require.
(b) SECOND YEAR REQUIREMENT.—In order to re-
ceive funds under this Act for the second year of a project,
a grantee shall submit to the Secretary its comprehensive,
long-term, school safety plan for combating and prevent-
ing school violence and discipline problems. Such plan
shall contain—
(1) 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, and other appropriate agencies and or-
ganizations serving the community; and
(2) if the grantee receives Federal education
funds to prepare a systemic education improvement
plan, an explanation of how the grantee’s com-
prehensive plan under this subsection is consistent
with and supports such systemic education improve-
ment plan, if such explanation differs from that pro-
vided in the grantee’s application.
SEC. 5. GRANTS AND USE OF FUNDS.
(a) DURATION AND AMOUNT OF GRANTS.—Grants
under this Act may not exceed—
(1) 2 years in duration; and
(2) $3,000,000 for each year.
(b) USE OF FUNDS.—
(1) ACTIVITIES.—A local educational agency
may use funds awarded under section 2(a) for 1 or
more of the following activities:
(A) Identifying and assessing school vio-
lence and discipline problems, including coordi-
nating needs assessment activities with edu-
cation, law-enforcement, judicial, health, social
service, and other appropriate agencies and or-
ganizations.
(B) Conducting school safety reviews or vi-
olence prevention reviews of programs, policies,
practices, and facilities to determine what
changes are needed to reduce or prevent vio-
lence and promote safety and discipline.
(C) Planning for comprehensive, long-term
strategies for combating and preventing school
violence and discipline problems through the in-
volvement and coordination of school programs
with other education, law-enforcement, judicial,
health, social service, and other appropriate
agencies and organizations.
(D) Community education programs in-
volving parents, businesses, local government,
the medical, and other appropriate entities
about the local educational agency’s plan to
promote school safety and reduce and prevent
school violence and discipline problems and the
need for community support.
(E) Coordination of school-based activities
designed to promote school safety and reduce or
prevent school violence and discipline problems
with related efforts of education, law-enforce-
ment, judicial, health, social service, and other
appropriate agencies and organizations.
(F) Developing and implementing violence
prevention activities, including—
(i) conflict resolution and social skills
development for students, teachers, aides,
other school personnel, and parents;
(ii) disciplinary alternatives to expul-
sion and suspension of students who ex-
hibit violent or anti-social behavior;
(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,
and educational and instructional activi-
ties.
(G) Educating students and parents about
the dangers of guns and other weapons and the
consequences of their use.
(H) Developing and implementing innova-
tive curricula to prevent violence in schools and
training staff how to stop disruptive or violent
behavior if it occurs.
(I) 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.
(J) Counseling programs for victims and
witnesses of school violence and crime.
(K) Minor remodeling to promote security
and reduce the risk of violence, such as remov-
ing lockers, installing better lights, and upgrad-
ing locks.
(L) Acquiring and installing metal detec-
tors and hiring security personnel.
(M) Reimbursing law enforcement authori-
ties for their personnel who participate in
school violence prevention activities.
(N) Evaluating its project under this Act.
(O) The cost of administering the project
of the local educational agency under this Act.
(P) Other activities that meet the purposes
of this Act.
(2) OTHER LIMITATIONS.—A local educational
agency may use not more than—
(A) a total of 33 percent of its grant for
activities described in subparagraphs (K), (L),
and (M) of paragraph (1); and
(B) 5 percent of its grant for activities de-
scribed in paragraph (1)(O).
(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, and 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. 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.
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