H. R. 3235
One Hundred Sixth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday,
the twenty-fourth day of January, two thousand
An Act
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 nonschool hours.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 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 alter-
natives to suspensions and expulsions;
(D) reduce the juvenile crime rate in participating des-
ignated communities and the number of police calls
involving juveniles during nonschool 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 facili-
ties serving over 3,000 communities. There are 320 PAL chap-
ters throughout the United States, the Virgin Islands, and
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, serving 1,500,000 youths,
ages 5 to 18, nationwide.
(4) Based on PAL chapter demographics, approximately
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 enforcement agencies and are dependent in
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large part on support from the private sector, such as individ-
uals, business leaders, corporations, and foundations. PAL
chapters have been exceptionally successful in balancing 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 statistics dem-
onstrate 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 resources in
the form of—
(1) assistance for the 320 established PAL chapters 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 distressed areas, including dis-
tressed areas with a majority 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 Attorney 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/Activities League.
(4) POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUE.—The term ‘‘Police 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 receive a grant
under this section, the Police Athletic League shall submit
H. R. 3235—3
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 appropriate
coordination with those communities where new PAL chap-
ters will be located; and
(D) an explanation of the manner in which new PAL
chapters will operate without additional, direct Federal
financial assistance once assistance under this Act is dis-
continued.
(2) REVIEW.—The Assistant Attorney General shall review
and take action on an application submitted 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
CHAPTERS.—
Amounts made available under a grant awarded under this
Act shall be used by the Police Athletic League to provide
funding for the establishment of PAL chapters serving public
housing projects and other distressed areas, or the expansion
of existing PAL chapters.
(2) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.—Each new or expanded PAL
chapter assisted under paragraph (1) shall carry out not less
than four programs during nonschool hours, of which—
(A) not less than two programs shall provide—
(i) mentoring assistance;
(ii) academic assistance;
(iii) recreational and athletic activities; 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 manage-
ment, and peer pressure training;
(v) job skill preparation activities; or
(vi) Youth Police Athletic League Conferences 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 enforcement 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 outreach to
youth in the community;