II
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3235
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
OCTOBER 3 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 22), 2000
Received
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 non-
school hours.
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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 Ath-
letic 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 enforce-
ment personnel where mutual trust and respect
can be built;
(C) increase school attendance by pro-
viding alternatives to suspensions and expul-
sions;
(D) reduce the juvenile crime rate in par-
ticipating designated communities and the num-
ber of police calls involving juveniles during
nonschool hours;
(E) provide youths with alternatives to
drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and gang activity;
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(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, nationwide.
(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, volun-
teer-driven organizations. Although most PAL chap-
ters are sponsored by a law enforcement agency,
PAL chapters receive no direct funding from law en-
forcement agencies and are dependent in large part
on support from the private sector, such as individ-
uals, business leaders, corporations, and founda-
tions. PAL chapters have been exceptionally success-
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ful in balancing public funds with private sector do-
nations and maximizing community involvement.
(6) Today’s youth face far greater risks than
did their parents and grandparents. Law enforce-
ment statistics 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
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 distressed areas with a