I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2913
To amend the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974
to authorize grants to provide juvenile accountability coordinators to
take a comprehensive approach to holding first- and second-time non-
violent juvenile offenders accountable for their actions.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SEPTEMBER 22, 1999
Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Education and the Workforce
A BILL
To amend the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Act of 1974 to authorize grants to provide juvenile ac-
countability coordinators to take a comprehensive ap-
proach to holding first- and second-time nonviolent juve-
nile offenders accountable for their actions.
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 ‘‘Juvenile Accountability
and Diversion Act of 1999’’.
SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS.
Title II of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Pre-
vention Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5611 et seq.) is
amended—
(1) by redesignating the 2d part I as part K,
(2) by inserting after section 291E the fol-
lowing:
‘‘PART J—JUVENILE ACCOUNTABILITY COORDINATORS
‘‘ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM
‘‘SEC. 292A. (a) The Administrator may make grants
to units of local government for the purpose of employing
juvenile accountability coordinators each of whom shall
provide comprehensive services in accordance with this
part to juveniles (and to the families of such juveniles)
who come within the jurisdiction of the juvenile justice
system and who are not alleged to have committed a seri-
ous crime.
‘‘(b) For the purpose of making such grants for a
fiscal year, the Administrator shall take into consideration
factors that include—
‘‘(1) the per capita rate of offenses (other than
serious crimes) committed by juveniles in the geo-
graphical area under the jurisdiction of each unit of
local government that applies for a grant under this
part for such fiscal year; and
‘‘(2) the economic resources available to such
unit of local government to respond to such offenses
committed by juveniles.
‘‘(c) The aggregate amount of grants made under
this part to a particular unit of local government for a
fiscal year may not exceed $300,000.
‘‘ELIGIBILITY TO RECEIVE GRANTS
‘‘SEC. 292B. To be eligible to receive a grant under
this part, the chief executive officer of a unit of local gov-
ernment shall submit to the Administrator an application
at such time, in such form, and containing such informa-
tion and assurances as the Administrator may require by
rule, including the following:
‘‘(1) An assurance that such grant will be used
only to employ, as part of the juvenile justice system
administered by such unit of local government, 1 or
more qualified juvenile accountability coordinators
each of whom shall be required by such unit of local
government to perform all of the following functions
with respect to the particular juveniles who come
within the jurisdiction of such system, who are not
alleged to have committed a serious crime, and who
are assigned to the particular coordinator:
‘‘(A) Whenever a juvenile is initially taken
into custody by any law enforcement authority
of such unit of local government for the com-
mission of an offense other than a serious
crime, such unit of local government shall as-
sign a juvenile accountability coordinator—
‘‘(i) to contact expeditiously an indi-
vidual who is a legal guardian of such ju-
venile, or other appropriate individual, for
the purpose of assisting such individual to
participate in proceedings and determina-
tions that will lead to the disposition of
matter;
‘‘(ii) provide on the request of such
juvenile, of a legal guardian of such juve-
nile, or of another appropriate individual,
information 
and 
referral 
relating 
to
available—
‘‘(I) mental and physical health
services;
‘‘(II) substance abuse services;
‘‘(III) family counseling; and
‘‘(IV) appropriate social services;
and
‘‘(iii) monitor compliance with the
terms and conditions of any judicial or ad-
ministrative order, or any diversion ac-
countability plan, as in effect pending the
final disposition of the matter on which the
arrest is based.
‘‘(B) Such coordinator shall make and
maintain a written record relating to such juve-
nile, including—
‘‘(i) a description and assessment of
the circumstances under which such juve-
nile was taken into custody;
‘‘(ii) a description and assessment of
the immediate events that gave rise to such
circumstances;
‘‘(iii) a description and assessment of
the events and circumstances occurring
while such juvenile is held in custody;
‘‘(iv) family relationships, and family
history, of such juvenile; and
‘‘(vi) medical history (including sub-
stance abuse), school performance, peer as-
sociations, and previous delinquency (if
any) of such juvenile.
‘‘(C) While such juvenile is in the jurisdic-
tion of juvenile justice system, such coordinator
shall assist such authorities to achieve a com-
prehensive review, and appropriate disposition,
of the matter on which the arrest is based and,
by creating a diversion accountability plan, to
reduce the probability that such juvenile will en-
gage in unlawful behavior.
‘‘(D) allow such juveniles to comply with
the requirements of a diversion accountability
plan developed by such coordinator with and
made available to such juvenile, in lieu of hav-
ing such offense adjudicated by the judicial au-
thority of such unit of local government;
‘‘(E) not adjudicate such offense if such
juvenile agrees to comply and does comply with
the requirements specified in such plan;
‘‘(F) require all juvenile accountability
coordinators—
‘‘(i) to provide to the judicial authori-
ties of such unit of local government, infor-
mation gathered by such coordinators for
the purpose of making records required by
paragraph (1)(B); and
‘‘(ii) to cooperate, to the maximum ex-
tent permitted by law, with attorneys,
prosecutors, judges, parents, and juveniles
involved in the juvenile justice system, to
assist in determining appropriate sanctions
to be imposed for offenses committed by
juveniles;
‘‘(G) collect data from such coordinators
and make such data available to the Office of
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention,
together with information regarding the number
of juveniles who agree to comply with and who
do comply with diversion accountability plans;
and
‘‘(H) monitor the rate at which juveniles
who comply with such plans commit subsequent
offenses while they are juveniles.
‘‘(2) An assurance that if a juvenile who agrees
to comply with and does comply with a diversion ac-
countability plan, such unit of local government will
not adjudicate the offense with respect to which such
plan is developed.
‘‘LIMITATION
‘‘SEC. 292C. Nothing in this part shall be construed
to forbid or require juvenile accountability coordinators to
divulge to any person, information gathered by such coor-
dinators as a result of actions taken in connection with
arrests of juveniles for committing a 1st or 2d offense
(other than a serious crime).
‘‘DEFINITION
‘‘SEC. 292D. For purposes of this part, the term ‘di-
version accountability plan’ means a plan that provides for
1 or more of the following:
‘‘(1) making restitution to the victim of the of-
fense involved;
‘‘(2) performing community service, participa-
tion in substance abuse counseling;
‘‘(3) participation in mental and physical health
services;
‘‘(4) writing essays; and
‘‘(5) performance of any other action appro-
priate to mitigate or remove circumstances relating
to the offense for which such plan is developed or to
prevent the commission of a subsequent offense.
‘‘REPORT
‘‘SEC. 292E. The recipient of a grant made under
this title shall submit to the Administrator such reports
at such times, in such form, and containing such informa-
tion as the Administrator may require by rule, for pur-
poses of determining compliance with this part and the
effectiveness of providing financial assistance under this
part.’’, and
(3) in section 299(a)—
(A) in paragraph (1) by striking ‘‘and I’’
and inserting ‘‘I, and J’’, and