I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5862 
To establish a grant program to assist local educational agencies in improving 
student retention and engagement and providing resources and support 
to families of at-risk children, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 14, 2016 
Mr. MCNERNEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To establish a grant program to assist local educational 
agencies in improving student retention and engagement 
and providing resources and support to families of at- 
risk children, 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 ‘‘Keep Students in 
School Act of 2016’’. 
SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:23 Aug 01, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5862.IH
H5862
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Education 
shall establish a program under which grants are 
awarded to local educational agencies to enable the 
local educational agencies to carry out the activities 
under subsection (c). 
(2) DURATION AND RENEWAL.—A grant under 
this section shall be awarded for a period of 5 years 
and may not be renewed. 
(b) APPLICATION.—A local educational agency desir-
ing a grant under this section shall submit an application 
to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and con-
taining such information as the Secretary may reasonably 
require. 
(c) USE OF FUNDS.—A local educational agency that 
receives a grant under this section may only use the grant 
funds to carry out one or more of the following: 
(1) ATTENDANCE PROGRAM.—Establish an at-
tendance program that enables— 
(A) each elementary school and secondary 
school served by the local educational agency to 
collect and maintain attendance records elec-
tronically; 
(B) each such school to share the data col-
lected under subparagraph (A) with the local 
educational 
agency 
and 
other 
elementary 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:23 Aug 01, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5862.IH
H5862
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
schools and secondary schools served by the 
local educational agency; and 
(C) the local educational agency to use the 
data collected under subparagraph (A) to in-
form attendance intervention strategies. 
(2) 
AFTER-SCHOOL
PROGRAMS
AND
REC-
REATIONAL
ACTIVITIES.—Improve student engage-
ment by funding after-school programs and rec-
reational activities. 
(3) TEACHER
TRAINING
AND
DEVELOPMENT 
PROGRAM.—Establish a teacher training and devel-
opment program that focuses on issues relating to 
racial inequality and poverty. 
(4) STUDENT
RETENTION
AND
ENGAGEMENT 
POLICY.—In the case of a local educational agency 
that has a zero tolerance policy, making such policy 
more compatible with the goals of student retention 
and engagement. 
(5) STUDENT
ABSENCE
POLICY.—Establish a 
policy that requires each elementary school and sec-
ondary school served by the local educational agen-
cy— 
(A) to make personal phone calls to the 
parents of an at-risk child the same day that 
such child’s absence is noted; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:23 Aug 01, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5862.IH
H5862
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
(B) when needed, and if possible, to pro-
vide parents of at-risk children with an inter-
preter and a translation of written communica-
tions. 
(6) YOUTH VIOLENCE PREVENTION.—Collabo-
rate with local agencies and social workers that 
focus on youth violence prevention to address issues 
facing at-risk children. 
(7) RESOURCES AND SUPPORT FOR PARENTS 
OF AT-RISK CHILDREN.—Provide parents of at-risk 
children with resources and support, including— 
(A) providing school counseling services for 
parents and their at-risk children; and 
(B) collaborating with other organizations 
in the community to facilitate access to re-
sources and support, including fulfilling any 
needs with respect to at-risk children created by 
budget deficits. 
(8) MENTORING
PROGRAM.—Establish or ex-
pand a mentoring program under which— 
(A) a community volunteer who— 
(i) attends a secondary school is 
paired with an at-risk child who attends an 
elementary school; or 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:23 Aug 01, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5862.IH
H5862
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
(ii) has obtained at least a high school 
diploma, or its equivalent, is paired with 
an at-risk child who attends either an ele-
mentary school or a secondary school; and 
(B) such community volunteer meets with 
the at-risk child for at least 5 hours each week 
that school is in session to provide homework 
assistance and encourage attendance. 
(9) LICENSED
CLINICAL
SOCIAL
WORKERS.— 
Provide at least one licensed social worker for ele-
mentary schools and one licensed social worker for 
high schools served by the local educational agency. 
SEC. 3. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. 
The Secretary shall provide technical assistance, 
upon request, to local educational agencies receiving a 
grant under section 2 to implement the goals of such sec-
tion. 
SEC. 4. TASK FORCE ON ADDRESSING HARDSHIPS OF DIS-
ADVANTAGED YOUTH. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than December 31, 
2017, the Secretary shall enter a memorandum of under-
standing with other appropriate heads of Federal agencies 
regarding the establishment of a task force to develop a 
comprehensive work plan to address the hardships that 
disadvantaged youth may face in attending elementary 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:23 Aug 01, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5862.IH
H5862
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
school and secondary school and attaining academic suc-
cess, including the following: 
(1) HOME
ENVIRONMENT
FACTORS.—Hard-
ships within the home, including domestic violence 
and drug or alcohol abuse in the home. 
(2) ECONOMIC FACTORS.—Economic hardships, 
including poverty, single-parent homes, frequent 
housing mobility, parents who work multiple jobs, 
lack of adequate transportation to school, lack of af-
fordable childcare, and working students. 
(3) SCHOOL
ENVIRONMENT
FACTORS.—Hard-
ships within the academic environment, including 
overcrowded classrooms, discriminatory attitudes of 
teachers and administrators, hostility from other 
students, lack of flexibility regarding the cultural or 
learning needs of the student, and inconsistent pro-
cedures for dealing with truancy. 
(4) PERSONAL
CHARACTERISTICS
FACTORS.— 
Personal hardships, including learning difficulties, 
drug and alcohol abuse and mental health issues. 
(b) DUTIES.—The task force shall— 
(1) coordinate interagency efforts to address 
the hardships described in subsection (a); 
(2) assess the effectiveness of Federal programs 
aimed at addressing such hardships; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:23 Aug 01, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5862.IH
H5862
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
(3) develop a comprehensive work plan that 
identifies and implements improvements to the Fed-
eral programs assessed under paragraph (2) by— 
(A) eliminating ineffective programs; 
(B) redirecting resources; and 
(C) consolidating the efforts of successful 
programs; and 
(4) incorporate positive youth development 
practices into the work plan developed under para-
graph (3). 
(c) REPORTS.— 
(1) PRELIMINARY REPORT.—Not later than 3 
years after the date on which the task force is estab-
lished under this section, the task force shall submit 
to the appropriate committees of Congress a prelimi-
nary report that shall include— 
(A) the assessment conducted under sub-
section (b)(2); and 
(B) the work plan developed under sub-
section (b)(3). 
(2) PROGRESS
REPORT.—Not later than 3 
years after the date on which the task force submits 
the preliminary report under paragraph (1), the task 
force shall submit to the appropriate committees of 
Congress a report regarding the progress and effec-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:23 Aug 01, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5862.IH
H5862
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
tiveness of implementing the work plan developed 
under subsection (b)(3). 
(3) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 3 years 
after the date on which the task force submits the 
progress report under paragraph (2), the task force 
shall submit to the appropriate committees of Con-
gress a final report including— 
(A) the results of implementing the work 
plan developed under subsection (b)(3); and 
(B) recommendations on the practices that 
individual elementary schools and secondary 
schools should implement to further remove the 
hardships that disadvantaged youth may face. 
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2028 to carry out 
this Act. 
SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS. 
For purposes of this Act: 
(1) AT-RISK
CHILDREN.—The term ‘‘at-risk 
children’’ includes elementary school and secondary 
school students who— 
(A) are subject to grade retention; 
(B) have poor academic performance; 
(C) have a high rate of absenteeism; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:23 Aug 01, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5862.IH
H5862
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
(D) have behavioral problems; or 
(E) are subject to frequent housing mobil-
ity. 
(2) COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER.—The term ‘‘com-
munity volunteer’’ means an individual who volun-
tarily offers to mentor an elementary school or sec-
ondary school student, without compensation, and— 
(A) has passed a background check con-
ducted in accordance with procedures estab-
lished by the Secretary and with applicable 
State and local laws; or 
(B) in the event that the individual has 
failed the background check conducted under 
subparagraph (A)— 
(i) has maintained a record free of 
criminal infractions for the 5 most recent 
calendar years; 
(ii) has provided at least 2 character 
references; 
(iii) has had no history of violence 
against children or animals; 
(iv) has passed a drug test; and 
(v) has been approved for purposes of 
the mentoring program under section 
2(c)(8) by the local police department. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:23 Aug 01, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5862.IH
H5862
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
(3) DISADVANTAGED YOUTH.—The term ‘‘dis-
advantaged youth’’ includes at-risk children and ele-
mentary school and secondary school students— 
(A) whose family receives assistance under 
the program of block grants to States for tem-
porary assistance for needy families established 
under part A of title IV of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.); 
(B) whose family has an income below the 
poverty line (as defined by the Office of Man-
agement and Budget, and revised annually in 
accordance with section 673(2) of the Commu-
nity Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 
9902(2))) applicable to a family of the size in-
volved; or 
(C) who have a history of trauma or abuse, 
including substance abuse, in the home. 
(4) ESEA TERMS.—The terms ‘‘local edu-
cational agency’’, ‘‘parent’’, ‘‘elementary school’’, 
‘‘secondary school’’, and ‘‘Secretary’’ have the mean-
ings given the terms in section 8101 of the Elemen-
tary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 7801). 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:23 Aug 01, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H5862.IH
H5862
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS