article: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Safe Schools Act of 1994''. 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 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 helping to ensure that all schools are safe and free of violence. (b) Model Project.--The Secretary of Education, shall develop a written safe schools model so all schools can develop models that enable all students to participate regardless of any language barriers. (c) Authorization of Appropriations and Reservation.-- (1) Authorization.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act $50,000,000 for fiscal year 1994. (2) Reservation.--From the sums appropriated 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 application under section 4(a) that it-- (1) serves an area in which there is a high rate of-- (A) homicides committed by persons between 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 reasons, to alternative schools; or (F) victimization of youth by violence, crime, or other forms of abuse; and (2) has serious school crime, violence, and discipline 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 applicant; (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 communities 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) a description of educational materials to be developed in the second most predominate language of the schools and communities to be served by the grant, if applicable; (5) if the local educational agency receives Federal education funds, an explanation of how activities assisted under this Act will be coordinated with and support any systemic education improvement plan prepared with such funds; (6) 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 discipline problems as well as in designing appropriate programs, policies, and practices to combat those problems; (7) the applicant's plan for collecting baseline and future data, by individual schools, to monitor violence and discipline problems and to measure its progress in achieving the purpose of this Act; (8) a description of how, in subsequent fiscal years, the grantee will integrate the violence prevention activities it carries out with funds under this Act with activities carried out under its comprehensive plan for drug and violence prevention adopted under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1986; (9) a description of how the grantee will coordinate its school crime and violence prevention efforts with education, law enforcement, judicial, health, social service, programs supported under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, and other appropriate agencies and organizations serving the community; (10) a description of how the grantee will inform parents about the extent of crime and violence in their children's schools and maximize the participation of parents in its violence prevention activities; (11) 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 applicant for the purposes of the grant; (12) an assurance that the applicant will cooperate with, and provide assistance to, the Secretary in gathering statistics and other data the Secretary determines are necessary to determine the effectiveness of projects and activities under this Act or the extent of school violence and discipline problems throughout the Nation; and (13) such other information as the Secretary may require. (b) Priorities.--In awarding grants under this Act, the Secretary shall take into account the special needs of local educational agencies located in both rural and urban communities. SEC. 5. GRANTS AND USE OF FUNDS. (a) Duration and Amount of Grants.--Grants under this Act may not exceed-- (1) 1 year in duration; and (2) $3,000,000. (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 violence and discipline problems, including coordinating needs assessment activities with education, law-enforcement, judicial, health, social service, juvenile justice programs, gang prevention activities, and other appropriate agencies and organizations. (B) Conducting school safety reviews or violence prevention reviews of programs, policies, practices, and facilities to determine what changes are needed to reduce or prevent violence and promote safety and discipline. (C) Planning for comprehensive, long-term strategies for combating and preventing school violence and discipline problems through the involvement and coordination of school programs with other education, law-enforcement, judicial, health, social service, and other appropriate agencies and organizations. (D) Activities which involve parents in efforts to promote school safety and prevent school violence. (E) Community education programs involving 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. (F) 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-enforcement, judicial, health, social service, juvenile justice programs, and other appropriate agencies and organizations. (G) Developing and implementing violence prevention activities and materials, including-- (i) conflict resolution and social skills development for students, teachers, aides, other school personnel, and parents; (ii) disciplinary alternatives to expulsion and suspension of students who exhibit 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, educational and instructional activities, and mentoring and community service programs. (H) Educating students and parents about the dangers of guns and other weapons and the consequences of their use. (I) Developing and implementing innovative curricula to prevent violence in schools and training staff how to stop disruptive or violent behavior if it occurs. (J) 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 neighborhood patrols. (K) Counseling programs for victims and witnesses of school violence and crime. (L) Evaluating its project under this Act. (M) The cost of administering the project of the local educational agency under this Act. (N) Other activities that meet the purposes of this Act. (2) Other limitations.--A local educational agency may use not more than 5 percent of its grant for activities described in paragraph (1)(M). (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 awareness activities, training and technical assistance, to provide grants to noncommercial telecommunications entities for the production and distribution of national video-based projects that provide young people with models for conflict resolution and responsible decisionmaking, and to conduct 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. REPORTS. (a) Report to Secretary.--Local educational agencies that receive funds under this part shall submit to the Secretary a report not later than March 1, 1995, that describes progress achieved in carrying out the plan required under section 4. (b) Report to Congress.--The Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives a report not later than October 1, 1995, which contains a detailed statement regarding grant awards, activities of grant recipients, a compilation of statistical information submitted by applicants under section 4, and an evaluation of programs established under this part. SEC. 8. 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. Passed the House of Representatives February 22, 1994. Attest: DONNALD K. ANDERSON, Clerk.
summary: Safe Schools Act of 1994 - Directs the Secretary of Education to make competitive grants to eligible local educational agencies for projects to achieve National Education Goal Six by helping to ensure that all schools are safe and free of violence. Directs the Secretary to develop a written safe schools model. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary to use certain reserved funds to conduct national leadership activities such as research, program development and evaluation, data collection, public awareness activities, training and technical assistance, peer review of applications, and grants for public television video projects for conflict resolution.