[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 856 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 856
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
November 16, 2005
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To establish a Federal Youth Development Council to improve the
administration and coordination of Federal programs serving youth, and
for other purposes.
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 ``Federal Youth Coordination Act''.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT AND MEMBERSHIP.
(a) Members and Terms.--There is established the Federal Youth
Development Council (in this Act referred to as the ``Council'')
composed of members as follows:
(1) The Attorney General, the Secretary of Agriculture, the
Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Health and Human Services,
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the Secretary of
Education, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of
Commerce, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland
Security, the Director of National Drug Control Policy, the
Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Assistant
to the President for Domestic Policy, the Director of the
U.S.A. Freedom Corps, the Deputy Assistant to the President and
Director of the Office of Faith-Based and Community
Initiatives, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation
for National and Community Service, or a designee of each such
individual who holds significant decision-making authority, and
other Federal officials as directed by the President, to serve
for the life of the Council.
(2) Any additional members as the President shall appoint
from among representatives of faith-based organizations,
community based organizations, child and youth focused
foundations, universities, non-profit organizations, youth
service providers, State and local government, and youth in
disadvantaged situations. In making the appointments under this
paragraph, the President shall consult with the Speaker of the
House of Representatives, who shall take into account the
recommendations of the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader
of the House of Representatives, and the president pro tempore
of the Senate, who shall take into account the recommendations
of the Majority Leader and the minority Leader of the Senate.
Each member appointed under this paragraph shall serve for 1
term of 2 years.
(b) Chairperson.--The Chairperson of the Council shall be the
Secretary of Health and Human Services.
(c) Meetings.--The Council shall meet at the call of the
Chairperson, not less frequently than 4 times each year. The first
meeting shall be not less than 4 months after the date of enactment of
this Act.
SEC. 3. DUTIES OF THE COUNCIL.
(a) The duties of the Council shall be--
(1) to ensure communication among agencies administering
programs designed to serve youth, especially those in
disadvantaged situations;
(2) to assess the needs of youth, especially those in
disadvantaged situations, and those who work with youth, and
the quantity and quality of Federal programs offering services,
supports, and opportunities to help youth in their educational,
social, emotional, physical, vocational, and civic development;
(3) to recommend objectives and quantifiable 5-year goals
for such programs;
(4) to make recommendations for the allocation of resources
in support of such goals and objectives;
(5) to identify areas of overlap or duplication in purpose
and operation of programs serving youth and recommend ways to
better facilitate coordination and consultation, improve
efficiency, and streamline such programs;
(6) to identify target populations of youth who are
disproportionately at risk and assist agencies in focusing
additional resources on them;
(7) to develop a recommended plan, including common
indicators of youth well-being, and assist agencies, at the
request of 1 or more agency, in coordinating to achieve such
goals and objectives;
(8) to assist Federal agencies, at the request of 1 or more
such agency, in collaborating on model programs and
demonstration projects focusing on special populations,
including youth in foster care, migrant youth, projects to
promote parental involvement, and projects that work to involve
young people in service programs;
(9) to solicit and document ongoing input and
recommendations from--
(A) youth, especially those in disadvantaged
situations;
(B) national youth development experts,
researchers, parents, faith and community-based
organizations, foundations, business leaders, youth
service providers, and teachers; and
(C) State and local government agencies,
particularly agencies serving children and youth; and
(10) to work with Federal agencies to conduct high-quality
research and evaluation, identify and replicate model programs
and best practices, provide technical assistance, and
coordinate the collection and dissemination of youth services-
related data and research.
(b) The Council may provide technical assistance to a State at the
request of a State to support State-funded councils for coordinating
State youth efforts.
SEC. 4. ASSISTANCE OF STAFF.
(a) Director.--The Chairperson, in consultation with the Council,
shall employ and set the rate of pay for a Director.
(b) Staff of Federal Agencies.--Upon request of the Council, the
head of any Federal department or agency may detail, on a reimbursable
basis, any of the personnel of that department or agency to the Council
to assist it in carrying out its duties under this Act.
SEC. 5. POWERS OF THE COUNCIL.
(a) Mails.--The Council may use the United States mails in the same
manner and under the same conditions as other departments and agencies
of the United States.
(b) Administrative Support Services.--Upon the request of the
Council, the Administrator of General Services shall provide to the
Council, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative support services
necessary for the Council to carry out its responsibilities under this
Act.
SEC. 6. REPORT.
Not later than 1 year after the Council holds its first meeting,
the Council shall transmit to Congress an interim report of its
findings, and not later than 2 years after the Council holds its first
meeting, the Council shall transmit to Congress a final report
including its findings and recommendations. The report shall--
(1) include a comprehensive list of recent research and
statistical reporting by various Federal agencies on the
overall well-being of youth, including the ratings of the
Program Assessment Ratings Tool (PART) of Federal programs
serving youth used by the Office of Management and Budget, if
applicable;
(2) include the assessment of the needs of youth and those
who serve them;
(3) include a summary of the plan called for in section
3(a)(7);
(4) recommend ways to coordinate and improve Federal
training and technical assistance, information sharing, and
communication among the various programs and agencies serving
youth;
(5) include recommendations to better integrate and
coordinate policies across agencies at the Federal, State, and
local levels, including recommendations for legislation and
administrative actions;
(6) include a summary of actions the Council has taken at
the request of Federal agencies to facilitate collaboration and
coordination on youth serving programs and the results of those
collaborations, if available;
(7) include a summary of the action the Council has taken
at the request of States to provide technical assistance under
section 3(b), if applicable; and
(8) include a summary of the input and recommendations from
the groups identified in section 3(a)(9).
SEC. 7. TERMINATION.
The Council shall terminate 60 days after transmitting its final
report under section 6.
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000 for each of
fiscal years 2007 and 2008 to carry out this Act.
Passed the House of Representatives November 15, 2005.
Attest:
JEFF TRANDAHL,
Clerk.