HR 2097 IHCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To authorize grants to carry out projects to provide education on preventing teen pregnancies, and for other purposes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

May 1, 2007

Mr. ROTHMAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concernedCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To authorize grants to carry out projects to provide education on preventing teen pregnancies, and for other purposes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Teen Pregnancy Prevention, Responsibility, and Opportunity Act of 2007'.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds as follows:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) The United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate and teen birth rate in the western industrialized world, costing the United States not less than $9,000,000,000 annually.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) About 2 out of 5 young women in the United States become pregnant before they reach the age of 20.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) Teen pregnancy has serious consequences for young women, their children, and communities as a whole. Too-early childbearing increases the likelihood that a young woman will drop out of high school and that she and her child will live in poverty.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) Statistically, the sons of teen mothers are more likely to end up in prison. The daughters of teen mothers are more likely to end up teen mothers too.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) Teens that grow up in disadvantaged economic, social, and familial circumstances are more likely to engage in risky behavior and have a child during adolescence.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(6) Teens with strong emotional attachments to their parents are more likely to become sexually active at a later age. Seven out of ten teens say that they are prepared to listen to things parents thought they were not ready to hear.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(7) Seventy-eight percent of white and 70 percent of African-American teenagers report that lack of communication between a teenage girl and her parents is frequently a reason a teenage girl has a baby.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(8) One study found that the likelihood of teens having sex for the first time increased with the number of unsupervised hours teens have during a week.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(9) After-school programs reduce teen risky behavior by involving teens in activities that provide alternatives to sex. Teenage girls who play sports, for instance, are more likely to delay sex and have fewer partners and less likely to become pregnant.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(10) After-school programs help prevent teen pregnancy by advancing good decision-making skills and providing teens health education and positive role models in a supervised setting.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(11) About 70 percent of girls and 63 percent of boys report that they wish they had waited until they were older to have sex.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 3. EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR PREVENTING TEEN PREGNANCIES.

(a) In General- The Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to in this Act as the `Secretary') may make grants to local educational agencies, State and local public health agencies, and nonprofit private entities for the purpose of carrying out projects to provide education on preventing teen pregnancies.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Preference in Making Grants- In making grants under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give preference to applicants that will carry out the projects under such subsection in communities for which the rate of teen pregnancy is significantly above the average rate in the United States of such pregnancies.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Certain Requirements- A grant may be made under subsection (a) only if the applicant for the grant meets the following conditions with respect to the project involved:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) The applicant agrees that information provided by the project on pregnancy prevention will be age-appropriate, factually and medically accurate and complete, and scientifically-based.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) The applicant agrees that the project will give priority to preventing teen pregnancies by--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) encouraging teens to delay sexual activity;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) providing educational services and referrals for sexually active teens or teens at risk of becoming sexually active;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) educating both young men and women about the responsibilities and pressures that come along with parenting;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(D) helping parents communicate with teens about sexuality; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(E) teaching young people responsible decision-making.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(d) Matching Funds-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) IN GENERAL- With respect to the costs of the project to be carried out under subsection (a) by an applicant, a grant may be made under such subsection only if the applicant agrees to make available (directly or through donations from public or private entities) non-Federal contributions toward such costs in an amount that is not less than 25 percent of such costs ($1 for each $3 of Federal funds provided in the grant).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) DETERMINATION OF AMOUNT CONTRIBUTED- Non-Federal contributions required in paragraph (1) may be in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, including plant, equipment, or services. Amounts provided by the Federal Government, or services assisted or subsidized to any significant extent by the Federal Government, may not be included in determining the amount of such non-Federal contributions.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(e) Maintenance of Effort- With respect to the activities for which a grant under subsection (a) is authorized to be expended, such a grant may be made for a fiscal year only if the applicant involved agrees to maintain expenditures of non-Federal amounts for such activities at a level that is not less than the level of such expenditures maintained by the applicant for the fiscal year preceding the first fiscal year for which the applicant receives such a grant.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(f) Evaluation of Projects- The Secretary shall establish criteria for the evaluation of projects under subsection (a). A grant may be made under such subsection only if the applicant involved--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) agrees to conduct evaluations of the project in accordance with such criteria;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) agrees to submit to the Secretary such reports describing the results of the evaluations as the Secretary determines to be appropriate; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) submits to the Secretary, in the application under subsection (g), a plan for conducting the evaluations.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(g) Application for Grant- A grant may be made under subsection (a) only if an application for the grant is submitted to the Secretary and the application is in such form, is made in such manner, and contains such agreements, assurances, and information, including the agreements under subsections (c) through (f) and the plan under subsection (f)(3), as the Secretary determines to be necessary to carry out this section.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(h) Report to Congress- Not later than October 1, 2012, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report describing the extent to which projects under subsection (a) have been successful in reducing the rate of teen pregnancies in the communities in which the projects have been carried out.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) Definitions- In this section:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) AGE-APPROPRIATE- The term `age-appropriate', with respect to information on pregnancy prevention, means topics, messages, and teaching methods suitable to particular ages or age groups of children and adolescents, based on developing cognitive, emotional, and behavioral capacity typical for the age or age group.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) FACTUALLY AND MEDICALLY ACCURATE AND COMPLETE- The term `factually and medically accurate and complete' means verified or supported by the weight of research conducted in compliance with accepted scientific methods and--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) published in peer-reviewed journals, where applicable; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) comprising information that leading professional organizations and agencies with relevant expertise in the field recognize as accurate, objective, and complete.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY- The term `local educational agency' has the meaning given such term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(j) Authorization of Appropriations- For the purpose of carrying out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 4. REAUTHORIZATION OF CERTAIN AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS.

(a) 21st Century Community Learning Centers- Section 4206 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7176) is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) in paragraph (5), by striking `and' at the end;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) by adding at the end the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(7) $2,500,000,000 for fiscal year 2008; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(8) $2,750,000,000 for fiscal year 2009.'.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Carol M. White Physical Education Program- Section 5401 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7241) is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) by striking `There are' and inserting `(a) In General- There are'; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) by adding at the end the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(b) Physical Education- In addition to the amounts authorized to be appropriated by subsection (a), there are authorized to be appropriated $73,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 and 2009 to carry out subpart 10.'.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Federal TRIO Programs- Section 402A(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a-11(f)) is amended by striking `$700,000,000 for fiscal year 1999, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years' and inserting `$883,000,000 for fiscal year 2008 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years'.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(d) GEARUP- Section 404H of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a-28) is amended by striking `$200,000,000 for fiscal year 1999 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years' and inserting `$325,000,000 for fiscal year 2008 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years'.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 5. DEMONSTRATION GRANTS TO ENCOURAGE CREATIVE APPROACHES TO TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION AND AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS.

(a) In General- The Secretary may make grants to public or nonprofit private entities for the purpose of assisting the entities in demonstrating innovative approaches to prevent teen pregnancies.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Certain Approaches- Approaches under subsection (a) may include the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) Encouraging teen-driven approaches to pregnancy prevention.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) Exposing teens to realistic simulations of the physical, emotional, and financial toll of pregnancy and parenting.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) Facilitating communication between parents and children, especially programs that have been evaluated and proven effective.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Matching Funds-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) IN GENERAL- With respect to the costs of the project to be carried out under subsection (a) by an applicant, a grant may be made under such subsection only if the applicant agrees to make available (directly or through donations from public or private entities) non-Federal contributions toward such costs in an amount that is not less than 25 percent of such costs ($1 for each $3 of Federal funds provided in the grant).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) DETERMINATION OF AMOUNT CONTRIBUTED- Non-Federal contributions required in paragraph (1) may be in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, including plant, equipment, or services. Amounts provided by the Federal Government, or services assisted or subsidized to any significant extent by the Federal Government, may not be included in determining the amount of such non-Federal contributions.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(d) Evaluation of Projects- The Secretary shall establish criteria for the evaluation of projects under subsection (a). A grant may be made under such subsection only if the applicant involved--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) agrees to conduct evaluations of the project in accordance with such criteria;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) agrees to submit to the Secretary such reports describing the results of the evaluations as the Secretary determines to be appropriate; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) submits to the Secretary, in the application under subsection (e), a plan for conducting the evaluations.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(e) Application for Grant- A grant may be made under subsection (a) only if an application for the grant is submitted to the Secretary and the application is in such form, is made in such manner, and contains such agreements, assurances, and information, including the agreements under subsections (c) and (d) and the plan under subsection (d)(3), as the Secretary determines to be necessary to carry out this section.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(f) Report to Congress- Not later than October 1, 2012, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report describing the extent to which projects under subsection (a) have been successful in reducing the rate of teen pregnancies in the communities in which the projects have been carried out. Such reports shall describe the various approaches used under subsection (a) and the effectiveness of each of the approaches.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(g) Authorization of Appropriations- For the purpose of carrying out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink