| Sponsor | Rep. Jackson-Lee, Sheila |
| Date | July 9, 2012 (112th Congress, 2nd Session) |
| Staff Contact | Sarah Makin |
On Monday, July 09, 2012, the House is scheduled to consider H.R. 6019, the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant Reauthorization and the Bullying Prevention and Intervention Act of 2012, under a suspension of the rules requiring a two-thirds majority vote for approval. The bill was introduced on June 26, 2012, by Rep. Jackson Lee (D-TX) and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
H.R. 6019 would reauthorize the Juvenile Accountably Block Grant for $40 million for each fiscal year 2013 through 2017. The bill would express that it is the sense of Congress that “the use of best practices in the effort to combat bullying should be encouraged.”
The bill would also amend the Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to allow funding for programs that would focus on, “research to prevent bullying, the prevention of cyberbullying, and gang prevention programs, as well as intervention programs regarding bullying.”
According to the Department of Justice, The Juvenile Accountability Block Grants (JABG) program is administered by the State Relations and Assistance Division of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Through the JABG program, funds are provided as block grants to states for programs promoting greater accountability in the juvenile justice system. Local and tribal governments can then apply to the states for funds to support local accountability programs. In addition, OJJDP makes grants to federally recognized tribes to strengthen tribal juvenile justice systems and to hold youth accountable. These grants are made competitively.
In 1997, Congress created the JABG, allowing the Attorney General to make grants to states and units of local government. Authorization for the JABG expired at the end of fiscal year 2009.
There was no CBO score at press time; however, the bill would authorize $40 million for five fiscal years.