May 1, 2025
Mrs. Blackburn (for herself and Ms. Cortez Masto) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
To award grants to local educational agencies and nonprofit organizations to operate after school programs in certain areas with a high rate of juvenile crime.
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 Advancing Frequent and Tailored Education to Rebuild Safe Communities and Help Orchestrate Opportunities and Learning Act
or the AFTER SCHOOL Act
.
Sec. 2. Grants for after school programs
(a) Definitions
In this section:
(1) ESEA terms
The terms local educational agency and secondary school have the meanings given those terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(2) Eligible applicant
The term eligible applicant means an eligible local educational agency or an eligible nonprofit organization.
(3) Eligible local educational agency
The term eligible local educational agency means a local educational agency that serves 1 or more secondary schools that are located in a county in which the juvenile offense rate for the most recent fiscal year for which data is available was not less than 10 percent.
(4) Eligible nonprofit organization
The term eligible nonprofit organization means an organization described in section 501(c)(3) and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that—
(A)
has experience in operating an after school program or similar program for secondary school students; and
(B)
is located in a county in which the juvenile offense rate for the most recent fiscal year for which data is available was not less than 10 percent.
(5) Eligible students
The term eligible students means students in any of grades 6 through 12.
(6) Juvenile offense rate
The term juvenile offense rate means the percentage of violent offenses committed by any individual who is not more than 19 years of age as compared to the total number of violent offenses committed by all age groups in a given county, as published in the Uniform Crime Reporting Program of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(b) Program established
The Attorney General shall award grants, in accordance with subsection (c), to eligible applicants that have an approved application in order to enable those eligible applicants to provide after school programs for eligible students, as described in subsection (f).
(c) Formula
From the total amount made available to carry out this section, the Attorney General shall allot to each eligible applicant having an application approved under subsection (e), an amount that bears the same relationship to that total amount as the number of eligible students who will be served by such eligible applicant under this section bears to the number of eligible students who will be served by all eligible applicants under this section.
(d) Notice of eligibility
On the first day of the first fiscal year beginning after the date of enactment of this Act, and of each fiscal year thereafter, the Attorney General shall—
(1)
determine which counties in the United States had a juvenile offense rate of not less than 10 percent during the most recent fiscal year for which data is available;
(2)
publish the determination of the Attorney General under paragraph (1); and
(3)
publish an application that eligible applicants seeking a grant under this section can submit.
(e) Application
An eligible applicant seeking a grant under this section shall submit the application described in subsection (d)(3) to the Attorney General at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Attorney General may require, including—
(1)
the juvenile offense rate for the most recent fiscal year for which data are available for—
(A)
if the eligible applicant is an eligible local educational agency, the county in which 1 or more secondary schools served by the eligible local educational agency are located; or
(B)
if the eligible applicant is an eligible nonprofit organization, the county in which the eligible nonprofit organization is located;
(2)
an assurance that the eligible applicant—
(A)
if the eligible applicant is an eligible local educational agency, will carry out the after school programs or will partner only with an eligible nonprofit organization to carry out such programs; or
(B)
if the eligible applicant is an eligible nonprofit organization, will carry out the after school programs; and
(3)
information about the activities and frequency of the after school programs that will be carried out with grant funds under this section.
(f) Uses of funds
(1) In general
An eligible applicant that receives a grant under this section shall use such grant funds to operate after school programs for eligible students, which may include—
(A)
expanding existing after school programs for eligible students;
(B)
developing and carrying out new after school programs for eligible students; or
(C)
if the eligible applicant is an eligible local educational agency, partnering with an eligible nonprofit organization to administer and operate after school programs for eligible students.
(2) Comprehensive program activities
An eligible applicant that receives a grant under this section shall ensure that the after school programs carried out with grant funds are programs that—
(A)
are held when school is out of session; and
(B)
include activities that have an educational purpose that aim to—
(i)
expand learning opportunities,
(ii)
foster foundational skill development,
(iii)
provide youth leadership opportunities; and
(iv)
provide a safe and supportive environment.
(g) Reports
(1) Eligible applicant reports
Each eligible applicant that receives a grant under this section shall submit an annual report to the Attorney General that describes—
(A)
the number of schools served by an after school program established or maintained using funds under this section;
(B)
the number of children served at each such school; and
(C)
the general successes and vulnerabilities of the after school programs established or maintained using funds under this section.
(2) Attorney General report
Not later than 90 days after the date as of which the Attorney General has received all the reports for a year under paragraph (1), the Attorney General shall submit to Congress a report summarizing the reports received under that paragraph.
(h) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2029, to remain available until expended.