PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S9961-9962)
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jul 29, 1999
Safe Schools Act of 1999 - Establishes: (1) grant programs for hiring school mental health professionals and for mentoring elementary and secondary school students; (2) requirements for annual State and school report cards on elementary and secondary education and for a report on a alternative education settings; and (3) a program of loan forgiveness for mental health professionals who serve in schools. (Sec. 6) Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make formula allotment grants to States to award competitive grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to: (1) hire mental health professionals to reduce the student-to-counselor ratio at their elementary and secondary schools; and (2) purchase the counseling services of mental health professionals in the community on a consultant basis. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 7) Authorizes the Secretary to make formula allotment grants to States to award competitive grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) for after-school and summer mentoring programs to provide continued academic learning opportunities for elementary school students, in public elementary or secondary school buildings. Allows such programs to provide services that address the health, social service, cultural and recreational needs of the students. Authorizes LEAs to use grant funds to use secondary school students to work with elementary school students, parents, or older volunteers. Requires coordination of such assisted mentoring activities with activities: (1) assisted under a national or community service program under specified provisions of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and the Foster Grandparent Program and the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program under the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973; and (2) carried out by organizations and programs such as Parents as Teachers, 4-H Clubs, and Save the Children. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 8) Requires annual State and school report cards with respect to elementary and secondary education, in easily understandable language. Requires each State educational agency (SEA) receiving assistance under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to produce and widely disseminate a State report card for parents, the general public, teachers and the Secretary of Education. Requires each school receiving assistance under ESEA, or the local educational agency (LEA) serving that school, to produce and widely disseminate a school report card for parents, the general public, teachers and the SEA, in easily understandable language, with respect to elementary or secondary education in the school. Requires such State and school report cards to contain, as appropriate, specified information regarding indicators of school performance and quality, including: (1) student performance in assessed subject areas, including comparisons with students elsewhere; (2) attendance and graduation rates; (3) professional qualifications of teachers, and numbers teaching out-of-field or with emergency certification; (4) average class size; (5) school safety; (6) parental involvement; (7) annual school dropout rate; (8) student access to technology, including computers and the Internet; (9) the quality of school buildings in the State, renovations needed at the school buildings, and the quality of heating and cooling systems at the schools; (10) mental health services available to students in need of service; (11) extracurricular activities available to students, including after-school and summer programs; and (12) community support, such as scholarships, sponsorship of school events, and publicity of and involvement in extracurricular activities. Requires a certain disaggregation of student performance data in State and school report cards. (Sec. 9) Directs the Secretary to report to Congress regarding successful alternative education settings used for disruptive or violent students in elementary and secondary schools, including information on the training of school personnel in the education of such students. (Sec. 10) Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide student loan forgiveness for mental health professionals who have been employed in certain schools whose teachers qualify for loan cancellation. Authorizes appropriations.
People & committees
Sen. Lincoln, Blanche L. [D-AR] · D–AR
Legislative record
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Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S9961-9962)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on HELP.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Aug 20, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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