Juvenile justice and delinquency prevention act reauthorization likely. (Advocacy Update).

The House and Senate have agreed on a Department of Justice funding bill for Fiscal Year 2003 that includes reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act and authorization of the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant Program. The bill also funds the Title V program, the Local Delinquency Prevention Grant Program. As part of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Coalition, NRPA worked with Congress to have these programs included in the funding bill.

At press time, the bill needed President Bush's signature to become law. NRPA anticipates that the president will sign the bill.

The Juvenile Crime Control and Delinquency Prevention Act would authorize a combination of five existing federal programs into a Juvenile Delinquency Block Grant Program that would support state and local programs. Recreation, among other public services, is an eligible activity for this grant program.

The bill provides $500 million for the Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grant Program, which funds juvenile justice court judges and juvenile incarceration facilities. Park and recreation agencies could work with law enforcement officials to develop accountability-based programs and graduated sanctions for youth offenders. It's important that park and recreation departments serve on local advisory boards of state and local governments that will review the proposed uses of these funds.

Urban and Rural Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Act of 2002

NRPA has worked closely with Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on the Urban and Rural Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Act of 2000, which would provide assistance (grants and loans) for developing indoor disease prevention and health promotion centers in urban and rural areas throughout the U.S. At press time, the bill had been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

The bill defines a health promotion and disease prevention center as a center that "is used principally as an indoor recreational facility providing services, programs and activities that result in disease prevention and health promotion, including direct recreation services for individuals and groups, information on public and personal health and wellness, health screening and other necessary services in collaboration with public and private health professionals and other entities."

Eligible activities pertaining to developing indoor centers for disease prevention and health promotion would include:

* Planning.

* Design.

* Site acquisition, preparation and construction.

* Assessing and responding to site environmental conditions.

* Landscaping.

* New construction.

* Rehabilitating existing recreational structures and facilities.

* Enhancing and expanding public infrastructure.

* Acquiring and converting existing non-recreational structures and facilities.

Eligible entities would include units of local government; state, metropolitan, regional or other area agency, district, public-purpose corporation or other limited-purpose political subdivision of a state that manage or administer public parks and recreation; and public agencies associated with economic or community development or restoration, whose activities support capital investments for public recreation.

Half of the grants and loans would be available for developing indoor disease prevention and health promotion centers located in regions with a population of 50,000 or less, and the other half would be for region with a population greater than 50,000.