,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #beca  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #be1     
#bjad ,mr4 ,murphy 7for himself and ,mr4
 ,booker7 introduced the following bill2
 which was read twice and referred to   
the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1  
,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
reward and incentivize evidence-based   
,state policies that improve educational
 continuity and limit juvenile court    
involvement and incarceration for youth 
through a priority in awarding certain  
competitive grants offered by the       
,substance ,abuse and ,mental ,health   
,services ,administration4  #a4 ,short  
title  ,this ,act may be cited as the   
,better ,options for ,kids ,act of      
#bjad4  #b4 ,juvenile justice ,section  
#ebj;,a of the ,public ,health ,service 
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bij;bb-#cb7 is     
amended by adding at the end the        
following3  7g7 ,preference for juvenile
 justice programs  7#a7 ,in general ,in 
awarding competitive grants under this  

section to programs for youth involved  
in the criminal justice system or youth 
at risk of becoming involved in the     
criminal justice system1 the ,secretary1
 acting through the ,administrator and  
in consultation with the ,director of   
the ,office of ,safe and ,healthy       
,students of the ,department of         
,education and the ,administrator of the
 ,office of ,juvenile ,justice and      
,delinquency ,prevention of the         
,department of ,justice1 shall give     
preference to applications from-- 7,a7  
,states that-- 7i7 demonstrate greater  
educational continuity1 lower rates of  
juvenile court involvement1 and reduced 
recidivism1 by implementing1 or planning
 to use the grant funds to implement1   
the required evidence-based policies    
described in paragraph 7#b72  7ii7      
demonstrate existing partnerships or    
proposed partnerships-- 7,i7 through    
which the ,state will establish a       
coordinated process for service delivery
 and develop the ability to share       

information2  7,,ii7 that involve       
interagency agreements or strategic     
plans2 and  7,,iii7 established through 
a memorandum of understanding or        
strategic plan signed by ,state1 tribal1
 and local agency partners1 as          
applicable1 articulating the commitment 
of the partners to a system of shared   
accountability and contributions to     
achieving and measuring specific desired
 results2  7iii7 have certified1 through
 the chief executive officer of the     
,state1 a commitment to the partnerships
 described in clause 7ii7 and the       
responsibility of the ,state for the    
specific desired results of such        
partnerships2 and  7,b7 entities within 
such ,states4  7#b7 ,required           
evidence-based policies ,to receive the 
preference under paragraph 7#a71 a      
,state or entity shall demonstrate      
through the grant application that the  
,state1 or1 in the case of an           
application from an entity described in 
paragraph 7#a77;,b71 the ,state in which

 such entity is located and provides    
services1 has implemented1 or will use  
the grant funds to implement the        
following evidence-based policies3 7,a7 
,the ,state provides training or funds  
training for local educational agencies 
in the use of discipline strategies and 
positive school climate strategies that 
minimize the use of suspensions1        
expulsions1 and other actions that      
remove students from instruction and    
that show evidence of effectiveness for 
improving the learning environment in   
the school1 including schoolwide        
positive behavioral interventions and   
supports4  7,b7 ,the ,state requires or 
provides incentives to local educational
 agencies 7as defined under section     
#iaja of the ,elementary and ,secondary 
,education ,act7 to execute a written   
memorandum of understanding or other    
type of collaborative agreement with any
 law enforcement agency that assigns    
school resource officers or other       
officers assigned to schools prohibiting

 the involvement of such officers in    
regular student disciplinary matters and
 sets forth a description of the roles  
and responsibilities of the officers on 
school grounds4  7,c7 ,the ,state       
prohibits or limits court referrals for 
juvenile school-based status offenses1  
including cases involving a valid court 
order4  7,d7 ,the ,state has shifted1 or
 has a plan to shift1 significant       
funding formerly dedicated to secure    
detention of minors into community-based
 alternatives to incarceration4  7,e7   
,the ,state has adopted1 or will adopt1 
a reentry policy to ensure that youth in
 correctional facilities can continue   
their education immediately and without 
delay upon release from such facilities 
by providing for prompt reenrollment    
into the most appropriate grade or      
educational setting based on their      
individual needs and designed to        
maximize their educational success4     
7#c7 ,report ,not later than #ij days   
after the date of enactment of the      

,better ,options for ,kids ,act of      
#bjad1 the ,secretary shall submit to   
the ,committee on ,appropriations of the
 ,senate and the ,committee on          
,appropriations of the ,house of        
,representatives a report that specifies
 the programs to which the preference   
under this subsection applies4  7#d7    
,sunset ,the application preference     
under this subsection shall cease to    
have force and effect #e years after the
 date of enactment of this section4  4