<BillNo> <Sponsor>
SENATE BILL 583
By Akbari
SB0583
002053
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AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 37
and Title 49, relative to after school programs.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 7, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) As used in this section:
(1) "County juvenile offense rate" means the number of crimes committed
by individuals who are between ten (10) and seventeen (17) years of age, both
inclusive, in a given county, for every one thousand (1,000) residents of the
county, as published by the Tennessee bureau of investigation;
(2) "Department" means the department of education;
(3) "Eligible LEA" means a local education agency that operates or
serves as the charter authorizer for at least one (1) public school located in a
county for which the county juvenile offense rate is at least ten percent (10%)
higher than the statewide juvenile offense rate;
(4) "Eligible nonprofit organization" means a 501(c)(3) organization
exempt from federal income taxation under § 501(a) of the Internal Revenue
Code (26 U.S.C. § 501(a)) that operates after school programs;
(5) "Eligible student" means a student enrolled in a public school in any
of the grades kindergarten through twelve (K-12);
(6) "Public school" means any school in this state that serves students in
any of the grades kindergarten through twelve (K-12) and that is operated as part
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of a local education agency, by this state with public funds, or pursuant to a
charter agreement, as defined in § 49-13-104; and
(7) "Statewide juvenile offense rate" means the number of crimes
committed by individuals who are between ten (10) and seventeen (17) years of
age, both inclusive, in this state, for every one thousand (1,000) residents of this
state, as published by the Tennessee bureau of investigation.
(b) Subject to appropriation, the department shall award grants to eligible LEAs
that have submitted a grant application approved by the department to enable such
LEAs to provide after school programs for eligible students enrolled in the eligible LEA.
(c) An eligible LEA seeking a grant under this section must submit an application
to the department at such time, and in such manner, as the department requires. Each
grant application must, at a minimum, include the following:
(1) The county juvenile offense rate for the most recent fiscal year for
which data is available for the county in which at least one (1) public school is
located;
(2) An assurance that the eligible LEA will directly provide after school
programs using grant funds or will partner with an eligible nonprofit organization
for that organization to provide after school programs using grant funds; and
(3) Details regarding the activities and frequency of the after school
programs that will be provided using grant funds received under this section.
(d)
(1) An eligible LEA that receives a grant must use the grant funds to
operate after school programs for eligible students, which may include:
(A) Expanding existing after school programs for eligible students;
(B) Providing new after school programs for eligible students; or
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(C) Partnering with an eligible nonprofit organization for the
organization to operate after school programs for eligible students.
(2) After school programs provided using grant funds received pursuant
to this section must include educational activities and programming.
(3) An LEA that receives a grant pursuant to this section may apply to
renew the grant in a subsequent year. The department shall, subject to available
funds, award a grant to an LEA that received a grant in the prior year, even if the
LEA is no longer an eligible LEA because the county juvenile offense rate for the
county in which at least one (1) public school is located is not at least ten percent
(10%) higher than the statewide juvenile offense rate.
(e) From the total amount of grant funds available to the department for
purposes of this section, the department shall allocate to each eligible LEA with a
department-approved application, a grant in an amount that bears the same relationship
to the total amount of grant funds available as the number of eligible students who will
be served by the eligible LEA pursuant to this section bears to the total number of
eligible students who will be served by all eligible LEAs pursuant to this section.
(f) Each eligible LEA that receives a grant under this section must submit an
annual report to the committee of the house of representatives with jurisdiction over after
school programs for students in any of the grades kindergarten through twelve (K-12)
and the education committee of the senate describing:
(1) The number of public schools served by an after school program
established or maintained by the eligible LEA using grant funds;
(2) The number of eligible students served at each after school program
established or maintained by the eligible LEA using grant funds; and
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(3) The general successes and vulnerabilities of the after school
programs established or maintained by the eligible LEA using grant funds.
SECTION 2. For purposes of awarding grants to eligible LEAs, this act takes effect July
1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it. For all other purposes, this act takes effect upon
becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.