House delays bill providing states with grants to fight school bullies

The House on Monday delayed consideration of a bill that could provide millions of dollars in grants to state programs aimed at fighting bullying in schools.

The Juvenile Accountability Block Grant Reauthorization and the Bullying Prevention and Intervention Act, H.R. 6019, is sponsored by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), and was scheduled to be debated Monday. However, Jackson Lee was thought to be unable to be in the Capitol for the debate, and because the House has a general policy of allowing sponsors to debate their proposals, House leaders decided to delay consideration of her bill.

House aides were unsure when the bill might be considered, but indicated that it is still expected to be debated and voted on sometime this month.

Jackson Lee's bill would reauthorize the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant program, at $40 million a year for the next five years. That program allows for several different kinds of grants, and her bill would amend a grant dealing with school safety to specifically include "research-based bullying prevention, cyberbullying prevention and gang prevention programs, as well as intervention programs regarding bullying."

If these anti-bully grants were to get an even share of the total grant money, it could mean $2 million to $3 million a year nationwide for states' anti-school-bullying programs.

The House was also expected to consider S. 1959, which would require the government to report on whether it thinks the Haqqani Network should be designated a terrorist organization.

That bill, from Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), is similar to one from House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), and the two members are expected to discuss differences between their bills before the House considers the legislation.

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