David Skaggs: “I am pleased to offer an amendment to H.R. 6, the Improving America's Schools Act, that I believe will send a strong…”

“I am pleased to offer an amendment to H.R. 6, the Improving America's Schools Act, that I believe will send a strong message about the importance of encouraging our young people to refrain from using violence to settle their problems. My amendment is to title IV, concerning Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities, of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and has two parts. The first part provides authority for additional kinds of programs that safe and drug-free schools grants can be used for; the second part clarifies that grants provided under the act can be used to fund the costs of violence and drug prevention programs carried out by student organizations. I was moved to offer this amendment by an important initiative taken by students at Ranum High School in Denver, CO, which is in the district I represent. These students, on their own, began an anti-violence program that included a nonviolence pledge taken by the vast majority of the students and outreach activities designed to let younger students know how important it is to settle disputes peacefully.”