STRONG Kids Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9839 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9839

  To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a
   grant program to, through subgrants to eligible entities, improve
   certain impacts of participation in programs related to physical
 activity or youth sports and increase access to youth sports, and for
                            other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 22, 2026

Mr. Carey (for himself and Ms. Barragan) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in
 addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

  To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a
   grant program to, through subgrants to eligible entities, improve
   certain impacts of participation in programs related to physical
 activity or youth sports and increase access to youth sports, and for
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Sports Training, Recreation, and
Opportunities for the Next Generation Act'' or the ``STRONG Kids Act''.

SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM RELATED TO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND YOUTH SPORTS.

    (a) Grant Program.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services, in
conjunction with the Director of the Office of Disease Prevention and
Health Promotion (in this section referred to as the ``Secretary''),
shall establish a program to make grants on a competitive basis to
national nonprofits or government organizations, or regional nonprofits
or State-based government organizations, that run youth sports programs
to, through subgrants in accordance with subsection (b)--
            (1) improve the impacts, with respect to health and
        positive youth development, of participation in programs
        related to physical activity or sports for individuals under 18
        years of age; and
            (2) increase access to such programs.
    (b) Subgrants.--A nonprofit or organization that receives a grant
under subsection (a) shall make subgrants on a competitive basis to
eligible entities to--
            (1) improve the effectiveness of a program related to
        physical activity or youth sports;
            (2) increase participation in such a program;
            (3) promote safety and health in such a program; or
            (4) support the prevention of and response to physical,
        mental, and sexual abuse in youth sports through background
        checks, education, training, and mandatory reporting policies.
    (c) Eligibility for Subgrants.--To be eligible to receive a
subgrant under subsection (b), an entity shall--
            (1) be a local nonprofit or government organization; and
            (2) have experience organizing youth sports.
    (d) Eligible Use of Funds for Subgrants.--
            (1) In general.--An eligible entity that receives a
        subgrant under subsection (b) shall use any funds received
        through such subgrant to carry out an activity that meets at
        least one requirement described in subsection (b), including
        any of the following:
                    (A) For the purpose of lowering barriers to
                participation, implementing an activity focused on
                increasing the rate of participation in youth sports
                among populations less likely to participate due to
                disability or economic or geographic limitation.
                    (B) Implementing a program or policy for coaches
                related to training and voluntary certification,
                including with respect to--
                            (i) health benefits of youth sports and
                        physical activity;
                            (ii) youth development and character
                        development;
                            (iii) a code of conduct for coaches;
                            (iv) promoting positive lifestyle
                        behaviors;
                            (v) promoting a positive sports experience,
                        athletic development, teamwork, leadership, and
                        socialization skills;
                            (vi) implementing any applicable protocol
                        issued by the United States Center for
                        SafeSport;
                            (vii) an injury prevention strategy,
                        including free online concussion training
                        offered by the Centers for Disease Control; and
                            (viii) a risk management strategy,
                        including maintaining a safe venue for physical
                        activity or youth sports.
                    (C) Implementing training related to youth
                development and character development.
                    (D) Implementing an evaluation and results
                implementation process to measure physical, mental, and
                social health of athletes.
                    (E) Educating parents, caregivers, and guardians
                and raising awareness about the importance of
                participation in physical activity and youth sports.
                    (F) Implementing an athlete code of conduct and
                instruction.
                    (G) Implementing an activity focused on coach and
                volunteer retention.
                    (H) Implementing an activity that--
                            (i) focuses on fostering a positive sport
                        experience; and
                            (ii) emphasizes athlete development,
                        teamwork, leadership, and socialization skills.
                    (I) Implementing an activity that promotes positive
                lifestyle behaviors, including positive--
                            (i) nutrition practices;
                            (ii) academic performance;
                            (iii) life-long practices; or
                            (iv) self-image.
                    (J) For the purpose of lowering barriers to
                participation--
                            (i) implementing a program or procedure
                        that enables participation regardless of
                        athletic ability;
                            (ii) acquiring or modifying any venue used
                        for physical activity or youth sports;
                            (iii) ensuring any such venue complies with
                        requirements under the Americans with
                        Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et
                        seq.); or
                            (iv) enabling a league or team to reduce,
                        waive, or cover the full amount of any fee for
                        participation, including through providing
                        scholarships.
                    (K) Implementing an activity focused on increasing
                the capacity of such eligible entity to organize youth
                sports, including increasing the number of youth league
                teams organized by such eligible entity to accommodate
                more youth.
                    (L) Establishing a procedure for implementing any
                applicable prevention, reporting, or training protocol
                issued by the United States Center for SafeSport with
                respect to preventing physical, mental, and sexual
                abuse of athletes, including any protocol related to
                covering the cost of a background check for a coach or
                volunteer.
                    (M) Establishing a procedure to encourage--
                            (i) water drinking;
                            (ii) physical movement; and
                            (iii) consumption of nutritious snacks.
                    (N) Implementing a program for individuals with a
                physical or mental disability.
                    (O) Implementing a parent code of conduct and
                instruction.
                    (P) Encouraging and facilitating participation in--
                            (i) the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award
                        program carried out by the President's Council
                        on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition; and
                            (ii) the Presidential Fitness Test
                        administered by the Secretary of Health and
                        Human Services in accordance with Executive
                        Order 14327 (90 Fed. Reg. 37993; relating to
                        the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and
                        Nutrition, and the reestablishment of the
                        Presidential Fitness Test).
                    (Q) With respect to such program and such test,
                developing a strategy to ensure the Council or
                Secretary, respectively, recognize youth, regardless of
                their ability, for continued improvement over time.
                    (R) Working with insurance providers or other risk
                management experts to maintain a safe environment.
            (2) Prioritization of certain youth.--In carrying out an
        activity described in paragraph (1), an eligible entity shall
        prioritize youth with limited resources.
            (3) National strategy and other guidance.--In the case of
        an activity described in subparagraph (A), (B), (J), (K), or
        (L) of paragraph (1), an eligible entity shall carry out such
        activity in accordance with--
                    (A) the national strategy established by the Office
                of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion in the
                Department of Health and Human Services, entitled
                ``National Youth Sports Strategy''; or
                    (B) notwithstanding any policy or procedure in such
                national strategy, such other guidance issued by a
                governing body of a youth sports league.
    (e) Application and Review Requirements for Grants.--To be eligible
to receive a grant under subsection (a), a nonprofit or organization
shall submit to the Secretary an application that--
            (1) includes a plan describing how such nonprofit or
        organization proposes to use any funds received through such
        grant to--
                    (A) make subgrants in accordance with subsection
                (b), including a description of how the proposed use of
                funds received through such subgrants will meet at
                least one requirement described in subsection (b);
                    (B) use a managed application process to make such
                subgrants;
                    (C) provide technical assistance in accordance with
                subsection (g);
                    (D) serve youth with limited resources; and
                    (E) serve providers of adaptive sports programming
                for individuals with physical, cognitive, or other
                disabilities;
            (2) demonstrates experience--
                    (A) working with eligible entities to carry out an
                activity similar to an activity described in subsection
                (b) or (d);
                    (B) serving low-income and under-resourced
                communities; and
                    (C) providing adaptive sports programming;
            (3) describes any policy of such nonprofit or organization
        related to background checks of staff and volunteers who engage
        with individuals under 18 years of age; and
            (4) includes a plan for continuing any activity proposed to
        be carried out using funds received under this section after
        such nonprofit or organization has expended all such funds.
    (f) Deadline for Making First Grant.--The Secretary shall make the
first grant under subsection (a) not later than 1 year after the date
of enactment of this Act.
    (g) Technical Assistance for Subgrants.--As a condition of
receiving a grant under subsection (a), a nonprofit or organization
shall agree to provide technical assistance to an eligible entity that
receives a subgrant under subsection (b) with respect to the eligible
uses of funds described in subsection (d).
    (h) Amounts.--
            (1) Grants.--
                    (A) National.--The Secretary shall make a grant to
                a national nonprofit or government organization in an
                amount that is not more than $5,000,000.
                    (B) Regional.--The Secretary shall make a grant to
                a regional nonprofit or State-based government
                organization in an amount that is not more than
                $2,500,000.
            (2) Subgrants.--A nonprofit or organization shall make a
        subgrant to an eligible entity in an amount that is not less
        than $10,000 but not more than $50,000.
    (i) Reports to Congress.--Not later than 3 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, and every 3 years thereafter during the period
in which funds are appropriated under subsection (j), the Secretary
shall submit to Congress a report evaluating, with respect to the
period covered by the report, the effectiveness and outcomes of any
activity carried out using funds received under this section.
    (j) Funding.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to
        carry out this section--
                    (A) for fiscal year 2027, an amount that is equal
                to 50 percent of the amounts received by the Secretary
                of the Treasury under section 4401 of the Internal
                Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 4401) with respect to
                the 2025 calendar year; and
                    (B) for each of fiscal years 2028 through 2037, the
                amount described in paragraph (2).
            (2) Adjustment for inflation.--For fiscal years 2028
        through 2037, the amount authorized by this subsection shall be
        the amount under paragraph (1)(A), adjusted by the percentage
        increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban
        Consumers (CPI-U) published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics
        of the Department of Labor for the 12-month period ending June
        30 of the preceding fiscal year.
                                 <all>