Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

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 Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie                             Councilmember Robert C. White Jr.

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 Councilmember Charles Allen                                  Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau

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 Councilmember Trayon White, Sr.                                   Councilmember Brooke Pinto

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 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George                             Councilmember Matthew Frumin

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                                               A BILL

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                    IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

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 To establish a professional youth mentorship and family engagement program to enhance well-

        being and teach essential life skills; and to create community service leave for eligible

        District government employees to volunteer as a tutor or mentor to a student.

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         BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this

 act may be cited as the “Youth Mentorship Through Community Engagement Act of 2024”.

        TITLE I. YOUTH MENTORSHIP AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT.

        Sec. 101. Definitions.

        For the purposes of this title, the term:

                (1) “Adverse Childhood Experience” or “ACE” means stressful or traumatic

 events that occur in childhood, including incidents of violence, abuse, neglect, witnessing

 violence in the home or community, housing instability, substance abuse, mental illness, family

 involved in the criminal justice system, and having a family member die or attempt suicide.

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                (2) “At-risk” shall have the same meaning as provided in section 102 of the

 Uniform Per Student Funding Formula for Public Schools and Public Charter Schools and Tax

 Conformity Clarification Amendment Act of 1998, effective March 26, 1999 (D.C. Law 12-207;

 D.C. Official Code§ 38- 2901(2A)).

                (3) “Child safety” means the protection of children from violence, exploitation,

 abuse, and neglect.

                (4) “Community-based organizations” means an organization that provides

 mentorship services to youth and their families.

                (5) “Criminal background checks” shall have the same meaning as provided

 in section 101of the Grandparent Caregivers Pilot Program Establishment Act of 2005, effective

 March 8, 2006 (D.C. Law 16-69; D.C. Official Code § 4-251.01(1)).

                (6) “Caretaker” means an individual who is the primary caretaker of the child and

 is related to the child by blood, marriage, domestic partnership, or adoption.

                (7) “Grade point average” means an average of a student's grades accumulated

 during the school year.

                (8) “Nonprofit” means an organization or institution that is exempt from federal

 income tax under the provisions of 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3) and that meets the requirements

 of Chapter 4 of Title 29.

                (9) “Protective factor” means characteristics or conditions associated with a lower

 likelihood of negative life outcomes or promote positive outcomes.

                (10) “Risk factor” means characteristics or conditions at the biological,

 psychological, family, community, or cultural level that are associated with a higher likelihood

 of negative life outcomes.

                (11) “Youth” means an individual under the age of 18.

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        Sec. 102. Establishment of a Thrive Mentorship Program.

        (a) There is established a Thrive Mentorship Program, which shall be a long-term

 professional mentoring program for youth who have an adverse childhood experience or who are

 at-risk. The mission of the Thrive Mentorship Program is to enhance youth well-being, empower

 youth to develop essential life skills, and guide youth to make informed and healthy decisions.

        (b) The Thrive Mentorship Program shall be administered by the Department of Human

 Services (“DHS”), beginning in fiscal year 2025. DHS shall have the authority to issue grants, in

 accordance with subsection (c) of this section, to up to two nonprofit organizations or

 community-based organizations to provide professional youth mentoring in the Thrive

 Mentorship Program.

        (c) The recipients of the Thrive Mentorship Program grants shall use grant funds for the

 following purposes:

                (1) Development and planning of the mentorship program;

                (2) Employment of full-time professional mentors to deliver dedicated support

 and services to youth and their families;

                (3) Background checks for applicants seeking professional mentor positions;

                (4) Professional mentor training and ongoing professional development;

                (5) Program materials and educational resources tailored to the unique needs of

 the mentee;

                (6) Communication tools for coordinating mentor-mentee meetings, whether

 online or in person, and facilitating interaction with mentee’s caretakers;

                (7) Employment of supervisors for professional mentors to provide guidance and

 feedback on mentorship activities; and

                (8) Generation of annual performance reports.

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        Sec. 103. Youth eligibility.

        To be eligible to participate in the Thrive Mentorship Program, the youth shall have

 adverse childhood experiences or meet the at-risk criteria.

        Sec. 104. Services provided by a professional mentor.

        (a) A professional mentor shall be a full-time position dedicated to mentoring and

 providing comprehensive support to youth and their families. Each youth mentee (“mentee”)

 shall be paired with a professional mentor, and the professional mentor shall meet with each

 mentee for at least 3 hours per week, actively participating in the home, school, and community

 settings of the mentee.

        (b) Every mentee shall be paired with a professional mentor for at least 3 years or until

 high school graduation;

        (c) Mentoring plans shall adhere to evidence-based practices and be individualized to

 meet the specific needs of each mentee, taking into consideration the mentee’s personal

 experiences, goals, and cultural background.

        (d) Professional mentors shall actively engage caregivers in youth-centered strategies to

 build protective factors and promote prosocial behavior, strengthen community connections, and

 support the holistic well-being of the entire family.

        Sec. 105. Mentorship requirements.

        (a) Before serving youth, professional mentors shall:

                (1) Pass criminal background checks pursuant to § 4-1501.03 and any additional

 background checks, testing, or requirements determined by DHS;

                (2) Professional mentors shall complete training within 90 days after the date of

 employment, which shall include:

                           (A) Child safety risks and preventative measures;

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                        (B) Trauma-informed approaches to mentoring services;

                        (C) Culturally informed, sensitive, and inclusive practices;

                        (D) Positive relationship development through evidence-based practices

 for youth;

                        (E) Collaborative goal setting to achieve personal, academic, or behavioral

 goals with mentees;

                        (F) Advocacy within schools, community, and child welfare systems for

 the needs and rights of mentees; and

                        (G) Family engagement strategies and relationship building with

 caregivers to encourage family involvement in the mentoring process.

        (b) Professional mentors shall complete ongoing professional development and training

 annually and this may include topics in subsection (a)(2) of this section.

        (c) Professional mentors shall commit and allocate at least 3 hours per week per mentee

 for interacting with mentees.

        (d) Professional mentors may be paired with the same mentee for 3 years to ensure a

 stable and consistent mentoring relationship.

        Sec. 106. Reporting Requirements.

        (a) DHS shall submit to the Council an annual report with the following metrics, without

 disclosing the names of the mentees:

                (1) The number of mentees enrolled in the Thrive Mentorship Program by year;

                (2) The duration of participation in the Thrive Mentorship Program per mentee;

                (3) Each mentee’s school attendance by year;

                (4) Each mentee’s grade point average by year;

                (5) The number of disciplinary incidents in school per mentee;

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                (6) The number of mentees involved in the juvenile justice system during the

 program;

                (7) School feedback on the mentee’s social and emotional development;

                (8) Caregiver satisfaction through an assessment survey;

                (9) Mentee and mentor satisfaction through an assessment survey;

                (10) High school graduation rate, if applicable; and

                (11) The number of students enrolled in postsecondary education or secure a job

 placement upon high school graduation, if applicable.

        TITLE II. COMMUNITY SERVICE LEAVE FOR DISTRICT GOVERNMENT

 EMPLOYEES.

        Sec. 201. Definitions.

        For the purposes of this title, the term:

                (1) “Community service leave” means leave that an eligible employee may take to

 volunteer with a tutoring and mentoring program located in the District.

                (2) “Tutoring and mentoring” means the act of volunteering in a school serving

 grades K-12 or adult learners, or with a community-based organization, to support a student who

 is in need of additional academic or behavioral support.

        Sec. 202. Community service leave.

        (a) A District government employee is eligible for one hour per week of community

 service leave, up to a maximum of 52 hours per calendar year.

        (b) The hour of leave each week shall be used for tutoring or mentoring a non-relative

 student.

        (c) Reasonable time spent commuting to and from the school or organization and in

 orientation or volunteer training shall be granted by the eligible employee’s agency.

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        (d) Eligible employees shall be credited with their maximum hours of leave on January 1

 of each year.

        (e) Employees shall not be paid for unused community service leave upon separation.

        (f) Leave not taken by the end of the calendar year shall not be carried into the next

 calendar year.

        (g) Eligible employees shall:

                  (1) Be a full-time District government employee;

                  (2) Have been employed at least 6 months with the District government;

                  (3) Have approval from their supervisor, and any other approvals deemed

 necessary by their employing agency before using community service leave; and

                  (4) Secure approval from a new supervisor if the employee transfers to a different

 agency.

        (h) The employee’s agency may require proof that leave is being used in accordance with

 the purpose of this Act.

        TITLE III. FISCAL IMPACT AND EFFECTIVE DATE.

        Sec. 301. Fiscal impact statement.

        The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal

 impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975,

 approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a).

        Sec. 302. Effective date.

        This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the

 Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as

 provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December

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 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of

 Columbia Register.

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