Section was formerly classified to section 5601 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

2002—Pub. L. 107–273 amended heading and text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows:

“(a) The Congress hereby finds that—

“(1) juveniles accounted for almost half the arrests for serious crimes in the United States in 1974 and for less than one-third of such arrests in 1983;

“(2) recent trends show an upsurge in arrests of adolescents for murder, assault, and weapon use;

“(3) the small number of youth who commit the most serious and violent offenses are becoming more violent;

“(4) understaffed, overcrowded juvenile courts, prosecutorial and public defender offices, probation services, and correctional facilities and inadequately trained staff in such courts, services, and facilities are not able to provide individualized justice or effective help;

“(5) present juvenile courts, foster and protective care programs, and shelter facilities are inadequate to meet the needs of children, who, because of this failure to provide effective services, may become delinquents;

“(6) existing programs have not adequately responded to the particular problems of the increasing numbers of young people who are addicted to or who abuse alcohol and other drugs, particularly nonopiate or polydrug abusers;

“(7) juvenile delinquency can be reduced through programs designed to keep students in elementary and secondary schools through the prevention of unwarranted and arbitrary suspensions and expulsions;

“(8) States and local communities which experience directly the devastating failures of the juvenile justice system do not presently have sufficient technical expertise or adequate resources to deal comprehensively with the problems of juvenile delinquency;

“(9) existing Federal programs have not provided the direction, coordination, resources, and leadership required to meet the crisis of delinquency;

“(10) the juvenile justice system should give additional attention to the problem of juveniles who commit serious crimes, with particular attention given to the areas of sentencing, providing resources necessary for informed dispositions, and rehabilitation;

“(11) emphasis should be placed on preventing youth from entering the juvenile justice system to begin with; and

“(12) the incidence of juvenile delinquency can be reduced through public recreation programs and activities designed to provide youth with social skills, enhance self esteem, and encourage the constructive use of discretionary time.

“(b) Congress finds further that the high incidence of delinquency in the United States today results in enormous annual cost and immeasurable loss of human life, personal security, and wasted human resources and that juvenile delinquency constitutes a growing threat to the national welfare requiring immediate and comprehensive action by the Federal Government to reduce and prevent delinquency.”

1992—Subsec. (a)(2), (3). Pub. L. 102–586, § 1(a)(2), added pars. (2) and (3). Former pars. (2) and (3) redesignated (4) and (5), respectively.

Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 102–586, § 1(a)(1), (3), redesignated par. (2) as (4) and inserted “prosecutorial and public defender offices,”. Former par. (4) redesignated (6).

Subsec. (a)(5) to (10). Pub. L. 102–586, § 1(a)(1), redesignated pars. (3) to (8) as (5) to (10), respectively.

Subsec. (a)(11), (12). Pub. L. 102–586, § 1(a)(4)–(6), added pars. (11) and (12).

1984—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 98–473, § 611(1), substituted “accounted” for “account” and “in 1974 and for less than one-third of such arrests in 1983” for “today”.

Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 98–473, § 611(2), inserted “and inadequately trained staff in such courts, services, and facilities”.

Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 98–473, § 611(3), struck out “the countless, abandoned, and dependent” before “children, who”.

Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 98–473, § 611(4), substituted “reduced” for “prevented”.

1980—Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 96–509, § 3(1), inserted reference to alcohol abuse.

Subsec. (a)(8). Pub. L. 96–509, § 3(2)–(4), added par. (8).

Pub. L. 107–273, div. C, title II, § 12223, Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1896, as amended by Pub. L. 108–7, div. B, title I, § 110(2), (3), Feb. 20, 2003, 117 Stat. 67, provided that:

Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, § 7296, Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4463, as amended by Pub. L. 101–204, title X, § 1001(d), Dec. 7, 1989, 103 Stat. 1827, provided that:

Pub. L. 98–473, title II, § 670, Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2129, provided that:

Pub. L. 93–415, title II, § 263(c), as added by Pub. L. 95–115, § 6(d)(2), Oct. 3, 1977, 91 Stat. 1058, which provided that except as otherwise provided by the Juvenile Justice Amendments of 1977 (see Short Title of 1977 Act note set out under section 10101 of this title and Tables), the amendments made by the Juvenile Justice Amendments of 1977 were to take effect on Oct. 1, 1977, was repealed by Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, § 7266(2), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4449.

Pub. L. 93–415, title II, § 263(a), (b), Sept. 7, 1974, 88 Stat. 1129, as amended by Pub. L. 94–273, § 32(a), Apr. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 380; Pub. L. 95–115, § 6(d)(1), Oct. 3, 1977, 91 Stat. 1058, which provided that (a) except as provided by subsections (b) and (c) (formerly set out as an Effective Date of 1977 Amendment note above), the foregoing provisions of such Act (enacting subchapters I and II of this chapter and amending section 5108 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees) were to take effect on Sept. 7, 1974, and that (b) section 5614(b)(5) and 5614(b)(6) of this title was to become effective at the close of the thirty-first day of the twelfth calendar month of 1974 and section 5614(l) of this title was to become effective at the close of the thirtieth day of the eleventh month of 1976, was repealed by Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, § 7266(2), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4449.