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2 SEC. 12. The Secretary, upon application by a camp

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owner showing extraordinary circumstances or undue hard

4 ship, and upon the determination by a field inspector, after

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inspection of the affected premises and facilities, that the 6 conditions, practices, or activities proposed to be used are as 7 safe and healthful as those which would prevail if the camp

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owner complied with the standard, may exempt such camp

or activity from specific requirements of this Act, but the terms of such exemption shall require appropriate notice

thereof to parents or other relatives of affected campers.

TRAVEL CAMPS

SEC. 13. (a) All travel camps shall register annually with the Secretary on such date as he shall prescribe.

(b) Registration shall consist of a declaration of intent

to operate a travel camp and shall contain such other infor17 mation as the Secretary may reasonably require, such as, but 18 not limited to, a disclosure of the principal owners and/or 19 operators and their addresses, a list of key supervisory per20 sonnel and their qualifications, the equipment belonging to 21 the camp which will be utilized in operating the camp, and 22 a reasonably explicit description of the itinerary for each 23 planned tour route and activities, number of enrollment, 24 number of counsellors and supervisory personnel to accom

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FEDERAL RECREATIONAL CAMPS

SEC. 14. (a) The Secretary shall develop safety stand3 ards to govern the operation of Federal recreational camps. 4 The Secretary shall cooperate with Federal officers and 5 agencies operating Federal recreational camps to assure that 6 such camps are operated in compliance with the Secretary's 7 standards. The Secretary may make the services of personnel 8 of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare avail9 able, without reimbursement, to other Federal agencies to 10 assist them in carrying out this section.

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(b) For purposes of this section, a Federal recreational camp is a camp or campground which is located on Federal

property and is operated by, or under contract with, a Fed14 eral agency to provide opportunities for recreational camp15 ing to the public.

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ADVISORY COUNCIL ON YOUTH CAMP SAFETY

SEC. 15. (a) The Secretary shall establish in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare an Advisory Coun

cil on Youth Camp Safety to advise and consult on policy

matters relating to youth camp safety, particularly the pro

mulgation of youth camp safety standards. The council shall 22 consist of the Secretary, who shall be chairman, and nine 23 members appointed by him, without regard to the civil serv24 ice laws, from persons who are specially qualified by experi

1 ence and competence to render such service and shall include

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one representative from the Department of the Interior.

3 Prior to making such appointments, the Secretary shall con

4 sult with appropriate associations representing organized 5 camping.

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(b) The Secretary may appoint such special advisory 7 and technical experts and consultants as may be necessary 8 in carrying out the functions of the council.

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(c) Members of the Advisory Council, while serving on business of the Advisory Council, shall receive compensa

tion at a rate to be fixed by the Secretary, but not exceeding $100 per day, including traveltime; and while so serving away from their homes or regular places of business, they 14 may be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 15 subsistence, as authorized by section 5703 of title 5, United 16 States Code, for persons in the Government service employed 17 intermittently.

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ADMINISTRATION

SEC. 16. (a) The Secretary shall prepare and submit to

20 the President for transmittal to the Congress at least once in

21 each fiscal year a comprehensive and detailed report on the

22 administration of this Act.

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(b) The Secretary is authorized to request directly 24 from any department or agency of the Federal Government 25 information, suggestions, estimates, and statistics needed to

1 carry out his functions under this title; and such department 2 or agency is authorized to furnish such information, sugges3 tions, estimates, and statistics directly to the Secretary. 4 (c) Nothing in this Act or regulations issued hereunder 5 shall authorize the Secretary, a State agency, or any official 6 acting under this law to restrict, determine, or influence the 7 curriculum, program, or ministry of any youth camp.

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(d) Nothing in this Act shall be deemed to authorize 9 or require medical examination, immunization, or treatment 10 for those who object thereto on religious grounds, except 11 where such is necessary for the protection of the health or 12 safety of others.

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14 SEC. 17. There are authorized to be appropriated to 15 carry out the provisions of this Act (in addition to the 16 amounts authorized in section 7) such sums as may be 17 necessary for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1973, and for 18 each of the five succeeding fiscal years.

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EFFECTIVE DATE

SEC. 18. This Act shall take effect 90 days after the date

21 of its enactment.

Each year parents send approximately 10 million youngsters to summer camps across the country with the belief that their children will be constantly protected by trained counselors and will live in sanitary and healthful surroundings. Unfortunately, this is not the case in too many of our summer camps and our other recreational facilities.

In the last three Congresses, I have held hearings on youth camp safety with the aim to bring an end to the tragic waste of young lives occurring each summer because of the lack of health and safety standards for youth camps. There have been many horror stories brought to my attention as a result of these hearings and yet there are now only 6 States that have what I consider to be comprehensive youth camp safety laws. They are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Michigan, New York, and my own State of New Jersey.

It is often financially and physically impossible for parents to visit sites to which they are sending their children, so they depend on brochures which often misrepresent and give a misleading impression of the condition of the camp and the training of its counselors.

There is no way for parents to be certain that a camp is safe, that the counselors are actually qualified to care for and instruct the children, that sanitary facilities are adequate or that the vehicles which are used are in safe condition and that drivers are trained and cautious.

We have found in the course of our hearings that there are many latent dangers which to the untrained eye and even to the eyes of the parents are impossible to identify in a visit to a camp prior to the opening of the camp season. In addition, visiting days during the season seldom give parents the opportunity to thoroughly investigate any possible hazards to their youngsters.

To ameliorate this situation, I have introduced H.R. 1486, cosponsored by Peter Peyser, which provides that the Secretary of HEW shall promulgate minimum youth camp safety standards after hearings and consultation with a broad representative advisory council from the camping industry.

My bill provides that the States shall continue to enforce their own laws provided they are as effective as the Federal laws.

My bill also provides for grants to States to assist them in enforcing their law and also for developing laws if they choose to do so.

It is one of the fundamental purposes of government to protect the interests of citizens who are unable to provide for themselves. This is very much the case when providing for the health and safety of youngsters when away from home. There are those who have said. this is a matter that can be left to the States.

In support of my views that we need minimum Federal standards, I would like to quote from the American Camping Association's Position Paper of March 26, 1974:

Federal legislation for youth camp safety has become increasingly necessary and appropriate to meet the complex and multiple demands of a burgeoning society and to provide safeguards for a growing populace genuinely concerned about the welfare of its children . . .

Although the American Camping Association has been very successful in upgrading quality camping practices among its members, it cannot control the

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