[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4759 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4759

To establish within the Department of Energy a national Albert Einstein 
 Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program for outstanding elementary 
            and secondary mathematics and science teachers.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 14, 1994

  Mr. Sawyer introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
              Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish within the Department of Energy a national Albert Einstein 
 Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program for outstanding elementary 
            and secondary mathematics and science teachers.

    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 ``Albert Einstein Distinguished 
Educator Fellowship Act of 1994''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) the Department of Energy has unique mathematics and 
        science capabilities that contribute to mathematics and science 
        education through existing programs within the Department;
            (2) a need exists to increase understanding, communication, 
        and cooperation between the Department of Energy, other Federal 
        agencies, and the mathematics and science education community;
            (3) the mathematics and science education community 
        includes a cadre of nationally recognized outstanding 
        elementary and secondary school mathematics and science 
        teachers;
            (4) elementary and secondary school mathematics and science 
        teachers can provide insight into effective education programs; 
        and
            (5) a pilot program has confirmed the effectiveness of 
        outstanding elementary and secondary school mathematics and 
        science teachers serving in professional staff capacities in 
        the Senate and the House of Representatives.

SEC. 3. PURPOSE; DESIGNATION.

    (a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act to establish a national 
fellowship program for outstanding elementary and secondary mathematics 
and science teachers.
    (b) Designation.--A recipient of a fellowship under this Act shall 
be known as an ``Albert Einstein Fellow''.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    As used in this Act--
            (1) the term ``contractor'' means a nonprofit educational 
        organization selected by the Secretary to administer the 
        fellowship program authorized under this Act;
            (2) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Energy;
            (3) the term ``elementary school'' has the meaning provided 
        by section 1471(8) of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
        Act of 1965;
            (4) the term ``local educational agency'' has the meaning 
        provided by section 1471(12) of the Elementary and Secondary 
        Education Act of 1965;
            (5) the term ``outstanding'', used with respect to an 
        elementary or secondary school mathematics or science teacher, 
        means such a teacher who--
                    (A)(i) is a State or national winner of the 
                Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and 
                Science Teaching;
                    (ii) has participated in the Woodrow Wilson 
                Fellowship Program; or
                    (iii) has been a recipient of national or State 
                recognition comparable to the recognition described in 
                subparagraph (A) or (B); and
                    (B) has received a sabbatical leave from teaching 
                in order to participate in the fellowship program under 
                this Act, which leave shall provide for the return to a 
                teaching position in the school district in which such 
                individual taught in the academic year preceding such 
                leave; and
            (6) the term ``secondary school'' has the meaning provided 
        by section 1471(21) of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
        Act of 1965.

SEC. 5. FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    (a) In General.--
            (1) In general.--(A) Except as provided in subparagraph 
        (B), the Secretary is authorized to establish the Albert 
        Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program to provide 
        10 outstanding elementary or secondary school mathematics or 
        science teachers with fellowships in each fiscal year in 
        accordance with this Act.
            (B)(i) The Secretary may reduce the number of fellowships 
        awarded under this Act in any fiscal year if the amount 
        appropriated pursuant to the authority of section 7 for such 
        year is less than the amount authorized to be appropriated 
        pursuant to such authority for such year.
            (ii) If the number of fellowships awarded under this Act is 
        reduced pursuant to clause (i) for a fiscal year then the 
        Secretary shall ensure that priority is given to awarding 
        fellowships for such year to individuals selected pursuant to 
        clauses (i) and (ii) of subsection (d)(2)(B).
            (2) Number of fellowships.--The Secretary shall provide--
                    (A) 2 outstanding elementary or secondary school 
                mathematics or science teachers with fellowships in the 
                Senate;
                    (B) 2 such teachers with fellowships in the House 
                of Representatives; and
                    (C) 1 such teacher with a fellowship in each of the 
                following:
                            (i) The Department of Energy.
                            (ii) The Department of Education.
                            (iii) The National Institutes of Health.
                            (iv) The National Science Foundation.
                            (v) The Office of Science and Technology 
                        Policy.
                            (vi) The National Aeronautics and Space 
                        Administration.
            (3) Term of fellowships.--Fellowships under this Act shall 
        be awarded for a period of 10 months that, to the extent 
        possible, coincide with the academic year.
    (b) Program Administration.--
            (1) Contract.--The Secretary is authorized to enter into a 
        contract with a contractor to enable such contractor to 
        administer the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator 
        Fellowship Program.
            (2) Requirements.--The contractors shall provide for--
                    (A) the development and administration of an 
                application process for the awarding of fellowships 
                under this Act;
                    (B) publication on the fellowship program in 
                appropriate professional publications and invite 
                applications from teachers listed in the directories of 
                the Presidential Awardees, the Woodrow Wilson Fellows, 
                and other national and State recognition programs;
                    (C) the development and administration of an 
                initial screening process of applicants for the Albert 
                Einstein Fellowship Program to narrow the pool of such 
                applicants to 10 outstanding elementary and secondary 
                school mathematics teachers and 10 outstanding 
                elementary and secondary school science teachers;
                    (D) the development and administration of the 
                process whereby final selections of fellowship 
                recipients are made in accordance with subsection 
                (d)(2);
                    (E) the development of a program of orientation for 
                fellowship recipients under this Act;
                    (F) the establishment and administration of a 
                reporting and evaluation program for each year 
                fellowships are awarded under this Act;
                    (G) submission of an annual report and evaluation 
                of the fellowship program under this Act to the 
                Secretary not later than August 31, 1995, and each year 
                thereafter; and
                    (H) the administration of all funds received under 
                this Act, including salaries and expenses incurred in 
                conducting the selection process, and agreements with 
                the local educational agencies or school districts 
                serving the schools at which the outstanding elementary 
                or secondary school mathematics or science teachers 
                taught prior to the award of fellowships under this Act 
                regarding the disbursement of funds to such teachers.
    (c) Use of Funds.--
            (1) In general.--The contractor shall only use funds under 
        this Act for fellowship recipient salaries, the contractor's 
        Federal insurance contributions under chapter 21 of the 
        Internal Revenue Code of 1986, administrative expenses 
        (including information dissemination, direct mailing, 
        advertising, direct staff costs for coordination and accounting 
        services), expenses of conducting an orientation program, 
        relocation expenses, and the expenses of conducting the final 
        selection interviews described in subsection (d)(1).
            (2) Special rule.--The contractor may seek funding from 
        non-Federal sources to establish an account from which 
        fellowship recipients may be reimbursed for travel, 
        professional meetings, and other appropriate expenses.
    (d) Selection.--
            (1) In general.--The contractor shall invite the 20 
        semifinalists to Washington, D.C., to participate in interviews 
        after the initial screening process described in subparagraph 
        (C) of subsection (b)(2) is completed.
            (2) Final selection.--(A) The final selections shall be 
        made in accordance with subparagraph (B) and announced prior to 
        May 1 preceding each fellowship term.
            (B) The contractor shall develop and conduct a process 
        whereby final selections of fellowship recipients under this 
        Act are made as follows:
                    (i) The Speaker of the House of Representatives and 
                the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, or 
                their designees, shall each select a fellowship 
                recipient who shall be assigned to the House of 
                Representatives.
                    (ii) The Majority Leader of the Senate and the 
                Minority Leader of the Senate, or their designees, 
                shall each select a fellowship recipient who will be 
                assigned to the Senate.
                    (iii) The Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of 
                Education, the Director of the National Institutes of 
                Health, the Director of the National Science 
                Foundation, the Assistant to the President for Science 
                and Technology Policy, and the Administrator of the 
                National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or their 
                designees, shall each select 1 fellowship recipient who 
                shall be assigned within the department, agency, 
                institute, or office that such individual administers.
    (e) Final Placement.--
            (1) In general.--Each individual selected to receive a 
        fellowship pursuant to subsection (d) shall interview in the 
        various sections, offices, or divisions within the department, 
        agency, institute, or office in which such individual is to be 
        placed.
            (2) Date.--The final placement described in paragraph (1) 
        shall take place on or before the first day of the fellowship 
        period.

SEC. 6. FELLOWSHIP AWARDS.

    Each recipient of a fellowship under this Act shall be paid during 
the fellowship period at a rate of pay that shall not exceed the 
minimum annual rate payable for a position under GS-13 of the General 
Schedule.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated $550,000 for fiscal year 
1995, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 
1996 through 2001, to carry out this Act.

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