[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4309 Introduced in House (IH)]







                                    


104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4309

     To provide interest subsidies for new school construction and 
                          renovation projects.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 28, 1996

  Mrs. Lowey introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities, and in addition to 
 the Committee on 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 provide interest subsidies for new school construction and 
                          renovation projects.

    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 ``National School Infrastructure 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) One-third of all public elementary and secondary 
        schools, serving 14,000,000 students, need extensive repair or 
        replacement.
            (2) Many public schools do not have the physical 
        infrastructure, such as adequate electrical wiring for 
        computers and communications technology, to allow students to 
        meet the challenges of the next century.
            (3) Many school districts need to build new schools to 
        accommodate enrollment growth, which is expected to increase by 
        20 percent between 1990 and 2004 for public elementary and 
        secondary schools.

SEC. 3. PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION.

    The Secretary of Education is authorized to provide interest 
subsidies to lower the cost of school construction and renovation 
project costs described in section 5.

SEC. 4. ELIGIBILITY.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary may provide interest subsidies to 
the following:
            (1) Local educational agencies.--
                    (A) Determination based on number of children 
                served.--The 100 local educational agencies that serve 
                the greatest number of children who qualify to be 
                counted under section 1124 of the Elementary and 
                Secondary Education Act of 1965;
                    (B) Determination based on need.--In additional to 
                the agencies described in subparagraph (A), 25 local 
                educational agencies which have the greatest need, as 
                determined by the Secretary.
            (2) States.--States for use by local educational agencies 
        that do not qualify for an interest subsidy under paragraph 
        (1).
    (b) Maximum Subsidies.--
            (1) In general.--To determine the amount of interest 
        subsidy under subsection (a), the Secretary may provide, on a 
        sliding scale based on need, interest subsidies of not more 
        than 50 percent of the total costs of repairing existing school 
        facilities and buildings and constructing new facilities and 
        buildings.
            (2) Rules and regulations.-- The Secretary shall publish in 
        the Federal Register the criteria to be used to establish the 
        sliding scale under paragraph (1).
    (c) Duration of Subsidies.--The interest subsidies shall be 
available for a period not to exceed 4 years.

SEC. 5. USES OF FUNDS.

    An interest subsidy provided under this Act shall be used to lower 
the cost of school construction or renovation projects for one or more 
of the following purposes:
            (1) Fixing or upgrading classrooms or structures related to 
        academic learning, including leaking roofs, crumbling walls, 
        inadequate plumbing, poor ventilation, and heating or light 
        problems.
            (2) Increasing physical safety at the school.
            (3) Enhancing access for students, teachers, and other 
        people with disabilities.
            (4) Improving energy efficiency.
            (5) Addressing environmental hazards, such as poor 
        ventilation, indoor air quality, or lighting.
            (6) Providing the basic infrastructure that facilitates 
        educational technology, such as communications outlets, 
        electrical systems, power outlets, or a communication closet.
            (7) Constructing new schools to meet the needs imposed by 
        enrollment growth.

SEC. 6. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.

    Upon request, the Secretary shall provide or provide for technical 
assistance to State, local, and school officials regarding school 
construction and renovation, including building needs evaluation, 
enrollment projection information, innovative financing strategies, and 
effective preventive maintenance strategies.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
$1,250,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1998 through 2002.
    (b) Offset Funds.--
            (1) Collections.--Any appropriation made pursuant to the 
        authorization made by subsection (a) shall be made by 
        offsetting collections derived from competitive bidding for 
        broadcast spectrum under section 309(j) of the Communications 
        Act of 1934.
            (2) Definition.--For purposes of this subsection, the term 
        ``broadcast spectrum'' means the band of frequencies currently 
        allocated for television channels 60 through 69.
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