[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1336 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1336

    To amend the Adult Education Act to authorize the Secretary of 
   Education to make grants to States to provide support services to 
               participants in adult education programs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 15, 1997

Mr. Smith of Texas (for himself, Mr. Roemer, Mrs. Roukema, and Mr. Watt 
of North Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
              the Committee on Education and the Workorce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend the Adult Education Act to authorize the Secretary of 
   Education to make grants to States to provide support services to 
               participants in adult education programs.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    The Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) There are approximately 46,100,000 adults 16 years of 
        age or older who are not in school, are without a high school 
        diploma, or who score in the lowest 2 levels of the National 
        Adult Literacy Survey.
            (2) Only 9 percent of those 46,100,000 illiterate adults 
        are served by available adult education programs nationwide.
            (3) Participation in adult education programs should be 
        increased to 25 percent.
            (4) Increased participation will result in a drop in the 
        number of individuals on public assistance and an increase in 
        the number of individuals who are gainfully employed.
            (5) Studies show that literacy levels are strongly 
        correlated with educational attainment, income, and employment 
        status.
            (6) An Ohio University economist has estimated that adult 
        illiteracy costs Americans more than $175,000,000,000 per year 
        through lost income and tax revenue, higher unemployment, more 
        crime, and higher training costs for business and industry.
            (7) The Department of Education has reported that 
        individuals who successfully complete adult education programs 
        are likely to use support services, and that the availability 
        of support services is a substantial predictor of enrollee 
        classroom attendance.
            (8) Studies show that the most influential variable in a 
        child's participation and success in school is parental 
        educational level.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Adult Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1201 et seq.) 
is amended by inserting after section 373 the following:

``SEC. 374. GRANTS FOR SUPPORT SERVICES.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary may make grants on the basis of a 
competitive review process to States for the purpose of providing 
support services to adults enrolled in, or desiring to enroll in, adult 
education programs, services, or activities, who otherwise would be 
unable to do so. Such support services may include child care, 
transportation, or any other service that the Secretary determines is 
consistent with this section.
    ``(b) Number of Grants.--The Secretary may make not more than ten, 
3 year grants under this section.
    ``(c) Applications.--To apply for a grant under this section, a 
State shall submit an application to the Secretary in accordance with 
the procedures established by the Secretary.
    ``(d) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall, through contracts with 
nongovernmental entities, provide for a cumulative review of the 
progress and effectiveness of at least five grants made under this 
section.
    ``(e) Reports to Congress.--The Secretary shall submit an interim 
report to the Congress concerning the results of the evaluations 
conducted under subsection (d), not later than the end of the second 
year in which the Secretary makes grants under this section. The 
Secretary shall submit a final report to the Congress concerning such 
subject not later than the end of the third year for which the 
Secretary makes grants under this section.
    ``(f) Funding.--
            ``(1) Authorization of appropriations.--For the purpose of 
        carrying out this section, there are authorized to be 
        appropriated $12,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1998 
        through 2000. No amount may be expended to carry out the 
        provisions of this section in any fiscal year unless the amount 
        appropriated for such fiscal year pursuant to section 313 
        equals or exceeds the amount appropriated pursuant to such 
        section for fiscal year 1997.
            ``(2) Set-aside for evaluation.--Of the amounts 
        appropriated under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, the 
        Secretary shall reserve not more than 17 percent for carrying 
        out subsection (d).''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Basic program authorization of appropriations.--Section 
        313(a) of the Adult Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1201b(a)) is 
        amended by striking ``371 and 372).'' and inserting ``371, 372, 
        and 374).''.
            (2) Part c heading.--The part heading for part C of the 
        Adult Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1211 et seq.) is amended to read 
        as follows:

 ``PART C--WORKPLACE LITERACY, ENGLISH LITERACY GRANTS, AND GRANTS FOR 
                          SUPPORT SERVICES''.

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