[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1516 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1516

To support local reading programs for children so that all children are 
   able to read well and independently by the end of the third grade.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 1, 1997

   Mr. Clay (for himself, Mr. Miller of California, Mr. Kildee, Mr. 
Martinez, Mr. Owens, Mrs. Mink of Hawaii, Ms. Woolsey, Mr. Fattah, Mr. 
 Hinojosa, Mr. Tierney, Mr. Kind, Ms. Sanchez, Mr. Ford, Mr. Brown of 
 Ohio, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Dingell, Mr. Etheridge, Mr. Filner, 
   Mr. Green, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Mr. 
   Jefferson, Mr. Johnson of Wisconsin, Ms. Kaptur, Mrs. Lowey, Mrs. 
Maloney of New York, Ms. Norton, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Pascrell, Mr. Pastor, 
 Mr. Reyes, Mr. Sawyer, and Mr. Towns) introduced the following bill; 
   which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To support local reading programs for children so that all children are 
   able to read well and independently by the end of the third grade.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE AND TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``America Reads 
Challenge Act of 1997''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents.
                    TITLE I--AMERICA READS CHALLENGE

Sec. 101. Findings.
Sec. 102. Purpose and definitions.
Sec. 103. Funds appropriated and funds contributed by Corporation for 
                            National and Community Service.
                       TITLE II--GRANTS TO STATES

Sec. 201. Funds available.
Sec. 202. Distribution of funds.
Sec. 203. State applications.
Sec. 204. Award of funds.
Sec. 205. Local reading programs.
Sec. 206. Local Parents as First Teachers programs.
Sec. 207. State administration.
 TITLE III--LOCAL AND REGIONAL GRANTS TO SUPPORT EFFECTIVE MODELS AND 
                         EXEMPLARY PARTNERSHIPS

Sec. 301. Funds available.
Sec. 302. Grants authorized.
Sec. 303. Eligible applicants.
Sec. 304. Applications.
                    TITLE IV--SUPPORTIVE ACTIVITIES

Sec. 401. Authorized activities.
                         TITLE V--MISCELLANEOUS

Sec. 501. Waivers.
Sec. 502. Consultation with Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Sec. 503. Prohibition on use of funds for certain purposes.

                    TITLE I--AMERICA READS CHALLENGE

SEC. 101. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) While students today read on average as well as ever, 
        40 percent of America's fourth graders have reading scores 
        below the basic level on the National Assessment of Educational 
        Progress. This reading performance is not adequate to prepare 
        these students to meet the complexity of the jobs they will 
        seek and the society in which they will live.
            (2) Problems in reading performance of young children exist 
        in States and communities throughout the country, including 
        urban and rural locations. Research shows that children who 
        cannot read well and independently by the end of the third 
        grade are hampered at the start of their education, and for the 
        rest of their lives, with a greater likelihood of dropping out 
        of school and of increased delinquent behaviors.
            (3) Reading is a skill that is developed not only in the 
        classroom, but also in the home and other places outside of 
        school. While communities must work with teachers, libraries, 
        and principals to strengthen in-school reading programs, all 
        Americans can play a role in helping young children learn to 
        read.
            (4) As their children's first teachers, parents can give 
        their children the firm foundation they need to do well in 
        school by, for example, reading to their children at least 30 
        minutes each day from infancy onward, talking with their 
        children, reducing television watching, getting their children 
        library cards and urging their children to use them regularly, 
        and seeking the support they may need to help their children 
        learn to read.
            (5) Research underscores the importance of one-on-one 
        tutoring in helping students improve their reading ability. 
        Effective tutoring programs typically rely on trained tutors 
        who provide reading help, on a regular basis outside of school 
        hours, to young children who are behind in reading. Effective 
        programs often use funds for reading specialists and program 
        coordinators, are linked with in-school reading programs, and 
        support the active involvement of parents.
            (6) When appropriately trained, concerned individuals from 
        all walks of life, from libraries, schools, community-based 
        organizations, religious organizations, colleges and 
        universities, businesses and other employers, senior citizen 
        groups, parent associations, youth and civic groups, and 
        literacy coalitions, can serve as reading tutors for young 
        children to support their reading success.
            (7) Early efforts to teach reading are particularly 
        important to children from language minority backgrounds, and 
        data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress 
        indicate that a large gap in reading achievement between 
        students from non-English backgrounds and the general 
        population is present by the early grades and persists through 
        secondary school.

SEC. 102. PURPOSE AND DEFINITIONS.

    (a) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to help all children read 
well and independently by the end of the third grade so that they can 
succeed in school, later in the workplace, and in life. This Act 
assists in achieving that purpose primarily by providing financial 
support for effective local reading programs for preschool-age children 
and children attending both public and private schools.
    (b) Local Reading Program.--As used in this Act, the term ``local 
reading program'' means a program that--
            (1) helps children read well and independently by the end 
        of the third grade;
            (2) serves an area with a high number or percentage of 
        children from low-income families or with the greatest need for 
        reading assistance;
            (3) recruits, and provides appropriate and effective 
        training for, tutors for after-school, weekend, or summer 
        reading programs, or for other proven reading programs, for 
        children from preschool through fourth grade;
            (4) uses qualified and trained individuals, such as--
                    (A) program coordinators to organize and supervise 
                the program; and
                    (B) reading specialists who can train participating 
                tutors to effectively supplement the in-school reading 
                program;
            (5) ensures that all program personnel are screened to meet 
        State and local safety standards;
            (6) builds on and supports the in-school reading programs 
        for the children being served, and maintains regular 
        communication between program staff and school personnel;
            (7) makes parental involvement and support a high priority, 
        and is coordinated with early childhood and family literacy 
        programs, such as Head Start and Even Start programs, and with 
        related programs carried out under title I of the Elementary 
        and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.); 
        and
            (8) provides information to the public about the program's 
        strategies for, and progress in, helping children read well and 
        independently by the end of the third grade.
    (c) Other Definitions.--As used in this Act:
            (1) Chief executive officer.--The term ``Chief Executive 
        Officer'' means the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation 
        for National and Community Service.
            (2) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian tribe'' has the 
        meaning given that term in section 102(2) of the Federally 
        Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 479a(2)).
            (3) Local educational agency.--The term ``local educational 
        agency'' has the meaning given that term in subparagraphs (A) 
        and (B) of section 14101(18) of the Elementary and Secondary 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801(18)).
            (4) National service laws.--The term ``national service 
        laws'' means the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 
        U.S.C. 12501 et seq.) and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 
        1973 (42 U.S.C. 4950 et seq.).
            (5) Reading specialist.--The term ``reading specialist'' 
        means an individual with advanced training in reading who is 
        licensed or certified to teach reading by the State in which 
        the individual will serve a local reading program.
            (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.
            (7) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the 50 States, 
        the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
            (8) State commission on national and community service.--
        The term ``State Commission on National and Community Service'' 
        means a State commission described in section 178 of the 
        National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12638), 
        including any alternative administrative entity approved by the 
        Chief Executive Officer under subsection (a)(2) of that 
        section.
            (9) State educational agency.--The term ``State educational 
        agency'' has the meaning given that term in section 14101(28) 
        of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.

SEC. 103. FUNDS APPROPRIATED AND FUNDS CONTRIBUTED BY CORPORATION FOR 
              NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE.

    (a) Funds Appropriated to the Secretary of Education.--
            (1) Appropriation.--For the purpose of carrying out this 
        Act jointly with the Chief Executive Officer, there are 
        appropriated to the Secretary, from funds not otherwise 
        appropriated--
                    (A) $260,000,000 for fiscal year 1998;
                    (B) $290,000,000 for fiscal year 1999;
                    (C) $335,000,000 for fiscal year 2000;
                    (D) $380,000,000 for fiscal year 2001; and
                    (E) $460,000,000 for fiscal year 2002.
            (2) Supportive activities.--Of the funds appropriated by 
        paragraph (1) for any fiscal year, the Secretary may reserve up 
        to five percent or $15,000,000, whichever is less, for 
        supportive activities under section 401.
    (b) Corporation for National and Community Service.--
            (1) In general.--From the amounts appropriated to carry out 
        the national service laws for each of the fiscal years 1998 
        through 2002, the full amount in each fiscal year that exceeds 
        the amount appropriated for fiscal year 1997 to carry out the 
        national service laws, up to a maximum of $200,000,000 each 
        fiscal year, will be available to the Chief Executive Officer 
        to carry out this Act jointly with the Secretary.
            (2) Supportive activities.--Of the funds made available 
        under paragraph (1), the Chief Executive Officer may reserve up 
        to five percent for supportive activities under section 401.
    (c) Carryover of Funds.--The Secretary and the Chief Executive 
Officer may carry over, for one additional fiscal year any funds 
described in subsection (a) or (b) that remain available at the end of 
the fiscal year for which they were appropriated.

                       TITLE II--GRANTS TO STATES

SEC. 201. FUNDS AVAILABLE.

    (a) Department of Education.--From the amounts appropriated by 
section 103(a)(1), the Secretary shall make available to carry out this 
title not less than $197,000,000 for fiscal year 1998, $225,500,000 for 
fiscal year 1999, $270,000,000 for fiscal year 2000, $315,000,000 for 
fiscal year 2001, and $395,000,000 for fiscal year 2002.
    (b) Corporation.--For each fiscal year, the Chief Executive Officer 
shall make available to carry out this title at least 70 percent, but 
not more than 75 percent, of the amount made available under section 
103(b) for that fiscal year. The amount made available under this 
subsection includes the amounts necessary for national service 
educational awards for national service participants, to be deposited 
in the National Service Trust, as provided in subtitle D of title I of 
the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12601 et 
seq.).

SEC. 202. DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.

    (a) Amounts for Indian Tribes and Outlying Areas.--The Secretary 
and the Chief Executive Officer shall reserve up to one percent of the 
funds made available under subsections (a) and (b) of section 201, 
respectively, jointly to make grants to Indian tribes and to American 
Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands, to carry out such activities as the Secretary and the 
Chief Executive Officer may approve, subject to such conditions as they 
may establish, consistent with the purpose of this Act. The Secretary 
and the Chief Executive Officer shall carry out this subsection in 
consultation with the Secretary of the Interior.
    (b) Awards to States.--After reserving funds for outlying areas 
under subsection (a), the Secretary and the Chief Executive Officer 
shall allocate and distribute the remaining funds made available under 
subsections (a) and (b) of section 201 as follows:
            (1) 70 percent of the funds from each source shall be 
        allocated among the States in accordance with the relative 
        amount each State received under part A of title I of the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311 
        et seq.) for the preceding fiscal year.
            (2) 30 percent of the funds from each source shall be 
        distributed among some or all of the States on the basis of the 
        quality of their applications submitted under section 203, and 
        the extent to which the State has mobilized a broad base of 
        local and statewide organizations to help many more children 
        read well and independently and has adopted a promising 
        approach to promote reading success from early childhood 
        through fourth grade. However, beginning with the third year of 
        grants under this title, the Secretary and the Chief Executive 
        Officer may adjust distributions under this paragraph on the 
        basis of the relative performance of the States in achieving 
        the purpose of this Act.
    (c) Reallocations and Direct Local Grants.--
            (1) Failure to submit application.--If a State does not 
        submit an application under this title, the Secretary and the 
        Chief Executive Officer may use the State's allocations under 
        subsection (b)(1) to make direct grants to eligible applicants 
        in that State to carry out local reading programs, consistent 
        with sections 205 and 206.
            (2) Application for funds from single source.--If a State 
        does not request funds under this title from both the Secretary 
        and the Chief Executive Officer, the Secretary or the Chief 
        Executive Officer, as the case may be, shall reallocate the 
        funds for which the State is not applying to other States in 
        the manner they determine will best achieve the purpose of this 
        Act.

SEC. 203. STATE APPLICATIONS.

    (a) Joint Applications Required.--
            (1) Federal contact person.--A State that wishes to receive 
        funds under this title shall submit an application to a single 
        contact identified by the Secretary and the Chief Executive 
        Officer, to be known as the ``America Reads'' contact.
            (2) Preparation.--The State educational agency and the 
        State Commission on National and Community Service for a State 
        shall jointly prepare the application, in consultation with 
        appropriate individuals, agencies, and organizations, and shall 
        provide a reasonable period for public comment on the 
        application before submitting it to the America Reads contact.
    (b) Contents.--Each application shall--
            (1) describe how the State will make competitive subgrants, 
        in accordance with section 205, to develop, carry out, or 
        expand local reading programs that--
                    (A) will reach the children in greatest need of 
                assistance, such as those children who are from low-
income families or who have limited English proficiency, to read well 
and independently by the end of the third grade; and
                    (B) use effective practices that have shown the 
                most promise in helping all children, including 
                children with limited English proficiency and children 
                with disabilities, to read well and independently;
            (2) describe the State's strategy for building on existing 
        literacy initiatives in the State, including family literacy 
        initiatives such as those carried out under the Even Start 
        program, and for attracting other resources to promote the 
        purpose of this Act, including how the State will work with the 
        business sector and with other public and private agencies, 
        such as school districts, elementary schools, libraries, 
        literacy organizations, reading associations, institutions of 
        higher education, senior citizens groups, arts and cultural 
        groups, religious and other community groups, and programs 
        funded under the national service laws, to implement that 
        strategy;
            (3) describe the State's intended distribution of funds for 
        Parents as First Teachers programs and activities under section 
        206 and how the State will consult with representatives of 
        programs for preschool children (including the State's Head 
        Start program), family literacy programs (such as Even Start 
        programs), and programs funded under the Adult Education Act 
        (20 U.S.C. 1201 et seq.), in carrying out that section;
            (4) describe how local programs assisted under this title 
        will be evaluated and how the State will assess its progress 
        toward meeting the purpose of this Act if it does not 
        participate in the biennial assessments of fourth grade reading 
        proficiency through the National Assessment of Educational 
        Progress under section 411 of the National Education Statistics 
        Act of 1994 (20 U.S.C. 9010);
            (5) describe the proposed uses of funds requested from the 
        Corporation for National and Community Service under this 
        title;
            (6) include an assurance that the State, and other 
        recipients of funds under this title in the State, will comply 
        with this Act and other applicable laws; and
            (7) include such other information and assurances as the 
        Secretary and the Chief Executive officer may require.
    (c) Applicable Review.--
            (1) Joint review and approval.--The Secretary and the Chief 
        Executive Officer shall jointly review each State application 
        submitted under this title and shall jointly approve each 
        application that meets the requirements of this section.
            (2) Failure to approve.--If a State's application does not 
        meet the requirements of this section, the Secretary and the 
        Chief Executive Officer shall give the State a reasonable 
        opportunity to revise and resubmit the application and, at the 
        State's request, shall provide technical assistance to the 
        State regarding the revision of the application.

SEC. 204. AWARD OF FUNDS.

    Except as provided in section 202(c), for each State whose 
application is approved under this title--
            (1) the Secretary shall award the State's share of the 
        funds described in section 201(a) to the State educational 
        agency; and
            (2) the Chief Executive Officer shall award the State's 
        share of the funds described in section 201(b) to the State 
        Commission on National and Community Service.

SEC. 205. LOCAL READING PROGRAMS.

    (a) Subgrants to Local Applicants.--Except as provided in sections 
206 and 207, each State shall use funds awarded to it under this title 
to make subgrants to local applicants to develop, carry out, or expand 
local reading programs.
    (b) Eligible Applicants.--An eligible local applicant is a 
consortium consisting of--
            (1) a local educational agency (or one or more schools of 
        such an agency); and
            (2) at least one other public or private agency or 
        organization (such as a library, museum, or other cultural 
        institution, community-based organization, business or other 
        employer, senior citizens group, youth group, parent 
        association, civic group, literacy organization, or institution 
        of higher education) or an Indian tribe.
    (c) Local Applications.--
            (1) State contact person.--Each eligible local applicant in 
        a State wishing to receive funds under this title shall submit 
        an application to a single contact jointly identified by the 
        State educational agency and the State Commission on National 
        and Community Service, to be known as the ``America Reads 
        Challenge'' contact.
            (2) Contents.--Each application shall--
                    (A) describe how the applicant will use the funds 
                to develop and carry out, or to expand, a local reading 
                program that meets each of the elements identified in 
                section 102(b);
                    (B) identify a local educational agency or other 
                member of the consortium with a record of sound fiscal 
                management to act as the applicant's fiscal agent; and
                    (C) include such other information as the State 
                educational agency and the State Commission on National 
                and Community Service may require.
    (d) Authorized Activities.--
            (1) Funds provided by secretary.--Funds made available 
        under this title by the Secretary shall be used by local 
        applicants for expenses reasonably necessary to develop, carry 
        out, or expand effective local reading programs, such as the 
        costs of reading specialists, materials, training of tutors, 
        and family literacy activities.
            (2) Funds provided by chief executive officer.--Funds made 
        available under this title by the Chief Executive Officer shall 
        be used by local applicants for activities that are described 
        in this title and authorized by the national service laws.

SEC. 206. LOCAL PARENTS AS FIRST TEACHERS PROGRAMS.

    (a) Mandatory Funding.--Notwithstanding any other provision of this 
title, each State shall use at least 20 percent of the funds it 
receives under section 204(1) to develop, carry out, or expand 
effective local programs, such as family literacy programs, that 
provide appropriate support, training, and educational materials to 
involve and assist parents (and other adult primary caregivers) to help 
their children become successful readers by the end of the third grade.
    (b) Eligible Entities.--Funds available under this section--
            (1) may be included as part of an award to an eligible 
        local applicant under section 205; or
            (2) may be separately awarded to consortia described in 
        that section (except that such a consortium need not include a 
        local educational agency or a school of a local educational 
        agency).
    (c) Criteria and Requirements.--Funds available under this section 
shall be provided only to applicants described in subsection (b) that--
            (1) have a demonstrated record of successfully working with 
        parents in improving the reading skills of their young children 
        or plan to use a program model that has been demonstrated to be 
        effective; and
            (2) demonstrate that the proposed program--
                    (A) has the support of the community; and
                    (B) will be coordinated with other programs that 
                provide support for parents, such as adult education 
                programs.

SEC. 207. STATE ADMINISTRATION.

    Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, each State 
educational agency and State Commission on National and Community 
Service may use not more than one percent of the amount it receives 
under this title for any fiscal year for the administration of this 
title.

 TITLE III--LOCAL AND REGIONAL GRANTS TO SUPPORT EFFECTIVE MODELS AND 
                         EXEMPLARY PARTNERSHIPS

SEC. 301. FUNDS AVAILABLE.

    (a) Department of Education.--From the amounts appropriated by 
section 103(a)(1) for each fiscal year, the Secretary shall make 
available $50,000,000 to carry out this title.
    (b) Corporation.--For each fiscal year, the Chief Executive Officer 
shall make available to carry out this title 25 percent of the amount 
made available under section 103(b) for that fiscal year. The amount 
made available under this subsection includes the amounts necessary for 
national service educational awards for national service participants, 
to be deposited in the National Service Trust, as provided in subtitle 
D of title I of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 
U.S.C. 12601 et seq.).

SEC. 302. GRANTS AUTHORIZED.

    (a) Eligible Programs and Activities.--The Secretary and the Chief 
Executive Officer, acting jointly, shall make competitive grants to 
eligible applicants to develop, carry out, or expand--
            (1) large-scale local reading programs that will serve as 
        effective models for helping large numbers of children read 
        well and independently by the end of the third grade;
            (2) national or regional support networks that provide 
        information to interested persons on how parents can help their 
        children read better and that support the efforts of parents of 
        children of any age from birth through age eight to give their 
        children a solid foundation for reading and later success in 
        school;
            (3) reading programs conducted by national organizations in 
        more than one State; and
            (4) other local, regional, and national activities that 
        identify and promote the most effective and promising practices 
        for helping all children read well and independently by the end 
        of the third grade.
    (b) Parents as First Teachers Programs.--The Secretary and the 
Chief Executive Officer shall ensure that, for each fiscal year, at 
least 10 percent of the funds made available under section 301(a) are 
awarded to support networks described in subsection (a)(2) or for other 
programs that provide appropriate support, training, and educational 
materials to involve and assist parents (and other adult primary 
caregivers) to help their children become successful readers by the end 
of the third grade. The Secretary and the Chief Executive Officer shall 
carry out this subsection in consultation with the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services.

SEC. 303. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS.

    Eligible applicants under this title are--
            (1) national organizations;
            (2) multi-State consortia comprised of two or more public 
        or private agencies, organizations, institutions, or Indian 
        tribes; and
            (3) local applicants that are eligible for subgrants under 
        section 205 or section 206 and that have the capacity to 
        conduct programs of sufficient size to serve as national 
        models.

SEC. 304. APPLICATIONS.

    (a) Applications Required.--Any eligible applicant that wishes to 
receive a grant under this title shall submit an application to a 
single contact identified by the Secretary and the Chief Executive 
Officer, to be known as the ``America Reads Challenge'' contact.
    (b) Contents.--Each application shall--
            (1) identify the amount of funds, if any, the applicant is 
        requesting from the Secretary;
            (2) identify the amount of funds, if any, the applicant is 
        requesting from the Chief Executive Officer;
            (3) describe the specific activities the applicant will 
        carry out with the funds for which it is applying;
            (4) describe how those activities are related to school-
        based reading programs and early childhood programs, if 
        appropriate;
            (5) describe how the applicant will serve children in 
        greatest need of reading assistance, such as those children who 
        are from low-income families or who have limited English 
        proficiency;
            (6) demonstrate that the applicant's proposed project--
                    (A) is likely to have a substantial local, 
                regional, or national impact;
                    ``(B) will be cost-effective; and
                    ``(C) will be coordinated with the business and 
                nonprofit sectors and with other State and local 
                programs that provide support for parents;
            (7) describe how the applicant will periodically evaluate 
        its program and make necessary improvements;
            (8) include an assurance that the applicant will comply 
        with this Act and other applicable laws; and
            (9) include such other information and assurances as the 
        Secretary and the Chief Executive Officer may require.
    (a) Application Review.--The Secretary and the Chief Executive 
Officer shall jointly review and act on each application submitted 
under this title.

                    TITLE IV--SUPPORTIVE ACTIVITIES

SEC. 401. AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.

    The Secretary and the Chief Executive Officer shall use funds 
reserved under subsections (a)(2) and (b)(2) of section 103, 
respectively, directly or through grants to, or contracts with, public 
and private agencies, organizations, institutions, and Indian tribes--
            (1) for technical assistance, dissemination of materials 
        and information about best practices, and other activities that 
        further the purpose of this Act; and
            (2) to evaluate programs carried out under this Act.

                         TITLE V--MISCELLANEOUS

SEC. 501. WAIVERS.

    The Secretary and the Chief Executive Officer may waive any 
provision of this Act, and the Chief Executive Officer may waive any 
provision of the national service laws (other than section 177(b) of 
the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12637(b))) to 
the extent it is applicable to this Act, at the request of an applicant 
or recipient who demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Secretary and 
the Chief Executive Officer that such a waiver would significantly 
promote the purpose of this Act.

SEC. 502. CONSULTATION WITH SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.

    The Secretary and the Chief Executive Officer shall consult with 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services in carrying out this Act.

SEC. 503. PROHIBITION ON USE OF FUNDS FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES.

    Notwithstanding section 501 or any other law, funds made available 
under this Act may not be--
            (1) awarded to a pervasively sectarian organization; or
            (2) used to support religious worship, instruction, or 
        proselytization.
                                 <all>