[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1640 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1640

      To establish computer learning centers in low-income areas.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 15, 1997

  Ms. Waters (for herself, Mr. Cummings, Mr. Hilliard, Mr. Jackson of 
Illinois, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Ms. McKinney, Mrs. Meek of Florida, 
Mr. Thompson, Ms. Brown of Florida, Mr. Rush, Mr. Towns, Mr. Dixon, Mr. 
    Stokes, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Dellums, Mr. Rangel, Mrs. Clayton, Ms. 
 Kilpatrick, Mr. Clyburn, Mr. Ford, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Owens, 
   Mr. Watt of North Carolina, Mr. Wynn, Mr. Scott, Mr. Hastings of 
 Florida, Ms. Christian-Green, Ms. Carson, Ms. Norton, Mr. Payne, Mr. 
 Clay, Mr. Jefferson, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. Fattah, 
   Mr. Lewis of Georgia, and Ms. Millender-McDonald) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
                             the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To establish computer learning centers in low-income areas.

    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 ``Computer Learning Center Act of 
1997''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT AND OPERATION OF FUND.

    (a) Establishment.--A fund shall be established in the Department 
of Commerce to provide grants to qualified nonprofit organizations for 
the establishment of computer learning centers in low income areas.
    (b) Use of Fund.--The fund established under subsection (a) shall 
be used to assist nonprofit organizations in renovating vacant 
storefronts in low income areas.

SEC. 3. APPLICATION.

    (a) Form and Procedures.--An application for assistance shall be 
submitted in such form and in accordance with such procedures as 
established by the Secretary of Commerce.
    (b) Minimum Requirements.--To receive a grant from the fund 
established under section 2, a nonprofit organization must certify that 
it has a secure commitment from a private business partner to donate 50 
up-to-date computers for a proposed learning center.
    (c) Geographic Diversity.--To the extent practicable, the Secretary 
shall make grants to organizations in a manner which will equitably 
distribute such grants among the various regions of the United States.

SEC. 4. COMPUTER LEARNING CENTERS.

    The computer learning centers shall provide assistance to residents 
of low-income areas by educating residents as to how to use computer 
equipment including word processing and information gathering programs.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the fund established in 
section 2, to remain available until expended, $20,000,000 for the 
fiscal years 1997 and 1998.
                                 <all>