[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4402 Introduced in House (IH)]

  2d Session
                                H. R. 4402

To amend the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 
1998 to improve the use of amounts deposited into the H-1B Nonimmigrant 
 Petitioner Account for demonstration programs and projects to provide 
  technical skills training for occupations for which there is a high 
          demand for skilled workers, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 10, 2000

 Mr. Goodling introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 
1998 to improve the use of amounts deposited into the H-1B Nonimmigrant 
 Petitioner Account for demonstration programs and projects to provide 
  technical skills training for occupations for which there is a high 
          demand for skilled workers, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Training and Education for American 
Workers Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. USE OF H-1B NONIMMIGRANT PETITIONER FEES.

    Section 414(c) the American Competitiveness and Workforce 
Improvement Act of 1998 (as contained in title IV of division C of the 
Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 
1999; Public Law 105-277) is amended to read as follows:
    ``(c) Demonstration Programs and Projects To Provide Technical 
Skills Training for Workers; Loan Forgiveness for Mathematics, Science, 
and Reading Teachers.--
            ``(1) Technical skills training for workers.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary of Labor shall use 
                75 percent of the funds made available under section 
                286(s)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
                U.S.C. 1356(s)(2)) to establish demonstration programs 
                or projects to provide technical skills training for 
                employed and unemployed workers for any skill shortage 
                related to a specialty occupation (as defined in 
                section 214(i)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality 
                Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(i)(1)).
                    ``(B) Grants.--The Secretary of Labor shall award 
                grants to carry out programs or projects described in 
                subparagraph (A) to--
                            ``(i) local workforce investment boards 
                        established under section 117 of the Workforce 
                        Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2832);
                            ``(ii) regional consortia of local boards 
                        described in clause (i); or
                            ``(iii) consortia (which may be local, 
                        regional, or multi-state consortia)--
                                    ``(I) a majority of whose members 
                                are a business or represent a business;
                                    ``(II) whose membership shall 
                                include representatives of not less 
                                than 10 businesses or at least one 
                                nonprofit organization that represents 
                                not less than 10 businesses; and
                                    ``(III) whose membership may 
                                include representatives of State and 
                                local governments, educational 
                                institutions, and labor organizations 
                                (for a local area (as defined in 
                                section 101 of the Workforce Investment 
                                Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2801)) in which 
                                employees are represented by labor 
                                organizations), nominated by local 
                                labor federations, or (for a local area 
                                (as so defined) in which no employees 
                                are represented by such organizations), 
                                other representatives of employees.
                    ``(C) Priority projects.--In awarding grants under 
                subparagraph (B), the Secretary of Labor shall give 
                priority to programs or projects that train employed 
                and unemployed workers in skills that are in shortage 
                in the high technology, information technology, and 
                biotechnology fields, including software and 
                communications services, telecommunications, systems 
                installation and integration, computers and 
                communications hardware, health care technology, 
                biotechnology, and biomedical research, manufacturing, 
                and innovation services.
                    ``(D) Grants application requirement.--An 
                application for a grant under this paragraph shall 
                include--
                            ``(i) specific goals for each program or 
                        project for which funds are sought, including 
                        targets for measurable increases in skill gains 
for those individuals being trained under the project; and
                            ``(ii) an agreement that the program or 
                        project shall be subject to evaluations by the 
                        Secretary of Labor to measure its 
                        effectiveness.
                    ``(E) Matching funds.--Each grantee receiving funds 
                under this paragraph shall demonstrate the manner by 
                which the grantee will provide matching resources (in 
                the form of cash, in-kind contributions, or both) equal 
                to at least 25 percent of the total grant amount 
                awarded.
                    ``(F) Target population.--Each grantee receiving 
                funds under this paragraph shall make efforts actively 
                to recruit and train individuals who traditionally are 
                underrepresented in information technology occupations, 
                such as minorities, women, low-wage workers, workers 
                residing in empowerment zones and enterprise 
                communities (as defined in section 1393(b) of the 
                Internal Revenue Code of 1986), and individuals with a 
                disability.
            ``(2) Loan forgiveness for mathematics, science, and 
        reading teachers.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Notwithstanding any other 
                provision of law, the Secretary of Labor shall transfer 
                25 percent of the funds made available to the Secretary 
                of Labor under section 286(s)(2) of the Immigration and 
                Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1356(s)(2)) to the Secretary 
                of Education.
                    ``(B) Use of funds.--The Secretary of Education 
                shall use funds made available under subparagraph (A) 
                to carry out section 3 of the Training and Education 
                for American Workers Act of 2000.''.

SEC. 3. LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM FOR MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE, AND READING 
              TEACHERS.

    (a) Program.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Education (in this 
        section referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall carry out a 
        program of assuming the obligation to repay, pursuant to 
        subsection (c), a loan made, insured, or guaranteed under part 
        B of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 or part D of 
        such title (excluding loans made under sections 428B and 428C 
        of such Act or comparable loans made under part D of such 
        title) for any new borrower after October 1, 1998, who--
                    (A) has been employed as a full-time teacher of 
                mathematics, science, or a related field, or has been a 
                full-time teacher responsible for providing reading 
                instruction in any of grades kindergarten through 3d 
                grade, for 3 consecutive complete school years in a 
                school that qualifies under section 465(a)(2)(A) of the 
                Higher Education Act of 1965 for loan cancellation for 
                a recipient of a loan under part E of title IV of such 
                Act who teaches in such school;
                    (B) satisfies the requirements of subsection (d); 
                and
                    (C) is not in default on a loan for which the 
                borrower seeks forgiveness.
            (2) Award basis; priority.--
                    (A) Award basis.--Subject to subparagraph (B), loan 
                repayment under this section shall be on a first-come, 
                first-serve basis and subject to the availability of 
                appropriations.
                    (B) Priority.--The Secretary shall give priority in 
                providing loan repayment under this section for a 
                fiscal year to student borrowers who received loan 
                repayment under this section for the preceding fiscal 
                year.
            (3) Regulations.--The Secretary is authorized to prescribe 
        such regulations as may be necessary to carry out the 
        provisions of this section.
    (b) Loan Repayment.--
            (1) Eligible amount.--The amount the Secretary may repay on 
        behalf of any individual under this section shall not exceed--
                    (A) the sum of the principal amounts outstanding 
                (not to exceed $3,000) of the individual's qualifying 
                loans at the end of 3 consecutive complete school years 
                of service described in subsection (a)(1)(A);
                    (B) an additional portion of such sum (not to 
                exceed $1,000) at the end of each of the next 2 
                consecutive complete school years of such service; and
                    (C) a total of not more than $5,000.
            (2) Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
        construed to authorize the refunding of any repayment of a loan 
        made under part B or D of title IV of the Higher Education Act 
        of 1965.
            (3) Interest.--If a portion of a loan is repaid by the 
        Secretary under this section for any year, the proportionate 
        amount of interest on such loan which accrues for such year 
shall be repaid by the Secretary.
    (c) Repayment to Eligible Lenders.--The Secretary shall pay to each 
eligible lender or holder for each fiscal year an amount equal to the 
aggregate amount of loans which are subject to repayment pursuant to 
this section for such year.
    (d) Application for Repayment.--
            (1) In general.--Each eligible individual desiring loan 
        repayment under this section shall submit a complete and 
        accurate application to the Secretary at such time, in such 
        manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may 
        require.
            (2) Conditions.--
                    (A) Years of service.--An eligible individual may 
                apply for loan repayment under this section after 
                completing the required number of years of qualifying 
                employment.
                    (B) Other qualifications.--An application for loan 
                repayment under this section shall include such 
                information as is necessary to demonstrate that the 
                applicant--
                            (i) if employed as a secondary school 
                        teacher, is teaching a subject area that is 
                        relevant to the borrower's academic major as 
                        certified by the chief administrative officer 
                        of the public or nonprofit private secondary 
                        school (including public charter schools) in 
                        which the borrower is employed; and
                            (ii) if employed as an elementary school 
                        teacher, has demonstrated, as certified by the 
                        chief administrative officer of the public or 
                        nonprofit private elementary school (including 
                        public charter school) in which the borrower is 
                        employed, knowledge and teaching skills in 
                        reading, writing, mathematics, and other areas 
                        of the elementary school curriculum.
    (e) Treatment of Consolidation Loans.--A loan amount for a 
consolidation loan made under section 428C of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965, or a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan made under part D of 
title IV of such Act, may be a qualified loan amount for the purpose of 
this section only to the extent that such loan amount was used by a 
borrower who otherwise meets the requirements of this section to 
repay--
            (1) a loan made under section 428 or 428H of such Act; or
            (2) a Federal Direct Stafford Loan, or a Federal Direct 
        Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, made under part D of title IV of 
        such Act.
    (f) Funds for Program.--The Secretary shall carry out this section 
with funds made available under section 414(c)(2) the American 
Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998.

SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act, and the amendments made by this Act, shall take effect on 
October 1, 2000.
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