[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1943 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1943

        To provide for an inexpensive book distribution program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 17, 1999

  Mrs. Murray introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
        To provide for an inexpensive book distribution program.

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

SECTION 1. INEXPENSIVE BOOK DISTRIBUTION.

    Part E of title X of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 8131) is amended to read as follows:

            ``PART E--INEXPENSIVE BOOK DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM

``SEC. 10501. INEXPENSIVE BOOK DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM FOR READING 
              MOTIVATION.

    ``(a) Authorization.--The Secretary is authorized to enter into a 
contract with First Book--
            ``(1) to pay the Federal share of the cost of distributing 
        new books to disadvantaged children and families primarily 
        through tutoring, mentoring, and family literacy programs; and
            ``(2) to promote the growth and strengthening of First Book 
        Local Advisory Boards with the goal of leveraging the Federal 
        book distribution efforts and building upon the work of 
        community programs to enhance reading motivation for at-risk 
        children.
    ``(b) Requirements of Contract.--Any contract entered into under 
subsection (a) shall--
            ``(1) provide that First Book will provide technical 
        support and initial resources to First Book Local Advisory 
        Boards to support efforts to provide new books to those 
        tutoring, mentoring, and family literacy programs reaching 
        disadvantaged children;
            ``(2) provide that First Book, working in cooperation with 
        the First Book Local Advisory Boards, will give priority to 
        those tutoring, mentoring, and family literacy programs that 
        serve children and families with special needs, predominantly 
        those children from economically disadvantaged families and 
        those children and families without access to libraries;
            ``(3) provide that First Book will annually report to the 
        Secretary regarding the number of books distributed, the number 
        of Local Advisory Boards created and supported, the number of 
        community tutoring, mentoring, and family literacy programs 
        receiving books for children, and the number of children 
        provided with books; and
            ``(4) include such other terms and conditions as the 
        Secretary determines to be appropriate to ensure the 
        effectiveness of the program.
    ``(c) Restriction on Payments.--The Secretary shall require First 
Book to ensure that the discounts provided by publishers and 
distributors for the new books purchased under this section is at least 
as favorable as discounts that are customarily given by such publishers 
or distributors for book purchases made under similar circumstances in 
the absence of Federal assistance.
    ``(d) Definition of Federal Share.--For the purpose of this 
section, the term `Federal share' means, with respect to the cost of 
purchasing books under this section, 100 percent of the cost to First 
Book.
    ``(e) Authorization of Appropriation.--For the purpose of carrying 
out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 
for the fiscal year 2001 and such sums as may be necessary for each of 
the 4 succeeding fiscal years.''.
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