[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2347 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2347

     To provide grants to partnerships to establish and carry out 
information technology training programs and to provide incentives for 
educators to obtain information technology certification, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 4, 2000

Mr. Conrad (for himself, Mr. Reid, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Levin, Mr. Kennedy, 
 Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Bayh, and Mr. Rockefeller) introduced the following 
  bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To provide grants to partnerships to establish and carry out 
information technology training programs and to provide incentives for 
educators to obtain information technology certification, 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 ``Information Technology Act of 
2000''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Certified commercial information technology training 
        provider.--The term ``certified commercial information 
        technology training provider'' means a private sector provider 
        of educational products and services utilized for training in 
        information technology that is certified with respect to--
                    (A) the curriculum that is used for the training; 
                or
                    (B) the technical knowledge of the instructors of 
                such provider,
        by 1 or more software publishers or hardware manufacturers the 
        products of which are a subject of the training.
            (2) Dislocated worker.--The term ``dislocated worker'' has 
        the meaning given the term in section 101 of the Workforce 
        Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2801).
            (3) Information technology certification.--The term 
        ``information technology certification'' means certification in 
        information technology, in accordance with such standards as--
                    (A)(i) the Computing Technology Industry 
                Association, the Information Technology Training 
                Association, the International Society for Technology 
                in Education, or another information technology 
                professional association may issue, after consultation 
                with chief education officers of States, State boards 
                and entities that certify or license teachers, and 
                other entities impacted by the standards; or
                    (ii) a State board or entity that certifies or 
                licenses teachers may issue, after consultation with 
                chief education officers of States, and other entities 
                impacted by the standards; and
                    (B) the Secretaries may approve.
            (4) Information technology training program.--The term 
        ``information technology training program'' means a program for 
        the training of--
                    (A) computer programmers, systems analysts, and 
                computer scientists or engineers (as such occupations 
                are defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics); and
                    (B) persons for such other occupations as are 
                determined to be appropriate by the Secretaries, after 
                consultation with a working group broadly solicited by 
                the Secretaries and open to all interested information 
                technology entities and trade and professional 
                associations.
            (5) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1002).
            (6) Native american.--The term ``Native American'' means an 
        Indian or a Native Hawaiian, as defined in section 166(a) of 
        the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2911(a)).
            (7) Secretaries.--The term ``Secretaries'' means the 
        Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Labor, acting 
        jointly.
            (8) Veteran.--The term ``veteran'' has the meaning given 
        the term in section 101 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 
        (29 U.S.C. 2801).

SEC. 3. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TRAINING PROGRAM GRANTS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretaries may make grants to eligible 
partnerships to pay for the Federal share of the cost of establishing 
and carrying out information technology training programs for 
minorities, women, older individuals, veterans, Native Americans, 
dislocated workers, and former participants in information technology 
training programs who have not received information technology 
certification.
    (b) Partnerships.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
subsection (a), a partnership shall consist of--
            (1) an institution of higher education; and
            (2) a private organization, such as a certified commercial 
        information technology training provider or an information 
        technology trade or professional association.
    (c) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
subsection (a), a partnership shall submit an application to the 
Secretaries at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Secretaries may require.
    (d) Federal Share.--
            (1) In general.--The Federal share of the cost described in 
        subsection (a) shall be 50 percent.
            (2) Non-federal share.--The non-Federal share of the cost 
        shall be provided in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, 
        including plant, equipment, or services.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $100,000,000 for fiscal year 
2001 and such sums as may be necessary for each subsequent fiscal year.

SEC. 4. BONUS GRANTS FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CERTIFICATION.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Education may make grants to 
appropriate organizations, to assist the organizations in awarding 
bonuses to teachers who achieve information technology certification.
    (b) Amount.--Subject to the availability of appropriations under 
subsection (d), the Secretary of Education shall award a grant to an 
organization under subsection (a) in an amount not greater than the 
product of $5,000 and the number of teachers described in subsection 
(c)(2).
    (c) Application.--
            (1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
        this section, a local educational agency shall submit an 
        application to the Secretary of Education at such time, in such 
        manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may 
        require.
            (2) Contents.--At a minimum, the application shall contain 
        information describing the number of teachers that--
                    (A) have achieved information technology 
                certification, including such certification for 
                integrating information technology into the classroom 
                and a curriculum;
                    (B) have not previously received awards under this 
                section; and
                    (C) have entered into agreements with the agency to 
                continue to teach for the agency for periods of not 
                less than 3 years, after receiving bonuses under this 
                section.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $100,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2001 through 2005.
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