[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2447 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2447

 To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to authorize 
 the Secretary of Agriculture to make competitive grants to establish 
    National Centers for Distance Working to provide assistance to 
 individuals in rural communities to support the use of teleworking in 
                     information technology fields.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 13, 2000

Mr. Wellstone (for himself, Mr. Daschle, and Mr. Baucus) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                  Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to authorize 
 the Secretary of Agriculture to make competitive grants to establish 
    National Centers for Distance Working to provide assistance to 
 individuals in rural communities to support the use of teleworking in 
                     information technology fields.

    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 ``Rural Telework Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) many rural communities and Indian reservations have not 
        benefited from the historic economic expansion in recent years, 
        and high levels of unemployment and underemployment persist in 
        the rural communities and reservations;
            (2) many economic opportunities, especially in information 
        technology fields, are located away from many rural communities 
        and reservations;
            (3) the United States has a significant and growing need 
        for skilled information technology workers;
            (4) unemployed and underemployed rural employees represent 
        a potential workforce to fill information technology jobs;
            (5) teleworking allows rural employees to perform skill 
        intensive information technology jobs from their communities 
        for firms located outside rural communities; and
            (6) employing a rural teleworkforce in information 
        technology fields will require--
                    (A) employers that are willing to hire rural 
                residents or contract for work to be performed in rural 
                communities;
                    (B) recruitment and training of rural residents 
                appropriate for work in information technology fields;
                    (C) means of connecting employers with employees 
                through advanced telecommunications services; and
                    (D) innovative approaches and collaborative models 
                to create rural technology business opportunities and 
                facilitate the employment of rural individuals.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to make 
        competitive grants to establish National Centers for Distance 
        Working in rural areas to provide assistance to individuals in 
        rural communities to support the use of teleworking in 
        information technology fields;
            (2) to promote teleworking arrangements, small electronic 
        business development, and creation of information technology 
        jobs in rural areas for the purpose of creating sustainable 
        economic opportunities in rural communities;
            (3) to promote the practice of teleworking to information 
        technology jobs among rural, urban, and suburban residents, 
        Indian tribes, job training and workforce development 
        providers, educators, and employers;
            (4) to meet the needs of information technology and other 
        industries for skilled employees by accelerating the training 
        and hiring of rural employees to fill existing and future jobs 
        from rural communities and Indian reservations;
            (5) to promote teleworking and small electronic business as 
        sustainable income sources for rural communities and Indian 
        tribes; and
            (6) to study, collect information, and develop best 
        practices for rural teleworking employment practices.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL CENTERS FOR DISTANCE WORKING PROGRAM.

    Subtitle D of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 
U.S.C. 1981 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 376. NATIONAL CENTERS FOR DISTANCE WORKING PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Center.--The term `Center' means a National Center 
        for Distance Working established under subsection (b) that 
        receives a grant under this section.
            ``(2) Eligible organization.--The term `eligible 
        organization' means a nonprofit entity, an educational 
        institution, a tribal government, or any other organization 
        that meets the requirements of this section and such other 
        requirements as are established by the Secretary.
            ``(3) Information technology.--The term `information 
        technology' means any equipment, or interconnected system or 
        subsystem of equipment, that is used in the automatic 
        acquisition, storage, manipulation, management, movement, 
        control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, or 
        reception of data or information, including a computer, 
        ancillary equipment, software, firmware and similar procedures, 
        services (including support services), and related resources.
            ``(4) Rural area.--The terms `rural' and `rural area' have 
        the meaning given the terms in section 381A.
            ``(5) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary, 
        acting through the Administrator of the Rural Utility Service.
            ``(6) Teleworking.--The term `teleworking' means the use of 
        telecommunications to perform work functions over a distance 
        and to reduce or eliminate the need to perform work at a 
traditional worksite.
    ``(b) Establishment.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a National 
        Centers for Distance Working Program under which the Secretary 
        shall make competitive grants to eligible organizations to pay 
        the Federal share of the cost of establishing National Centers 
        for Distance Working in rural areas to conduct projects in 
        accordance with subsection (c).
            ``(2) Eligible organization.--The Secretary shall establish 
        criteria that an organization must meet to be eligible to 
        receive a grant under this section.
    ``(c) Projects.--A Center shall use a grant received under this 
section to conduct a 5-year project--
            ``(1) to provide training, referral, assessment, and 
        employment-related services and assistance to individuals in 
        rural communities and Indian tribes to support the use of 
        teleworking in information technology fields, including 
        services and assistance related to high technology training, 
        telecommunications infrastructure, capital equipment, job 
        placement services, and other means of promoting teleworking;
            ``(2) to identify skills that are needed by the business 
        community and that will enable trainees to secure employment 
        after the completion of training;
            ``(3) to recruit employers for rural individuals and 
        residents of Indian reservations;
            ``(4) to provide for high-speed communications between the 
        individuals in the targeted rural community or reservation and 
        employers that carry out information technology work that is 
        suitable for teleworking;
            ``(5) to provide for access to or ownership of the 
        facilities, hardware, software, and other equipment necessary 
        to perform information technology jobs; and
            ``(6) to perform such other functions as the Secretary 
        considers appropriate.
    ``(d) Eligibility Criteria.--
            ``(1) Application and plan.--As a condition of receiving a 
        grant under this section for use with respect to a rural area, 
        an organization shall submit to the Secretary, and obtain the 
        approval of the Secretary of, an application and 5-year plan 
        for the use of the grant to carry out a project described in 
        subsection (c), including a description of--
                    ``(A) the businesses and employers that will 
                provide employment opportunities in the rural area;
                    ``(B) fundraising strategies;
                    ``(C) training and training delivery methods to be 
                employed;
                    ``(D) the rural community of individuals to be 
                targeted to receive assistance;
                    ``(E) any support from State and local governments 
                and other non-Federal sources; and
                    ``(F) outreach activities to be carried out to 
                reach potential information technology employers.
            ``(2) Non-federal share.--
                    ``(A) In general.--As a condition of receiving a 
                grant under this section, an organization shall agree 
                to obtain, after the application of the organization 
                has been approved and notice of award has been issued, 
                contributions from non-Federal sources that are equal 
                to--
                            ``(i) during each of the first, second, and 
                        third years of a project, 1 non-Federal dollar 
                        for each 2 Federal dollars provided under the 
                        grant; and
                            ``(ii) during each of the fourth and fifth 
                        years of the project, 1 non-Federal dollar for 
                        each Federal dollar provided under the grant.
                    ``(B) Indian tribes.--Notwithstanding subparagraph 
                (A), an Indian tribe may use Federal funds made 
                available to the tribe for self-governance to pay the 
                non-Federal contributions required under subparagraph 
                (A).
                    ``(C) Form.--The non-Federal contributions required 
                under subparagraph (A) may be in the form of in-kind 
                contributions, including office equipment, office 
                space, and services.
    ``(e) Selection Criteria.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall--
                    ``(A) establish criteria for the selection of 
                eligible organizations to receive grants under this 
                section; and
                    ``(B) evaluate, rank, and select eligible 
                organizations on the basis of the selection criteria.
            ``(2) Factors.--The selection criteria established under 
        paragraph (1) shall include--
                    ``(A) the experience of the eligible organization 
                in conducting programs or ongoing efforts designed to 
                improve or upgrade the skills of rural employees or 
                members of Indian tribes;
                    ``(B) the ability of the eligible organization to 
                initiate a project within a minimum period of time;
                    ``(C) the ability and experience of the eligible 
                organization in providing training to rural individuals 
                who are economically disadvantaged or who face 
                significant barriers to employment;
                    ``(D) the ability and experience of the eligible 
                organization in conducting information technology skill 
                training;
                    ``(E) the degree to which the eligible organization 
                has entered into partnerships or contracts with local, 
                tribal, and State governments, community-based 
                organizations, and prospective employers to provide 
                training, employment, and supportive services;
                    ``(F) the ability and experience of the eligible 
                organization in providing job placement for rural 
                employees with employers that are suitable for 
                teleworking;
                    ``(G) the computer and telecommunications equipment 
                that the eligible organization has or expects to 
possess or use under contract on initiation of the project; and
                    ``(H) the means the applicant proposes, such as 
                high-speed Internet access, to allow communication 
                between rural employees and employers.
            ``(3) Publication.--The Secretary shall--
                    ``(A) publish the selection criteria established 
                under this subsection in the Federal Register; and
                    ``(B) include a description of the selection 
                criteria in any solicitation for applications for 
                grants made by the Secretary.
    ``(f) Studies of Teleworking.--
            ``(1) In general.--To promote the development of 
        teleworking in rural areas, the Secretary may make grants to 
        entities to conduct research on economic, operational, social, 
        and policy issues relating to teleworking in rural areas, 
        including the development of best practices for businesses that 
        employ teleworkers.
            ``(2) Limitation.--The Secretary shall use not more than 
        $1,000,000 of funds made available for a fiscal year under 
        subsection (g) to carry out this subsection.
    ``(g) Authorization of Appropriation.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $11,000,000 for each fiscal 
year.''.
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