[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4680 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4680

 To authorize appropriations for the Advanced Technological Education 
Program, to amend the Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 to 
 further strengthen science, mathematics, and technology education at 
   the Nation's associate-degree-granting colleges, to establish an 
    advisory committee to help guide implementation of the Advanced 
        Technological Education Program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 8, 2002

Mr. Baird (for himself and Mr. Price of North Carolina) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, and in 
addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period 
    to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To authorize appropriations for the Advanced Technological Education 
Program, to amend the Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 to 
 further strengthen science, mathematics, and technology education at 
   the Nation's associate-degree-granting colleges, to establish an 
    advisory committee to help guide implementation of the Advanced 
        Technological Education Program, 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 ``Science Undergraduate Community 
College Education Enhancement Development Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Providing a trained workforce needed to sustain the 
        Nation's post-industrial economy will require strengthening 
        undergraduate education in science, mathematics, and technology 
        at associate-degree-granting colleges.
            (2) According to the American Association of Community 
        Colleges, nearly half of all United States undergraduate 
        college students are enrolled in associate-degree-granting 
        colleges.
            (3) The National Science Foundation has determined that as 
        many as 40 percent of the Nation's science and mathematics 
        teachers have taken courses at associate-degree-granting 
        colleges, with an even higher percentage in some States.
            (4) Associate-degree-granting colleges educate the vast 
        majority of the three to five technicians that support each 
        engineer, scientist, and medical doctor across the Nation.
            (5) Millions of students take core mathematics and science 
        courses at associate-degree-granting colleges to lay the 
        groundwork for further studies. These core courses may be the 
        most important curricular component at these colleges because 
        they are required of all associate degree and transfer 
        students, including future teachers.
            (6) The Advanced Technological Education Program 
        administered by the National Science Foundation has been 
        effective in improving advanced-technology education at 
        associate-degree-granting colleges and should be expanded, 
        including through activities to improve core education programs 
        in science, mathematics, and technology.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Associate-degree-granting college.--The term 
        ``associate-degree-granting college'' has the meaning given 
        that term in section 3(g)(2) of the Scientific and Advanced-
        Technology Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 1862i(g)(2)).
            (2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the Foundation.
            (3) Foundation.--The term ``Foundation'' means the National 
        Science Foundation.
            (4) Program.--The term ``Program'' means the Advanced 
        Technological Education Program of the Foundation.

SEC. 4. CORE SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS COURSES.

    Section 3(a) of the Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 
(42 U.S.C. 1862i(a)) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``, and to improve the quality of their 
        core education courses in science and mathematics'' after 
        ``education in advanced-technology fields'';
            (2) in paragraph (1) by inserting ``and in core science and 
        mathematics courses'' after ``advanced-technology fields''; and
            (3) in paragraph (2) by striking ``in advanced-technology 
        fields'' and inserting ``who provide instruction in science, 
        mathematics, and advanced-technology fields''.

SEC. 5. ARTICULATION PARTNERSHIPS.

    Section 3(c)(1)(B) of the Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 
1992 (42 U.S.C. 1862i(c)(1)(B)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of clause (i);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of clause (ii) and 
        inserting a semicolon; and
            (3) by adding after clause (ii) the following new clauses:
                    ``(iii) provide students with research experiences 
                at bachelor-degree-granting institutions participating 
                in the partnership, including stipend support for 
                students participating in summer programs; and
                    ``(iv) provide faculty mentors for students 
                participating in activities under clause (iii), 
                including summer salary support for faculty mentors.''.

SEC. 6. ADVANCED TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    (a) Establishment.--The Director shall establish an advisory 
committee on science, mathematics, and technology education at 
community colleges consisting of non-Federal members, including 
representatives from academia and industry, who are qualified to 
provide the Director with advice on and assessments of the Program.
    (b) Duties.--The advisory committee established under subsection 
(a) shall review, and provide the Director with an assessment of, 
activities carried out under the Program, including--
            (1) conformity of the Program to the requirements of the 
        Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992;
            (2) the effectiveness of activities supported under the 
        Program in strengthening the scientific and technical education 
        and training capabilities of community colleges;
            (3) the effectiveness of the Foundation and institutions 
        receiving awards under the Program in disseminating information 
        to other associate-degree-granting colleges about activities 
        carried out under the Program and about model curricula and 
        teaching methods developed under the Program;
            (4) the balance of resources allocated under the Program 
        for support of national centers of excellence, individual 
        institution grants, and articulation partnerships; and
            (5) other issues identified by the Director.
The advisory committee shall make recommendations to the Director for 
improvements to the Program based on its reviews and assessments.
    (c) Advisory Committee Reports.--The advisory committee established 
under subsection (a) shall report annually to the Director and to 
Congress on the findings and recommendations resulting from the reviews 
and assessments conducted in accordance with subsection (b).

SEC. 7. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION REPORT.

    Within 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Director shall transmit a report to Congress on--
            (1) efforts by the Foundation and awardees under the 
        Program to disseminate information about the results of 
        projects;
            (2) the effectiveness of national centers of scientific and 
        technical education established under section 3(b) of the 
        Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 in serving as 
        national and regional clearinghouses of information and models 
        for best practices in undergraduate science, mathematics, and 
        technology education; and
            (3) efforts to satisfy the requirement of section 3(f)(4) 
        of the Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992.

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) Fiscal Year 2003.--
            (1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
        the Foundation $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2003 for the 
        Program.
            (2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under 
        paragraph (1)--
                    (A) $5,000,000 shall be made available for 
                activities to improve core science and mathematics 
                education in accordance with section 3(a) of the 
                Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 (42 
                U.S.C. 1862i(a)), as amended by section 4 of this Act;
                    (B) $3,000,000 shall be made available for 
                acquisition of instrumentation in accordance with 
                section 3(a)(4) of the Scientific and Advanced-
                Technology Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 1862i(a)(4)); and
                    (C) $750,000 shall be made available for support 
                for research experiences for undergraduate students in 
                accordance with section 3(c)(1)(B) of the Scientific 
                and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 
                1862i(c)(1)(B)), as amended by section 5 of this Act.
    (b) Fiscal Year 2004.--
            (1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
        the Foundation $55,000,000 for fiscal year 2004 for the 
        Program.
            (2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under 
        paragraph (1)--
                    (A) $5,000,000 shall be made available for 
                activities to improve core science and mathematics 
                education in accordance with section 3(a) of the 
                Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 (42 
                U.S.C. 1862i(a)), as amended by section 4 of this Act;
                    (B) $3,500,000 shall be made available for 
                acquisition of instrumentation in accordance with 
                section 3(a)(4) of the Scientific and Advanced-
                Technology Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 1862i(a)(4)); and
                    (C) $750,000 shall be made available for support 
                for research experiences for undergraduate students in 
                accordance with section 3(c)(1)(B) of the Scientific 
                and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 
                1862i(c)(1)(B)), as amended by section 5 of this Act.
    (c) Fiscal Year 2005.--
            (1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
        the Foundation $60,500,000 for fiscal year 2005 for the 
        Program.
            (2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under 
        paragraph (1)--
                    (A) $5,000,000 shall be made available for 
                activities to improve core science and mathematics 
                education in accordance with section 3(a) of the 
                Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 (42 
                U.S.C. 1862i(a)), as amended by section 4 of this Act;
                    (B) $4,000,000 shall be made available for 
                acquisition of instrumentation in accordance with 
                section 3(a)(4) of the Scientific and Advanced-
                Technology Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 1862i(a)(4)); and
                    (C) $750,000 shall be made available for support 
                for research experiences for undergraduate students in 
                accordance with section 3(c)(1)(B) of the Scientific 
                and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 
                1862i(c)(1)(B)), as amended by section 5 of this Act.
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