[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1549 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1549

  To provide for increasing the technically trained workforce in the 
                             United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 15, 2001

Mr. Lieberman (for himself, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Bond, Mr. Frist, and Mr. 
   Domenici) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide for increasing the technically trained workforce in the 
                             United States.

    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 ``Technology Talent Act of 2001''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; DEFINITIONS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings with respect 
to the value of the technically trained workforce to the United States:
            (1) Studies show that about half of all United States post-
        World War II economic growth is a direct result of 
        technological innovation, and science, engineering, and 
        technology play a central role in the creation of new goods and 
        services, new jobs, and new capital.
            (2) The growth in the number of jobs requiring technical 
        skills is projected to be more than 50 percent over the next 
        decade.
            (3) A workforce that is highly trained in science, 
        mathematics, engineering, and technology is crucial to 
        generating the innovation that drives economic growth.
            (4) Outside of the biomedical sciences, the number of 
        undergraduate degrees awarded in the science, mathematics, 
        engineering, and technology disciplines has been flat or 
        declining since 1987, despite rapid population growth and a 
        significant increase in undergraduate enrollment over the same 
        period.
            (5) The demand for H-1B visas has increased over the past 
        several years, suggesting that the United States is not 
        training a sufficient number of scientists and engineers.
            (6) In international comparisons of 24-year olds, there 
        have been shown to be fewer holders of natural science and 
        engineering degrees in the United States than in Japan, South 
        Korea, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
            (7) Technological and scientific advancements hold 
        significant potential for elevating the quality of life and the 
        standard of living in the United States. The quality and 
        quantity of such advancements are dependent on a technically 
        trained workforce.
            (8) Arresting the trends in reduced numbers of science and 
        engineering graduates is not only imperative to maintaining our 
        Nation's prosperity, it is also important for our national 
        security.
    (b) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) Community college.--The term ``community college'' 
        means an institution of higher education that provides not less 
        than a 2-year program that is acceptable for full credit toward 
        a bachelor's degree, including institutions receiving 
        assistance under the Tribally Controlled Community College 
        Assistance Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.).
            (2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the National Science Foundation.
            (3) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001(a)).

SEC. 3. DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    (a) In General.--The Director is authorized to award grants, on a 
competitive basis to institutions of higher education with science, 
mathematics, engineering, or technology programs to enable the 
institutions to increase the number of students studying and receiving 
associates or bachelor's degrees in established or emerging fields 
within science, mathematics, engineering, and technology.
    (b) Requirements.--
            (1) Number.--The Director shall award not fewer than 10 
        grants under this Act each year contingent upon available 
        funds.
            (2) Duration.--Grants under this Act shall be awarded for a 
        period of 3 years, with the final year of funding contingent 
        upon the Director's determination that satisfactory progress 
        has been made by the institution or community college during 
        the first 2 years of the grant period.
            (3) Principal Investigator.--At least 1 principal 
        investigator must be in a position of administrative leadership 
at the institution of higher education. Multiple principal 
investigators shall be permitted.
            (4) Subsequent grants.--Institutions of higher education 
        that have received grants under this Act shall be eligible to 
        compete for subsequent grants to enable the institutions to 
        continue making progress toward program goals after the initial 
        grant period ends. In reviewing the grant application from such 
        an institution, the Director is encouraged to consider--
                    (A) the progress the institution has made, using 
                grant funds received under this Act, toward achieving 
                program goals; and
                    (B) whether the successive grant application of the 
                institution includes a novel strategy for achieving 
                subsequent goals.
            (5) Increases.--
                    (A) Institutions of higher education with 
                bachelor's degree programs.--An institution of higher 
                education that awards bachelor's degrees and desires to 
                receive a grant under this Act shall propose specific 
                increases in the number of students who are United 
                States citizens or permanent resident aliens, obtaining 
                bachelor's degrees at the institution in established or 
                emerging fields within science, mathematics, 
                engineering, or technology.
                    (B) Community colleges.--A community college that 
                desires to receive a grant under this Act shall propose 
                specific increases in the number of students who are 
                United States citizens or permanent resident aliens, 
                obtaining associate degrees in established or emerging 
                fields within science, mathematics, engineering, or 
                technology, and are encouraged to facilitate the 
                enrollment of such students in bachelor's degree 
                programs.
            (6) Peer review of applications.--The Director shall review 
        grant applications under this Act on the basis of a peer review 
        process.
            (7) Priority.--The Director is encouraged to give priority 
        in awarding grants to institutions of higher education that 
        enable such institutions to carry out programs--
                    (A) that increase the number of students studying 
                and receiving associates and bachelor's degrees in 
                established or emerging fields within science, 
                mathematics, engineering, or technology where there is 
                a specific industry need or where the number of 
                graduates has been flat or declining in recent years; 
                and
                    (B) that draw on previous and existing efforts with 
                demonstrated success in improving undergraduate 
                learning and teaching, including those efforts funded 
                by Federal grants from the National Science Foundation 
                or other agencies.
            (8) National science foundation science and engineering 
        talent expansion center.--An institution of higher education 
        that is awarded a grant under this Act shall be known as a 
        ``National Science Foundation Science and Engineering Talent 
        Expansion Center''.

SEC. 4. POLICY ELEMENTS.

    In soliciting and evaluating grant applications from institutions 
of higher education under this Act, the Director shall consider 
supporting--
            (1) programs that specifically aim to increase the number 
        of traditionally underrepresented students (low-income, ethnic 
        minorities, and women) in science, mathematics, engineering, or 
        technology, such as mentoring programs;
            (2) programs that expand the capacity of institutions of 
        higher education to incorporate current advances in science and 
        technology into the undergraduate learning environment;
            (3) bridge programs that enable additional preparation for 
        students otherwise not fully prepared to succeed in the study 
        and practice of science, mathematics, engineering, and 
        technology, including programs targeted at traditionally 
        underrepresented groups in such disciplines;
            (4) programs including interdisciplinary approaches to 
        undergraduate science, mathematics, engineering, and technology 
        education;
            (5) programs that focus directly on the quality of student 
        learning, including those that encourage--
                    (A) high-caliber teaching, including enabling 
                faculty to spend additional time teaching participating 
                students in smaller class settings, particularly in the 
                laboratory environment, by, for example, providing 
                summer salary or other additional salary for faculty 
                members or stipends for students;
                    (B) opportunities to develop new pedagogical 
                approaches including the development of web-based 
                course strategies, distributed and collaborative 
                digital teaching tools, or interactive course modules; 
                and
                    (C) screening and training of teaching assistants;
            (6) programs that--
                    (A) facilitate student exposure to potential 
                careers, including cooperative programs with industry 
                or government that place students in internships as 
                early as the summer following their first year of 
                study;
                    (B) provide part-time employment in industry during 
                the school year; or
                    (C) provide opportunities for undergraduates to 
                participate in industry or government sponsored 
                research;
            (7) programs that assist institutions of higher education 
        in States that participate in the Experimental Program to 
        Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) to broaden the science, 
        engineering, mathematics, and technology student base or 
        increase retention in these fields;
            (8) programs to encourage undergraduate research on- or 
        off-campus;
            (9) programs that provide financial incentives to students 
        entering and persisting in the study of science, mathematics, 
        engineering, or technology;
            (10) programs that leverage the Federal investment by 
        providing matching funds from industry, from State or local 
        government sources, or from private sources; and
            (11) other innovative approaches to achieving program 
        goals.

SEC. 5. EVALUATION AND DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION.

    (a) Evaluation.--The Director, in consultation with the advisory 
committee established under section 7--
            (1) shall evaluate, at least once each year, the progress 
        of institutions of higher education that are assisted under 
        this Act in achieving the goal of increasing the number of 
        students obtaining degrees in science, mathematics, 
        engineering, or technology; and
            (2) shall award at least 1 grant or contract to an 
        independent evaluative organization to develop metrics and 
        evaluate the program approaches assisted under this Act that 
        are most effective, including those most cost-effective, in 
        increasing the number of students obtaining degrees in such 
        disciplines.
    (b) Dissemination of Information.--The Director, at least once each 
year, shall disseminate information on the activities and the results 
of the program assisted under this Act to participating institutions of 
higher education and other interested institutions of higher education.

SEC. 6. REPORTS.

    (a) List.--Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Director shall develop, and disseminate to institutions 
of higher education, a list of examples of existing institutional and 
government efforts relevant to the program assisted under this Act.
    (b) Interim Progress Report.--At the end of the second year of the 
program assisted under this Act, the Director shall submit to Congress 
an interim progress report that includes an evaluation of programmatic 
features assisted under this Act that are most effective in increasing 
the number of students studying science, mathematics, engineering, or 
technology.
    (c) Final Report.--The Director shall submit to Congress a final 
report in 2007 regarding activities assisted under this Act, 
including--
            (1) an evaluation of the features described in subsection 
        (b);
            (2) the number of degrees granted to students under this 
        Act; and
            (3) information on the number of graduates assisted under 
        this Act who elected to pursue graduate degrees, and other 
        career paths taken by individuals assisted under this Act.

SEC. 7. ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    The Director shall establish an advisory committee, that includes 
significant representation from industry and academic leaders, for the 
grant program assisted under this Act. The advisory committee shall--
            (1) assist the Director in securing active industry, and 
        State and local government, participation in the program 
        assisted under this Act;
            (2) recommend to the Director new innovative approaches to 
        furthering the mission of the program; and
            (3) critique and advise the Director regarding program 
        metrics, implementation and performance of the program, and 
        program progress reports.

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS; FUNDING

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the National Science Foundation to carry out this Act--
            (1) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2002; and
            (2) such sums as may be necessary for each subsequent 
        fiscal year.
    (b) Funding.--In addition to any other purposes for which such 
funds are available, any funds made available to the Director under 
section 286(s) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1356(s)) shall be available to carry out this Act.
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