[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1654 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1654

    To amend the Education of the Deaf Act of 1986 to authorize the 
  Secretary of Education to establish the National Junior College for 
      Deaf and Blind at the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            November 8, 2001

  Mr. Sessions (for himself, Mr. Shelby, and Mr. Enzi) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend the Education of the Deaf Act of 1986 to authorize the 
  Secretary of Education to establish the National Junior College for 
      Deaf and Blind at the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind.

    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 ``National Junior College for Deaf and 
Blind at the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds as follows:
            (1) The United States has low rates of college completion 
        by high school graduates who are deaf or blind.
            (2) Deaf or blind students who attend college have a 
        dropout rate in the first 2 years of college that is 
        approximately 4 times higher than the dropout rate of hearing 
        and sighted students.
            (3) The United States has a shortage of teachers and 
        service professionals trained at the associate degree or 
        certificate level to provide services to individuals who are 
        deaf or blind.
            (4) The United States has very limited distance learning 
        opportunities for individuals who are deaf or blind.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL JUNIOR COLLEGE FOR DEAF AND BLIND.

    (a) Establishment.--Title I of the Education of the Deaf Act of 
1986 (20 U.S.C. 4301 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

          ``PART C--NATIONAL JUNIOR COLLEGE FOR DEAF AND BLIND

``SEC. 120. PURPOSES.

    ``The purposes of this part are the following:
            ``(1) Easing the transition from high school to college for 
        students who are deaf or blind.
            ``(2) Increasing the number of deaf or blind individuals 
        attending and completing college.
            ``(3) Providing a modern distance learning program and a 
        residential facility for postsecondary technical training and 
        education for individuals who are deaf or blind.
            ``(4) Preparing individuals who are deaf or blind for 
        successful employment.
            ``(5) Training individuals to provide instructional, 
        professional, and other services to individuals who are deaf 
        and blind.

``SEC. 121. AGREEMENT.

    ``(a) General Authority.--The Secretary shall seek to enter into, 
not later than 1 year after the enactment of the National Junior 
College for Deaf and Blind at the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind 
Act, an agreement with the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind for the 
establishment and operation (including construction and provision of 
equipment) of the National Junior College for Deaf and Blind.
    ``(b) National Mission Activities.--The agreement shall provide the 
national mission activities of NJCDB, including the following:
            ``(1) Maintenance and operation of exemplary postsecondary 
        education programs, projects, and activities for the primary 
        purpose of developing, evaluating, and disseminating innovative 
        curriculums, instructional techniques and strategies, and 
        materials that can be used in various educational environments 
        to serve individuals who are deaf or blind.
            ``(2) Addressing the specific educational, technological, 
        and special support needs of students who are deaf or blind.
    ``(c) Provisions of Agreement.--The agreement shall--
            ``(1) provide that Federal funds appropriated for the 
        benefit of NJCDB be used in accordance with the applicable 
        provisions of this Act and such agreement;
            ``(2) provide that NJCDB will make an annual report to the 
        Secretary on its operations and the national mission activities 
        of its postsecondary education programs;
            ``(3) provide that in the design and construction of any 
        facilities, maximum attention will be given to innovative 
        auditory and visual devices and installations appropriate for 
        the educational functions of such facilities; and
            ``(4) establish a policy of outreach and recruitment to 
        employ and advance employment of individuals with disabilities, 
        particularly individuals who are deaf or blind, at NJCDB.
    ``(d) Modification.--The Secretary and AIDB may periodically modify 
the agreement as determined to be necessary by the Secretary or AIDB.
    ``(e) Scholarship Program.--
            ``(1) Development.--The agreement shall provide for the 
        development of a scholarship program, under which NJCDB awards 
        scholarships to students enrolled in its programs.
            ``(2) Use of funds.--Funds awarded as scholarships under 
        this section shall be used to assist in paying the costs of 
        attending NJCDB, including tuition, fees, training courses, 
        study, and room and board.
            ``(3) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
        authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 
        and such sums as may be necessary thereafter to carry out this 
        subsection.
    ``(f) Provisions Regarding NTID.--If the Secretary enters into an 
agreement with AIDB under this section, the provisions of sections 202, 
203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, and 210 shall apply to NJCDB and AIDB in 
the same manner as such provisions apply to NTID and the institution of 
higher education with which the Secretary has an agreement under 
section 112, respectively, except as follows:
            ``(1) References to individuals who are deaf or hard of 
        hearing shall be construed as references to individuals who are 
        deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or of low vision.
            ``(2) NJCDB shall develop the policies described in section 
        203(c)(2)(A) not later than 180 days after the date of the 
        enactment of the National Junior College for Deaf and Blind at 
        the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind Act.
            ``(3) For purposes of section 210, references to deafness 
        related research, development, and demonstration activities 
        shall be construed as references to deafness or blindness 
        related research, development, and demonstration activities.''.
    (b) Definitions.--Section 201 of the Education of the Deaf Act of 
1986 (20 U.S.C. 4351) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(8) The term `AIDB' means the Alabama Institute for Deaf 
        and Blind.
            ``(9) The term `NJCDB' means the National Junior College 
        for Deaf and Blind.''.
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