[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 327 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 327

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to provide 
      up-to-date school library media resources and well-trained, 
     professionally certified school library media specialists for 
   elementary schools and secondary schools, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 14, 2001

    Mr. Reed (for himself, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Dodd, Mr. 
 Bingaman, Mr. Wellstone, Mrs. Murray, Ms. Mikulski, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. 
   Chafee, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Reid, Mr. Sarbanes, and Mr. Baucus) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
          Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to provide 
      up-to-date school library media resources and well-trained, 
     professionally certified school library media specialists for 
   elementary schools and secondary schools, 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 ``Improving Literacy Through School 
Libraries Act of 2001''.

SEC. 2. SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA RESOURCES.

    Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 6801 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating part E as part F; and
            (2) by inserting after part D the following:

      ``PART E--ASSISTANCE TO SCHOOL LIBRARIES TO IMPROVE LITERACY

                  ``Subpart 1--Library Media Resources

``SEC. 2350. PURPOSE.

    ``The purposes of this subpart are--
            ``(1) to improve literacy skills and academic achievement 
        of students by providing students with increased access to up-
        to-date school library materials, a well-equipped, 
        technologically advanced school library media center, and well-
        trained, professionally certified school library media 
        specialists;
            ``(2) to support the acquisition of up-to-date school 
        library media resources for the use of students, school library 
        media specialists, and teachers in elementary schools and 
        secondary schools;
            ``(3) to provide school library media specialists with the 
        tools and training opportunities necessary for the specialists 
        to facilitate the development and enhancement of the 
        information literacy, information retrieval, and critical 
        thinking skills of students; and
            ``(4)(A) to ensure the effective coordination of resources 
        for library, technology, and professional development 
        activities for elementary schools and secondary schools; and
            ``(B) to ensure collaboration between school library media 
        specialists, and elementary school and secondary school 
        teachers and administrators, in developing curriculum-based 
        instructional activities for students so that school library 
        media specialists are partners in the learning process of 
        students.

``SEC. 2351. STATE ALLOTMENTS.

    ``The Secretary shall allot to each eligible State educational 
agency for a fiscal year an amount that bears the same relation to the 
amount appropriated under section 2360 and not reserved under section 
2359 for the fiscal year as the amount the State educational agency 
received under part A of title I for the preceding fiscal year bears to 
the amount all eligible State educational agencies received under part 
A of title I for the preceding fiscal year.

``SEC. 2352. STATE APPLICATIONS.

    ``To be eligible to receive an allotment under section 2351 for a 
State for a fiscal year, the State educational agency shall submit to 
the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Secretary shall require. The 
application shall contain a description of--
            ``(1) the manner in which the State educational agency will 
        use the needs assessment described in section 2355(1) and 
        poverty data to allocate funds made available through the 
        allotment to the local educational agencies in the State with 
        the greatest need for school library media improvement;
            ``(2) the manner in which the State educational agency will 
        effectively coordinate all Federal and State funds available 
        for literacy, library, technology, and professional development 
        activities to assist local educational agencies, elementary 
        schools, and secondary schools in--
                    ``(A) acquiring up-to-date school library media 
                resources in all formats, including books and advanced 
                technology such as Internet connections; and
                    ``(B) providing training for school library media 
                specialists;
            ``(3) the manner in which the State educational agency will 
        develop standards for the incorporation of new technologies 
        into the curricula of elementary schools and secondary schools 
        through school library media programs to develop and enhance 
        the information literacy, information retrieval, and critical 
        thinking skills of students; and
            ``(4) the manner in which the State educational agency will 
        evaluate the quality and impact of activities carried out under 
        this subpart by local educational agencies to make 
        determinations regarding the need of the agencies for technical 
        assistance and whether to continue funding the agencies under 
        this subpart.

``SEC. 2353. STATE RESERVATION.

    ``A State educational agency that receives an allotment under 
section 2351 may reserve not more than 3 percent of the funds made 
available through the allotment to provide technical assistance, 
disseminate information about effective school library media programs, 
and pay administrative costs, relating to this subpart.

``SEC. 2354. LOCAL ALLOCATIONS.

    ``(a) In General.--A State educational agency that receives an 
allotment under section 2351 for a fiscal year shall use the funds made 
available through the allotment and not reserved under section 2353 to 
make allocations to local educational agencies.
    ``(b) Agencies.--The State educational agency shall allocate the 
funds to the local educational agencies in the State that have--
            ``(1) the greatest need for school library media 
        improvement according to the needs assessment described in 
        section 2355(1); and
            ``(2) the highest percentages of poverty, as measured in 
        accordance with section 1113(a)(5).

``SEC. 2355. LOCAL APPLICATION.

    ``To be eligible to receive an allocation under section 2354 for a 
fiscal year, a local educational agency shall submit to the State 
educational agency an application at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the State educational agency shall 
require. The application shall contain--
            ``(1) a needs assessment relating to need for school 
        library media improvement, based on the age and condition of 
        school library media resources (including book collections), 
        access of school library media centers to advanced technology, 
        including Internet connections, and the availability of well-
        trained, professionally certified school library media 
        specialists, in schools served by the local educational agency;
            ``(2) a description of the manner in which the local 
        educational agency will use the needs assessment to assist 
        schools with the greatest need for school library media 
        improvement;
            ``(3) a description of the manner in which the local 
        educational agency will use the funds provided through the 
        allocation to carry out the activities described in section 
        2356;
            ``(4) a description of the manner in which the local 
        educational agency will develop and carry out the activities 
        described in section 2356 with the extensive participation of 
        school library media specialists, elementary school and 
        secondary school teachers and administrators, and parents;
            ``(5) a description of the manner in which the local 
        educational agency will effectively coordinate--
                    ``(A) funds provided under this subpart with the 
                Federal, State, and local funds received by the agency 
                for literacy, library, technology, and professional 
                development activities; and
                    ``(B) activities carried out under this subpart 
                with the Federal, State, and local library, technology, 
                and professional development activities carried out by 
                the local educational agency; and
            ``(6) a description of the manner in which the local 
        educational agency will collect and analyze data on the quality 
        and impact of activities carried out under this subpart by 
        schools served by the local educational agency.

``SEC. 2356. LOCAL ACTIVITIES.

    ``A local educational agency that receives a local allocation under 
section 2354 may use the funds made available through the allocation--
            ``(1) to acquire up-to-date school library media resources, 
        including books;
            ``(2) to acquire and utilize advanced technology, 
        incorporated into the curricula of the schools, to develop and 
        enhance the information literacy, information retrieval, and 
        critical thinking skills of students;
            ``(3) to acquire and utilize advanced technology, including 
        Internet links, to facilitate resource-sharing among schools 
        and school library media centers, and public and academic 
        libraries, where possible;
            ``(4) to provide professional development opportunities for 
        school library media specialists; and
            ``(5) to foster increased collaboration between school 
        library media specialists and elementary school and secondary 
        school teachers and administrators.

``SEC. 2357. ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTINUATION OF FUNDS.

    ``Each local educational agency that receives funding under this 
subpart for a fiscal year shall be eligible to continue to receive the 
funding--
            ``(1) for each of the 2 following fiscal years; and
            ``(2) for each fiscal year subsequent to the 2 following 
        fiscal years, if the local educational agency demonstrates that 
        the agency has increased--
                    ``(A) the availability of, and the access of 
                students, school library media specialists, and 
                elementary school and secondary school teachers to, up-
                to-date school library media resources, including books 
                and advanced technology, in elementary schools and 
                secondary schools served by the local educational 
                agency;
                    ``(B) the number of well-trained, professionally 
                certified school library media specialists in those 
                schools; and
                    ``(C) collaboration between school library media 
                specialists and elementary school and secondary school 
                teachers and administrators for those schools.

``SEC. 2358. SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.

    ``Funds made available under this subpart shall be used to 
supplement and not supplant other Federal, State, and local funds 
expended to carry out activities relating to library, technology, or 
professional development activities.

``SEC. 2359. NATIONAL ACTIVITIES.

    ``The Secretary shall reserve not more than 3 percent of the amount 
appropriated under section 2360 for a fiscal year--
            ``(1) for an annual, independent, national evaluation of 
        the activities assisted under this subpart, to be conducted not 
        later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this subpart; 
        and
            ``(2) to broadly disseminate information to help States, 
        local educational agencies, school library media specialists, 
        and elementary school and secondary school teachers and 
        administrators learn about effective school library media 
        programs.

``SEC. 2360. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subpart 
$475,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and such sums as may be necessary for 
each of fiscal years 2003 through 2006.

               ``Subpart 2--School Library Access Program

``SEC. 2361. PROGRAM.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary may make grants to local 
educational agencies to provide students with access to libraries in 
elementary schools and secondary schools during non-school hours, 
including the hours before and after school, weekends, and summer 
vacation periods.
    ``(b) Applications.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
subsection (a), a local educational agency shall submit an application 
to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Secretary may require.
    ``(c) Priority.--In making grants under subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall give priority to local educational agencies that 
demonstrate, in applications submitted under subsection (b), that the 
agencies--
            ``(1) seek to provide activities that will increase 
        literacy skills and student achievement;
            ``(2) have effectively coordinated services and funding 
        with entities involved in other Federal, State, and local 
        efforts, to provide programs and activities for students during 
        the non-school hours described in subsection (a); and
            ``(3) have a high level of community support.
    ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this subpart $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 
and such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2003 through 
2006.''.
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