[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 414 Introduced in Senate (IS)]


107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 414

To amend the National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
Organization Act to establish a digital network technology program, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 28, 2001

 Mr. Cleland (for himself, Mr. Hollings, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Inouye, and 
  Mr. Breaux) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
Organization Act to establish a digital network technology 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 ``NTIA Digital Network Technology 
Program Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.

    The National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
Organization Act (47 U.S.C. 901 et seq.) is amended by adding at the 
end the following:

              ``PART D--DIGITAL NETWORK TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM

``SEC. 171. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    ``The Secretary shall establish, within the NTIA's Technology 
Opportunities Program a digital network technologies program to 
strengthen the capacity of eligible institutions to provide instruction 
in digital network technologies by providing grants to, or executing 
contracts or cooperative agreements with, those institutions to provide 
such instruction.

``SEC. 172. ACTIVITIES SUPPORTED.

    ``An eligible institution shall use a grant, contract, or 
cooperative agreement awarded under this part--
            ``(1) to acquire the equipment, instrumentation, networking 
        capability, hardware and software, digital network technology, 
        and infrastructure necessary to teach students and teachers 
        about technology in the classroom;
            ``(2) to develop and provide educational services, 
        including faculty development, to prepare students or faculty 
        seeking a degree or certificate that is approved by the State, 
        or a regional accrediting body recognized by the Secretary of 
        Education;
            ``(3) to provide teacher education, library and media 
        specialist training, and preschool and teacher aid 
        certification to individuals who seek to acquire or enhance 
        technology skills in order to use technology in the classroom 
        or instructional process;
            ``(4) implement a joint project to provide education 
        regarding technology in the classroom with a State or State 
        education agency, local education agency, community-based 
        organization, national non-profit organization, or business, 
        including minority business or a business located in HUB zones, 
        as defined by the Small Business Administration; or
            ``(5) provide leadership development to administrators, 
        board members, and faculty of eligible institutions with 
        institutional responsibility for technology education.

``SEC. 173. APPLICATION AND REVIEW PROCEDURE.-

    ``(a) In General.--To be eligible to receive a grant, contract, or 
cooperative agreement under this part, an eligible institution shall 
submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, 
and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may reasonably 
require. The Secretary, in consultation with the panel described in 
subsection (b), shall establish a procedure by which to accept such 
applications and publish an announcement of such procedure, including a 
statement regarding the availability of funds, in the Federal Register.
    ``(b) Peer Review Panel.--The Secretary shall establish a peer 
review panel to aid the Secretary in establishing the application 
procedure described in subsection (a) and selecting applicants to 
receive grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements under section 
171. In selecting the members for such panel, the Secretary may consult 
with appropriate cabinet-level officials, representatives of non-
Federal organizations, and representatives of eligible institutions to 
ensure that the membership of such panel reflects membership of the 
minority higher education community, including Federal agency personnel 
and other individuals who are knowledgeable about issues regarding 
minority education institutions.

``SEC. 174. MATCHING REQUIREMENT.

    ``The Secretary may not award a grant, contract, or cooperative 
agreement to an eligible institution under this part unless such 
institution agrees that, with respect to the costs to be incurred by 
the institution in carrying out the program for which the grant, 
contract, or cooperative agreement was awarded, such institution will 
make available (directly or through donations from public or private 
entities) non-Federal contributions in an amount equal to \1/4\ of the 
amount of the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement awarded by the 
Secretary, or $500,000, whichever is the lesser amount. The Secretary 
shall waive the matching requirement for any institution or consortium 
with no endowment, or an endowment that has a current dollar value 
lower than $50,000,000.

``SEC. 175. LIMITATION.

    ``An eligible institution that receives a grant, contract, or 
cooperative agreement under this part that exceeds $2,500,000, shall 
not be eligible to receive another grant, contract, or cooperative 
agreement under this part until every other eligible institution has 
received a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this part.

``SEC. 176. ANNUAL REPORT AND EVALUATION.

    ``(a) Annual Report Required From Recipients.--Each institution 
that receives a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this 
part shall provide an annual report to the Secretary on its use of the 
grant, contract, or cooperative agreement.
    ``(b) Evaluation by Secretary.--The Secretary, in consultation with 
the Secretary of Education, shall--
            ``(1) review the reports provided under subsection (a) each 
        year;
            ``(2) evaluate the program authorized by section 171 on the 
        basis of those reports; and
            ``(3) conduct a final evaluation at the end of the third 
        year
    ``(c) Contents of Evaluation.--The Secretary, in the evaluation, 
shall describe the activities undertaken by those institutions and 
shall assess the short-range and long-range impact of activities 
carried out under the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement on the 
students, faculty, and staff of the institutions
    ``(d) Report to Congress.--The Secretary shall submit a report to 
the Congress based on the final evaluation within 1 year after 
conducting the final evaluation. In the report, the Secretary shall 
include such recommendations, including recommendations concerning the 
continuing need for Federal support of the program, as may be 
appropriate.''.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    Section 102(a) of the National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration Organization Act (47 U.S.C. 901(a)) is amended by adding 
at the end the following:
            ``(6) Eligible institution defined.--The term ``eligible 
        institution'' means an institution that is--
                    ``(A) a historically Black college or university 
                that is a part B institution, as defined in section 
                322(2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
                1061(2)), an institution described in section 
                326(e)(1)(A), (B), or (C) of that Act (20 U.S.C. 
                1063b(e)(1)(A), (B), or (C)), or a consortium of 
                institutions described in this subparagraph;
                    ``(B) a Hispanic-serving institution, as defined in 
                section 502(a)(5) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
                (20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(5));
                    ``(C) a tribally controlled college or university, 
                as defined in section 316(b)(3) of the Higher Education 
                Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)(3));
                    ``(D) an Alaska Native-serving institution under 
                section 317(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 1059d(b));
                    ``(E) a Native Hawaiian-serving institution under 
                section 317(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 1059d(b)); or
                    ``(F) an institution determined by the Secretary, 
                in consultation with the Secretary of Education, to 
                have enrolled a substantial number of minority, low-
                income students during the previous academic year who 
                received assistance under subpart I of part A of title 
                IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a 
                et seq.) for that year.''.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of 
Commerce not more than $250,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, and such sums 
as may be necessary for fiscal years 2003 through 2007, to carry out 
part D of the National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration Organization Act.
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