[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2762 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2762

    To establish a vocational and technical education grant program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 16, 2003

  Mr. Pombo introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To establish a vocational and technical education grant program.

    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 referred to as the ``The Excellence in Vocational 
Education Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. VOCATIONAL EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Purposes and Objectives.--
            (1) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to promote 
        vocational education among students in high schools by awarding 
        a competitive grant to local education agencies for the purpose 
        of improvement of the quality of student involvement in 
        vocational education and activities.
            (2) Objectives.--The objectives of the grant program 
        provided under this section are--
                    (A) to increase students' participation, and 
                achievement in, vocational education;
                    (B) to strengthen teachers' understanding of, and 
                competency in, vocational education and the practical 
                application of it; and
                    (C) to leverage and expand private and public 
                support for vocational education partnerships at the 
                State and local levels.
    (b) Authorization.--The Secretary of Education is authorized to 
award a competitive grant to local educational agencies for vocational 
and technical education programs as described in subsection (d).
    (c) Matching Funds Requirement.--In order to qualify for a grant 
under this section, a local educational agency shall be required to 
obtain matching funds from a business or other private sector entity 
equal to the amount of the grant awarded under subsection (b).
    (d) Use of Funds.--A local educational agency shall use the grant 
funds made available for activities relating to vocational and 
technical education (as defined in section 3(29) of the Carl D. Perkins 
Vocational and Technical Education Act (20 U.S.C. 2302(29))), including 
the purchasing of equipment, hiring of teachers, and related costs of 
such activities.
    (e) Involvement of Business Community.--In carrying out the 
activities assisted under this section, grant recipients are encouraged 
to include interactions with the local business community.
    (f) Additional Requirements and Technical Assistance.--A grant 
recipient shall--
            (1) meet such other requirements as the Secretary 
        determines to be necessary to assure compliance with this 
        section; and
            (2) receive from the Secretary such technical assistance as 
        may be necessary to carry out this section.
    (g) Applications.--To be eligible for a grant under this section, a 
local educational agency shall submit an application to the Secretary 
of Education at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may 
require.
    (h) Administrative Costs.--A recipient of a grant under this 
section may use not more than 5 percent of the funds available through 
the grant for administrative costs.
    (i) Federal Share.--Consistent with the requirement for matching 
funds in subsection (c), the Federal share of the cost of the 
activities described in subsection (d) shall be 50 percent.
    (j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary such sums as may be necessary to carry 
out this Act.
    (k) Supplement, not Supplant.--Funds made available to carry out 
this section shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, other 
Federal, State, and local funds expended for the purpose described in 
subsection (a).
                                 <all>