[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5042 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5042

 To amend the Department of Agriculture Organic Act of 1944 to ensure 
  that the dependents of employees of the Forest Service stationed in 
 Puerto Rico receive a high-quality elementary and secondary education.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 9, 2004

 Mr. Acevedo-Vila introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                      the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Department of Agriculture Organic Act of 1944 to ensure 
  that the dependents of employees of the Forest Service stationed in 
 Puerto Rico receive a high-quality elementary and secondary education.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. AUTHORITY TO COVER EXPENSES OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY 
              SCHOOLING OF DEPENDENTS OF FOREST SERVICE PERSONNEL IN 
              PUERTO RICO.

    Section 202 of the Department of Agriculture Organic Act of 1944 
(16 U.S.C. 554b) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(a) Provision of Medical Care; Related 
        Transportation.--'' before ``Appropriations for the Forest 
        Service''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(b) Coverage of Dependent Educational Expenses in Puerto Rico; 
Related Transportation.--(1) Appropriations for the Forest Service 
shall be available to the Secretary of Agriculture to cover the cost of 
primary and secondary schooling of dependents of Forest Service 
personnel, who are stationed in Puerto Rico and are subject to transfer 
and reassignment to other locations in the United States, but not to 
exceed the costs authorized by the Department of Defense for the same 
area for dependents of members of the Armed Forces, when it is 
determined by the Secretary that the schools available in the area of 
Puerto Rico in which the dependents reside are unable to provide 
adequately for the education of the dependents.
    ``(2) If the Secretary determines that the school attended by a 
dependent described in paragraph (1) is not accessible by public means 
of transportation on a regular basis, the Secretary may provide, out of 
funds appropriated for the Forest Service, for the transportation of 
the dependent between the school and the place of residence of the 
dependent.''.
                                 <all>