[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 620 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  1st Session
                                H. R. 620


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 26, 2003

   Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
  To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide supplemental 
 funding and other services that are necessary to assist the State of 
  California or local educational agencies in California in providing 
educational services for students attending schools located within the 
                                 Park.

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

SECTION 1. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The three elementary schools serving the children of 
        employees of Yosemite National Park are served by the Bass Lake 
        Joint Union Elementary School District and the Mariposa Unified 
        School District.
            (2) The schools are in remote mountainous areas and long 
        distances from other educational and administrative facilities 
        of the two local educational agencies.
            (3) Because of their remote locations and relatively small 
        number of students, schools serving the children of employees 
        of the Park provide fewer services in more basic facilities 
        than the educational services and facilities provided to 
        students that attend other schools served by the two local 
        educational agencies.
            (4) Because of the long distances involved and adverse 
        weather and road conditions that occur during much of the 
        school year, it is impractical for the children of employees of 
        the Park who live within or near the Park to attend other 
        schools served by the two local educational agencies.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to authorize the Secretary 
of the Interior to provide supplemental funding and other services that 
are necessary to assist the State of California or local educational 
agencies in California in providing educational services for students 
attending schools located within the Park.

SEC. 2. PAYMENTS FOR EDUCATIONAL SERVICES.

    (a) Authority to Provide Funds.--For fiscal years 2003 through 
2007, the Secretary may provide funds to the Bass Lake Joint Union 
Elementary School District and the Mariposa Unified School District for 
educational services to students who are dependents of persons engaged 
in the administration, operation, and maintenance of the Park or 
students who live at or near the Park upon real property of the United 
States.
    (b) Limitation on Use of Funds.--Payments made by the Secretary 
under this section may not be used for new construction, construction 
contracts, or major capital improvements, and may be used only to pay 
public employees for services otherwise authorized by this Act.
    (c) Limitation on Amount of Funds.--Payments made under this 
section shall not exceed the lesser of $400,000 in any fiscal year or 
the amount necessary to provide students described in subsection (a) 
with educational services that are normally provided and generally 
available to students who attend public schools elsewhere in the State 
of California.
    (d) Adjustment of Payments.--Subject to subsection (c), the 
Secretary is authorized to adjust payments made under this section if 
the State of California or the appropriate local education agencies do 
not continue to provide funding for educational services at Park 
schools at per student levels that are equal to or greater than those 
provided in the fiscal year immediately prior to the date of the 
enactment of this section.
    (e) Source of Payments.--
            (1) Authorized sources.--Except as provided in paragraph 
        (2), in order to make payments under this section, the 
        Secretary may use funds available to the National Park Service 
        from appropriations, donations, or fees.
            (2) Exceptions.--Funds from the following sources may not 
        be used to make payments under this section:
                    (A) Fees authorized and collected under the Land 
                and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (16 U.S.C. 
                460l-4 et seq.).
                    (B) The recreational fee demonstration program 
                under section 315 of the Department of the Interior and 
                Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1996 (as contained 
                in section 101(c) of Public Law 104-134; 16 U.S.C. 
                460l-6a note).
                    (C) The national park passport program established 
                under section 602 of the National Parks Omnibus 
                Management Act of 1998 (16 U.S.C. 5992).
                    (D) Emergency appropriations for Yosemite flood 
                recovery.
    (f) Definitions.--For the purposes of this Act, the following 
definitions apply:
            (1) Local educational agencies.--The term ``local 
        educational agencies'' has the meaning given that term in 
        section 9101(26) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
        of 1965.
            (2) Educational services.--The term ``educational 
        services'' means services that may include maintenance and 
        minor upgrades of facilities and transportation to and from 
        school.
            (3) Park.--The term ``Park'' means Yosemite National Park.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION FOR PARK FACILITIES TO BE LOCATED OUTSIDE THE 
              BOUNDARIES OF YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK.

     Section 814(c) of the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management 
Act of 1996 (16 U.S.C. 346e) is amended--
            (1) in the first sentence--
                    (A) by inserting ``and Yosemite National Park'' 
                after ``Zion National Park''; and
                    (B) by inserting ``transportation systems and'' 
                before ``the establishment of''; and
            (2) by striking ``park'' each place it appears and 
        inserting ``parks''.

            Passed the House of Representatives March 25, 2003.

            Attest:

                                                 JEFF TRANDAHL,

                                                                 Clerk.