[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5140 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5140

 To establish the Congressional Teacher Award Task Force to enter into 
an agreement with a nonprofit entity for the operation of a program to 
 recognize excellent elementary and secondary school teachers, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 6, 2006

Mr. Holt (for himself, Mr. Conyers, Ms. Zoe Lofgren of California, Mr. 
Kennedy of Minnesota, Ms. Lee, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Emanuel, Mr. Hinojosa, 
Mr. McDermott, Mr. Wolf, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. McIntyre, and Mr. Inslee) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                      Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish the Congressional Teacher Award Task Force to enter into 
an agreement with a nonprofit entity for the operation of a program to 
 recognize excellent elementary and secondary school teachers, 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 ``Congressional Teacher Award Act of 
2006''.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL TEACHER AWARD TASK FORCE.

    (a) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--There is hereby established the 
        Congressional Teacher Award Task Force (hereafter in this Act 
        referred to as the ``Task Force''), consisting of the following 
        members:
                    (A) 6 members of the House of Representatives, of 
                whom 3 shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House 
                of Representatives and 3 shall be appointed by the 
                minority leader of the House of Representatives.
                    (B) 6 members of the Senate, of whom 3 shall be 
                appointed by the majority leader of the Senate and 3 
                shall be appointed by the minority leader of the 
                Senate.
            (2) Co-chairs.--The members of the Task Force shall 
        designate two of the members, of whom one shall be a member of 
        the House of Representatives and the other shall be a member of 
        the Senate, to serve as co-chairs of the Task Force.
    (b) Duties.--It is the duty of the Task Force to find an 
appropriate nonprofit entity to operate the Congressional Teacher Award 
Program described in section 3.
    (c) Deadline.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Task Force shall designate a nonprofit 
entity which will enter into a written agreement to operate the 
Congressional Teacher Award Program described in section 3.
    (d) Payment of Expenses.--
            (1) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized 
        to be appropriated from the applicable accounts of the House of 
        Representatives and the contingent fund of the Senate (in such 
        allocation as the Task Force may establish) such sums as may be 
        necessary for the operation of the Task Force.
            (2) Vouchers.--In the case of amounts paid from the 
        applicable accounts of the House of Representatives, payments 
        shall be made on vouchers signed by the co-chair who is a 
        member of the House of Representatives and approved in the 
        manner directed by the Committee on House Administration.
    (e) Termination.--The Task Force shall terminate upon the 
expiration of the 30-day period which begins on the date the nonprofit 
entity enters into the written agreement referred to in subsection (c).

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL TEACHER AWARD PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Congressional Teacher Award Program--
            (1) shall provide an award each academic year to one 
        excellent private or public elementary or secondary school 
        teacher in each congressional district of the United States 
        (including each district of a Delegate or Resident Commissioner 
        to the Congress); and
            (2) may provide scholarships for professional development 
        to teachers receiving an award under the Program.
    (b) Eligibility Requirements.--The Congressional Teacher Award 
Program shall include eligibility requirements for a teacher to qualify 
as a recipient of an award under the Program, including requirements 
that each such recipient--
            (1) be certified as a teacher;
            (2) have at least 5 consecutive years of teaching 
        experience in private or public elementary or secondary school;
            (3) demonstrate--
                    (A) a commitment of service to his or her school;
                    (B) maintenance of high academic standards for 
                students; and
                    (C) incorporation of multiculturalism, technology, 
                interdisciplinary studies, student relevance, and 
                current issues in lessons, classroom activities, and 
                special presentations; and
            (4) provide 3 letters of recommendation, including a letter 
        from each of a principal, a fellow teacher, and a student.
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