II 109th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1997 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES November 10, 2005 Mr. Harkin (for himself, Mr. Schumer, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Bingaman, and Mr. Reed) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources A BILL To authorize the Secretary of Energy to establish a program of energy assistance grants to local educational agencies.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the School Energy Crisis Relief Act.

2.

School energy grants

(a)

Establishment of program

The Secretary of Energy shall establish a program to make grants to eligible local educational agencies, from allocations under subsection (c), that have experienced the highest percentage increase or expenditure increase in transportation and heating fuel costs among all local educational agencies in the State for a specific time period during the 2005–2006 school year, in comparison to the same time period during the 2004–2005 school year. (b)

Eligible local educational agencies

(1)

In general

Except as provided in paragraph (2), a local educational agency shall be eligible for a grant under this section if the local educational agency is among the top 10 percent of all local educational agencies in its State for numbers or percentages of children counted under section 1124(c) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6333(c)). (2)

Exception

In the case of a State with fewer than 50 school districts, a local educational agency shall be eligible for a grant under this section if the local educational agency is among the highest of all local educational agencies in its State for numbers or percentages of children counted under section 1124(c) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6333(c)). (c)

State allocation

Each State shall receive, in the aggregate, an amount based on— (1)the population of children between ages 5 and 17 of the State according to the most recent Census, in comparison to all other States; and (2)the regional cost of transportation and heating fuel, in comparison with the average national cost, as determined by the most recent statistical data from the Energy Information Administration. (d)

Definitions

In this section: (1)

Local educational agency

The term local educational agency has the meaning given that term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). (2)

State

The term State means each of the several States of the United States and the District of Columbia.