[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 524 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 524

To establish a laboratory science pilot program at the National Science 
                              Foundation.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 17, 2007

 Mr. Hinojosa (for himself, Mr. Gordon of Tennessee, Ms. Eddie Bernice 
 Johnson of Texas, and Mr. Baca) introduced the following bill; which 
        was referred to the Committee on Science and Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish a laboratory science pilot program at the National Science 
                              Foundation.

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

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) To remain competitive in science and technology in the 
        global economy, the United States must increase the number of 
        students graduating from high school prepared to pursue 
        postsecondary education in science, technology, engineering, 
        and mathematics.
            (2) There is broad agreement in the scientific community 
        that learning science requires direct involvement by students 
        in scientific inquiry and that laboratory experience is so 
        integral to the nature of science that it must be included in 
        every science program for every science student.
            (3) In America's Lab Report, the National Research Council 
        concluded that the current quality of laboratory experiences is 
        poor for most students and that educators and researchers do 
        not agree on how to define high school science laboratories or 
        on their purpose, hampering the accumulation of research on how 
        to improve labs.
            (4) The National Research Council found that schools with 
        higher concentrations of non-Asian minorities and schools with 
        higher concentrations of poor students are less likely to have 
        adequate laboratory facilities than other schools.
            (5) The Government Accountability Office reported that 49.1 
        percent of schools where the minority student population is 
        greater than 50.5 percent reported not meeting functional 
        requirements for laboratory science well or at all.
            (6) 40 percent of those college students who left the 
        science fields reported some problems related to high school 
        science preparation, including lack of laboratory experience 
        and no introduction to theoretical or to analytical modes of 
        thought.
            (7) It is in the national interest for the Federal 
        Government to invest in research and demonstration projects to 
        improve the teaching of laboratory science in the Nation's high 
        schools.

SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM.

    Section 8(8) of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act 
of 2002 is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (F) as 
        clauses (i) through (vi), respectively;
            (2) by inserting ``(A)'' before ``A program of 
        competitive''; and
            (3) by inserting at the end the following new subparagraph:
            ``(B) In accordance with subparagraph (A)(v), the Director 
        shall establish a pilot program designated as `Partnerships for 
        Access to Laboratory Science' to award grants to partnerships 
        to improve laboratories and provide instrumentation as part of 
        a comprehensive program to enhance the quality of mathematics, 
        science, engineering, and technology instruction at the 
        secondary school level. Grants under this subparagraph may be 
        used for--
                    ``(i) purchase, rental, or leasing of equipment, 
                instrumentation, and other scientific educational 
                materials;
                    ``(ii) maintenance, renovation, and improvement of 
                laboratory facilities;
                    ``(iii) professional development and training for 
                teachers;
                    ``(iv) development of instructional programs 
                designed to integrate the laboratory experience with 
                classroom instruction and to be consistent with State 
                mathematics and science academic achievement standards;
                    ``(v) training in laboratory safety for school 
                personnel;
                    ``(vi) design and implementation of hands-on 
                laboratory experiences to encourage the interest of 
                individuals identified in section 33 or 34 of the 
                Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42 
                U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b) in mathematics, science, 
                engineering, and technology and help prepare such 
                individuals to pursue postsecondary studies in these 
                fields; and
                    ``(vii) assessment of the activities funded under 
                this subparagraph.
            ``(C) Grants awarded under subparagraph (B) shall be to a 
        partnership that--
                    ``(i) includes an institution of higher education 
                or a community college;
                    ``(ii) includes a high-need local educational 
                agency;
                    ``(iii) includes a business or eligible nonprofit 
                organization; and
                    ``(iv) may include a State educational agency, 
                other public agency, National Laboratory, or community-
                based organization.
            ``(D) The Federal share of the cost of activities carried 
        out using amounts from a grant under subparagraph (B) shall not 
        exceed 50 percent.''.

SEC. 3. REPORT.

    The Director of the National Science Foundation shall evaluate the 
effectiveness of activities carried out under the pilot projects funded 
by the grant program established pursuant to the amendment made by 
section 1 in improving student performance in mathematics, science, 
engineering, and technology. A report documenting the results of that 
evaluation shall be submitted to the Committee on Science and 
Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committees on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation and on Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions of the Senate not later than 5 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act. The report shall identify best practices and 
materials developed and demonstrated by grant awardees.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the National Science 
Foundation to carry out this Act and the amendments made by this Act 
$5,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, and such sums as may be necessary for 
each of the 3 succeeding fiscal years.
                                 <all>