[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 639 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 639

  To establish digital and wireless networks to advance online higher 
             education opportunities for minority students.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 15, 2007

   Mr. Pryor introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish digital and wireless networks to advance online higher 
             education opportunities for minority students.

    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 ``ED 1.0 Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Access to technology can improve grade and test 
        averages, graduation rates, and retention rates, in addition to 
        increasing the number of graduates in science and technology 
        disciplines.
            (2) Minority-serving institutions historically have an 
        important role in reaching an underserved population, and 
        minority-serving institutions in economically disadvantaged 
        areas face particular hardships in acquiring funds to sustain 
        and expand their technological resources.
            (3) Low-income areas are technologically underserved.
            (4) Congress and the technological community should do all 
        they can to find new and creative ways to bridge the current 
        technology gap.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the National Telecommunications and 
        Information Administration.
            (2) Eligible educational institution.--The term ``eligible 
        educational institution'' means an institution that is--
                    (A) a historically Black college or university;
                    (B) a Hispanic-serving institution as that term is 
                defined in section 502(a)(5) of the Higher Education 
                Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(5));
                    (C) a tribally controlled college or university as 
                that term is defined in section 2(a)(4) of the Tribally 
                Controlled College or University Assistance Act of 1978 
                (25 U.S.C. 1801(a)(4));
                    (D) an Alaska Native-serving institution as that 
                term is defined in section 317(b)(2) of the Higher 
                Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059d(b)(2)); or
                    (E) a Native Hawaiian-serving institution as that 
                term is defined in section 317(b)(4) of the Higher 
                Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059d(b)(4)).
            (3) Historically black college or university.--The term 
        ``historically Black college or university'' means a part B 
        institution as that term is defined in section 322(2) of the 
        Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061(2)).

SEC. 4. MINORITY ONLINE DEGREE PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) Pilot Program Established.--
            (1) In general.--There is established within the National 
        Telecommunications and Information Administration a pilot 
        program under which the Administrator shall award 4 grants to 
        eligible educational institutions to enable the eligible 
        educational institutions to develop digital and wireless 
        networks for online educational programs of study within the 
        eligible educational institutions.
            (2) Grant number, duration, and amount.--
                    (A) Number.--The Administrator shall award a total 
                of 4 grants under this section.
                    (B) Duration.--Each grant under this section shall 
                be awarded for a period of 6 years.
                    (C) Annual grant payment amounts.--The 
                Administrator shall make grant payments under this 
                section in the amount of--
                            (i) $1,000,000 for the first fiscal year of 
                        a grant awarded under this section;
                            (ii) $600,000 for each of the second 
                        through fifth such fiscal years; and
                            (iii) $100,000 for the sixth such fiscal 
                        year.
    (b) Priority.--
            (1) In general.--In awarding grants under this section the 
        Administrator shall give priority to an eligible educational 
        institution that, according to the most recent data available 
        (including data available from the Bureau of the Census), 
        serves a county--
                    (A) in which 50 percent of the residents of the 
                county are members of a racial or ethnic minority;
                    (B) in which less than 18 percent of the residents 
                of the county have obtained a baccalaureate degree or a 
                higher education;
                    (C) that has an unemployment rate of 7 percent or 
                greater;
                    (D) in which 19 percent or more of the residents of 
                the county live in poverty;
                    (E) that has a negative population growth rate; or
                    (F) that has a median family income of $32,000.
            (2) Highest priority.--In awarding grants under this 
        section the Administrator shall give the highest priority to an 
        eligible educational institution that meets the greatest number 
        of requirements described in subparagraphs (A) through (F) of 
        paragraph (1).
    (c) Use of Funds.--An eligible educational institution receiving a 
grant under this section may use the grant funds--
            (1) to acquire equipment, instrumentation, networking 
        capability, hardware, software, digital network technology, 
        wireless technology, or wireless infrastructure;
            (2) to develop and provide educational services, including 
        faculty development; or
            (3) to develop strategic plans for information technology 
        investments.
    (d) Matching Not Required.--The Administrator shall not require an 
eligible educational institution to provide matching funds for a grant 
awarded under this section.
    (e) Report.--Not later than November 1 of each year, the 
Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
of the House of Representatives, a report evaluating the progress, 
during the preceding fiscal year, of the pilot program assisted under 
this section.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
        carry out this section--
                    (A) $4,500,000 for fiscal year 2008;
                    (B) $2,400,000 for each of the fiscal years 2009 
                through 2012; and
                    (C) $500,000 for fiscal year 2013.
            (2) Availability.--Funds appropriated under paragraph (1) 
        shall remain available until expended.
    (g) Limitation on Use of Other Funds.--The Administrator shall 
carry out this section only with amounts appropriated in advance 
specifically to carry out this section.
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