1.This Act may be cited as the
Training for Realtime Writers Act of
2007
.
2.Congress makes the following
findings:
(1)As directed by
Congress in section
723 of the Communications Act of
1934 (47
U.S.C. 613), as added by section 305 of the Telecommunications
Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–104;
110
Stat. 126), the Federal Communications Commission began
enforcing rules requiring full closed captioning of most English television
programming on January 1, 2006.
(2)The Federal
Communications Commission rules also require that video programming be fully
captioned in Spanish by 2010.
(3)More than
30,000,000 Americans are considered deaf or hard of hearing, and many require
captioning services to participate in mainstream activities.
(4)The National
Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders estimates that 1 in 3
Americans over the age of 60 has already experienced hearing loss. The
79,000,000 Americans who are identified as baby boomers
represent 39 percent of the population of the United States and most baby
boomers began to reach age 60 just in the last few years.
(5)Closed captioning
is a continuous source of emergency information for people in mass transit and
other congregate settings.
(6)Empirical
research studies since 1988 demonstrate that captions improve the performance
of individuals learning to read English.
3.Authorization of
grant program to promote Training and job placement of realtime
writers
(a)The Secretary of Commerce shall make competitive grants
to eligible entities under subsection (b) to promote training and placement of
individuals, including individuals who have completed a court reporting
training program, as realtime writers in order to meet the requirements for
closed captioning of video programming set forth in
section
723 of the Communications Act of
1934 (47
U.S.C. 613) and the rules prescribed thereunder.
(b)For purposes of this Act, an eligible entity is a court
reporting program that—
(1)can document and
demonstrate to the Secretary of Commerce that it meets minimum standards of
educational and financial accountability, with a curriculum capable of training
realtime writers qualified to provide captioning services;
(2)is accredited by
an accrediting agency recognized by the Department of Education; and
(3)is participating
in student aid programs under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
(c)In determining whether to make grants under this section,
the Secretary of Commerce shall give a priority to eligible entities that, as
determined by the Secretary—
(1)possess the most
substantial capability to increase their capacity to train realtime
writers;
(2)demonstrate the
most promising collaboration with local educational institutions, businesses,
labor organizations, or other community groups having the potential to train or
provide job placement assistance to realtime writers; or
(3)propose the most
promising and innovative approaches for initiating or expanding training or job
placement assistance efforts with respect to realtime writers.
(d)A grant under this section shall be for a period of 2
years.
(e)The amount of a grant provided under subsection (a) to
an entity eligible may not exceed $1,500,000 for the 2-year period of the grant
under subsection (d).
4.
(a)To receive a grant under section 3, an eligible entity
shall submit an application to the Secretary of Commerce at such time and in
such manner as the secretary may require. The application shall contain the
information set forth under subsection (b).
(b)Information
in the application of an eligible entity under subsection (a) for a grant under
section 3 shall include the following:
(1)A description of
the training and assistance to be funded using the grant amount, including how
such training and assistance will increase the number of realtime
writers.
(2)A description of
performance measures to be utilized to evaluate the progress of individuals
receiving such training and assistance in matters relating to enrollment,
completion of training, and job placement and retention.
(3)A description of
the manner in which the eligible entity will ensure that recipients of
scholarships, if any, funded by the grant will be employed and retained as
realtime writers.
(4)A description of
the manner in which the eligible entity intends to continue providing the
training and assistance to be funded by the grant after the end of the grant
period, including any partnerships or arrangements established for that
purpose.
(5)A description of
how the eligible entity will work with local workforce investment boards to
ensure that training and assistance to be funded with the grant will further
local workforce goals, including the creation of educational opportunities for
individuals who are from economically disadvantaged backgrounds or are
displaced workers.
(6)Additional
information, if any, of the eligibility of the eligible entity for priority in
the making of grants under section 3(c).
(7)Such other
information as the Secretary may require.
5.
(a)An eligible entity receiving a grant under section 3
shall use the grant amount for purposes relating to the recruitment, training
and assistance, and job placement of individuals, including individuals who
have completed a court reporting training program, as realtime writers,
including—
(1)recruitment;
(2)subject to
subsection (b), the provision of scholarships;
(3)distance
learning;
(4)further
developing and implementing both English and Spanish curriculum to more
effectively train realtime writing skills, and education in the knowledge
necessary for the delivery of high-quality closed captioning services;
(5)mentoring
students to ensure successful completion of the realtime training and provide
assistance in job placement;
(6)encouraging
individuals with disabilities to pursue a career in realtime writing;
and
(7)the employment
and payment of personnel for all such purposes.
(b)
(1)The
amount of a scholarship under subsection (a)(2) shall be based on the amount of
need of the recipient of the scholarship for financial assistance, as
determined in accordance with part F of title IV of the
Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C.
1087kk).
(2)Each
recipient of a scholarship under subsection (a)(2) shall enter into an
agreement with the school in which the recipient is enrolled to provide
realtime writing services for a period of time appropriate (as determined by
the Secretary of Commerce or the Secretary's designee) for the amount of the
scholarship received.
(3)Coursework and
employmentThe Secretary of Commerce or the Secretary's designee
shall establish requirements for coursework and employment for recipients of
scholarships under subsection (a)(2), including requirements for repayment of
scholarship amounts in the event of failure to meet such requirements for
coursework and employment. Requirements for repayment of scholarship amounts
shall take into account the effect of economic conditions on the capacity of
scholarship recipients to find work as realtime writers.
(c)The recipient of a grant under section 3 may not use more
than 5 percent of the grant amount to pay administrative costs associated with
activities funded by the grant. The Secretary shall use not more than 5 percent
of the amount available for grants under this Act in any fiscal year for
administrative costs of the program.
(d)Grants amounts under this Act shall supplement and not
supplant other Federal or non-Federal funds of the grant recipient for purposes
of promoting the training and placement of individuals as realtime
writers.
6.
(a)Each eligible entity receiving a grant under section 3
shall submit to the Secretary of Commerce, at the end of each year of the grant
period, a report on the activities of such entity with respect to the use of
grant amounts during such year.
(b)
(1)Each report of an entity for a year under subsection (a)
shall include a description of the use of grant amounts by the entity during
such year, including an assessment by the entity of the effectiveness of
activities carried out using such funds in increasing the number of realtime
writers. The assessment shall utilize the performance measures submitted by the
entity in the application for the grant under section 4(b).
(2)The final report of an entity on a grant under subsection
(a) shall include a description of the best practices identified by the entity
as a result of the grant for increasing the number of individuals who are
trained, employed, and retained in employment as realtime writers.
(c)The Inspector General of the Department of Commerce shall
conduct an annual review of the management, efficiency, and effectiveness of
the grants made under this Act.
7.Authorization of
appropriationsThere is
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Commerce to carry out this
Act $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and
2012.
8.This Act is repealed effective the last day
of the fifth fiscal year in which funds are appropriated to carry out this
Act.