1.This Act may be cited as
the Public Service Academy Act of 2007
.
2.Congress makes the following
findings:
(1)National
disasters such as September 11, 2001, and Hurricane Katrina, along with the
United States struggle against international terrorism, have highlighted the
importance of public service and the need for the United States to improve its
capacity to effectively handle future catastrophes, as well as the daily
challenges of life in a global society.
(2)Young Americans,
particularly after the September 11, 2001 attacks, have a strong ethic of
public service. According to the Higher Education Research Institute, more than
2/3 of the 2005 freshman class at institutions of higher
education in the United States expressed a desire to serve others, the highest
rate in a generation. Applications to private programs such as Teach for
America and City Year, publicly funded public service programs within USA
Freedom Corps, and religious mission trips have increased dramatically since
2001. Yet with the increase in college tuition causing the average college
graduate to owe about $20,000, many students often can afford to pursue public
service only for short periods of time and avoid public service careers in
favor of more lucrative fields.
(3)The aging of the
population of the United States and the subsequent retirement of the Baby
Boomer generation will create serious shortages in critically needed public
service positions at all levels of our society, as evidenced by the
following:
(A)A recent study by
the Congressional Budget Office highlighted the graying of the Federal
work force
, while the Partnership for Public Service warns of a
Federal brain drain
as 44 percent of all Federal workers become
eligible to retire in the next 5 years.
(B)The National
Center for Education Statistics estimates that more than 2,000,000 teachers
will be needed in the next 10 years due to teacher retirement and increased
student enrollment. The teacher shortages will particularly affect high-need
rural and inner-city local educational agencies.
(C)More than 80
percent of the Nation’s 17,000 law enforcement agencies report that they cannot
fill needed positions due to a lack of qualified candidates.
(D)In the aftermath
of Hurricane Katrina, personnel shortages were perhaps [the] most
difficult challenge
for the Federal Emergency Management Agency,
according to a Congressional report on the Federal Government’s response to the
disaster.
(E)The Border Patrol
has struggled to recruit and retain college-educated agents who can speak
Spanish and navigate the delicate cross-cultural interactions inherent in the
job.
(4)There is a large
pool of untapped potential among young women who want to serve our country.
Although the military service academies are only 15 percent female, women
constitute a majority (57 percent) of college students nationwide. In service
organizations, women are an even larger majority: 58 percent of Peace Corps, 61
percent of City Year, and 71 percent of Teach for America participants are
women.
(5)American college
students lack adequate preparation in fields crucial to public service,
including international education and civic education, as evidenced by the
following:
(A)According to the
bipartisan Commission on the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program
established under section 104 of division H of the Consolidated Appropriations
Act, 2004 (Public Law 108–199; 118 Stat. 435), students of the United States
often graduate from college without knowing a foreign language or having any
experience abroad. In the past 3 decades, the percentage of undergraduate
students of the United States studying a foreign language has dropped from 16
percent to 8.7 percent, and approximately 1 percent of such students
participate in a study abroad program.
(B)Young adults of
the United States scored next to last in a recent National Geographic/Roper
survey of geographic knowledge.
(C)A University of
Connecticut survey of 14,000 undergraduate students found a widespread lack of
civic literacy, with seniors barely outscoring freshmen on a test of basic
multiple choice questions about the history, foreign policy, economics, and
government of the United States.
(D)The most recent
National Assessment of Educational Progress assessment of civic knowledge in
grade 12 found that only 25 percent of high school seniors had an
adequate
knowledge of civics and government and 35 percent of
high school seniors had little or no knowledge of civics and government at
all.
(6)The United States
does not have a national undergraduate institution to promote public service
and develop well-trained, highly qualified civilian leaders.
3.The purpose of this Act is to establish a
United States Public Service Academy that will—
(1)strengthen and
protect the United States by providing an annual influx of career-motivated
public servants and future leaders into the Nation's public
institutions;
(2)be the first
national civilian institution of higher education in the United States;
and
(3)provide
competitive, federally subsidized, public service-focused undergraduate
education to students from across the United States and the world.
4.In this Act:
(1)The term public service means employment
with, or work for, a public institution that is funded primarily by the Federal
Government or by a State or local government.
(2)The
term State
means each of the several States of the United States
and the District of Columbia.
5.
(a)There
is established, in the Department of Homeland Security, a United States Public
Service Academy (referred to in this Act as the Academy
), at the
location to be determined by an Act of Congress, for the instruction in and
preparation for public service of selected individuals, who shall be called
Academy students.
(b)The
Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security shall prescribe the
organization of the Academy, in accordance with the requirements of this
section.
(c)There shall be at the Academy the following:
(1)A
Superintendent.
(2)A Dean of the
Academic Board, who is a permanent professor.
(3)A Director of
Admissions.
(4)A Director of
Placement.
(d)
(1)The
President shall, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoint the
Superintendent of the Academy, who shall serve for a 6-year term.
(2)The
Superintendent shall be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Academy
and the welfare of the students, and staff of the Academy.
(e)Dean of the
Academic Board
(1)The
Superintendent shall appoint the Dean of the Academic Board as an additional
permanent professor from the permanent professors who have served as heads of
departments of instruction at the Academy, except that for the first year of
the Academy the Superintendent shall appoint the Dean of the Academic Board
from qualified applicants.
(2)The
Dean of the Academic Board shall perform such duties as the Superintendent may
prescribe, with the approval of the Board of Visitors.
6.
(a)The Superintendent of the Academy may employ as many
professors, instructors, and lecturers at the Academy as the Superintendent
considers necessary to achieve academic excellence.
(b)The Superintendent may prescribe the compensation of
persons employed under this section. Compensation and benefits for faculty
members of the Academy shall be sufficiently competitive to achieve academic
excellence, as determined by the Superintendent.
(c)Faculty members shall—
(1)possess academic
expertise and teaching prowess;
(2)exemplify high
standards of conduct and performance;
(3)be expected to
participate in the full spectrum of academy programs, including providing
leadership for the curricular and extracurricular activities of
students;
(4)comply with the
standards of conduct and performance established by the Superintendent;
and
(5)participate
actively in the development of the students through the enforcement of
standards of behavior and conduct, to be established in the Academy's rules and
regulations.
(d)The Superintendent may prescribe the titles of each of the
departments of instruction and the professors of the Academy.
7.Student
qualifications and requirements for admission
(a)A student wishing to be admitted to the Academy
shall—
(1)be 17 years of
age or older;
(2)be unmarried;
and
(3)have no
dependents, as defined in section 152(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986.
(b)A student wishing to be admitted to the Academy
shall fulfill the following requirements:
(1)Earn a secondary
school diploma.
(2)Take the SAT or
ACT or an equivalent college-level aptitude test.
(3)Sit for a
personal interview with a representative of the Academy.
(4)Any further
admissions requirements, as determined by the Director of Admissions.
(c)A student wishing to be admitted to the Academy shall sign
an Honor Code developed by the Superintendent of the Academy and approved by
the Board of Visitors. A violation of the honor code may constitute a basis for
dismissal from the Academy.
8.
(a)Prospective applicants to the Academy for seats described
in paragraphs (1) and (3) of subsection (b) shall follow a nomination process
established by the Director of Admissions of the Academy that is similar to the
process used for admission to the military academies of the United States Armed
Forces.
(b)
(1)Nominees for
Congressional seats
(A)For each incoming
first-year class at the Academy, the Director of Admissions shall reserve a
number of congressional seats in such class that is twice the number of
electoral votes for all States, except that such number of seats may be reduced
if the Superintendent of the Academy determines that a smaller class size is
necessary in order to gradually build the Academy to its full capacity.
(B)Nominees
required per each senator and representativeEach member of the
Senate or the House of Representatives shall nominate a minimum of 5 candidates
from the State that the member represents for each incoming first-year class of
the Academy.
(C)In
selecting students for the congressional seats in a first-year incoming class,
the Director of Admissions shall—
(i)proportionally
allocate the congressional seats reserved under subparagraph (A) among the
States based on the number of electoral votes of each State; and
(ii)for each
congressional seat allocated to a State, select a candidate that has been
nominated by a member of Congress from the State under subparagraph (B).
(2)
(A)The
Director of Admissions shall reserve, from the total number of seats in each
incoming first-year class of the Academy, not less than 5 percent of such total
for international students.
(B)In order for an international student to attend the
Academy, the student's home country shall—
(i)be responsible
for subsidizing the student's tuition, fees, room and board, and other expenses
at the Academy; and
(ii)enter into an
agreement described in section 10(b) with the student.
(3)Executive
branch nominees
(A)The
Director of Admissions shall reserve in each incoming first-year class of the
Academy not more than 25 seats for executive branch nominees.
(B)The
President shall nominate a minimum of 75 candidates to compete for the
executive branch seats.
(4)The Director of Admissions shall reserve in each
incoming first-year class of the Academy not more than 75 seats for at-large
selections from the remaining pool of congressional nominees described in
paragraph (1)(B).
9.Academic focus
of the United States Public Service Academy
(a)
(1)Each
Academy student shall follow a structured curriculum that is self-reinforcing
to emphasize leadership development (in accordance with paragraph (2)) and
public service.
(2)The
purposes of the leadership development system are to motivate Academy students
to seek leadership responsibilities upon graduation and enable Academy students
to think clearly, decide wisely, and act decisively under pressure and in a
variety of leadership situations. Direct support to leadership development
shall be provided by concurrent and relevant coursework to create an interplay
between learning the science of leadership in the classroom, while learning the
art of leadership outside the classroom.
(b)
(1)Degree
conferred upon graduationUnder such conditions as the Board of
Visitors may prescribe, the Superintendent of the Academy may confer a
baccalaureate of science or baccalaureate of arts degree upon a graduate of the
Academy.
(2)Each
Academy student shall pursue a program of study for a baccalaureate of arts or
a baccalaureate of sciences degree in traditional liberal arts subjects.
(c)Breadth of
required subject areas studiedEach Academy student shall take
courses in a broad array of subject areas as part of the student's program of
study.
(d)Public service
concentrationNot later than the completion of the fourth
semester, each Academy student shall choose a public service concentration,
which shall be the field in which the student ultimately will serve upon
graduation.
(e)Public service
requirements before graduation
(1)Public service
programmingEach Academy student shall participate in regular
programming related to public service, as determined by the Dean of the
Academic Board.
(2)Each Academy student shall plan and implement a 1-year
public service project during the student's final year at the Academy.
(f)Study abroad
requirements
(1)Each Academy student shall spend not less than 6 weeks
engaged in a study abroad program approved by the Dean of the Academic
Board.
(2)Classes in
preparation for study abroadIn preparation for the study abroad
program, each Academy student shall take courses in foreign languages and
international relations.
(g)Summer learning
program requirementsFor each year of attendance at the Academy,
each Academy student shall spend 8 weeks each summer participating in a
structured learning program established by the Superintendent of the Academy
and the Dean of the Academic Board.
10.Public service
requirements following graduation
(a)Each Academy student from the United States shall sign
an agreement with respect to the student's length of public service to the
United States. The agreement shall provide that the student agrees to the
following:
(1)The student will
complete the course of instruction at the Academy, culminating in graduation
from the Academy.
(2)Unless the
student pursues graduate education under subsection (h), upon graduation from
the Academy, the student—
(A)will accept a
public service assignment under subsection (g), if tendered, at the assigned
location; and
(B)will serve in the
public service assignment for not less than the 5 years immediately following
the first day of the assignment.
(b)International
student agreementEach international Academy student who was
selected for the Academy under section 8(b)(2) shall sign an agreement with the
student's home country regarding employment in the national or local government
of the country that meets the same conditions set forth in subsection
(a).
(c)
(1)An Academy student who has completed a minimum of 4
semesters at the Academy but fails to fulfill the Academy's requirements for
graduation within 4 years shall be—
(A)dishonorably
discharged from the Academy; and
(B)obligated to
repay the Academy for the cost of the delinquent student's education in the
amount described in paragraph (2).
(2)The delinquent student shall be financially responsible
for the costs relating to each semester that the student was officially
enrolled in the Academy.
(d)Failure To
accept or complete assigned public service
(1)A delinquent graduate shall be—
(A)dishonorably
discharged from the Academy; and
(B)obligated to
repay the Academy for the cost of the delinquent graduate's education in the
amount described in paragraph (2).
(2)In the case of a delinquent graduate who fails to
complete all years of public service required under subsection (a)(2)
(including any additional years required for graduate education under
subsection (h)), the delinquent graduate shall be financially responsible for
the cost of the delinquent graduate's education (including the costs of any
graduate education), except that the amount of financial responsibility under
this paragraph shall be reduced by 10 percent for each year of public service
under subsection (a)(2) that the delinquent graduate did complete.
(3)Definition of
delinquent graduateIn this subsection, the term delinquent
graduate means a graduate of the Academy who violates the agreement
entered into under subsection (a) by—
(A)not accepting the
graduate's public service assignment upon graduation from the Academy;
or
(B)not completing
the required years of public service in the assignment due to—
(i)voluntarily
quitting the assignment; or
(ii)being fired from
the assignment.
(e)The
Superintendent may provide for the partial or total waiver or suspension of any
public service or payment obligation by an individual under this section
whenever compliance by the individual with the obligation is impossible or
deemed to involve extreme hardship to the individual, or if enforcement of such
obligation with respect to the individual would be unconscionable.
(f)Student
salaries and benefitsThe
Academy shall not be responsible for the salaries and benefits of graduates of
the Academy while the graduates are fulfilling the public service assignment
under this section. All salaries and benefits shall be paid by the employer
with whom the Academy graduate is placed.
(g)Determining
student public service assignments
(1)The Superintendent, acting through the Academy Placement
Office, shall place each graduating student in a public service assignment,
which shall consist of—
(A)civil service
employment at the Federal, State, or local level; or
(B)civilian service
in the United States Armed Forces.
(2)In
making an assignment under paragraph (1), the Academy Placement Office shall
assess the following factors:
(A)National security
needs.
(B)State and local
community needs.
(C)The student's
experience.
(D)The student's
academic performance.
(3)Review and
approval of student assignmentsThe Superintendent of the Academy
shall review and approve each Academy graduating student's public service
assignment.
(h)An Academy student and the Superintendent may modify
the agreement under subsection (a) to provide that—
(1)the Academy
shall—
(A)subsidize an
Academy student's graduate education at a public institution; and
(B)postpone the
public service assignment required under subsection (a)(2); and
(2)the student
shall—
(A)accept a public
service assignment under subsection (g) upon the student's completion of the
graduate program; and
(B)add 2 additional
years to the student's public service commitment required under the agreement
described in subsection (a) for every year of subsidized graduate
education.
11.
(a)
(1)There
shall be established a Board of Visitors for the Academy (referred to in this
Act as the Board of Visitors
) to oversee the Academy and to
inquire into the efficiency and effectiveness of the operations of the
Academy.
(2)The
Board of Visitors shall consist of not more than 15 members, including the
Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. The remaining members of the
Board of Visitors shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice
and consent of the Senate.
(3)
(A)In order to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of the
Academy, the Board of Visitors shall annually visit the Academy.
(B)The Board, or a member of the Board, may visit the Academy
in addition to the annual visit described in subparagraph (A) with the approval
of the Superintendent of the Academy.
(C)Not later than 60 days after an annual visit described in
subparagraph (A), the Board of Visitors shall prepare and submit an annual
report regarding the operations of the Academy to the President and
Congress.
(b)Not
later than November 30 of each year, using data as of September 30 of such
year, the Superintendent shall provide to the President and Congress a report
assessing the progress of, and changes at, the Academy in the following
areas:
(1)Recruitment and
admissions.
(2)Faculty
compensation.
(3)Curriculum.
(4)Resources and
facilities.
(5)Attrition and
graduation.
(6)Public service
placement.
12.Funding the
United States Public Service Academy
(a)Fully-subsidized
educationEach Academy student's tuition at the Academy shall be
fully subsidized.
(b)Public-private
partnershipThe Academy will be a public-private partnership
funded by the following:
(1)Congress shall fund 80 percent of the Academy’s annual
budget.
(2)The Academy officials shall raise 20 percent of the
Academy's annual budget in private funds.
(c)For each of the first 2 fiscal years for which
funds are appropriated under section 14, the Superintendent shall use such
funds, and any matching private funds, to acquire land, construct facilities,
recruit faculty and students, hire employees, and develop curricula in
preparation for the opening of the Academy.
(d)Subsequent
appropriationsFor each of the 4 subsequent fiscal years
following the second fiscal year described in subsection (c) and for which
funds are appropriated under section 14, the Superintendent shall use such
funds, and any matching private funds, to fund the Academy as it grows 1 class
at a time into a 4-year institution.
13.Use of certain
gifts to the Academy
(a)Gifts not
exceeding $20,000Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary
of the Department of Homeland Security, the Superintendent of the Academy may
accept, hold, administer, invest, and spend any gift, devise, or bequest of
personal property of a value of $20,000 or less made to the United States on
the condition that such gift, devise, or bequest be used for the benefit of the
Academy or any entity thereof. The Superintendent may pay or authorize the
payment of all reasonable and necessary expenses in connection with the
conveyance or transfer of a gift, devise, or bequest under this section.
(b)The Board of Visitors may accept, hold, administer,
invest, and spend any gift, devise, or bequest of personal property of a value
of more than $20,000 made to the United States on the condition that such gift,
devise, or bequest be used for the benefit of the Academy or any entity
thereof. The Board of Visitors may pay or authorize the payment of all
reasonable and necessary expenses in connection with the conveyance or transfer
of a gift, devise, or bequest under this section.
14.Authorization
of appropriationsThere is
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act $164,000,000 for fiscal
year 2008 and each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.