[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2060 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2060

To provide grants to community colleges to improve the accessibility of 
 computer labs and to provide information technology training for both 
 students and members of the public seeking to improve their computer 
              literacy and information technology skills.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 23, 2009

 Mr. Larson of Connecticut (for himself, Mr. Miller of North Carolina, 
 Mr. Hare, Mr. Wu, Ms. Edwards of Maryland, Mr. Honda, Mr. Himes, Mr. 
    Patrick J. Murphy of Pennsylvania, Mr. Ehlers, Mr. Sestak, Ms. 
  Kilpatrick of Michigan, Mr. Sablan, Mrs. Napolitano, Ms. Markey of 
  Colorado, Mr. Ross, Ms. Matsui, Ms. Bordallo, Mr. McGovern, and Mr. 
Smith of Washington) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                to the Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide grants to community colleges to improve the accessibility of 
 computer labs and to provide information technology training for both 
 students and members of the public seeking to improve their computer 
              literacy and information technology skills.

    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 ``Community College Technology Access 
Act''.

SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) Community college.--The term ``community college'' 
        means an educational institution in any State that--
                    (A) admits as regular students only persons having 
                a certificate of graduation from a school providing 
                secondary education, or the recognized equivalent of 
                such a certificate, or persons having completed a 
                secondary school education in a home school setting 
                that is treated as a home school or private school 
                under State law;
                    (B) is legally authorized within such State to 
                provide a program of education beyond secondary 
                education;
                    (C) provides not less than a 2-year program that is 
                acceptable for full credit toward such a degree;
                    (D) is a public or other nonprofit institution; and
                    (E) is accredited by a nationally recognized 
                accrediting agency or association, or if not so 
                accredited, is an institution that has been granted 
                preaccreditation status by such an agency or 
                association that has been recognized by the Secretary 
                for the granting of preaccreditation status, and the 
                Secretary has determined that there is satisfactory 
                assurance that the institution will meet the 
                accreditation standards of such an agency or 
                association within a reasonable time.
            (2) Computer lab.--The term ``computer lab'' means a 
        dedicated community college facility that provides onsite 
        computer software, hardware, and technical support for 
        students, faculty, and staff.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.
    (b) Authorization of Grant Program.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall, to the extent funds 
        are available, award grants to community colleges eligible 
        under subsection (d) to improve the accessibility of computer 
        labs and to provide information technology training for both 
        students and members of the public seeking to improve their 
        computer literacy and information technology skills.
            (2) Use of funds.--
                    (A) In general.--A community college receiving a 
                grant award under this Act shall use funds for the 
                maintenance, administration, and improvement of 
                computer labs, which includes--
                            (i) staffing facilities;
                            (ii) purchasing computer equipment, which 
                        includes hardware and software;
                            (iii) maintaining, repairing, and replacing 
                        technology equipment;
                            (iv) maintaining and securing facilities; 
                        and
                            (v) providing utilities for the facilities 
                        and computer equipment.
                    (B) Additional uses with authorization.--A 
                community college receiving a grant award under this 
                Act may use funds to expand or build a computer lab 
                facility by submitting an application to and receiving 
                authorization from the Secretary.
    (c) Application.--
            (1) In general.--A community college seeking a grant award 
        under this Act shall submit an application to the Secretary at 
        such time, in such manner, and containing such information and 
        assurances as the Secretary may require.
            (2) Proposed use.--A community college shall include in the 
        application its proposed use of funds from the grant award.
    (d) Eligibility.--A community college is eligible for a grant award 
under this Act if its application demonstrates that it will--
            (1) keep a computer lab open not less than 10 hours on 
        weekends to members of the public;
            (2) keep a computer lab open not less than 20 hours on 
        weekday evenings to members of the public, but if any computer 
        lab is open more than 10 hours on weekends as required under 
        paragraph (1), each additional hour above 10 shall reduce the 
        required hours under this paragraph;
            (3) provide lab instruction (by an employee of a community 
        college who is capable of providing basic computer instruction) 
        to members of the public for hours that the computer lab is 
        open under paragraphs (1) and (2); and
            (4) offer computer-related training at no charge to members 
        of the public for hours that the computer lab is open under 
        paragraphs (1) and (2).
    (e) Grant Amounts.--The Secretary shall determine the amount of the 
grant award based on the applications received.

SEC. 3. REPORTS.

    (a) Annual Report by a Community College.--For each fiscal year 
that a community college receives a grant award under this Act, the 
community college shall submit to the Secretary, by a date determined 
by the Secretary, a report that contains a review and evaluation of the 
computer lab, including its costs, hours of operation, and amount of 
users.
    (b) Report by Secretary.--The Secretary shall submit annually to 
Congress a report on the grant program, including the number of grant 
awards allocated and the approximate number of persons served by each 
computer lab receiving funds under this Act.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
$125,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2009 to 2013.
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