[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4196 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4196

  To create jobs through the hiring of new faculty and counselors at 
                          community colleges.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 3, 2009

Mr. Larson of Connecticut (for himself and Mr. Hinojosa) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
                                 Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To create jobs through the hiring of new faculty and counselors at 
                          community colleges.

    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 Emergency 
Stabilization Fund Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Since October 2007, the national unemployment rate has 
        increased from 4.8 percent to 10.2 percent.
            (2) There are nearly 1,200 community colleges in the United 
        States, educating over 11,700,000 students.
            (3) Community colleges provide access to affordable, 
        quality education, and training opportunities.
            (4) Over the past year enrollment has increased at 
        unprecedented levels at community colleges across the country.
            (5) Over the past year community colleges have either had 
        to forestall hiring new staff or reduce staff because of budget 
        shortfalls despite increased demand.
            (6) Due to increased enrollment and insufficient staffing, 
        many individuals are not able to access the training they need 
        to re-enter the workforce.

SEC. 3. EMERGENCY FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGES.

    (a) In General.--From the amounts appropriated under section 7 to 
carry out this section for a fiscal year, the Secretary of Education 
shall provide temporary emergency funding to States for such fiscal 
year in accordance with the formula described in subsection (b) to 
assist community colleges in maintaining, or hiring additional, faculty 
and staff.
    (b) Formula.--Of the amount appropriated under section 7--
            (1) 66\2/3\ percent shall be allotted on the basis of the 
        relative increase in unemployed individuals in each State 
        compared to the total increase in unemployed individuals in all 
        States; and
            (2) 33\1/3\ percent shall be allotted on the basis of the 
        relative excess number of unemployed individuals in each State, 
        compared to the total excess number of unemployed individuals 
        in all States.
    (c) Maintenance of Effort.--
            (1) In general.--Each State shall maintain State support 
        for community colleges in the State at least at the level of 
        such support for the fiscal year immediately preceding the 
        first fiscal year the State received funds under this section.
            (2) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive the requirements of 
        this paragraph (1), if the Secretary determines that a waiver 
        would be equitable due to exceptional or uncontrollable 
        circumstances, such as a natural disaster or an unforeseen and 
        precipitous decline in the financial resources of the State.
    (d) Supplement, Not Supplant.--Funds made available under this 
section shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, other Federal 
and State funds that would otherwise be expended for assisting 
community colleges in maintaining, or hiring additional, faculty and 
staff.
    (e) Grants to Community Colleges.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after receiving 
        funds under this section, each State shall use such funds to 
        award grants, on a competitive basis, to community colleges 
        located in the State to assist such colleges in maintaining 
        current staff, or hiring additional, faculty and staff.
            (2) Grant amount.--In determining the amount of a grant to 
        award to a community college under this section, a State shall 
        take into account--
                    (A) the total number of students enrolled at the 
                college;
                    (B) the increase in the number of students enrolled 
                at the college relative to the preceding academic year; 
                and
                    (C) the most recent monthly unemployment rate of 
                the local area, as determined by the Secretary (in 
                consultation with the Secretary of Labor), in which the 
                college is located.
            (3) Application.--A community college desiring to receive a 
        grant under this section shall submit an application to the 
        State at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
        information as the State may require, which shall include, at a 
        minimum, information with respect to--
                    (A) the total number of students enrolled at the 
                college; and
                    (B) the increase in the number of students enrolled 
                at the college relative to the preceding academic year.
    (f) Reports by States.--Each State shall, not later than 12 months 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter 
for each fiscal year in which the State expends funds received under 
this section, submit to the Secretary a report that includes--
            (1) a list of the community colleges that have received 
        assistance from the funds;
            (2) the number of students served at such community 
        colleges as a result of such assistance;
            (3) the number of faculty and staff maintained or hired at 
        such community colleges as a result of such assistance; and
            (4) the amount of State support for community colleges in 
        the State for the--
                    (A) fiscal year immediately preceding the first 
                fiscal year the State received funds under this 
                section; and
                    (B) most recent fiscal year in which the State 
                expended funds received under this section.
    (g) Report by the Secretary.--The Secretary shall submit to the 
authorizing committees an annual report that includes the information 
described in subsection (f).

SEC. 4. GRANTS TO CAREER AND TECHNICAL COLLEGES.

    (a) In General.--From the amounts appropriated under section 7 to 
carry out this section, the Secretary shall award grants, on a 
competitive basis, to career and technical colleges located in any 
State to assist such colleges in maintaining, or hiring additional, 
faculty and staff.
    (b) Grant Amount.--In determining the amount of a grant to award to 
a career and technical college under this section, the Secretary shall 
take into account--
            (1) the total number of students enrolled at the college;
            (2) the increase in the number of students enrolled at the 
        college relative to the preceding academic year; and
            (3) the most recent monthly unemployment rate of the local 
        area, as determined by the Secretary (in consultation with the 
        Secretary of Labor), in which the college is located.
    (c) Application.--A career and technical college desiring to 
receive a grant under this section shall submit an application to the 
Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information 
as the Secretary may require, which shall include, at a minimum, 
information with respect to--
            (1) the total number of students enrolled at the college; 
        and
            (2) the increase in the number of students enrolled at the 
        college relative to the preceding academic year.

SEC. 5. USES OF FUNDS.

    Each community college and career and technical college receiving a 
grant under this Act shall use the grant funds within 18 months of 
receipt of such funds to cover costs related to maintaining, or hiring 
additional, faculty and staff, including--
            (1) faculty;
            (2) counselors; and
            (3) other staff to assist students in training to enter the 
        workforce, as defined by the Secretary.

SEC. 6. GAO REPORT.

    (a) Evaluation.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall 
conduct an evaluation of the grant programs carried out under sections 
3 and 4, which shall include an evaluation of--
            (1) the criteria the State or the Secretary used in 
        awarding grants to community colleges and career and technical 
        colleges;
            (2) the grant amounts awarded to community colleges and 
        career and technical colleges;
            (3) the number of students served at such colleges as a 
        result of such assistance;
            (4) the number of faculty and staff maintained or hired at 
        such colleges as a result of such assistance; and
            (5) the amount of State support for community colleges in 
        each State for the--
                    (A) fiscal year immediately preceding the first 
                fiscal year the State received funds under this 
                section; and
                    (B) most recent fiscal year in which the State 
                expended funds received under this section.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 12 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall report the results of the evaluation conducted under subsection 
(a) to the authorizing committees.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS; LIMITATION ON AUTHORITY.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated $750,000,000 to carry out this Act, of which $50,000,000 
shall be made available to carry out section 4.
    (b) Limitation on Authority.--Any new spending authority or new 
authority to enter into contracts provided by this Act and under which 
the United States is obligated to make outlays shall be effective only 
to the extent, and in such amounts, as are provided in advance in 
appropriations Acts.

SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Authorizing committees.--The term ``authorizing 
        committees'' has the meaning given such term in section 103(1) 
        of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1003(1)).
            (2) Community college.--The term ``community college'' 
        means a public institution of higher education at which the 
        highest degree that is predominantly awarded to students is an 
        associate's degree.
            (3) Increased unemployment.--The term ``increase in 
        unemployed individuals'' means the increase in the number of 
        unemployed individuals over the most recent 12-month period for 
        which data are available.
            (4) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1002).
            (5) Excess unemployment.--The term ``excess unemployment'' 
        means the number of unemployed individuals in excess of the 
        national unemployment rate.
            (6) Freely associated states.--The term ``Freely Associated 
        States'' means the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the 
        Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.
            (7) National unemployment rate.--The term ``national 
        unemployment rate'' means the most recent national unemployment 
        rate published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the 
        Department of Labor.
            (8) State.--The term ``State'' includes, in addition to the 
        several States of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto 
        Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, American Samoa, the 
        United States Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern 
        Mariana Islands, and the Freely Associated States.
            (9) Career and technical college.--
                    (A) Definition.--The term ``career and technical 
                college''--
                            (i) has the meaning given the term ``area 
                        career and technical school'' in section 3(3) 
                        of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical 
                        Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302(3)); and
                            (ii) means a private institution of higher 
                        education at which the highest degree that is 
                        predominantly awarded to students is an 
                        associate's degree.
                    (B) Location of colleges.--Such term shall only 
                include career and technical colleges (as defined in 
                subparagraph A) located in a State.
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