[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6561 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6561

 To direct the Secretary of Education to make grants to States to hire 
   teachers and prevent layoffs, to direct the Secretary of Homeland 
 Security to make grants to hire firefighters and prevent layoffs, and 
 to direct the Attorney General to make grants to hire law enforcement 
         officers and prevent layoffs, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 25, 2012

 Mr. Crowley introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
   Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the 
 Committees on the Judiciary and Science, Space, and Technology, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Secretary of Education to make grants to States to hire 
   teachers and prevent layoffs, to direct the Secretary of Homeland 
 Security to make grants to hire firefighters and prevent layoffs, and 
 to direct the Attorney General to make grants to hire law enforcement 
         officers and prevent layoffs, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Teachers and First Responders Back 
to Work Act of 2012''.

                     TITLE I--TEACHER STABILIZATION

SEC. 101. GRANTS AUTHORIZED.

    Subject to the availability of appropriations to carry out this 
title, the Secretary of Education (referred to in this title as the 
``Secretary'') shall make grants to States to prevent teacher layoffs 
and support the creation of additional jobs in early childhood, 
elementary, and secondary public education in the 2012-2013 and 2013-
2014 school years.

SEC. 102. ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.

    (a) Reservation of Funds.--From the amount appropriated to carry 
out this title under section 109, the Secretary--
            (1) shall reserve not more than \1/2\ of 1 percent to 
        provide assistance to the outlying areas on the basis of their 
        respective needs, as determined by the Secretary, for 
        activities consistent with this title under such terms and 
        conditions as the Secretary may determine;
            (2) shall reserve not more than \1/2\ of 1 percent to 
        provide assistance to the Secretary of the Interior to carry 
        out activities consistent with this title in schools operated 
        or funded by the Bureau of Indian Education; and
            (3) may reserve not more than $2,000,000 for each of fiscal 
        years 2012 and 2013 for administration and oversight of this 
        title, including program evaluation.
    (b) Allocation.--The Secretary shall determine an award amount for 
each State on the following basis:
            (1) Of the amount that is 60 percent of the remaining funds 
        after reserving funds under subsection (a), the Secretary shall 
        allocate to each State an amount that bears the same ratio as 
        the population of individuals aged 5 through 17 living in the 
        State to the population of such individuals in all other 
        States.
            (2) Of the amount that is 40 percent of the remaining funds 
        after reserving funds under subsection (a), the Secretary shall 
        allocate to each State an amount that bears the same ratio as 
        the State's total population to the total population of all 
        other States.
    (c) Reallocation.--If a State does not receive a grant under this 
title, the Secretary shall reallocate such State's grant allocation to 
States receiving grants under this title using the formula described in 
subsection (b).

SEC. 103. STATE APPLICATION.

    (a) Application.--Not later than 30 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, a chief executive of a State seeking a grant 
under this title shall submit an application to the Secretary in such 
manner, and containing such information, as the Secretary may 
reasonably require, including an assurance that the State will, for 
fiscal years 2012 and 2013--
            (1) maintain State support for early childhood, elementary, 
        and secondary education (in the aggregate or on the basis of 
        expenditure per pupil) at an amount that is not less than the 
        level of such support for fiscal year 2011; or
            (2) maintain State support for early childhood, elementary, 
        and secondary education (in the aggregate or on the basis of 
        expenditure per pupil) at a percentage of a State's total 
        expenditures for a fiscal year that is equal to or greater than 
        the percentage that the State provided for fiscal year 2011.
    (b) Letter.--Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, a chief executive of a State desiring not to receive a grant 
under this title shall submit a letter to the Secretary that includes 
an explanation of such chief executive's desire not to receive such 
funds and such additional information as the Secretary may require.
    (c) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive the requirement that a State 
provide an assurance in subsection (a) (1) or (2) with regard to any 
State if the Secretary determines that a waiver would be equitable due 
to--
            (1) exceptional or uncontrollable circumstances, such as a 
        natural disaster; or
            (2) a precipitous decline in the financial resources of the 
        State, as determined by the Secretary.

SEC. 104. STATE GRANTS.

    (a) Reservation.--Each State receiving a grant under this title 
shall reserve--
            (1) not more than 10 percent of the grant funds for awards 
        to State-funded early learning programs; and
            (2) not more than 2 percent of the grant funds for the 
        administrative costs of carrying out its responsibilities under 
        this title.
    (b) Subgrants to Local Educational Agencies.--
            (1) In general.--A State that receives a grant under this 
        title shall, after reserving any funds under subsection (a), 
        use the remaining grant funds for awards to local educational 
        agencies for the support of early childhood, elementary, and 
        secondary public education.
            (2) Allocation.--A State that receives a grant under this 
        title shall distribute the remaining grant funds described in 
        paragraph (1) through subgrants on the following basis:
                    (A) Of the amount that is 60 percent of such 
                remaining grant funds, the State shall allocate to each 
                local educational agency an amount that bears the same 
                ratio as the local educational agency's enrollment to 
                the enrollment for all other local educational agencies 
                in the State.
                    (B) Of the amount that is 40 percent of such 
                remaining grant funds, the State shall allocate to each 
                local educational agency an amount that bears the same 
                ratio as the funds that the local educational agency 
                received under part A of title I of the Elementary and 
                Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311 et 
                seq.) for fiscal year 2011 to the funds that all other 
                local educational agencies in the State receive under 
                such Act.
            (3) Timing.--A State that receives a grant under this title 
        shall make subgrants available to local educational agencies 
        not later than 100 days after receiving a grant under this 
        title.
    (c) Prohibitions.--A State that receives a grant under this title 
may not use the grant funds to directly or indirectly--
            (1) establish, restore, or supplement a rainy-day fund;
            (2) supplant State funds in a manner that has the effect of 
        establishing, restoring, or supplementing a rainy-day fund;
            (3) reduce or retire debt obligations incurred by the 
        State; or
            (4) supplant State funds in a manner that has the effect of 
        reducing or retiring debt obligations incurred by the State.

SEC. 105. LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY SUBGRANTS.

    (a) Uses of Funds.--A local educational agency that receives a 
subgrant under this title shall use the subgrant funds only to pay 
compensation, benefits, and other expenses necessary to retain existing 
employees, recall or rehire former employees, or hire new employees to 
provide early childhood, elementary, or secondary educational and 
related services.
    (b) Timing.--A local educational agency that receives a subgrant 
under this title shall obligate such funds not later than September 30, 
2014.

SEC. 106. EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS.

    (a) Uses of Funds.--A State-funded early learning program that 
receives funds under this title shall use those funds only for 
compensation, benefits, and other expenses necessary to retain early 
childhood educators, recall or rehire former early childhood educators, 
or hire new early childhood educators to provide early learning 
services.
    (b) Timing.--A State-funded early learning program that receives 
funds under this title shall obligate those funds not later than 
September 30, 2014.

SEC. 107. REPORTING.

    Not later than September 30 of 2013 and 2014, a State that receives 
a grant under this title shall submit a report to the Secretary that 
contains--
            (1) a description of how the State expended or obligated 
        funds received under this title; and
            (2) an estimate of the number of jobs that the State 
        supported using funds received under this title.

SEC. 108. DEFINITIONS.

    Except as otherwise provided, in this title:
            (1) The terms ``local educational agency'', ``outlying 
        area'', and ``State educational agency'' have the meanings 
        given those terms in section 9101 of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (2) The term ``State'' means each of the 50 States, the 
        District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
            (3) The term ``State-funded early learning program'' means 
        a program that provides educational services to children from 
        birth to kindergarten entry and receives funding from the State 
        other than funds received under this title.

SEC. 109. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    For each of fiscal years 2012 and 2013, there is authorized to be 
appropriated $30,000,000,000 to carry out the grant program under this 
title.

                TITLE II--FIRST RESPONDER STABILIZATION

SEC. 201. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this title is to provide funds to States and 
localities to prevent layoffs of, and support the creation of 
additional jobs for, law enforcement officers and firefighters.

SEC. 202. FIREFIGHTER GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Grants Authorized.--Subject to the availability of 
appropriations to carry out this title, the Secretary of Homeland 
Security shall make competitive grants to hire, rehire, and retain 
firefighters pursuant to section 34 of the Federal Fire Prevention and 
Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2229a) and to maintain resources for 
fire departments. In making such grants, the Secretary may waive the 
requirements in subsections (a)(1)(A), (a)(1)(B), (a)(1)(E), (c)(1), 
(c)(2), and (c)(4)(A) of section 34 of such Act.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--In addition to funds 
otherwise appropriated for grants under section 34 of the Federal Fire 
Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2229a), there is 
authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000,000 to carry out this section 
for each of fiscal years 2012 and 2013, of which the Secretary of 
Homeland Security shall reserve an amount not to exceed $2,000,000 for 
each such fiscal year to carry out the administrative costs of this 
section.

SEC. 203. LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Police Officers.--Subject to the availability of appropriations 
to carry out this title, the Attorney General shall make competitive 
grants to hire, rehire, and retain career law enforcement officers 
pursuant to section 1701 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets 
Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd). Grants awarded under this section shall 
not be subject to subsections (g) or (i) of section 1701 or to section 
1704 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 3796dd; 42 U.S.C. 3796dd-3).
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--In addition to funds 
otherwise appropriated for grants under section 1701 of the Omnibus 
Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd), there is 
authorized to be appropriated $4,000,000,000 to carry out this section 
for each of fiscal years 2012 and 2013, of which the Attorney General 
shall reserve an amount not greater than $8,000,000 for each such 
fiscal year to carry out the administrative costs of this section.
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