[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 11 (Tuesday, February 8, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[Congressional Record: February 8, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
SCHOOL-TO-WORK OPPORTUNITIES ACT
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will now
resume consideration of S. 1361.
The Senate continued with the consideration of the bill.
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to be able to
proceed for 1 minute in terms of the order of votes, if there is no
objection.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the unanimous-consent
request propounded by the Senator from Massachusetts?
Without objection, it is so ordered.
The Senator is recognized for 1 minute.
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, for the information of the Members, we
will vote on this amendment now. There are two, the Coverdell and Dole
amendments, that I understand have been worked out. They will be
accepted by unanimous consent unless there is objection to them. Right
after this vote, we will go to those, and they will be accepted without
objection, and then we will have the final passage vote on the School-
to-Work Program.
So we will have final passage right after this, with intervening
action by Senator Kassebaum to ask the Chair to put forward the Dole
and Coverdell amendments, which have been worked out.
I thank the Chair.
vote on amendment no. 1429
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the question is on
agreeing to the motion to table amendment No. 1429 offered by the
Senator from Washington [Mr. Gorton].
The yeas and nays have been ordered. The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk called the roll.
Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Louisiana [Mr. Breaux],
the Senator from Louisiana [Mr. Johnston], the Senator from Illinois
[Ms. Moseley-Braun], the Senator from West Virginia [Mr. Rockefeller]
are necessarily absent.
Mr. SIMPSON. I announce that the Senator from Rhode Island [Mr.
Chafee], the Senator from Texas [Mr. Gramm], and the Senator from Texas
[Mrs. Hutchison] are necessarily absent.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber
who desire to vote?
The result was announced--yeas 50, nays 43, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 31 Leg.]
YEAS--50
Akaka
Baucus
Bingaman
Boren
Boxer
Bradley
Bryan
Bumpers
Byrd
Campbell
Conrad
Daschle
DeConcini
Dodd
Dorgan
Exon
Feingold
Feinstein
Ford
Glenn
Graham
Harkin
Heflin
Hollings
Inouye
Kennedy
Kerrey
Kerry
Kohl
Lautenberg
Leahy
Levin
Lieberman
Mathews
Metzenbaum
Mikulski
Mitchell
Moynihan
Murray
Packwood
Pell
Pryor
Reid
Riegle
Robb
Sarbanes
Sasser
Simon
Wellstone
Wofford
NAYS--43
Bennett
Biden
Bond
Brown
Burns
Coats
Cochran
Cohen
Coverdell
Craig
D'Amato
Danforth
Dole
Domenici
Durenberger
Faircloth
Gorton
Grassley
Gregg
Hatch
Hatfield
Helms
Jeffords
Kassebaum
Kempthorne
Lott
Lugar
Mack
McCain
McConnell
Murkowski
Nickles
Nunn
Pressler
Roth
Shelby
Simpson
Smith
Specter
Stevens
Thurmond
Wallop
Warner
NOT VOTING--7
Breaux
Chafee
Gramm
Hutchison
Johnston
Moseley-Braun
Rockefeller
So the motion to table the amendment (No. 1429) was agreed to.
Amendment No. 1433, as Modified
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Massachusetts [Mr. Kennedy].
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, there are now only two pending amendments
to the school-to-work bill and there is one amendment that was adopted
yesterday that needs to be modified.
I understand Senator Dole is willing to modify his amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair will remind the Senator the pending
amendment currently is amendment No. 1433, offered by the Senator from
Kansas, Senator Kassebaum, for Senators Dole and Nickles.
Mrs. KASSEBAUM. Mr. President, at this time I ask unanimous consent
to modify the Dole-Nickles amendment, No. 1433, and send the
modification to the desk.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment (No. 1433), as modified, is as follows:
At the appropriate place in title V, insert the following:
SEC. . SENSE OF THE SENATE.
It is the sense of the Senate that the Congress should fund
programs under this Act, for fiscal years 1996 through 2002,
predominately from the savings resulting from efforts of the
Department of Labor, the Department of Education, and other
Federal agencies, to eliminate, consolidate, or streamline,
duplicative or ineffective education or job training programs
in existence on the date of enactment of this Act.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate on amendment No. 1433,
as modified?
The Chair recognizes the Senator from Massachusetts [Mr. Kennedy].
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, as modified, the amendment is acceptable.
It expresses the sense of the Senate that the school-to-work initiative
should be funded predominantly from streamlining existing programs.
This is reflected in the President's fiscal year 1995 budget. So I hope
it will be agreed to.
Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, as we head into the 21st century, America
must be prepared to meet the challenges of a world that is becoming
increasingly more competitive. Few can dispute the importance of a
highly skilled and well-trained work force to America's competitive
position and to her economic security.
Now, the stated goal of the school-to-work bill is a laudable one: To
help ease the transition from high school to the workplace. Far too
many of our young people are not adequately equipped with the skills
necessary to be effective workers. American productivity suffers as a
result.
Over the years, the Federal Government has pumped billions upon
billions of dollars into job training: The Department of Education runs
59 separate programs at a total annual cost of more than $13 billion.
The Department of Labor has 34 programs carrying a yearly price tag of
$7 billion. Even the Interior Department has gotten into the act,
running two separate job-training programs with an annual cost of more
than $22 million. According to the General Accounting Office, the
Federal Government spends nearly $25 billion each year on 154 separate
job training and education programs. That's a lot of money, and a lot
of programs--even by Washington standards.
The school-to-work bill continues this spending pattern by
authorizing hundreds of millions of dollars in additional funds over
the next 5 years.
I agree with the other concerns raised yesterday by my distinguished
colleague from Kansas, Senator Kassebaum--that the School-to-Work
Program lacks the flexibility necessary to successfully integrate
existing job-training programs; that the priority given to ``paid-work
experience'' is a disincentive to business involvement and could have
the unintended consequences of reducing opportunities for our young
people; and, most importantly, that school-to-work is nothing more and
nothing less than another stand-alone job-training program.
Before spending more money on job-training program No. 155, we ought
to first have a full accounting of the 154 other Federal programs that
are already up and running: Which programs work, and which ones don't
work? Which programs can be made more effective through consolidation
or streamlining, and which ones should be eliminated altogether?
These concerns are real: For example, the Wall Street Journal
reported that the Education Department's Vocational Lending Program
made loans to train 81,600 cosmetology students, even though the job
market is creating slots for just 17,000 new cosmetologists. This is
the sort of ill-conceived and wasteful spending that gives Government a
bad name.
To his credit, Secretary of Labor Robert Reich has himself recognized
that pouring more money into the job-training hodgepodge doesn't serve
anyone--except perhaps the Government bureaucrats. As he recently
pointed out in a speech before the Center for National Policy:
``Investing scarce resources in programs that don't deliver cheats
workers who require results and taxpayers who finance failure.''
Secretary Reich then outlined his philosophy on job-training:
Where a program works and meets a real need, we'll make it
happen. Where it doesn't we'll eliminate it. And where it's
broken, we'll fix it. Build on what's working, get rid of
what's not.
I agree. And that's why I joined yesterday with my distinguished
colleague from Oklahoma, Senator Nickles, in offering an amendment that
would put the Senate on record as supporting what works, and opposing
what doesn't work.
Our amendment is straightforward: It expresses the sense of the
Senate that, in fiscal years 1996 through 2002, the School-to-Work
Program should be funded predominantly from savings resulting from
efforts to eliminate, consolidate, or streamline existing education and
job training programs that are either duplicative or ineffective.
In other words, I am willing to give Secretary Reich's philosophy a
fighting chance: Let's consolidate, streamline, and eliminate those
programs that don't work before throwing more money into another high-
dollar Federal program. Indeed, if the Department of Labor and the
other Federal agencies do their job and identify those programs that
deserve to be streamlined or eliminated, there should be plenty of
funds left over to finance the new School-to-Work Program.
In the $25 billion Federal job-training hodgepodge, we should be able
to find at least $300 million in annual savings.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. If there be no further debate, the question is
on agreeing to the amendment.
The amendment (No. 1433), as modified, was agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Massachusetts, [Mr. Kennedy]
is recognized.
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I understand the Senator from Georgia is
willing to withdraw his amendment?
Amendment No. 1432 Withdrawn
Mrs. KASSEBAUM. Mr. President, on behalf of Senator Coverdell I would
like to withdraw amendment No. 1432.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Amendment
No. 1432, previously offered by the Senator from Georgia, is withdrawn.
The amendment (No. 1432) was withdrawn.
Amendment No. 1424, As Modified
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I understand the Senator from Kansas
wishes to modify an amendment which she successfully offered yesterday.
Mrs. KASSEBAUM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to modify
amendment No. 1424. This is my own amendment. This is a technical
correction which has been agreed to on both sides.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the request on
modification?
Without objection the modification is agreed to.
The amendment (No. 1424), as modified, is as follows:
Insert after section 504 the following new section:
SEC. 504A. COMBINATION OF FEDERAL FUNDS BY STATES.
(a) In General.--
(1) Purposes.--The purposes of this section are--
(A) to integrate activities under this Act with State
school-to-work transition activities carried out under other
programs; and
(B) to maximize the effective use of resources.
(2) Combination of funds.--To carry out such purposes, a
State that receives assistance under title II may carry out
activities necessary to develop and implement a statewide
School-to-Work Opportunities system with funds obtained by
combining--
(A) Federal funds under this Act, and
(B) other Federal funds made available from among programs
under--
(i) Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Act,
section 201; and
(ii) the Job Training Partnership Act (29 U.S.C. 1501 et
seq.).
(b) Use of Funds.--A State may use the State portion of the
Federal funds combined under subsection (a) under the
requirements of this Act, except that the provisions relating
to the matters specified in section 502(c), and section
503(c), that relate to the program through which the funds
described in subsection (a)(2)(B) were made available, shall
remain in effect with respect to the use of such funds.
(c) Additional Information in Application.--A State seeking
to combine funds under subsection (a) shall include in the
application of the State under title II--
(1) a description of the funds the State proposes to
combine under the requirements of this Act;
(2) the activities to be carried out with such funds;
(3) the specific outcomes expected of participants in
school-to-work activities;
(4) evidence of support for the waiver requests by the
State agencies officials with jurisdiction over the funds
that would be combined;
(5) a State's authority to combine funds under this section
shall not exceed 5 years, except that the Secretaries may
extend such period if the Secretaries determine that such
authority would further the purpose of this Act; and
(6) such other information as the Secretaries may require.
In section 510, in the section heading, strike ``SEC.
510.'' and insert ``SEC. 511.''.
In section 509, in the section heading, strike ``SEC.
509.'' and insert ``SEC. 510.''.
In section 508, in the section heading, strike ``SEC.
508.'' and insert ``SEC. 509.''.
In section 507, in the section heading, strike ``SEC.
507.'' and insert ``SEC. 508.''.
In section 506, in the section heading, strike ``SEC.
506.'' and insert ``SEC. 507.''.
In section 505, in the section heading, strike ``SEC.
505.'' and insert ``SEC. 506.''.
In section 504A, in the section heading, strike ``SEC.
504A.'' and insert ``SEC. 505.''.
In section 303(a)(1), strike ``507(b)'' and insert
``508(b)''.
In section 401(a), strike ``507(c)'' and insert ``508(c)''.
In section 401(b), strike ``507(c)'' and insert ``508(c)''.
In section 402(a), strike ``507(c)'' and insert ``508(c)''.
In section 402(b), strike ``507(c)'' and insert ``508(c)''.
In section 402(d), strike ``507(c)'' and insert ``508(c)''.
The claim that Goals 2000 is voluntary is without merit. Any schools
will dance for the piper with more money. Waving a $400 million carrot
in front of school noses and promising that the control will stay in
school hands is just plain fatuous. It is already mandatory for the
States to jump through hoops and dance jigs in order to get Federal
funds. There are strict guidelines in the grant programs that must be
adhered to, or the money is withheld. Who supposes this will be
different?
Once the States submit educational plans and have them approved by
the National Education Goals Panel or the National Education Standards
Improvement Council or the Secretary of Education or whoever, and
receive their stipend, they are hooked. They will be obligated to the
Federal Government to do whatever the Government directs them to do.
There is absolutely nothing in here that keeps the Government from
changing course midstream. Once the schools are dependent on the funds
from Goals 2000, they will have no choice but to comply. We do not need
the Government ``Nanny'' directing how we raise and educate our
children. Our children and parents need more support and freedom, not
mandates.
Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation on its
face. The promise of more money to our schools through this desirous
method is repugnant; $400 million split among 50 States, the District
of Columbia, and all our territories, let alone how much is actually
appropriated after the bill goes to conference, will amount to little
help, but the States will be tied to it forever. The ``National School
Board'' will have arrived.
This is coercion, Mr. President, and I will not support it. This is
not the solution. Accountability is the solution--accountability to our
parents, accountability to our children--not accountability to the
National Education Association or the Department of Education.
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
Mr. PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair will inquire of the Senator if he is
requesting the yeas and nays on the underlying House bill?
Mr. KENNEDY. The Chair is correct, on the House bill, the school-to-
work bill.
Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There is a sufficient second.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The bill is open to further amendment. If
there be no further amendment to be proposed, the question is on
agreeing to the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute, as
amended.
The amendment was agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order the clerk will read
S. 1361 for the third time.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading and was read
the third time.
Mr. WALLOP. Mr. President, yes there are problems in education.
Federal Government control is not the solution to these problems. We
cannot belittle the troubles that plague our children's schools, but a
$400 million Federal Band-aid is going to fix nothing and harm
everything. Goals 2000 will not fix education but it will complicate
it. The most likely result of this new Federal intrusion will be
irreparable damage to the entire education community in this country.
Our schools need our help. Our students are facing problems and
situations today that none of us ever encountered. But by and large
they are more the fault of Government policy. Many public schools are
facing dramatic difficulties, and the congressional knee-jerk reaction
is: ``If only we give more money, everything will be fine.'' Mr.
President, that is simply not true. Money can help a world of woes, but
it won't buy quality. Like virtually every other sector in this country
which the Federal Government touches, the educational structure is
flabby from Federal pork.
This legislation comes as a surprise. All I have been hearing about
during my years here in the Senate, in public life before coming to
Washington, was that Americans want less Federal intervention in their
lives--not more. And here we are talking about giving the Government
even more control over the basic education programs of our children.
This bill is yet another step in the Federal Government's takeover of
education in general. Sure, the bill's proponents repeat over and over
again, ``It's voluntary, voluntary, voluntary.'' I say it is the large
Federal camel's nose in history.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, earlier today I voted against S. 1361, the
School-to-Work Opportunities Act. I did so reluctantly, Mr. President,
as I have been a long-time supporter and promoter of job training. I
also cast my vote understanding that this bill would almost certainly
become law, notwithstanding my concerns.
Those concerns, Mr. President, were not with the laudable and
legitimate needs that this legislation sought to address. My concerns
deal with the fact that we already have 154 separate job training
programs on the books that cost Federal taxpayers nearly $25 billion a
year.
There is currently a maze of Federal and State job training efforts
that is in desperate need of reform. Notably, in that section of this
bill that outlines the requisite content of the plan that States must
file, S. 1361 states that such State plans must, among many things,
``describe the manner in which the school-to-work opportunities system
will coordinate with or integrate local school-to-work programs,
including programs financed from State and private sources, with funds
available from such related Federal programs under the Adult Education
Act, the Carl Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act,
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Higher Education Act,
part F of title IV of the Social Security Act, the Goals 2000, the
National Skills Standards Act, the Individuals With Disabilities Act,
the Job Training Partnership Act, the Act of 1937--commonly known as
the National Apprenticeship Act--the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and
the National and Community Service Act of 1990.''
To the States I say: Good luck.
As Senator Kassebaum has observed, this bill ``creates a whole new
program to loop together another set of programs and relies on an
elaborate set of waiver provisions to try to make it all work.'' The
price tag is $300 million per year.
Mr. President, I favor program coordination. I think the left hand
ought to know what the right hand is doing. I might add that President
Bush proposed legislation that would consolidate several Federal job
training and vocational education efforts into one program with one set
of rules and regulations, one application form, and one funding stream.
I do not recall that this plan even got the benefit of a hearing.
Today, Mr. President, instead of exercising some leadership--instead
of making Federal programs more efficient and more workable--we are
taking the coward's way out and making the States come up with a plan
for coordination. We are making the States do what we ought to be
doing--streamlining Federal bureaucracies.
As I said, Mr. President, I sincerely appreciate the goal that is
implicit in this bill. I cannot support the additional burden placed on
States; I cannot support creation of yet another Federal apparatus for
job training; and I cannot support authorizing $300 million in new
money for this purpose when there are 154 other job training programs
already in existence that could no doubt serve more people with more
money.
Mr. President, in these times of limited resources it is incumbent
upon us to simply stop piling new and duplicative programs onto
existing ones. In this case, we missed that opportunity.
Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I rise in support of S. 1361, the
School-to-Work Opportunities Act. I am a cosponsor of this legislation
and am pleased that the Senate is poised to pass it.
Mr. President, our modern economy is rapidly changing. Today's
American worker must compete against workers all over the world as well
as embrace modern technology in the workplace.
Despite these changes, our educational system is primarily focused on
a traditional career path. We have several programs for students who go
onto college. However, 75 percent of all high school graduates do not
complete an undergraduate degree and 50 percent never take a post high-
school class.
We need to equip these millions of non-college-bound students with
basic academic and occupational skills necessary in an increasingly
complex labor market. In the 1980's, the earnings gap between high
school and college graduates doubled. At the same time, employers have
expressed increasing frustration with the quality of job skills
possessed by high school graduates.
These trends tell us that we need to develop a new system to educate
and train those who do not go on to college. We must prepare them for
the competitive workplace of the 21st century. This is what the School-
to-Work Opportunities Act seeks to do--to provide educational and job
training opportunity for those who are left out of our current system.
The school-to-work bill provides funding to States to plan and
develop school-to-work systems. This is critical because the current
apprenticeship, job training, and job counseling system is fractured in
each State. Each State plan must describe how the State will integrate
private business and the educational system into a school-to-work plan.
Once the State plan is completed, a State may receive an implementation
grant to provide funding to local partnerships and school-to-work
programs to help educate, train, and place young people into high
skilled occupations. This bill also allows States to seek waivers from
other Federal education and labor programs if they will help them
better establish a coordinated school-to-work system.
Mr. President, the young people of our country are our future. In the
past, we have focused on the college bound students while leaving high
school graduates with no career education and training. This bill will
address this serious failure so that all of our young people can enter
the job market with skills that permit them to make a productive
contribution to our economy. It will also please the business community
that will benefit from a better skilled work force. It is no surprise
that this legislation is supported by the Business Roundtable, the
National Association of Manufacturers, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
as well as organized labor.
I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. COATS. Mr. President, school-to-work transition is a concept that
I strongly endorse. Many of our youth, as we have previously heard,
will not go to college, and many who do go to college will not earn a
degree. We need to provide meaningful opportunities for these
students--and we need to provide them as early as possible.
Not only do I support school-to-work as a theory, but I support many
of the principles embodies in the legislation before us. Collaboration,
public/private partnerships, mentorship--these are all important
concepts, and crucial for an effective program.
Unfortunately, the positive aspects of S. 1361 do not outweigh, in my
mind, the problems with this proposal.
First, I am concerned that this is yet another categorical program.
According to the Government Accounting Office, we are presently funding
over 150 job training programs at an estimated cost of $20 billion. The
school-to-work bill adds another job training proposal to this already
costly mix. And perhaps more important is the fact that it duplicates
efforts already authorized to be provided to this same group--kids not
bound for college.
As a matter of fact, the State of Indiana, as well as 23 other
States, has already received grants for the development of school-to-
work programs. Some might ask how this was possible since S. 1361 has
not yet been enacted. Using existing authority under JTPA and the Carl
Perkins Act, the Departments of Labor and Education have provided funds
to States for the Development of school-to-work initiatives. So we see
that school-to-work initiatives are not only possible, but are already
being supported by Federal funds, so why is this bill needed?
Second, I am concerned by the requirement that students who
participate in this program be paid for their training. Aside from
questioning the appropriateness of paying people for training, I am
concerned that this requirement will significantly limit the
opportunities for valuable work experiences. This is particularly true
for small businesses, which are the life blood of our economy.
Finally, I feel strongly that States should be afforded maximum
flexibility in designing both the program and the work opportunities
that would be available. As currently drafted, S. 1361 is prescriptive
and would significantly tie the hands of the States, employers, and
schools participating in this initiative. I think we have seen time and
time again that Washington's one-size-fits-all solutions don't work.
Let's let people with hands on experience design programs that will
really help those in need.
Mr. President, the concept of school-to-work transition is an
important one, and that deserves our close attention. However, it is a
job training proposal, and as such I think it would have been more
appropriate to have considered in conjunction with the other job
training programs.
We have made a great deal of progress on this legislation over the
course of the past few days, and have included some very important
amendments. I strongly support these changes and the concept of school-
to-work, however, at this time I am unable to support this legislation.
We still have a ways to go, and I would have preferred that this be
considered in a broader context, but will re-examine the legislation
when it emerges from conference.
Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I am pleased to speak today in favor of
Senate bill 1361, the School-to-Work Opportunities Act.
With this bill, we continue to build upon a theme introduced by
President Clinton in last year's budget process--investing in our
future. By immunizing our children and fully funding important programs
such as Head Start, WIC, Goals 2000, and school-to-work, we are
investing in our children, and in the America of tomorrow.
As we focus on planning, and preparing our children for the future,
we are challenged to make adjustments. We cannot afford to operate on
old assumptions--assumptions that are no longer relevant today.
We must recognize that approximately half of our Nation's young
people do not go on to college; 75 percent do not earn a bachelor's
degree. Many of these young people do not possess the basic academic
and occupational skills necessary for the changing workplace, or for
further education. Many cannot find stable, career-track jobs for a
good 5 to 10 years after graduating from high school.
Whether the family-wage jobs of the future will require a college
degree, they no doubt will require professional or technical training.
We must prepare our children throughout the Nation for both. The
school-to-work bill will help young people link what they are learning
in school to the workplace. It will also prepare them for 4-year
college.
Our schools have a stake in preparing students for tomorrow's work
force. They must help educate and train our children today for the jobs
of tomorrow.
My home State of Washington has made major strides toward developing
high school coursework that is relevant for students, and clearly
applicable to the real world. Four model high schools in Bethel,
Central Valley, Camas, and Grand Coulee are beginning their third year
of comprehensive restructuring efforts.
In addition, last year the Washington Legislature enacted the School-
to-Work Transitions Program. This program provides funding for model
high school transition projects in 33 school districts in the State.
The emphasis is on providing high school students with a choice of
educational pathways. These pathways are based on the student's career
interest area--and they integrate academic, vocational, and technical
education into a single curriculum.
In the Washington program, priority is given to high schools that
work with middle and junior high schools to improve students' career
awareness. In addition, the program requires that partnerships be
formed with employers and employees to give students work-based
learning experiences as well.
Mr. President, I support the emphasis on collaboration in the
Washington program, and in the bill before us. Encouraging government,
educational institutions, employers, labor, students, parents, and
community-based organizations to work together is crucial.
In addition, we must work diligently to identify the growth sectors
of our economy, and the education and skills that will be needed by the
work force in these sectors. As part of this effort, I am holding a
futures forum in my home State of Washington during the spring work
period.
I am bringing together experts from a variety of disciplines and
communities in the State--experts in business, labor representatives,
educators, academics, and government leaders--to discuss what
Washington's economy and work force will look like in the next 10 to 20
years. We will focus on the prospects for growth in a variety of
sectors of the economy. And, we will discuss the education and skills
that will be needed by the work force in State.
We will also discuss how to give our children the education and
skills they will need to participate in the work force of the future.
This will be the first in a series of forums, and I look forward to
hearing from those who work on this challenge on a daily basis.
Finally, I want to mention the use of Federal funds as seed money to
stimulate State and local creativity in establishing statewide school-
to-work programs. This approach is far superior to creating yet another
large Federal employment and training program. This way we are
encouraging States to expand upon existing programs such as tech prep
education, cooperative education, youth apprenticeship, school-
sponsored enterprises, and existing school-to-work programs--like the
one we have in Washington State.
Mr. President, this is a very important bill for our Nation's
children today, and for our economy tomorrow. I urge my colleagues to
support this bill.
Mr. HATFIELD. Mr. President, America's economic future is at risk.
For years, I have been deeply concerned that the United States is
addressing the requirements of its work force in the wrong way and this
is posing a tremendous threat to our ability to compete in the emerging
global economy.
Under our current ``Tayloristic'' system, we have become so
overdependent on a small cadre of decisionmakers and managers that our
ability to increase our quality and variety of products, processes, and
services is diminishing. Therefore, our capacity to adapt to new
consumer needs in this global economy and sustain a high standard of
living has suffered. If we continue to ignore our frontline workers'
abilities, I believe that our folly ultimately will relegate us to
second class status in the global marketplace.
According to the Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce:
``The world is prepared to pay high prices and high wages for quality,
variety, and responsiveness to changing consumer tastes.'' If the
United States is to continue as the world's economic leader, we must
develop the best educated and best trained work force in the world in
order to command those high prices and afford those high wages.
American employers are realizing that they must insist on having
workers who are able to adapt to changing conditions not only by
learning new skills but also by changing their roles in the workplace.
They must be capable of solving problems, and they must be encouraged
to do so by working in teams and by helping forward-thinking management
meet its responsibilities. Although the legislation before us today
does not address the needs of our current work force, it will, however,
help our competitiveness in the future by assisting States to prepare
our youth for the critical transition from school to work.
Currently, American high schools direct most of their attention
toward preparing students for college. However, of those who enter
college, only about 15 percent go on to graduate and then obtain a 4-
year college degree within 6 years of high school graduation. Yet we
continue to allow our educational system to essentially ignore the
needs of the remaining 85 percent. We abandon them to muddle between
different educational and employment opportunities. Furthermore, about
30 percent of youth aged 16 to 24 lack the necessary skills for entry-
level employment. This problem becomes shockingly vivid when one sees
that 50 percent of adults in their late twenties have not found a
steady job.
Mr. President, it is time for us to change the way we think and
virtually revolutionize the way we address the current educational
system for those who will never enter our colleges and universities. We
must help students understand why they are learning the particular
subject matter so that they think more about applied academics and
connect education to the world of work. We must help them make a
successful transition from school to work.
In 1991, Oregon made a striking break with traditional American
education with the passage of Oregon Education Act for the 21st
century. Among other things, it established certificates of initial
mastery and advanced mastery as new high-performance standards for all
students and has created new partnerships among business, labor, and
the educational community to develop academic and professional
technical standards.
Once basic mastery is demonstrated, and no one advances until
fundamental skills are absorbed--students will select a broad career
area to provide the context for further study. This prepares them for
postsecondary education or further skills training for family-wage
jobs. Work-based learning opportunities will be provided to interested
students so that necessary skills and competencies can be learned in
the work environment as well as in the classroom. This is vital, it
drives home to students the interrelationship between education and
work.
Our school reform strategy recognizes the interdependence between
places of learning and places of work. In fact, several high schools
like Sprague, Roosevelt, and David-Douglas have made this connection.
Education and work force reform movements also recognize that to
improve the performance of students and the productivity of workers
requires new partnerships among business, labor, education, and
government. Understandably, Oregon has received national recognition
for focusing on the critical school-to-work transition.
The legislation before us today will provide seed money to help
States develop comprehensive plans that includes work-based and school-
based learning programs. Most systems will involve a year of
postsecondary education and will lead to a high school diploma, a
certificate or diploma from a postsecondary institution, and an
occupational skill certificate certifying mastery of specific
occupational skills. Second, it will provide the States with 5-year
implementation grants to help operate these systems.
Mr. President, many of the problems facing our noncollege bound
students need to be addressed at the State and local levels.
Nevertheless, this is also a national problem because our economic
competitiveness depends on our willingness to help them meet our future
work-force demands.
If we are to affect lasting change for future generations--if that
change is to keep pace with the changing global marketplace--then we
must engage schools, businesses, and government at all levels to
prepare tomorrow's workers for our future. Passage of this legislation
today will encourage our States to creatively meet the needs of our
noncollege bound student population. The needs of these students have
been ignored for far too long and it is my pleasure to be an original
cosponsor of this bill.
Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I rise today to address the issue of
school to work. I share many of the sentiments that have already been
expressed by my colleagues. Today, students who do not pursue a college
degree, face great challenges in finding a job which is personally and
financially rewarding. The issue before us is how to do we better
assist these young people find gainful employment and make the
transition from school-to-work?
Only 25 percent of all high school graduates go on to college. The
remaining students enter the work force with only a high school diploma
and limited skills. At one time, low-skill, high-wage manufacturing
jobs were abundant. This is no longer the case. Today, individuals
without a college degree earn significantly less than individuals with
a college degree and that gap is widening each year.
I agree with my colleagues that we need to build a better partnership
between our schools and businesses to determine what skills are needed
in the increasingly competitive economy. We then must target students
at need and equip them with the necessary skills. My question is do we
need another Federal jobs program to achieve this goal? I don't believe
so and that is why I am not able to support S. 1361, the School-to-Work
Opportunities Act.
There are 154 existing Federal jobs-related programs which cost the
Treasury over $20 billion annually. Enacting this legislation would
create yet another program with a price tag of $300 million this year
and such sums as necessary for the period of its authorization.
Although the program is due to expire after its authorization, I have
not known this Congress to allow programs to expire. It's much easier
to extend a program than to let it die.
I believe the better way to address the issue of school-to-work is to
focus on existing programs and restructure them to better serve our
young people. For example, there are a number of existing programs that
target the very students we are talking about today. The Carl Perkins
Tech-Prep Program, career academies and youth apprenticeship programs
all assist students in the transition from school to work. It seems to
make better sense to determine how to improve these programs and, if
necessary, integrate them. Unfortunately, there are provisions in the
school-to-work bill which would prevent the integration of the Carl
Perkins Tech Prep Program into the School-to-Work Program.
For example, the School-to-Work Program requires a paid work
experience in certain circumstances. The Carl Perkins Tech-Prep Program
does not have a similar requirement, so this program would operate
parallel to the new school-to-work program. They couldn't be
coordinated, nor integrated, yet they would essentially serve the same
students.
I would like to take this opportunity to discuss the paid work
experience which I have alluded to. The original language contained in
the bill required students to have a work experience which must be
paid. Many small businesses struggle financially. While many may want
to participate in the program, they may find the salary requirement
prohibitive. This provision ignores the value of unpaid work
experiences. I am pleased that my colleagues recognized the burden of
this provision when it adopted an amendment removing the paid work
requirement except in some cases. A student can still have a valuable
learning experience if the job is unpaid. Shadowing experiences,
mentoring are all crucial learning experiences.
I believe we are placing too much emphasis on spending more and not
enough on improving existing education and jobs programs. We must
better manage these programs. If our young people are not prepared to
enter the work force, shouldn't we try to understand why? Should school
curriculum be altered? School systems across the country already
recognize that they should be building partnerships with local
employers to prepare students for employment. We do not need new
Federal legislation to achieve these goals. Again, we are faced with a
situation where local action is outpacing Federal legislative
initiatives.
I strongly support the intentions of this legislation, but I am not
prepared to vote to create yet another Federal program. I would rather
reevaluate existing programs and determine how they can better serve
our young people prepare for the future.
Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, America's future lies with its
children. Recognizing the importance of providing educational and
occupational training for today's youth, I am proud to cosponsor the
School-to-Work Opportunities Act. Because of a personal commitment, I
had to be in West Virginia earlier today and unfortunately missed the
vote on final passage of this legislation. But it was clear this
measure had strong bipartisan support and would pass. My statement is
to reinforce my support for this initiative.
This legislation represents part of an overall strategy to reform our
American educational system, and it specifically seeks to enhance the
transition to work for young people. The provisions of this bill
reaffirm this Nation's commitment to the education and employment of
today's youth. The bill's goal is to unite partnerships of employers
and educators to create a high quality school-to-work program that
assists students in the transition from school to a well-paying first
job.
The legislation maps out a new strategy to achieve this goal. First,
it establishes components and goals for successful school-to-work
programs. Next, it seeks to integrate work-based and school-based
learning to provide students with additional skills. It will create a
national framework that provides States the flexibility to develop
programs to effectuate the transition from school to employment.
Every parent, student, teacher, and employer should embrace the goals
of the School-to-Work Act and strive together to achieve them.
We need to recognize that approximately one-half of American youth do
not go to college and about 75 percent of those who initially enroll do
not graduate. Even more important, a 1990 report by the Commission on
the Skills of the American Work Force noted that 70 percent of the jobs
in America in the year 2000 will not require a college education, but
most will require training beyond high school.
America needs the School-to-Work Act to ensure that students who
don't go to college still are prepared to enter the work force.
Entering work directly after high school needs to be a viable
alternative for students who cannot or do not want to attend college.
Our competitiveness will depend on how well we prepare our youth for
the modern workplace.
Every student should have the opportunity to earn a living at a high-
skill, high-wage job upon graduation from high school. Under the
School-to-Work Act, we will ensure that students are given the
educational and occupational training that they need to obtain a high-
paying first job and begin a career. The legislation establishes a
national framework within which States can develop effective systems
for improving students' transition from school to work.
Under the legislation, States will have the flexibility to design
their own programs suited to their States' needs, economy and labor
market. Although the program requires core components and goals it does
not mandate the means to achieve these goals. Various sources of
support, including Federal grants to States, waivers, direct grants to
local partnerships, and high poverty area grants, will enable States to
create their own school-to-work programs.
States will receive a 1-year planning grant and one 5-year
implementation grant. The act also provides for waivers of certain
regulatory and statutory programs to all other Federal funds to be
coordinated with comprehensive school-to-work programs.
The heart of the program is making employers full partners in
providing high-quality, work-based learning experiences to students.
The program will improve the knowledge and skill of young people by
combining academic and occupational learning. Every school-to-work plan
must include work-based learning that provides job training or work
experiences. In addition, each program must provide school-based
learning including career counseling and instruction in a career major,
and a program of study that is based on high academic and skill
standards as proposed in Goals 2000 Educate America Act.
This combination of occupational and academic education will provide
students with additional knowledge and skills that will better prepare
them to enter the job market and obtain high-wage, high-paying jobs.
My support of the School-to-Work Act is a continuation of my work as
chairman of the National Commission on Children. As chairman, I
traveled across the country meeting with young people, parents, and
teachers. Everywhere I went, people recognized that education is the
key to the future. Education will provide students with the key to
unlock to door to high-wage, high-skill jobs upon graduation from high
school.
Educators and employers need to unite in the effort to educate youth
and provide them opportunities to contribute to society. The School-to-
Work Act provides the means for a partnership between schools and
employers, a partnership that was strongly endorsed by the unanimous,
bipartisan report of the National Commission on Children. It is
gratifying to note that this important legislation reflects the
principles of reform outlined by the Commission.
Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise today in strong support of S. 1361,
the School-to-Work Opportunities Act.
In the last few days, we have charted a new course in Federal
education legislation. For over a decade, States and communities have
been at work developing innovative programs to address the challenges
facing today's schools. With the Goals 2000 legislation and the School-
to-Work Opportunities Act, the Federal Government finally steps forward
as a full partner in these efforts. And unlike in the past, we are
bringing more than our ideas and mandates to the table. These new
initiatives come not with strings, but with money and flexibility.
The School-to-Work Opportunities Act is aimed at the 75 percent of
students who never complete college. These students are often
overlooked by the current system. To a great extent, the focus of our
high schools has been on the college-bound student. Computer
programming, accounting, automotive engineering, and other
vocationally-oriented courses have been offered as electives, if at
all. Students who complete high school, but not college, find
themselves with a diploma, but few job skills.
Thirty years ago, a high school diploma was enough to put a young man
or woman into a job that could support a family and a home. Today, that
is just not the case. The average monthly earnings of a full-time
worker with only a high school diploma is just $1,200. There are few
places in America where this income could support a family. And the
situation is only getting worse for these low-skill workers as the
workplace grows ever more technologically advanced. We must do what we
can to make sure these young people are not left to fall further
behind.
The school-to-work initiative seeks to ensure students a smooth
transition from school into meaningful, high-quality jobs. Under this
legislation, partnerships will be developed at the State and local
level to bring together employers, educators, labor leaders, community-
based organizations, and others. These partnerships will work to
coordinate existing programs to prepare students to compete and succeed
in the high-technology, high-skill work force of the next century.
Many States are already experimenting in this area. Pennsylvania has
had tremendous success with its youth apprenticeship program.
Connecticut has a similar program that brings together inner-city youth
and representatives of the building and construction trades. The Tech-
Prep Program has also provided thousands of young people in Connecticut
and in many other States with new opportunities. The school-to-work
initiative will provide these States with seed money to expand and
enhance these and other programs to meet the critical needs of non-
college bound students.
I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this important bill.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the clerk will
report H.R. 2884.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (H.R. 2884) to establish a national framework for
the development of school-to-work opportunities systems in
all States, and for other purposes.
The Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. All after the enacting clause is stricken. The
text of S. 1361, as amended, is substituted in lieu thereof, and H.R.
2884, as amended, is considered read a third time.
The question is, Shall the bill, H.R. 2884, as amended, pass? The
yeas and nays have been ordered. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from Louisiana [Mr. Breaux],
the Senator from Louisiana [Mr. Johnston], the Senator from Illinois
[Ms. Moseley-Braun], and the Senator from West Virginia [Mr.
Rockefeller] are necessarily absent.
I further announce that, if present and voting, the Senator from
Illinois [Ms. Moseley-Braun] would vote ``aye.''
Mr. SIMPSON. I announce that the Senator from Rhode Island [Mr.
Chafee], the Senator from Texas [Mr. Gramm], and the Senator from Texas
[Mrs. Hutchison] are necessarily absent.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber
who desire to vote?
The result was announced--yeas 62, nays 31, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 32 Leg.]
YEAS--62
Akaka
Baucus
Biden
Bingaman
Bond
Boren
Boxer
Bradley
Bryan
Bumpers
Campbell
Cochran
Cohen
Conrad
D'Amato
Danforth
Daschle
DeConcini
Dodd
Dorgan
Durenberger
Exon
Feingold
Feinstein
Ford
Glenn
Graham
Harkin
Hatfield
Heflin
Hollings
Inouye
Jeffords
Kennedy
Kerrey
Kerry
Kohl
Lautenberg
Leahy
Levin
Lieberman
Mathews
Metzenbaum
Mikulski
Mitchell
Moynihan
Murray
Nunn
Packwood
Pell
Pryor
Reid
Riegle
Robb
Sarbanes
Sasser
Shelby
Simon
Specter
Thurmond
Wellstone
Wofford
NAYS--31
Bennett
Brown
Burns
Byrd
Coats
Coverdell
Craig
Dole
Domenici
Faircloth
Gorton
Grassley
Gregg
Hatch
Helms
Kassebaum
Kempthorne
Lott
Lugar
Mack
McCain
McConnell
Murkowski
Nickles
Pressler
Roth
Simpson
Smith
Stevens
Wallop
Warner
NOT VOTING--7
Breaux
Chafee
Gramm
Hutchison
Johnston
Moseley-Braun
Rockefeller
So the bill (H.R. 2884), as amended, was passed, as follows:
H.R. 2884
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``School-to-
Work Opportunities Act of 1994''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Purposes and congressional intent.
Sec. 4. Definitions.
Sec. 5. Federal administration.
TITLE I--SCHOOL-TO-WORK OPPORTUNITIES BASIC PROGRAM COMPONENTS
Sec. 101. General program requirements.
Sec. 102. Work-based learning component.
Sec. 103. School-based learning component.
Sec. 104. Connecting activities component.
TITLE II--SCHOOL-TO-WORK OPPORTUNITIES SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT AND
IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS TO STATES
Subtitle A--State Development Grants
Sec. 201. Purpose.
Sec. 202. State development grants.
Subtitle B--State Implementation Grants
Sec. 211. Purpose.
Sec. 212. State implementation grants.
Sec. 213. Limitation on administrative costs.
TITLE III--FEDERAL IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS TO PARTNERSHIPS
Sec. 301. Purposes.
Sec. 302. Federal implementation grants to partnerships.
Sec. 303. School-to-work opportunities program grants in high poverty
areas and in congressional districts with low population
densities.
TITLE IV--NATIONAL PROGRAMS
Sec. 401. Research, demonstration, and other projects.
Sec. 402. Performance outcomes and evaluation.
Sec. 403. Training and technical assistance.
TITLE V--GENERAL PROVISIONS
Sec. 501. State request and responsibilities for a waiver of statutory
and regulatory requirements.
Sec. 502. Waivers of statutory and regulatory requirements by the
Secretary of Education.
Sec. 503. Waivers of statutory and regulatory requirements by the
Secretary of Labor.
Sec. 504. Combination of Federal funds for high poverty schools.
Sec. 505. Combination of Federal funds by States.
Sec. 506. Requirements.
Sec. 507. Sanctions.
Sec. 508. Authorization of appropriations.
Sec. 509. Acceptance of gifts, and other matters.
Sec. 510. State authority.
Sec. 511. Construction.
Sec. 512. Additional Federal requirements.
Sec. 513. Sense of the Senate.
TITLE VI--OTHER PROGRAMS
Sec. 601. Tech-prep education.
TITLE VII--TECHNICAL PROVISIONS
Sec. 701. Effective date.
Sec. 702. Sunset.
TITLE VIII--ALASKA NATIVE ART AND CULTURE
Sec. 801. Short title.
Sec. 802. Alaska Native art and culture.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) three-fourths of America's high school students enter
the work force without baccalaureate degrees, and many do not
possess the academic and entry-level occupational skills
necessary to succeed in the changing American workplace;
(2) a substantial number of American youth, especially
disadvantaged students, students of diverse racial, ethnic,
and cultural backgrounds, and students with disabilities, do
not complete school;
(3) unemployment among American youth is intolerably high,
and earnings of high school graduates have been falling
relative to earnings of persons with more education;
(4) the American workplace is changing in response to
heightened international competition and new technologies,
and such forces, which are ultimately beneficial to the
Nation, are shrinking the demand for and undermining the
earning power of unskilled labor;
(5) the United States lacks a comprehensive and coherent
system to help its youth acquire the knowledge, skills,
abilities, and information about and access to the labor
market necessary to make an effective transition from school
to career-oriented work or to further education and training;
(6) American students can achieve to high standards, and
many learn better and retain more when the students learn in
context, rather than in the abstract;
(7) while many American students have part-time jobs, there
is infrequent linkage between--
(A) such jobs; and
(B) the career planning or exploration, or the school-based
learning, of such students;
(8) the work-based learning approach, which is modeled
after the time-honored apprenticeship concept, integrates
theoretical instruction with structured on-the-job training,
and this approach, combined with school-based learning, can
be very effective in engaging student interest, enhancing
skill acquisition, developing positive work attitudes, and
preparing youth for high-skill, high-wage careers; and
(9) Federal resources currently fund a series of
categorical, work-related education and training programs,
many of which serve disadvantaged youth, that are not
administered as a coherent whole.
SEC. 3. PURPOSES AND CONGRESSIONAL INTENT.
(a) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are to--
(1) establish a national framework within which all States
can create statewide School-to-Work Opportunities systems
that--
(A) are a part of comprehensive education reform;
(B) are integrated with the State education systems
reformed under the Goals 2000: Educate America Act; and
(C) offer opportunities for all students to participate in
a performance-based education and training program that
will--
(i) enable the students to earn portable credentials;
(ii) prepare the students for first jobs in high-skill,
high-wage careers; and
(iii) increase their opportunities for further education,
including education in a 4-year college or university;
(2) create a universal, high-quality school-to-work
transition system that enables all young Americans to
identify and navigate paths to productive and progressively
more rewarding roles in the workplace;
(3) utilize workplaces as active learning environments in
the educational process by making employers joint partners
with educators in providing opportunities for all students to
participate in high-quality, work-based learning experiences;
(4) use Federal funds under this Act as venture capital, to
underwrite the initial costs of planning and establishing
statewide School-to-Work Opportunities systems that will be
maintained with other Federal, State, and local resources;
(5) promote the formation of partnerships that are
dedicated to linking the worlds of school and work, among
secondary schools and postsecondary education institutions,
private and public employers, labor organizations,
government, community-based organizations, parents, students,
State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and
training and human service agencies;
(6) help all students attain high academic and occupational
standards;
(7) build on and advance a range of promising school-to-
work transition programs, such as tech-prep education
programs, career academies, school-to-apprenticeship
programs, cooperative education programs, youth
apprenticeship programs, school-sponsored enterprises, and
business-education compacts, that can be developed into
programs funded under this Act;
(8) improve the knowledge and skills of youth by
integrating academic and occupational learning, integrating
school-based and work-based learning, and building effective
linkages between secondary and postsecondary education;
(9) encourage the development and implementation of
programs that will provide paid high-quality, work-based
learning experiences;
(10) motivate all youth, including low-achieving youth,
youth who have dropped out of school, and youth with
disabilities, to stay in or return to school or a classroom
setting and strive to succeed, by providing enriched learning
experiences and assistance in obtaining good jobs and
continuing their education in postsecondary education
institutions;
(11) expose students to a vast array of career
opportunities, and facilitate the selection of career majors,
based on individual interests, goals, strengths, and
abilities; and
(12) further the National Education Goals set forth in
title I of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act.
(b) Congressional Intent.--It is the intent of Congress
that the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education
jointly administer this Act, in consultation with the
Secretary of Commerce, in a flexible manner that--
(1) promotes State and local discretion in establishing and
implementing School-to-Work Opportunities systems and
programs; and
(2) contributes to reinventing government by--
(A) building on State and local capacity;
(B) eliminating duplication in education and training
programs for youth by integrating such programs into one
comprehensive system;
(C) maximizing the effective use of resources;
(D) supporting locally established initiatives;
(E) requiring measurable goals for performance; and
(F) offering flexibility in meeting such goals.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
As used in this Act--
(1) the term ``all aspects of the industry'' means all
aspects of the industry or industry sector a student is
preparing to enter, including planning, management, finances,
technical and production skills, underlying principles of
technology, labor and community issues, health and safety
issues, and environmental issues, related to such industry or
industry sector;
(2) the term ``all students'' means students from a broad
range of backgrounds and circumstances, including
disadvantaged students, students with diverse racial, ethnic,
or cultural backgrounds, students with disabilities, students
with limited-English proficiency, students who have dropped
out of school, and academically talented students;
(3) the term ``approved plan'' means a School-to-Work
Opportunities system plan that is submitted by a State under
section 212(a), is determined by the Secretaries to include
the program components described in sections 102 through 104
and otherwise meet the requirements of this Act, and is
consistent with the improvement plan of the State, if any,
under the Goals 2000: Educate America Act;
(4) the term ``career major'' means a coherent sequence of
courses or field of study that prepares a student for a first
job and that--
(A) integrates academic and occupational learning,
integrates school-based and work-based learning, establishes
linkages between secondary and postsecondary education, and
prepares students for admission to 2-year or 4-year
postsecondary education institutions;
(B) prepares the student for employment in broad
occupational clusters or industry sectors;
(C) typically includes at least 2 years of secondary
education and at least 1 or 2 years of postsecondary
education;
(D) provides the students, to the extent practicable, with
strong experience in and understanding of all aspects of the
industry the students are planning to enter;
(E) results in the award of--
(i) a high school diploma or its equivalent, such as--
(I) a general equivalency diploma; or
(II) an alternative diploma or certificate for students
with disabilities for whom such alternative diploma or
certificate is appropriate;
(ii) a certificate or diploma recognizing successful
completion of 1 or 2 years of postsecondary education (if
appropriate); and
(iii) a skill certificate; and
(F) may lead to further education and training, such as
entry into a registered apprenticeship program, or may lead
to admission to a 4-year college or university;
(5) the term ``employer'' includes both public and private
employers;
(6) the term ``Governor'' means the chief executive of a
State;
(7) the term ``local educational agency'' has the meaning
given the term in section 1471(12) of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 2891(12));
(8) the term ``partnership'' means a local entity that--
(A) is responsible for carrying out local School-to-Work
Opportunities programs;
(B) consists of employers or employer organizations, public
secondary schools and postsecondary educational institutions
(or representatives, such as teachers, counselors, and
administrators), and labor organizations or nonmanagerial
employee representatives; and
(C) may include other entities, such as community-based
organizations, national trade associations working at local
levels, rehabilitation agencies and organizations, registered
apprenticeship agencies, local vocational education entities,
proprietary institutions of higher education as defined in
section 481(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1088(b)) (so long as such institutions meet the requirements
specified in section 498 of such Act), local government
agencies, parent organizations and teacher organizations,
vocational student organizations, private industry councils
established under section 102 of the Job Training Partnership
Act (29 U.S.C. 1512), and Indian tribes, as defined in
section 1 of the Tribally Controlled Community College
Assistance Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1801);
(9) the term ``postsecondary education institution'' means
a public or private institution that is authorized within a
State to provide a program of education beyond secondary
education, and includes a community college, a technical
college, a postsecondary vocational institution, a tribally
controlled community college, as defined in section 1 of the
Tribally Controlled Community College Assistance Act of 1978,
and a 4-year college or university;
(10) the term ``registered apprenticeship agency'' means
the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training in the Department
of Labor or a State apprenticeship agency recognized and
approved by the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training as the
appropriate body for State registration or approval of local
apprenticeship programs and agreements for Federal purposes;
(11) the term ``registered apprenticeship program'' means a
program registered by a registered apprenticeship agency;
(12) the term ``related services'' includes the types of
services described in section 602(17) of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1401(17));
(13) the term ``school site mentor'' means a professional
employed at a school who is designated as the advocate for a
particular student, and who works in consultation with
classroom teachers, counselors, related services personnel,
and the employer of the student to design and monitor the
progress of the School-to-Work Opportunities program of the
student;
(14) the term ``School-to-Work Opportunities program''
means a program that meets the requirements of this Act,
other than a program described in section 401(a);
(15) the term ``secondary school'' has the meaning given
the term in section 1201(d) of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1141(d));
(16) the term ``Secretaries'' means the Secretary of
Education and the Secretary of Labor;
(17) the term ``skill certificate'' means a portable,
industry-recognized credential issued by a School-to-Work
Opportunities program under an approved plan, that certifies
that a student has mastered skills at levels that are at
least as challenging as skill standards endorsed by the
National Skill Standards Board established under the National
Skill Standards Act of 1993, except that until such skill
standards are developed, the term ``skill certificate'' means
a credential issued under a process described in the approved
plan of a State;
(18) the term ``State'' means each of the several States,
the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico;
(19) the term ``State educational agency'' has the meaning
given the term in section 1471(23) of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 2891(23)); and
(20) the term ``workplace mentor'' means an employee or
other individual, approved by the employer at a workplace,
who possesses the skills and knowledge to be mastered by a
student, and who instructs the student, critiques the
performance of the student, challenges the student to perform
well, and works in consultation with classroom teachers and
the employer of the student.
SEC. 5. FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION.
(a) Joint Administration.--Notwithstanding the Department
of Education Organization Act (20 U.S.C. 3401 et seq.), the
General Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1221 et seq.),
the Act entitled ``An Act To Create a Department of Labor'',
approved March 4, 1913 (29 U.S.C. 551 et seq.), and section
166 of the Job Training Partnership Act (29 U.S.C. 1576), the
Secretaries shall jointly provide for the administration of
the programs established by this Act. The Secretaries shall
jointly issue such uniform procedures, guidelines, and
regulations, in accordance with section 553 of title 5,
United States Code, as the Secretaries determine to be
necessary and appropriate to administer and enforce the
provisions of this Act.
(b) Regulations.--Section 431 of the General Education
Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1232) shall not apply to
regulations issued with respect to any programs under this
Act.
(c) Plan.--Within 120 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Secretaries shall prepare a plan for the joint
administration of this Act and submit such plan to the
appropriate Committees of Congress for review and comment.
TITLE I--SCHOOL-TO-WORK OPPORTUNITIES BASIC PROGRAM COMPONENTS
SEC. 101. GENERAL PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.
A School-to-Work Opportunities program under this Act
shall--
(1) integrate school-based learning and work-based
learning, as provided for in sections 102 and 103, integrate
academic and occupational learning, and establish effective
linkages between secondary and postsecondary education;
(2) provide participating students with the opportunity to
complete career majors;
(3) incorporate the program components provided in sections
102 through 104;
(4) provide participating students, to the extent
practicable, with strong experience in and understanding of
all aspects of the industry the students are preparing to
enter; and
(5) provide all students with equal access to the full
range of such program components (including both school- and
work-based learning components) and related activities and to
recruitment, enrollment, and placement activities.
SEC. 102. WORK-BASED LEARNING COMPONENT.
(a) Mandatory Activities.--The work-based learning
component of a School-to-Work Opportunities program shall
include--
(1) work experience;
(2) a planned program of job training and work experiences
(including training related to preemployment and employment
skills to be mastered at progressively higher levels) that
are coordinated with learning in the school-based learning
component described in section 103 and are relevant to the
career majors of students and lead to the award of skill
certificates;
(3) workplace mentoring; and
(4) instruction in general workplace competencies,
including instruction and activities developing positive work
attitudes, and employability and participative skills.
(b) Permissible Activities.--Such component may include
such activities as job shadowing, school-sponsored
enterprises, or on-the-job training for academic credit.
SEC. 103. SCHOOL-BASED LEARNING COMPONENT.
The school-based learning component of a School-to-Work
Opportunities program shall include--
(1) career exploration and counseling, beginning prior to
the 11th grade year of the students, in order to help
students who may be interested to identify, and select or
reconsider, their interests, goals, and career majors;
(2) initial selection by interested students of career
majors not later than the beginning of the 11th grade;
(3) a program of study designed to meet academic standards
established by the State for all students, including, where
applicable, any content standards developed under the Goals
2000: Educate America Act, and to meet the requirements
necessary to prepare students for postsecondary education and
to earn skill certificates; and
(4) regularly scheduled evaluations involving ongoing
consultation and problem solving with students to identify
academic strengths and weaknesses, academic progress,
workplace knowledge, goals, and the need for additional
learning opportunities to master core academic and vocational
skills.
SEC. 104. CONNECTING ACTIVITIES COMPONENT.
The connecting activities component of a School-to-Work
Opportunities program shall include--
(1) matching students with the work-based learning
opportunities of employers;
(2) serving, with respect to each student, as a liaison
among the student and the employer, school, teacher, school
administrator, and parent of the student, and, if
appropriate, other community partners;
(3) providing technical assistance and services to
employers, including small- and medium-sized businesses, and
other parties in--
(A) designing work-based learning components described in
section 102 and counseling and case management services; and
(B) training teachers, workplace mentors, school site
mentors, and counselors;
(4) providing assistance to schools and employers to
integrate school-based and work-based learning and integrate
academic and occupational learning in the program;
(5) encouraging the active participation of employers, in
cooperation with local education officials, in the
implementation of local activities described in section 102,
103, or this section;
(6)(A) providing assistance to participants who have
completed the program in finding an appropriate job,
continuing their education, or entering into an additional
training program; and
(B) linking the participants with other community services
that may be necessary to assure a successful transition from
school to work;
(7) collecting and analyzing information regarding post-
program outcomes of participants in the School-to-Work
Opportunities program, including disadvantaged students,
students with diverse racial, ethnic, or cultural
backgrounds, students with disabilities, students with
limited-English proficiency, students who have dropped out of
school, and academically talented students; and
(8) linking youth development activities under this Act
with employer and industry strategies for upgrading the
skills of their workers.
TITLE II--SCHOOL-TO-WORK OPPORTUNITIES SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT AND
IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS TO STATES
Subtitle A--State Development Grants
SEC. 201. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this subtitle is to assist States in
planning and developing comprehensive, statewide systems for
school-to-work opportunities.
SEC. 202. STATE DEVELOPMENT GRANTS.
(a) In General.--
(1) Award.--On the application of the Governor on behalf of
a State, the Secretaries may award a development grant to the
State in such amount as the Secretaries determine to be
necessary to enable the State to complete development of a
comprehensive, statewide School-to-Work Opportunities system.
(2) Amount.--The amount of a development grant under this
subtitle may not exceed $1,000,000 for any fiscal year.
(3) Completion.--The Secretaries may award such grant to
complete development initiated with funds awarded under the
Job Training Partnership Act (29 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.) or the
Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education
Act (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.).
(b) Application Contents.--To be eligible to receive a
grant under subsection (a), a State shall submit an
application to the Secretaries that shall--
(1) include a timetable and an estimate of the amount of
funding needed to complete the planning and development
necessary to implement a comprehensive, statewide School-to-
Work Opportunities system, for all students;
(2) describe the manner in which--
(A) the Governor;
(B) the State educational agency;
(C) the State agency officials responsible for job training
and employment;
(D) the State agency officials responsible for economic
development;
(E) the State agency officials responsible for
postsecondary education;
(F) representatives of the private sector; and
(G) other appropriate officials,
will collaborate in the planning and development of the
statewide School-to-Work Opportunities system;
(3) describe the manner in which the State has obtained and
will continue to obtain the active and continued
participation, in the planning and development of the
statewide School-to-Work Opportunities system, of employers
and other interested parties such as locally elected
officials, secondary schools and postsecondary educational
institutions (or related agencies), business associations,
employees, labor organizations or associations of such
organizations, teachers, related services personnel,
students, parents, community-based organizations, clergy,
rehabilitation agencies and organizations, registered
apprenticeship agencies, vocational educational agencies,
vocational student organizations, and human service agencies;
(4) describe the manner in which the State will coordinate
planning activities with any local school-to-work programs,
including programs that have received a grant under title
III, if any;
(5) designate a fiscal agent to receive and be accountable
for funds awarded under this subtitle;
(6) include such other information as the Secretaries may
require; and
(7) be submitted at such time and in such manner as the
Secretaries may require.
(c) State Development Activities.--Funds awarded under this
section shall be expended by a State only for activities
undertaken to develop a statewide School-to-Work
Opportunities system, which may include--
(1) identifying or establishing an appropriate State
structure to administer the School-to-Work Opportunities
system;
(2) identifying secondary and postsecondary school-to-work
programs that might be incorporated into the State system;
(3) identifying or establishing broad-based partnerships
among employers, labor, education, government, and other
community and parent organizations to participate in the
design, development, and administration of School-to-Work
Opportunities programs;
(4) developing a marketing plan to build consensus and
support for School-to-Work Opportunities programs;
(5) promoting the active involvement of business, including
small- and medium-sized businesses, in planning, developing,
and implementing local School-to-Work Opportunities programs;
(6) identifying ways that local school-to-work programs
could be coordinated with the statewide School-to-Work
Opportunities system;
(7) supporting local planning and development activities to
provide guidance, training, and technical assistance in the
development of School-to-Work Opportunities programs;
(8) identifying or establishing mechanisms for providing
training and technical assistance to enhance the development
of a statewide School-to-Work Opportunities system;
(9) initiating pilot programs for testing key components of
the program design of programs under the system;
(10) developing a State process for issuing skill
certificates that is, to the extent feasible, consistent with
the efforts of the National Skill Standards Board and the
skill standards endorsed under the National Skill Standards
Act of 1993;
(11) designing challenging curricula, in cooperation with
representatives of local partnerships, that take into account
the diverse learning needs and abilities of the student
population served by the system;
(12) developing a system for labor market analysis and
strategic planning for local targeting, of industry sectors
or broad occupational clusters, that can provide students
with placements in high-skill workplaces;
(13) analyzing the post-high school employment experiences
of recent high school graduates and students who have dropped
out of school;
(14) preparing the plan described in section 212(b); and
(15) developing a training and technical support system for
teachers, employers, mentors, counselors, related services
personnel, and other parties.
(d) Grants to Consortia.--
(1) In general.--The Secretaries may make grants under
subsection (a) to consortia of congressional districts with
low population densities, to enable each such consortium to
complete development of comprehensive, consortiawide School-
to-Work Opportunities systems. Each such system shall be
implemented by individuals selected by the States in which
the system is located. Each such system shall meet the
requirements of this Act for such a system, except as
otherwise provided in this subsection.
(2) Amount.--Notwithstanding any other provision of this
section, the amount of a development grant under this
subtitle to a consortium shall be in such amount as the
Secretaries may determine to be appropriate.
(3) Application.--For purposes of the application of this
subtitle to a consortium:
(A) Governor.--References to a Governor shall be deemed to
be references to an official designated by the consortium to
carry out the duties of a Governor under this subtitle.
(B) State.--References to a State shall be deemed to be
references to the consortium.
(C) Official.--References to an official of a State shall
be deemed to be references to such an official of any of the
States in which the consortium is located.
(4) Ability of state to carry out program.--Nothing in this
subsection shall limit the ability of a State to carry out a
statewide School-to-Work Opportunities system in the State,
even if a congressional district located in the State
participates in a consortium under paragraph (1).
(5) Definition.--As used in this subsection, the term
``consortia of congressional districts with low population
densities'' means a consortia of congressional districts,
each congressional district of which has an average
population density of less than 20.00 persons per square
mile, based on 1993 data from the Bureau of the Census.
Subtitle B--State Implementation Grants
SEC. 211. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this subtitle is to assist States in the
implementation of comprehensive, statewide School-to-Work
Opportunities systems.
SEC. 212. STATE IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS.
(a) In General.--
(1) Eligibility.--On the application of the Governor on
behalf of a State, the Secretaries may award, on a
competitive basis, a 5-year implementation grant to the
State.
(2) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
paragraph (1), a State shall submit an application to the
Secretaries that shall--
(A) contain--
(i) a plan for a comprehensive, statewide School-to-Work
Opportunities system that meets the requirements of
subsection (b);
(ii) a description of the manner in which the State will
allocate funds made available through such a grant to local
School-to-Work Opportunities partnerships under subsection
(g);
(iii) a request, if the State decides to submit such a
request, for one or more waivers of certain statutory or
regulatory requirements, as provided for under title V;
(iv) a description of the manner in which--
(I) the Governor;
(II) the State educational agency;
(III) the State agency officials responsible for job
training and employment;
(IV) the State agency officials responsible for economic
development;
(V) the State agency officials responsible for
postsecondary education;
(VI) other appropriate officials; and
(VII) the private sector,
collaborated in the development of the application; and
(v) such other information as the Secretaries may require;
and
(B) be submitted at such time and in such manner as the
Secretaries may require.
(b) Contents of State Plan.--A State plan referred to in
subsection (a)(2)(A)(i) shall--
(1) designate the geographical areas, including urban and
rural areas, to be served by partnerships that receive grants
under subsection (g), which shall, to the extent feasible,
reflect local labor market areas;
(2) describe the manner in which the State will stimulate
and support local School-to-Work Opportunities programs that
meet the requirements of this Act, and the manner in which
the statewide School-to-Work Opportunities system will be
expanded over time to cover all geographic areas in the
State;
(3) describe the procedure by which--
(A) the Governor;
(B) the State educational agency;
(C) the State agency officials responsible for job training
and employment;
(D) the State agency officials responsible for economic
development;
(E) the State agency officials responsible for
postsecondary education;
(F) representatives of the private sector; and
(G) other appropriate officials,
will collaborate in the implementation of the statewide
School-to-Work Opportunities system;
(4) describe the manner in which the State has obtained and
will continue to obtain the active and continued involvement,
in the statewide School-to-Work Opportunities system, of
employers and other interested parties such as locally
elected officials, secondary schools and postsecondary
educational institutions (or related agencies), business
associations, employees, labor organizations or associations
of such organizations, teachers, related services personnel,
students, parents, community-based organizations, clergy,
rehabilitation agencies and organizations, registered
apprenticeship agencies, vocational educational agencies,
vocational student organizations, State or regional
cooperative education associations, and human service
agencies;
(5) describe the manner in which the School-to-Work
Opportunities system will coordinate with or integrate local
school-to-work programs, including programs financed from
State and private sources, with funds available from such
related Federal programs as programs under the Adult
Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1201 et seq.), the Carl D. Perkins
Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act (20 U.S.C.
2301, et seq.), the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.), the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.), part F of title IV of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 681 et seq.), the Goals 2000:
Educate America Act, the National Skills Standards Act of
1993, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20
U.S.C. 1400 et seq.), the Job Training Partnership Act (29
U.S.C. 1501 et seq.), the Act of August 16, 1937 (commonly
known as the ``National Apprenticeship Act''; 50 Stat. 664,
chapter 663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.); the Rehabilitation Act of
1973 (29 U.S.C. 701 et seq.), and the National and Community
Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12501 et seq.);
(6) describe the strategy of the State for providing
training for teachers, employers, mentors, counselors,
related services personnel, and other parties;
(7) describe the strategy of the State for incorporating
project-oriented, experiential learning programs which
integrate theory and academic knowledge with hands-on skills
and applications into the school curriculum for all students
in the State;
(8) describe the resources, including private sector
resources, that the State intends to employ in maintaining
the School-to-Work Opportunities system when funds under this
Act are no longer available;
(9) describe the extent to which the School-to-Work
Opportunities system will include programs that will provide
paid high-quality, work-based learning experiences;
(10) describe the manner in which the State will ensure
effective and meaningful opportunities for all students in
the State to participate in School-to-Work Opportunities
programs;
(11) describe the goals of the State and the methods the
State will use, such as awareness and outreach, to ensure
opportunities for young women to participate in School-to-
Work Opportunities programs in a manner that leads to
employment in high-performance, high-paying jobs, including
nontraditional employment;
(12) describe the manner in which the State will ensure
opportunities for low-achieving students, students with
disabilities, and former students who have dropped out of
school, to participate in School-to-Work Opportunities
programs;
(13) describe the process of the State for assessing the
skills and knowledge required in career majors, and the
process for awarding skill certificates that is consistent
with the efforts of the National Skill Standards Board and
the skill standards endorsed under the National Skill
Standards Act of 1993;
(14) describe the manner in which the State will ensure
that students participating in the programs are provided, to
the greatest extent possible, with flexibility to develop new
career goals over time and to change career majors without
adverse consequences;
(15) describe the manner in which the State will, to the
extent feasible, continue programs funded under section 302
in the statewide School-to-Work Opportunities system;
(16) describe the manner in which local school-to-work
programs, including programs funded under section 302, if
any, will be integrated into the statewide School-to-Work
Opportunities system;
(17) describe the performance standards that the State
intends to meet; and
(18) designate a fiscal agent to receive and be accountable
for funds awarded under this subtitle.
(c) Review of Applications.--In reviewing each application
submitted under subsection (a), the Secretaries shall submit
the application to a peer review process, determine whether
to approve the plan described in subsection (b), and, if such
determination is affirmative, further determine whether to
take one or more of the following actions:
(1) Award an implementation grant described in subsection
(a) to the State submitting the application.
(2) Approve the request of the State, if any, for a waiver
in accordance with the procedures set forth in title V.
(3) Inform the State of the opportunity to apply for
further development funds under subtitle A, by submitting to
the Secretaries an application that includes a timetable and
an estimate of the amount of funding needed to complete the
planning and development necessary to implement a
comprehensive, statewide School-to-Work Opportunities system,
except that further development funds may not be awarded to a
State that receives an implementation grant under subsection
(e).
(d) Review Considerations.--In evaluating an application
submitted under subsection (a), the Secretaries shall--
(1) take into consideration the quality of the application,
including the replicability, sustainability, and innovation
of programs described in the application;
(2) give priority to applications, based on the extent to
which the system described in the application would limit
administrative costs and increase amounts spent on delivery
of services to students enrolled in programs carried out
through the system under this Act;
(3) give priority to applications that describe the highest
levels of--
(A) concurrence with the plan for the system; and
(B) collaboration in the development and implementation of
the system; and
(4) give priority to applications that describe systems
that include programs that will provide paid high-quality,
work-based learning experiences;
by appropriate State agencies and officials and the private
sector.
(e) Grant Amount and Duration of Grant.--
(1) Amount.--The Secretaries shall establish the minimum
and maximum amounts available for an implementation grant
under subsection (a), and shall determine the actual amount
granted to any State under such subsection, based on such
criteria as the scope and quality of the plan described in
subsection (b) and the number of projected participants in
programs carried out through the system.
(2) Duration.--No State shall be awarded more than one
implementation grant.
(f) State Implementation Activities.--A State shall expend
funds awarded through grants under subsection (a) only for
activities undertaken to implement the School-to-Work
Opportunities system of the State, which may include--
(1) recruiting and providing assistance to employers to
provide work-based learning for all students;
(2) conducting outreach activities to promote and support
collaboration, in School-to-Work Opportunities programs, by
businesses, labor organizations, and other organizations;
(3) providing training for teachers, employers, workplace
mentors, school site mentors, counselors, related services
personnel, and other parties;
(4) providing labor market information to local
partnerships that is useful in determining which high-skill,
high-wage occupations are in demand;
(5) designing or adapting model curricula that can be used
to integrate academic and occupational learning, school-based
and work-based learning, and secondary and postsecondary
education, for all students in the State;
(6) designing or adapting model work-based learning
programs and identifying best practices for such programs;
(7) conducting outreach activities and providing technical
assistance to other States that are developing or
implementing School-to-Work Opportunities systems;
(8) reorganizing and streamlining School-to-Work
Opportunities systems in the State to facilitate the
development of a comprehensive statewide School-to-Work
Opportunities system;
(9) identifying ways that existing local school-to-work
programs could be integrated with the statewide School-to-
Work Opportunities system;
(10) designing career awareness and exploration activities,
which may begin as early as the elementary grades, such as
job shadowing, job site visits, school visits by individuals
in various occupations, and mentoring;
(11) designing and implementing school-sponsored work
experiences, such as school-sponsored enterprises and
community development projects; and
(12) providing career exploration and awareness services,
counseling and mentoring services, college awareness and
preparation services, and other services to prepare students
for the transition from school to work.
(g) Allocation of Funds to Partnerships.--A State that
receives a grant under subsection (a) shall award grants,
according to criteria established by the State, to
partnerships to carry out local School-to-Work Opportunities
programs. In awarding such grants, the State shall use not
less than 65 percent of the sums awarded to the State under
subsection (a) in the first year in which the State awards
such grants, 75 percent of such sums in the second such year,
and 85 percent of such sums in each such year thereafter.
(h) State Subgrants to Partnerships.--
(1) Application.--A partnership that seeks a grant to carry
out a local School-to-Work Opportunities program, including a
program initiated under section 302, shall submit an
application to the State that--
(A) describes how the program would include the program
components described in sections 102, 103, and 104 and
otherwise meet the requirements of this Act;
(B) sets forth measurable program goals and outcomes;
(C) describes the local strategies and timetables of the
partnership to provide School-to-Work Opportunities program
opportunities for all students in the area served;
(D) describes the extent to which the program will provide
paid high-quality, work-based learning experiences;
(E) describes the process that will be used to ensure
employer involvement in the development and implementation of
the School-to-Work Opportunities program;
(F) provides such other information as the State may
require; and
(G) is submitted at such time and in such manner as the
State may require.
(2) Allowable activities.--A partnership shall expend funds
awarded through grants under this subsection only for
activities undertaken to carry out local School-to-Work
Opportunities programs, and such activities may include, for
each such program--
(A) recruiting and providing assistance to employers,
including small- and medium-size businesses, to provide the
work-based learning components described in section 102 in
the School-to-Work Opportunities program;
(B) establishing consortia of employers to support the
School-to-Work Opportunities program and provide access to
jobs related to the career majors of students;
(C) supporting or establishing intermediaries (selected
from among the members of the partnership) to perform the
activities described in section 104 and to provide assistance
to students in obtaining jobs and further education and
training;
(D) designing or adapting school curricula that can be used
to integrate academic and occupational learning, school-based
and work-based learning, and secondary and postsecondary
education for all students in the area served;
(E) providing training to work-based and school-based staff
on new curricula, student assessments, student guidance, and
feedback to the school regarding student performance;
(F) establishing, in schools participating in the School-
to-Work Opportunities program, a graduation assistance
program to assist at-risk students, low-achieving students,
and students with disabilities, in graduating from high
school, enrolling in postsecondary education or training, and
finding or advancing in jobs;
(G) conducting or obtaining an indepth analysis of the
local labor market and the generic and specific skill needs
of employers to identify high-demand, high-wage careers to
target;
(H) integrating work-based and school-based learning into
existing job training programs for youth who have dropped out
of school;
(I) establishing or expanding school-to-apprenticeship
programs in cooperation with registered apprenticeship
agencies and apprenticeship sponsors;
(J) assisting participating employers, including small- and
medium-size businesses, to identify and train workplace
mentors and to develop work-based learning components;
(K) designing local strategies to provide adequate planning
time and staff development activities for teachers, school
counselors, related services personnel, and school site
mentors;
(L) enhancing linkages between--
(i) after-school, weekend, and summer jobs; and
(ii) opportunities for career exploration and school-based
learning; and
(M) providing career exploration and awareness services,
counseling and mentoring services, college awareness and
preparation services, and other services to prepare students
for the transition from school to work.
(i) Grants to Consortia.--
(1) In general.--The Secretaries may make grants under
subsection (a) to consortia of congressional districts with
low population densities, to enable each such consortium to
implement comprehensive, consortiawide School-to-Work
Opportunities systems. Each such system shall be implemented
by individuals selected by the States in which the system is
located. Each such system shall meet the requirements of this
Act for such a system, except as otherwise provided in this
subsection.
(2) Amount.--Notwithstanding any other provision of this
section, the amount of an implementation grant under this
subtitle to a consortium shall be in such amount as the
Secretaries may determine to be appropriate.
(3) Application.--For purposes of the application of this
subtitle to a consortium:
(A) Governor.--References to a Governor shall be deemed to
be references to an official designated by the consortium to
carry out the duties of a Governor under this subtitle.
(B) State.--References to a State shall be deemed to be
references to the consortium.
(C) Official.--References to an official of a State shall
be deemed to be references to such an official of any of the
States in which the consortium is located.
(4) Waivers.--In order for a consortium that receives a
grant under this section to receive a waiver under title V
with respect to an congressional district located within a
State, the State and officials of the State shall comply with
the applicable requirements of title V for such a waiver.
(5) Ability of state to carry out program.--Nothing in this
subsection shall limit the ability of a State to carry out a
statewide School-to-Work Opportunities system in the State,
even if a congressional district located in the State
participates in a consortium under paragraph (1).
(6) Definition.--As used in this subsection, the term
``consortia of congressional districts with low population
densities'' means a consortia of congressional district, each
congressional district of which has an average population
density of less than 20.00 persons per square mile, based on
1993 data from the Bureau of the Census.
SEC. 213. LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.
(a) State System.--A State that receives an implementation
grant under section 212 may not use more than 15 percent of
the amounts received through the grant for any fiscal year
for administrative costs associated with implementing the
School-to-Work Opportunities system of the State for such
fiscal year.
(b) Local Program.--A partnership that receives a grant
under section 212 may not use more than 15 percent of the
amounts received through the grant for any fiscal year for
administrative costs associated with carrying out the School-
to-Work Opportunities programs of the partnership for such
fiscal year.
TITLE III--FEDERAL IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS TO PARTNERSHIPS
SEC. 301. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this title are--
(1) to authorize the Secretaries to award competitive
grants to partnerships in States that have not received, or
have only recently received, implementation grants under
section 212(a), in order to provide funding for communities
that have established a sound planning and development base
for School-to-Work Opportunities programs and are ready to
begin implementing a local School-to-Work Opportunities
program; and
(2) to authorize the Secretaries to award competitive
grants to implement School-to-Work Opportunities programs in
high poverty areas of urban and rural communities, and to
implement such programs in congressional districts with low
population densities, to provide support for a comprehensive
range of education, training, and support services for youth
residing in designated high poverty areas or in congressional
districts with low population densities.
SEC. 302. FEDERAL IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS TO PARTNERSHIPS.
(a) In General.--The Secretaries may award Federal
implementation grants, in accordance with competitive
criteria established by the Secretaries, to partnerships in
States that have not received an implementation grant under
section 212, or are carrying out activities for an initial
year of an initial grant under such section, in order to
enable the partnerships to begin implementing local School-
to-Work Opportunities programs. A partnership may not receive
funds under this section for any fiscal year subsequent to
such initial fiscal year.
(b) Application Procedure.--A partnership that desires to
receive or extend a Federal implementation grant under this
section shall submit an application to the Secretaries at
such time and in such manner as the Secretaries may require.
The partnership shall submit the application to the State for
review and comment before submitting the application to the
Secretaries. The Secretaries shall submit the application to
a peer review process.
(c) Application Contents.--The application described in
subsection (b) shall include a plan for local School-to-Work
Opportunities programs that--
(1) describes the manner in which the partnership will meet
the requirements of this Act;
(2) includes the comments of the State on the plan, if any;
(3) contains information that is consistent with the
information required to be submitted as part of a State plan
in accordance with paragraphs (4) through (11) of section
212(b);
(4) designates a fiscal agent to receive and be accountable
for funds under this section; and
(5) provides such other information as the Secretaries may
require.
(d) Conformity With Approved Plan.--The Secretaries shall
not award a grant under this section to a partnership in a
State that has an approved plan unless the Secretaries
determine, after consultation with the State, that the plan
submitted by the partnership is in accordance with the
approved plan.
(e) Implementation Activities.--A partnership shall expend
funds awarded under this section only for activities
undertaken to implement School-to-Work Opportunities
programs, which may include the activities specified in
section 212(f).
SEC. 303. SCHOOL-TO-WORK OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM GRANTS IN HIGH
POVERTY AREAS AND IN CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS
WITH LOW POPULATION DENSITIES.
(a) In General.--
(1) Award of grants.--From the funds reserved under section
508(b), the Secretaries are authorized and encouraged to
award grants, in accordance with competitive criteria
established by the Secretaries, to partnerships to implement
School-to-Work Opportunities programs that include the
program components described in sections 102, 103, and 104
and otherwise meet the requirements of title I, in high
poverty areas and to partnerships to implement such programs
in congressional districts with low population densities.
(2) High poverty area.--For purposes of this subsection,
the term ``high poverty area'' means an urban census tract,
the block number area in a nonmetropolitan county, or an
Indian reservation (as defined in section 403(9) of the
Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act
(25 U.S.C. 3202(9)), with a poverty rate of 20 percent or
more among youth aged 5 to 17, inclusive, as determined by
the Bureau of the Census.
(3) Congressional district with a low population density.--
For purposes of this subsection, the term ``congressional
district with a low population density'' means a
congressional district with an average population density of
less than 20.00 persons per square mile, based on 1993 data
from the Bureau of the Census.
(b) Application Procedure.--A partnership that desires to
receive a grant under this section, in addition to any funds
received under section 212 or 302, shall submit an
application to the Secretaries at such time and in such
manner as the Secretaries may require. The partnership shall
submit the application to the State for review and comment
before submitting the application to the Secretaries. The
Secretaries shall submit the application to a peer review
process.
(c) Application Contents.--The application described in
subsection (b) shall include a plan for local School-to-Work
Opportunities programs that--
(1) describes the manner in which the partnership will meet
the requirements of this Act;
(2) includes the comments of the State on the plan, if any;
(3) contains information that is consistent with the
information required to be submitted as part of a State plan
in accordance with paragraphs (4) through (11) of section
212(b);
(4) designates a fiscal agent to receive and be accountable
for funds under this section; and
(5) provides such other information as the Secretaries may
require.
(d) Conformity With Approved Plan.--The Secretaries shall
not award a grant under this section to a partnership in a
State that has an approved plan unless the Secretaries
determine, after consultation with the State, that the plan
submitted by the partnership is in accordance with the
approved plan.
(e) Implementation Activities.--A partnership shall expend
funds awarded under this section only for activities
undertaken to implement School-to-Work Opportunities
programs, including the activities specified in section
212(h)(2).
(f) Use of Funds.--Funds awarded under this section may be
awarded in combination with funds awarded under the Youth
Fair Chance Program set forth in part H of title IV of the
Job Training Partnership Act (29 U.S.C. 1782 et seq.).
TITLE IV--NATIONAL PROGRAMS
SEC. 401. RESEARCH, DEMONSTRATION, AND OTHER PROJECTS.
(a) In General.--With funds reserved under section 508(c),
the Secretaries shall conduct research and development
projects and establish a program of experimental and
demonstration projects, to further the purposes of this Act.
(b) Additional Use of Funds.--Funds reserved under section
508(c) may be used for programs or services authorized under
any other provision of this Act that are most appropriately
administered at the national level and that will operate in,
or benefit, more than one State.
SEC. 402. PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES AND EVALUATION.
(a) In General.--Using funds reserved under section 508(c),
the Secretaries, in collaboration with the States, shall
establish a system of performance measures for assessing
State and local School-to-Work Opportunities programs
regarding--
(1) progress in the development and implementation of State
plans described in section 212(b) with respect to programs
that include the program components described in sections
102, 103, and 104 and otherwise meet the requirements of
title I;
(2) participation in School-to-Work Opportunities programs
by employers, schools, and students;
(3) progress in developing and implementing strategies for
addressing the needs of all students in the State;
(4) progress in meeting the goals of the State to ensure
opportunities for young women to participate in School-to-
Work Opportunities programs, including participation in
nontraditional employment;
(5) outcomes for students in the programs (including
disadvantaged students, students with diverse racial, ethnic,
or cultural backgrounds, students with disabilities, students
with limited-English proficiency, students who have dropped
out of school, and academically talented students), which
outcomes shall include--
(A) academic learning gains;
(B) progress in staying in school and attaining--
(i) a high school diploma or its equivalent, such as--
(I) a general equivalency diploma; or
(II) an alternative diploma or certificate for students
with disabilities for whom such alternative diploma or
certificate is appropriate;
(ii) a skill certificate; and
(iii) a postsecondary degree;
(C) attainment of strong experience in and understanding of
all aspects of the industry the students are preparing to
enter;
(D) placement and retention in further education or
training, particularly in the career major of the student;
and
(E) job placement, retention, and earnings, particularly in
the career major of the student; and
(6) the extent to which the program has met the needs of
employers.
(b) Evaluation.--Using funds reserved under section 508(c),
the Secretaries shall conduct, through grants, contracts, or
other arrangements, a national evaluation of School-to-Work
Opportunities programs funded under this Act that will track
and assess the progress of implementation of State and local
School-to-Work Opportunities programs and their effectiveness
based on measures such as the measures described in
subsection (a).
(c) Reports to the Secretaries.--
(1) In general.--Each State shall prepare and submit to the
Secretaries periodic reports, at such intervals as the
Secretaries may determine, containing information described
in paragraphs (1) through (5) of subsection (a).
(2) Federal programs.--Each State shall prepare and submit
reports to the Secretaries, at such intervals as the
Secretaries may determine, containing information on the
extent to which Federal programs implemented at the State and
local level may be duplicative, outdated, overly restrictive,
or otherwise counterproductive to the development of
comprehensive statewide School-to-Work Opportunities systems.
(d) Report to the Congress.--Using funds reserved under
section 508(c), not later than 24 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretaries shall submit a report
to the Congress on School-to-Work Opportunities programs and
shall, at a minimum, include in such report--
(1) information concerning the programs that receive
assistance under this Act;
(2) a summary of the information contained in the State
reports submitted under subsection (c); and
(3) information regarding the findings and actions taken as
a result of any evaluation conducted by the Secretaries.
SEC. 403. TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
(a) Purpose.--The Secretaries shall work in cooperation
with States, employers and associations of employers,
secondary schools and postsecondary education institutions,
student and teacher organizations, labor organizations, and
community-based organizations, to increase their capacity to
develop and implement effective School-to-Work Opportunities
programs.
(b) Authorized Activities.--Using funds reserved under
section 508(c), the Secretaries shall provide, through
grants, contracts, or other arrangements--
(1) training, technical assistance, and other activities
that will--
(A) enhance the skills, knowledge, and expertise of the
personnel involved in planning and implementing State and
local School-to-Work Opportunities programs; and
(B) improve the quality of services provided to individuals
served under this Act;
(2) assistance to States and partnerships involved in
carrying out School-to-Work Opportunities programs in order
to integrate resources available under this Act with
resources available under other Federal, State, and local
authorities;
(3) assistance to States and such partnerships to recruit
employers to provide the work-based learning component,
described in section 102, of School-to-Work Opportunities
programs; and
(4) assistance to States and such partnerships to design
and implement school-sponsored enterprises.
(c) Peer Review.--The Secretaries may use funds reserved
under section 508(c) for the peer review of State
applications and plans under section 212 and applications
under title III.
(d) Networks and Clearinghouses.--
(1) Establishment.--To carry out their responsibilities
under subsection (b), the Secretaries shall establish,
through grants, contracts, or other arrangements, a
Clearinghouse and Capacity Building Network (hereafter
referred to in this subsection as the ``Clearinghouse'').
(2) Functions.--The Clearinghouse shall--
(A) collect and disseminate information on successful
school-to-work programs, and innovative school-based and
work-based curricula;
(B) collect and disseminate information on research and
evaluation conducted concerning activities carried out
through School-to-Work Opportunities programs;
(C) collect and disseminate information that will assist
States and partnerships in undertaking labor market analysis,
surveys, or other activities related to economic development;
(D) collect and disseminate information on skill
certificates, skill standards, and related assessment
technologies;
(E) collect and disseminate information on methods for
recruiting and building the capacity of employers to provide
work-based learning opportunities;
(F) facilitate communication and the exchange of
information and ideas among States and partnerships carrying
out School-to-Work Opportunities programs; and
(G) carry out such other activities as the Secretaries
determine to be appropriate.
(3) Coordination.--The Secretaries shall coordinate the
activities of the Clearinghouse with the activities of other
similar entities to avoid duplication and enhance the sharing
of relevant information.
TITLE V--GENERAL PROVISIONS
SEC. 501. STATE REQUEST AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR A WAIVER OF
STATUTORY AND REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS.
(a) State Request for Waiver.--A State with an approved
plan may, at any point during the development or
implementation of a School-to-Work Opportunities program,
request a waiver of one or more statutory or regulatory
provisions from the Secretaries in order to carry out the
purposes of this Act, and such requests for waivers shall be
submitted as part of the plan or as amendments to the plan.
(b) Partnership Request for Waiver.--A partnership that
seeks a waiver of any of the provisions specified in sections
502 and 503 shall submit an application for such waiver to
the State, and the State shall determine whether to submit a
request for a waiver to the Secretaries, as provided in
subsection (a).
(c) Waiver Criteria.--Any such request by the State shall
meet the criteria contained in section 502 or 503 and shall
specify the provisions or regulations referred to in such
sections with respect to which the State seeks a waiver.
(d) Support by Appropriate State Agencies.--In requesting
such a waiver, the State shall provide evidence of support
for the waiver request by the State agencies or officials
with jurisdiction over the provisions or regulations that
would be waived.
SEC. 502. WAIVERS OF STATUTORY AND REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS BY
THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION.
(a) In General.--
(1) Waiver.--Except as provided in subsection (c), the
Secretary of Education may waive any requirement of any
provisions specified in subsection (b) or of the regulations
issued under such provisions for a State that requests such a
waiver--
(A) if, and only to the extent that, the Secretary of
Education determines that such requirement impedes the
ability of the State or a partnership to carry out the
purposes of this Act;
(B) if the State waives, or agrees to waive, similar
requirements of State law; and
(C) if the State--
(i) has provided all partnerships that carry out programs
under this Act, and local educational agencies participating
in such a partnership, in the State with notice and an
opportunity to comment on the proposal of the State to seek a
waiver; and
(ii) has submitted the comments of the partnerships and
local educational agencies to the Secretary of Education.
(2) Action.--The Secretary of Education shall act promptly
on any request submitted pursuant to paragraph (1).
(3) Term.--Each waiver approved pursuant to this subsection
shall be for a period not to exceed 5 years, except that the
Secretary of Education may extend such period if the
Secretary of Education determines that the waiver has been
effective in enabling the State or partnership to carry out
the purposes of this Act.
(b) Included Programs.--The provisions subject to the
waiver authority of this section are--
(1) chapter 1 of title I of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.), including the
Even Start programs carried out under part B of such chapter
(20 U.S.C. 2741 et seq.);
(2) part A of chapter 2 of title I of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 2921 et seq.);
(3) part A of title II of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 2981 et seq.);
(4) part D of title IV of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 3121 et seq.);
(5) title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 3171 et seq.); and
(6) the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology
Education Act (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.).
(c) Waivers Not Authorized.--The Secretary of Education may
not waive any statutory or regulatory requirement of the
provisions specified in subsection (b) relating to--
(1) the basic purposes or goals of the affected programs
under such provisions;
(2) maintenance of effort;
(3) comparability of services;
(4) the equitable participation of students attending
private schools;
(5) student and parental participation and involvement;
(6) the distribution of funds to State or to local
educational agencies;
(7) the eligibility of an individual for participation in
the affected programs;
(8) public health or safety, labor, civil rights,
occupational safety and health, or environmental protection;
or
(9) prohibitions or restrictions relating to the
construction of buildings or facilities.
(d) Termination of Waivers.--The Secretary of Education
shall periodically review the performance of any State or
partnership for which the Secretary of Education has granted
a waiver under this section and shall terminate the waiver
under this section if the Secretary determines that the
performance of the State, partnership, or local educational
agency affected by the waiver has been inadequate to justify
a continuation of the waiver, or the State fails to waive
similar requirements of State law as required or agreed to in
accordance with subsection (a)(1)(B).
SEC. 503. WAIVERS OF STATUTORY AND REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS BY
THE SECRETARY OF LABOR.
(a) In General.--
(1) Waiver.--Except as provided in subsection (c), the
Secretary of Labor may waive any requirement of the Act, or
any provisions of the Act, specified in subsection (b) or of
the regulations issued under such Act or provisions for a
State that requests such a waiver--
(A) if, and only to the extent that, the Secretary of Labor
determines that such requirement impedes the ability of the
State or a partnership to carry out the purposes of this Act;
(B) if the State waives, or agrees to waive, similar
requirements of State law; and
(C) if the State--
(i) has provided all partnerships that carry out programs
under this Act in the State with notice and an opportunity to
comment on the proposal of the State to seek a waiver; and
(ii) has submitted the comments of the partnerships to the
Secretary of Labor.
(2) Action.--The Secretary of Labor shall act promptly on
any request submitted pursuant to paragraph (1).
(3) Term.--Each waiver approved pursuant to this subsection
shall be for a period not to exceed 5 years, except that the
Secretary of Labor may extend such period if the Secretary of
Labor determines that the waiver has been effective in
enabling the State or partnership to carry out the purposes
of this Act.
(b) Included Programs.--The Act subject to the waiver
authority of this section is the Job Training Partnership Act
(29 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.).
(c) Waivers Not Authorized.--The Secretary of Labor may not
waive any statutory or regulatory requirement of the Act, or
any provision of the Act, specified in subsection (b)
relating to--
(1) the basic purposes or goals of the affected programs
under such provisions;
(2) maintenance of effort;
(3) the allocation of funds under the affected programs;
(4) the eligibility of an individual for participation in
the affected programs;
(5) public health or safety, labor, civil rights,
occupational safety and health, or environmental protection;
or
(6) prohibitions or restrictions relating to the
construction of buildings or facilities.
(d) Termination of Waivers.--The Secretary of Labor shall
periodically review the performance of any State or
partnership for which the Secretary of Labor has granted a
waiver under this section and shall terminate the waiver
under this section if the Secretary determines that the
performance of the State or partnership affected by the
waiver has been inadequate to justify a continuation of the
waiver, or the State fails to waive similar requirements of
State law as required or agreed to in accordance with
subsection (a)(1)(B).
SEC. 504. COMBINATION OF FEDERAL FUNDS FOR HIGH POVERTY
SCHOOLS.
(a) In General.--
(1) Purposes.--The purposes of this section are--
(A) to integrate activities under this Act with school-to-
work transition activities carried out under other programs;
and
(B) to maximize the effective use of resources.
(2) Combination of funds.--To carry out such purposes, a
local partnership that receives assistance under title II or
III may carry out schoolwide school-to-work activities in
schools that meet the requirements of subparagraphs (A) and
(B) of section 263(g)(1) of the Job Training Partnership Act
(29 U.S.C. 1643(g)(1)(A) and (B)) with funds obtained by
combining--
(A) Federal funds under this Act; and
(B) other Federal funds made available from among programs
under--
(i) the provisions of law listed in paragraphs (2) through
(6) of section 502(b); and
(ii) the Job Training Partnership Act (29 U.S.C. 1501 et
seq.); and
(b) Use of Funds.--A local partnership may use the Federal
funds combined under subsection (a) under the requirements of
this Act, except that the provisions relating to the matters
specified in paragraphs (1) through (6) and paragraphs (8)
and (9) of section 502(c), and paragraph (1) and paragraphs
(3) through (6) of section 503(c), that relate to the program
through which the funds described in subsection (a)(2)(B)
were made available, shall remain in effect with respect to
the use of such funds.
(c) Additional Information in Application.--A local
partnership seeking to combine funds under subsection (a)
shall include in the application of the partnership under
title II or III--
(1) a description of the funds the partnership proposes to
combine under the requirements of this Act;
(2) the activities to be carried out with such funds;
(3) the specific outcomes expected of participants in
schoolwide school-to-work activities; and
(4) such other information as the State, or Secretaries, as
the case may be, may require.
(d) Dissemination of Information.--The local partnership
shall, to the extent feasible, provide information on the
proposed combination of Federal funds under subsection (a) to
parents, students, educators, advocacy and civil rights
organizations, and the public.
SEC. 505. COMBINATION OF FEDERAL FUNDS BY STATES.
(a) In General.--
(1) Purposes.--The purposes of this section are--
(A) to integrate activities under this Act with State
school-to-work transition activities carried out under other
programs; and
(B) to maximize the effective use of resources.
(2) Combination of funds.--To carry out such purposes, a
State that receives assistance under title II may carry out
activities necessary to develop and implement a statewide
School-to-Work Opportunities system with funds obtained by
combining--
(A) Federal funds under this Act; and
(B) other Federal funds made available from among programs
under--
(i) the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology
Act, section 201; and
(ii) the Job Training Partnership Act (29 U.S.C. 1501 et
seq.).
(b) Use of Funds.--A State may use the State portion of the
Federal funds combined under subsection (a) under the
requirements of this Act, except that the provisions relating
to the matters specified in section 502(c), and section
503(c), that relate to the program through which the funds
described in subsection (a)(2)(B) were made available, shall
remain in effect with respect to the use of such funds.
(c) Additional Information in Application.--A State seeking
to combine funds under subsection (a) shall include in the
application of the State under title II--
(1) a description of the funds the State proposes to
combine under the requirements of this Act;
(2) the activities to be carried out with such funds;
(3) the specific outcomes expected of participants in
school-to-work activities;
(4) evidence of support for the waiver request by the State
agencies or officials with jurisdiction over the funds that
would by combined;
(5) a State's authority to combine funds under this section
shall not exceed 5 years, except that the Secretaries may
extend such period if the Secretaries determine that such
authority would further the purposes of this Act; and
(6) such other information as the Secretaries may require.
SEC. 506. REQUIREMENTS.
The following requirements shall apply to School-to-Work
Opportunities programs under this Act:
(1) No student participating in such a program shall
displace any currently employed worker (including a partial
displacement, such as a reduction in the hours of nonovertime
work, wages, or employment benefits).
(2) No School-to-Work Opportunities program shall impair
existing contracts for services or collective bargaining
agreements, and no program under this Act that would be
inconsistent with the terms of a collective bargaining
agreement shall be undertaken without the written concurrence
of the labor organization and employer concerned.
(3) No student shall be employed or fill a position--
(A) when any other individual is on temporary layoff from
the participating employer, with the clear possibility of
recall, from the same or any substantially equivalent job; or
(B) when the employer has terminated the employment of any
regular employee or otherwise reduced the work force of the
employer with the intention of filling the vacancy so created
with a student.
(4) Students participating in such programs shall be
provided with adequate and safe equipment and safe and
healthful workplaces in conformity with all health and safety
standards of Federal, State, and local law.
(5) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to modify or
affect any Federal or State law prohibiting discrimination on
the basis of race, religion, color, ethnicity, national
origin, gender, age, or disability.
(6) Funds appropriated under authority of this Act shall
not be expended for wages of students participating in such
programs.
(7) The Secretaries shall establish such other requirements
as the Secretaries may determine to be appropriate, in order
to ensure that participants in such programs are afforded
adequate supervision by skilled adult workers, or to
otherwise further the purposes of this Act.
SEC. 507. SANCTIONS.
(a) In General.--The Secretaries may terminate or suspend
financial assistance, in whole or in part, to a recipient or
refuse to extend a grant for a recipient, if the Secretaries
determine that the recipient has failed to meet the
requirements of this Act, including requirements under
section 402(c), or any regulations under this Act, or any
approved plan submitted pursuant to this Act. The Secretaries
shall provide to the recipient prompt notice of such
termination, suspension, or refusal to extend a grant and the
opportunity for a hearing within 30 days after such notice.
(b) Nondelegation.--The Secretaries shall not delegate any
of the functions or authority specified in this section,
other than to an officer whose appointment is required to be
made by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
SEC. 508. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) Authorization.--There are authorized to be appropriated
to the Secretaries $300,000,000 for fiscal year 1995, and
$400,000,000 for fiscal year 1996; $400,000,000 for fiscal
year 1997; $330,000,000 for fiscal year 1998; and
$220,000,000 for fiscal year 1999.
(b) High Poverty Areas and Congressional Districts With Low
Population Densities.--Of the amounts appropriated under
subsection (a) for a fiscal year, the Secretaries may reserve
not more than 10 percent of such amounts for the fiscal year
to carry out section 303, which reserved funds may be used in
conjunction with funds available under the Youth Fair Chance
Program set forth in part H of title IV of the Job Training
Partnership Act (29 U.S.C. 1782 et seq.).
(c) National Programs.--Of the amounts appropriated under
subsection (a) for a fiscal year, the Secretaries may reserve
not more than 10 percent of such amounts for the fiscal year
to carry out title IV.
(d) Territories.--
(1) In general.--Of the amounts appropriated for a fiscal
year under subsection (a), the Secretaries may reserve up to
\1/4\ of 1 percent to make Federal implementation grants to
territories under section 212 on the same basis as the
Secretaries make grants to States under such section. The
territories shall use funds made available through such
grants to implement School-to-Work Opportunities programs in
accordance with the requirements applicable to States under
subtitle B of title II.
(2) Definition.--As used in this subsection, the term
``territory'' means the United States Virgin Islands, Guam,
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American
Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic
of the Marshall Islands, and includes the Republic of Palau
(until the Compact of Free Association is ratified).
(e) Native American Programs.--
(1) Reservation.--The Secretaries may reserve up to \1/4\
of 1 percent of the funds appropriated for any fiscal year
under subsection (a) to make Federal implementation grants to
appropriate entities under section 212 on the same basis as
the Secretaries make grants to States under such section. The
territories shall use funds made available through such
grants to implement School-to-Work Opportunities programs,
for students who are Indians (as defined in section 1(1) of
the Tribally Controlled Community College Assistance Act of
1978 (25 U.S.C. 1801(1)), that involve Bureau funded schools,
as defined in section 1139(3) of the Education Amendments of
1978 (25 U.S.C. 2019(3)), in accordance with the requirements
applicable to States under subtitle B of title II.
(2) Implementation.--The Secretaries may carry out this
subsection through such means as the Secretaries determine to
be appropriate, including--
(A) the transfer of funds to the Secretary of the Interior;
and
(B) the provision of financial assistance to tribes and
Indian organizations, as defined in paragraphs (13) and (7),
respectively, of section 1139 of such Act.
(f) Availability of Funds.--Funds obligated for any fiscal
year for programs authorized under this Act shall remain
available until expended.
SEC. 509. ACCEPTANCE OF GIFTS, AND OTHER MATTERS.
The Secretaries are authorized, in carrying out this Act,
to accept, purchase, or lease in the name of the Department
of Labor or the Department of Education, and employ or
dispose of in furtherance of the purposes of this Act, any
money or property, real, personal, or mixed, tangible or
intangible, received by gift, devise, bequest, or otherwise,
and to accept voluntary and uncompensated services
notwithstanding the provisions of section 1342 of title 31,
United States Code.
SEC. 510. STATE AUTHORITY.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to supersede the
legal authority, under State law or other applicable law, of
any State agency or State public official over programs that
are under the jurisdiction of the agency or official.
SEC. 511. CONSTRUCTION.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to establish a right
for any person to bring an action to obtain services under
this Act.
SEC. 512. ADDITIONAL FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS.
(a) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to ensure that
the funds provided under this Act cannot be utilized by the
Federal Government to contribute to an unfunded Federal
mandate.
(b) Requirements.--Subject to subsection (c) and
notwithstanding any other provision of Federal law, no
provision of Federal law shall require a State, in order to
receive funds under this Act, to comply with any Federal
requirement, other than a requirement of this Act as in
effect on the effective date of this Act.
(c) Rule of Construction.--Any provision of Federal
statutory or regulatory law, in effect on or after the
effective date of this Act, shall be subject to subsection
(b) unless such law explicitly excludes the application of
subsection (b) by reference to this section.
SEC. 513. SENSE OF THE SENATE.
It is the sense of the Senate that the Congress should fund
programs under this Act, for fiscal years 1996 through 2002,
predominately from the savings resulting from efforts of the
Department of Labor, the Department of Education, and other
Federal agencies, to eliminate, consolidate, or streamline,
duplicative or ineffective education or job training programs
in existence on the date of enactment of this Act.
TITLE VI--OTHER PROGRAMS
SEC. 601. TECH-PREP EDUCATION.
(a) Contents of Program.--Paragraph (2) of section 344(b)
of the Tech-Prep Education Act (20 U.S.C. 2394b(b)(2)) is
amended by inserting ``or 4 years'' before ``of secondary
school''.
(b) Special Consideration; Priority.--Section 345 of the
Tech-Prep Education Act (20 U.S.C. 2394c) is amended--
(1) in subsection (d)--
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs
(3) and (4), respectively; and
(B) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new
paragraph:
``(2) are developed in consultation with institutions of
higher education that award baccalaureate degrees;'';
(2) by redesignating subsections (e) and (f) as subsections
(f) and (g), respectively; and
(3) by inserting after subsection (d) the following new
subsection:
``(e) Priority.--The Secretary or the State board, as
appropriate, shall give highest priority to applications that
provide for effective employment placement activities or
transfer of students to 4-year baccalaureate degree
programs.''.
TITLE VII--TECHNICAL PROVISIONS
SEC. 701. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act shall take effect on the date of enactment of this
Act.
SEC. 702. SUNSET.
The authority provided by this Act shall terminate on
October 1 of the ninth calendar year after the date of
enactment of this Act.
TITLE VIII--ALASKA NATIVE ART AND CULTURE
SEC. 801. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as ``Alaska Native Culture and Arts
Development Act''.
SEC. 802. ALASKA NATIVE ART AND CULTURE.
Section 1521 of the Higher Education Amendments of 1986 (20
U.S.C. 4441) is amended to read as follows:
``Part B--Native Hawaiians and Alaska Natives
``SEC. 1521. PROGRAM FOR NATIVE HAWAIIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE
CULTURE AND ARTS DEVELOPMENT.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior is
authorized to make grants for the purpose of supporting
programs for Native Hawaiian or Alaska Native culture and
arts development to any private, nonprofit organization or
institution which--
``(1) primarily serves and represents Native Hawaiians or
Alaska Natives, and
``(2) has been recognized by the Governor of the State of
Hawaii or the Governor of the State of Alaska, as
appropriate, for the purpose of making such organization or
institution eligible to receive such grants.
``(b) Purpose of Grants.--Grants made under subsection (a)
shall, to the extent deemed possible by the Secretary and the
recipient of the grant, be used--
``(1) to provide scholarly study of, and instruction in,
Native Hawaiian or Alaska Native art and culture,
``(2) to establish programs which culminate in the awarding
of degrees in the various fields of Native Hawaiian or Alaska
Native art and culture, or
``(3) to establish centers and programs with respect to
Native Hawaiian or Alaska Native art and culture that are
similar in purpose to the centers and programs described in
subsections (b) and (c) of section 1510.
``(c) Management of Grants.--
``(1) Any organization or institution which is the
recipient of a grant made under subsection (a) shall
establish a governing board to manage and control the program
with respect to which such grant is made.
``(2) For any grants made with respect to Native Hawaiian
art and culture, the members of the governing board which is
required to be established under paragraph (1) shall--
``(A) be Native Hawaiians or individuals widely recognized
in the field of Native Hawaiian art and culture,
``(B) include a representative of the Office of Hawaiian
Affairs of the State of Hawaii,
``(C) include the president of the University of Hawaii,
``(D) include the president of the Bishop Museum, and
``(E) serve for a fixed term of office.
``(3) For any grants made with respect to Alaska Native art
and culture, the members of the governing board which is
required to be established under paragraph (1) shall--
``(A) include Alaska Natives and individuals widely
recognized in the field of Alaska Native art and culture,
``(B) represent the Eskimo, Indian and Aleut cultures of
Alaska, and
``(C) serve for a fixed term.''.
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.
Mr. SIMON. I move to lay that motion on the table.
The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate insists
on its amendment and requests a conference with the House thereon, and
the Chair is authorized to appoint conferees on the part of the Senate.
The Presiding Officer appointed Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Pell, Mr.
Metzenbaum, Mr. Simon, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Harkin, Ms. Mikulski, Mr.
Bingaman, Mr. Wellstone, Mr. Wofford, Mrs. Kassebaum, Mr. Jeffords, Mr.
Coats, Mr. Gregg, Mr. Thurmond, Mr. Hatch, and Mr. Durenberger
conferees on the part of the Senate.
Mrs. KASSEBAUM. Mr. President, I am pleased we have been able to
reach agreement on a number of amendments on this bill, including both
of the amendments I offered yesterday.
We have agreed to a 5-year authorization, and Senator Nickles has
been very helpful in limiting the amount of funds authorized. I am also
pleased that we have worked out language so that my amendment to
consolidate programs has been accepted.
Despite these improvements, Mr. President, I voted against the bill.
As I said yesterday, we already have 154 job training programs, and we
don't need 155.
I believe this bill is another example of what is wrong with our job
training efforts. Each time Congress identifies a specific group in
need of training--in this case high school students--it creates a new
program, with new requirements and, of course, new funds.
Mr. President, this bill is loaded with various kinds of grants--
State development grants, State implementation grants, Federal
implementation grants, and high-poverty area grants. I fear the job
opportunities created will not be for students but for grant writers
and auditors.
Creating new programs because we are disappointed with the
effectiveness of the old ones is a time-honored tradition in Congress.
Yielding again to this temptation is not the answer.
Instead of establishing a new categorical program, we need to reform
the patchwork job training system we now have. Our primary goal should
be to overhaul the current system, not simply add another job training
program to the 154 we already have.
I would like to thank the Senators on this side of the aisle who
worked to make improvements on this bill, particularly Senators
Thurmond and Senator Gregg. I also appreciated the efforts of Senator
Gorton, Senator Nickles, and Senator Pressler.
I would also to thank staff on this side of the aisle: Todd Atwater
with Senator Thurmond, Alyssa Hamilton with Senator Gregg, Linda
Benning with Senator Pressler, Stand Bowman with Senator Gorton, Diane
Moery with Senator Nickles, and Ted Verheggen, Carla Widener, and Dan
Bolen.
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