[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 138 (Wednesday, September 28, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 28, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
    CONFERENCE REPORT ON REAUTHORIZING THE ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY 
                             EDUCATION ACT

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I would like to congratulate the House 
and Senate education committee conferees for including several 
important changes to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act [ESEA] 
in their conference report. As I know from having spoken at the 
conference last Friday, moving this legislation forward has been a 
tremendously difficult--but essential--achievement.
  After almost 2 weeks of continuous debate, the House and Senate 
education conferees completed deliberation on H.R. 6 last night. This 
bill reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which 
contains many of the most important Federal education programs for 
students in grades K-12--including Chapter 1, a $6.7 billion program to 
help educate poor and disadvantaged children that will affect over 90 
percent of school districts in the Nation.
  With over 5 million students, California public schools desperately 
need effective Federal education programs to provide specialized 
services and address the needs of an extremely diverse student body. 
While I am not a member of the Senate Education Subcommittee or the 
conference, I participated in the reauthorization process to ensure 
that the new legislation would include improvements that are important 
to California. During the last 2 years, I have spoken with my 
colleagues about California's educational concerns, debated education 
issues on the Senate floor, introduced my own related legislation, and 
suggested several amendments to the reauthorizing legislation.
  As a result of my efforts and others', the conference report will 
include several issues that I believe are essential:
  Gun-Free Schools: The gun-free schools provision requires States and 
school districts who receive Federal funds to establish mandatory 1-
year explusion policies for students who bring guns to school. This 
measure will strengthen California's current expulsion policy and make 
schools throughout the country safe from the threat of violence. As I 
stated when I appeared in front of the conferees, it is time to stop 
making excuses for children who bring guns to school. I believe that 
this measure, which I co-authored with Senator Dorgan, is one of the 
most important steps that we can take to create an environment where 
children can actually learn.
  Improved Chapter 1 Formula: Under the new formula, California's share 
of Chapter 1 funds will grow significantly. In fiscal year 1995, the 
reauthorized Chapter 1 formula will yield $729 million for California--
$35 million more than the State will receive this year. In fiscal year 
1996, the formula will begin to target more funds to areas with 
large numbers of poor children. In fiscal year 1997, the new formula 
will begin using updated poverty data. Because of these changes, 
California's allocation will grow at a higher rate each year.

  Despite the delay until 1997, the effect of using regularly updated 
poverty data in the Chapter 1 formula will have a tremendous benefit to 
California. Between 1980 and 1990, California's share of poor children 
increased 38 percent without any change in the State's Chapter 1 
allocation. To address this problem, I have pressed this issue with my 
colleagues and introduced legislation to enable the Census Bureau to 
produce more timely information. Next year, I will try to win passage 
of poverty data legislation to prevent the use of outdated information 
in all Federal funding formulas.
  Increased Funding Level for Immigrant Education: In the conference 
report, the authorization level for the Emergency Immigrant Education 
Act will be increased from its current $40 million level to $100 
million--a 150-percent increase. The Emergency Immigrant Education Act 
provides supplementary funds to school districts with large influxes of 
immigrant children, and in fiscal year 1994 California received $15 
million--or 40 percent of funds appropriated--to help educate the 
Nation's largest population of immigrant students. During the last 2 
years, I have helped increase the appropriations for this program from 
$29 million in fiscal year 1993 to $50 million in fiscal year 1995--a 
72-percent increase over the last two years. A further increase in the 
authorization level will enable Congress to continue appropriating more 
funds for immigrant education in future years.
  While the Emergency Immigrant Education program does not address the 
enormous costs of educating illegal immigrant children, it does provide 
an important resource to States like California for educating the 
children of legal immigrants who have recently arrived in this country. 
I also intend to continue to press for fair compensation to the State 
for the costs of educating immigrant children, both legal and illegal.
  The reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is 
an important piece of legislation, and the conferees have addressed 
House-Senate differences with admirable fairness. Once again, I 
congratulate them on their achievement and look forward to Senate 
consideration of the report after the House has given its approval.

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