[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 13 (Wednesday, January 31, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E78]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                THE CHILDREN'S ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GENE GREEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 31, 2001

  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the 
Children's Access to Technology Act to provide the disadvantaged 
children of this country with the technology they need to succeed in 
life. My legislation is intended to provide Title I schools with 
additional financial resources to modernize their Internet delivery 
tools. Specifically, this legislation will utilize up to $100 million 
in unspent e-rate funding to provide Title I schools with a maximum 
$25,000 award to modernize their Internet labs.
  Mr. Speaker, the e-rate program has been very effective in bringing 
the Internet to libraries and classrooms across America. As a strong 
supporter of that program, I was disturbed to learn that crucial e-rate 
funding was going unspent because recipients were not following through 
with their paperwork confirming receipt of service. According to a 
recent General Accounting Office (GAO) report, almost $1.3 billion has 
gone unspent during the first two e-rate program years. The Universal 
Service Administrative Company (USAC) has not yet been able to explain 
this discrepancy between funds authorized and funds allocated.
  Because any unspent e-rate funding is lost at the end of each program 
year, my legislation will create a new funding mechanism, up to $100 
million using any unspent monies, that will allow Title I schools to 
update their computer hardware. Specifically, the legislation directs 
the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish a lottery 
system for Title I schools to enter and be eligible to receive up to 
$25,000 to modernize their computer hardware.
  In light of President Bush's commitment to strengthen and streamline 
the e-rate program, I believe we must ensure that all funding made 
available through the USAC be spent on improving our children's access 
to new and innovative technology. While I intend to seek clarification 
from the USAC concerning the large amount of unspent funds and the 
reason for these problem, I believe there will always be some 
unallocated funding at the end of each program year. In these 
instances, my legislation will provide an additional benefit to truly 
needy schools that are struggling to improve the delivery of Internet 
services to their students.
  Our children are our future; without innovating new approaches to 
provide better tools in our classroom, the now-passable digital divide 
will become an impenetrable digital barrier, unbreachable no matter how 
much funding we throw at the problem.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a complimentary piece of education legislation 
when compared with President Bush's proposals and will further enhance 
the educational opportunities of our children.

                          ____________________