[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 124 (Tuesday, October 5, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H8138-H8139]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page H8138]]
 AMENDING THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ORGANIC ACT OF 1944 TO ENSURE 
THAT DEPENDENTS OF EMPLOYEES OF THE FOREST SERVICE STATIONED IN PUERTO 
      RICO RECEIVE HIGH-QUALITY ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5042) to amend the Department of Agriculture Organic Act of 
1944 to ensure that the dependents of employees of the Forest Service 
stationed in Puerto Rico receive a high-quality elementary and 
secondary education.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 5042

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. AUTHORITY TO COVER EXPENSES OF PRIMARY AND 
                   SECONDARY SCHOOLING OF DEPENDENTS OF FOREST 
                   SERVICE PERSONNEL IN PUERTO RICO.

       Section 202 of the Department of Agriculture Organic Act of 
     1944 (16 U.S.C. 554b) is amended--
       (1) by inserting ``(a) Provision of Medical Care; Related 
     Transportation.--'' before ``Appropriations for the Forest 
     Service''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(b) Coverage of Dependent Educational Expenses in Puerto 
     Rico; Related Transportation.--(1) Appropriations for the 
     Forest Service shall be available to the Secretary of 
     Agriculture to cover the cost of primary and secondary 
     schooling of dependents of Forest Service personnel, who are 
     stationed in Puerto Rico and are subject to transfer and 
     reassignment to other locations in the United States, but not 
     to exceed the costs authorized by the Department of Defense 
     for the same area for dependents of members of the Armed 
     Forces, when it is determined by the Secretary that the 
     schools available in the area of Puerto Rico in which the 
     dependents reside are unable to provide adequately for the 
     education of the dependents.
       ``(2) If the Secretary determines that the school attended 
     by a dependent described in paragraph (1) is not accessible 
     by public means of transportation on a regular basis, the 
     Secretary may provide, out of funds appropriated for the 
     Forest Service, for the transportation of the dependent 
     between the school and the place of residence of the 
     dependent.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) and the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. 
Pomeroy) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte).
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5042, introduced by the 
gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Acevedo-Vila).
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5042 amends the Department's Organic Act to allow 
the Secretary of Agriculture to cover tuition and transportation costs 
for dependents of Forest Service employees in Puerto Rico.
  When the U.S. Naval Base at Roosevelt Roads closed its school, 
several Forest Service employees lost the only nearby English language 
school available to their children. H.R. 5042 would allow the 
Department of Agriculture to reimburse tuition and transportation costs 
for these employees' dependents. Currently, several other Federal 
agencies, including the FAA, Department of Justice, and the Coast 
Guard, have made use of this authority for their employees assigned to 
Puerto Rico.
  The bill should have minimal fiscal impact, as USDA was reimbursing 
the Department of Defense for the use of their school at the same rate 
authorized in this bill.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  2015

  Mr. POMEROY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I want the record once again to reflect that I am 
standing in for the ranking member, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Stenholm) as he appears in the Committee on Rules arguing for 
consideration of an amendment that would allow the House to express its 
support for disaster relief for farmers similar to what was passed 
earlier by the Senate; $3 billion for disaster relief for farmers was 
an amount established in the Senate consideration on this matter. 
Certainly, it was not all that some wanted, but it was viewed as a 
substantive response to the disaster need to our farmers.
  It troubles me that some in the House are talking about no response, 
talking about doing whatever is necessary for Florida, by the way, I 
stand in strong support for a response of Florida, but leaving behind 
the losses faced in other agriculture production areas.
  We all have to stand together, and the production loss of my farmers 
is just as devastating, albeit from other causes than hurricane losses, 
as the hurricane losses have been to the farmers in southern Florida.
  Therefore, I wish the ranking member well in his testimony to the 
Committee on Rules. We will fully engage this debate tomorrow, but I 
want the record to reflect that the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm) 
in my opinion is clearly advancing the interest of farmers tonight as 
he testifies to the Committee on Rules in favor of his disaster 
legislation, legislation supported by both Republicans and Democrats 
representing hard-hit areas of production agriculture.
  That said, I will now read from the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Stenholm's) statements on behalf of H.R. 5042: ``Mr. Speaker, I rise in 
support of H.R. 5042, and I thank the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. 
Acevedo-Vila) for bringing this issue before the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture.
  ``Until recently, 11 dependents of the Forest Service employees 
stationed in Puerto Rico attended the DOD Educational Authority schools 
at the Naval Station Roosevelt Road. However, this naval station closed 
earlier this year at the direction of Congress. As a result, Federal 
Forest Service employees assigned to Puerto Rico are faced with limited 
choices and opportunities for their children's education. This could 
lead to loss of qualified staff of the Forest Service willing to work 
in Puerto Rico.
  ``While other Federal agencies have authority to reimburse their 
staff for educational expenses incurred by their dependents while 
assigned to Puerto Rico, the Forest Service has no similar 
authorization. This legislation, which is supported by the Forest 
Service, will simply employ authorization to the Forest Service to 
reimburse its staff for educational expenses incurred by their 
dependents when assigned to Puerto Rico.
  ``I encourage Members to support this simple but fair legislative 
solution.''
  Mr. ACEVEDO-VILA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5042. 
This legislation is an important step to provide access to stable and 
quality education for the dependents of our federal employees who are 
assigned to Puerto Rico. This is a non-controversial bill that will 
allow the dependents of USDA Forest Service employees to receive 
convenient, reliable and high quality education when assigned to Puerto 
Rico.
  Until Naval Station Roosevelt Road's closure earlier this year, 
dependents of Forest Service employees who work at both the Caribbean 
National Forest and the International Institute of Tropical Forestry 
(IITF) had attended the DOD Educational Authority (DODEA) schools at 
NSRR, and the Forest Service reimbursed DODEA for the expense of 
educating its staff's dependents.
  The closest DODEA school, at Fort Buchanan, is approximately a 1 to 
1\1/2\ hour commute each way from their previous school, and therefore 
is not a convenient or suitable alternative. Most of the classes taught 
in Puerto Rico's public schools are in Spanish, and are not acceptable 
alternatives to English-based education for these federal employee 
dependents. Private schools, while close by, are an expensive cost to 
federal employees, and though other federal agencies, such as the U.S. 
Coast Guard, the Department of Justice, the Federal Aviation 
Administration and others have authority to reimburse their staff for 
educational expenses incurred by their dependents at private schools 
while assigned to Puerto Rico, the Forest Service has no similar 
authorization.
  As a result, federal Forest Service employees assigned to Puerto Rico 
are faced with limited choices and opportunities for the continuing 
education of their dependents. This legislation will simply provide 
authorization to the Forest Service to reimburse its staff for 
educational expenses incurred by their dependents' when assigned to 
Puerto Rico.
  This bill is budget neutral, as it caps the Forest Service's 
reimbursement authority to not exceed the per-child amount previously 
reimbursed to the DODEA. The Forest Service supports this legislation.
  I support this legislation and urge my colleagues to vote yes on this 
important fix to

[[Page H8139]]

allow the dependents of federal employees working for the Forest 
Service to receive the highest educational experience.
  In closing, I would like to thank Agriculture Committee Chairman Bob 
Goodlatte, ranking member Charles Stenholm, and the committee staff of 
their assistance in quickly sheparding this bill through their 
committee and to the floor. I appreciate their help in addressing this 
important measure.
  I urge my fellow members to support this measure, and to ensure that 
the dependents of our dedicated and professional Forest Service 
employees in Puerto Rico maintain convenient access to quality 
education.
  Mr. POMEROY. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Murphy). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5042.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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