[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 120 (Thursday, September 22, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10387-S10388]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PROVIDING FOR CONTINUED EDUCATION OF STUDENTS AFFECTED BY HURRICANE
KATRINA
Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 1764, introduced earlier
today.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 1764) to provide for the continued education of
students affected by Hurricane Katrina.
[[Page S10388]]
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be
read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the
table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the
Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The bill (S. 1764) was read the third time and passed, as follows:
S. 1764
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. DEFINITION OF STUDENT AFFECTED BY HURRICANE
KATRINA.
In this Act, the term ``student affected by Hurricane
Katrina'' means a student who resides or resided on August
22, 2005 in an area, or is enrolled or was enrolled on August
22, 2005 in a school located in an area, for which a major
disaster has been declared in accordance with section 401 of
the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) as a result of Hurricane
Katrina.
SEC. 2. EDUCATION EXPENSES.
(a) In General.--Upon the request of the Secretary of
Education, the Secretary of Homeland Security may transfer
any funds made available to the Federal Emergency Management
Agency ``Disaster Relief Fund'' for Hurricane Katrina to the
Department of Education for the education of students
affected by Hurricane Katrina. Such funds shall only be used
for expenditures for activities of educational agencies
authorized under Federal law within the jurisdiction of the
Department of Education, and for the following activities in
support of students affected by Hurricane Katrina:
(1) Paying the compensation of personnel, including teacher
aides, to provide instructional services.
(2) Paying the operational costs incurred by educational
agencies as a result of educating such students.
(3) Purchasing instructional materials and equipment,
including textbooks, used to educate such students.
(b) Special Rule.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
this section, funds may be used for expenditures described in
subsection (a) only if--
(1) the Secretary of Education makes a determination that
such expenditures constitute an immediate need for the relief
of students affected by Hurricane Katrina; and
(2) funds are not made available for such activities from
other Federal sources.
SEC. 3. AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.
(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, any funds available to the Secretary of Education, the
authority for which would be cancelled or otherwise expire on
September 30, 2005, shall be available for obligation by the
Secretary until September 30, 2006, but only to meet
educational needs of students affected by Hurricane Katrina.
(b) Emergency Designation.--Any funds available for
obligation pursuant to subsection (a) are designated as an
emergency requirement pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res.
95 (109th Congress).
SEC. 4. ADVANCED NOTIFICATION OF CONGRESS.
(a) Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2005.--
Section 304 of the Department of Education Appropriations
Act, 2005 (Public Law 108-447) is amended by striking ``15
days'' and inserting ``3 days''.
(b) Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005.--Section 517 of
the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and
Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2005
(Public Law 108-447) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ``15 days'' and
inserting ``3 days''; and
(2) in subsection (b), by striking ``15 days'' and
inserting ``3 days''.
SEC. 5. SUNSET.
This Act shall be effective for the period beginning on the
date of enactment of this Act and ending on September 30,
2006.
Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, this bill we just passed provides for the
continued education of students who have been so severely affected by
Hurricane Katrina.
I thank my colleague, the Senator from Texas, Mrs. Hutchison, for her
tremendous leadership on this bill. It is a very important bill and a
bill that has been a long time coming. We--especially she and her
cosponsors--have aggressively worked in this regard to pass this bill.
I am happy to yield to her at this time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.
Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I thank the distinguished majority
leader for helping us clear this legislation. This is a bill
cosponsored by Senator Landrieu and Senator Cornyn. Twenty-eight States
have taken students, who are victims of Hurricane Katrina, into their
hearts, into their arms, into their shelters, and into their
educational systems.
We have been passing legislation that would cut red tape and pay for
certain items that are not covered by the law. One of the major areas
for which we have not had a precedent is schoolchildren in great
numbers going into public schools as a result of having to evacuate
from an emergency disaster, such as Hurricane Katrina. That has been
the case.
We have more than 45,000 evacuee students now in our Texas public
schools. As everyone knows, there is no school district that can afford
to absorb that number of students without help. The bill we have just
passed will allow the money that has already been appropriated to be
available for the Department of Education to pay for the extra teachers
who are being hired. It is limited to children who are victims of
Hurricane Katrina, and it also has a sunset. It is just for this school
year. So this is not a new law that is going to put the Federal
Government into public education throughout our country. But it is
going to offset the costs of hiring teachers and buying school supplies
for those students who have come to our State and 27 other States with
nothing.
Today I am very proud of the Senate for passing this legislation to
give these 28 States the help they need. The money will flow through
the Department of Education. The Secretary of Education will have the
authority to take some of the money that has already been appropriated
by Congress for this purpose.
I applaud the Senate for passing this bill, and I look forward to it
going through the House and being signed by the President.
I thank Senator Frist so much for the help he has given in allowing
the Senate to act quickly on this legislation.
I yield the floor.
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