National Economic Conversion and Environmental Restoration Act of 1993

Summary: National Economic Conversion and Environmental Restoration Act of 1993 - Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to make demonstration grants to institutions of higher education to provide education and training in environmental restoration to dislocated defense workers and young adults. 
Sets forth consortium, application, reporting, and other program requirements. 
Authorizes appropriations.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Economic Conversion and 
Environmental Restoration Act of 1993''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Labor shall, from amounts 
appropriated pursuant to section 9(a), provide demonstration grants to 
institutions of higher education for the purpose of providing education 
and training in environmental restoration to dislocated defense workers 
and young adults.
    (b) Period of Grants.--A grant received under subsection (a) may 
extend for a period of not more than 3 fiscal years. The payments under 
such grant shall be subject to annual approval by the Secretary and 
subject to the availability of appropriations for each fiscal year.

SEC. 3. APPLICATION.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary may provide a grant to an 
institution of higher education under section 2(a) only if such 
institution submits to the Secretary an application which contains such 
information as the Secretary may reasonably require.
    (b) Assurances.--Such application shall include assurances that the 
institution of higher education will use Federal funds received from a 
grant under section 2(a) to supplement and not supplant non-Federal 
funds that would otherwise be available for activities funded under 
such section.

SEC. 4. USE OF FUNDS.

    (a) Establishment of Program.--
            (1) In general.--An institution of higher education shall 
        use amounts received from a grant under section 2(a) to 
        establish a consortium consisting of the institution and the 
        entities described in paragraph (2) for the purpose of 
        establishing a program to provide education and training in 
        environmental restoration to the eligible individuals described 
        in subsection (b).
            (2) Entities described.--The entities described in this 
        paragraph are 1 or more of each of the following:
                    (A) Representatives of appropriate State and local 
                agencies.
                    (B) Private industry councils (described in section 
                102 of the Job Training Partnership Act (29 U.S.C. 
                1512)).
                    (C) Community-based organizations.
                    (D) Businesses.
                    (E) Labor organizations.
                    (F) Other appropriate educational institutions.
    (b) Eligible Individuals.--
            (1) Dislocated defense workers.--An individual who has been 
        terminated or laid off from employment, or has received notice 
        of termination or lay off, as a consequence of reductions in 
        expenditures by the United States for defense or by closures of 
        United States military facilities, as determined in accordance 
        with regulations developed by the Secretary, shall be eligible 
        for education and training in environmental restoration under 
        this section.
            (2) Young adults.--An individual who has attained the age 
        of 16 but not the age of 25 shall be eligible for education and 
        training in environmental restoration under this section.
    (c) Conduct of Program.--In conducting the program established 
under subsection (a)(1), the consortium shall meet the following 
requirements:
            (1) Provision of education and training in environmental 
        restoration.--
                    (A) In general.--The consortium shall establish and 
                provide a work-based learning system consisting of 
                education and training in environmental restoration, 
                which may include basic educational courses, on-site 
                basic skills training, and mentor assistance to 
                eligible individuals described in subsection (b), which 
                may lead to the awarding of a certificate of completion 
                or advanced degree at the institution of higher 
                education.
                    (B) Use of closed military installation.--To the 
                extent practicable, the consortium shall utilize a 
                military installation closed or selected to be closed 
                under a base closure law in providing on-site basic 
                skills training to eligible individuals described in 
                subsection (b).
            (2) Outreach and recruitment.--The consortium shall 
        undertake outreach and recruitment efforts to encourage 
        participation by eligible individuals in the program 
        established under subsection (a)(1).
            (3) Selection of eligible individuals.--The consortium 
        shall--
                    (A) to the extent practicable, select eligible 
                individuals described in each of paragraphs (1) and (2) 
                of subsection (b) for the program established under 
                subsection (a)(1); and
                    (B) give priority in the selection of young adults 
                described in subsection (b)(2) to those young adults 
                who--
                            (i) have not attended and do not plan to 
                        attend a postsecondary educational institution; 
                        or
                            (ii) have, or are members of families who 
                        have, received a total family income that, in 
                        relation to family size, is not in excess of 
                        the higher of--
                                    (I) the official poverty line (as 
                                defined by the Office of Management and 
                                Budget, and revised annually in 
                                accordance with section 673(2) of the 
                                Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 
                                1981 (42 U.S.C. 9902(2)); or
                                    (II) 70 percent of the lower living 
                                standard income level.
            (4) Instructors.--The consortium shall, to the extent 
        practicable, select instructors for the program established 
        under subsection (a)(1) from institutions of higher education, 
        appropriate community programs, and industry and labor.
            (5) Job placement services.--The consortium shall provide 
        job placement services to each eligible individual who receives 
        a certificate of completion or advanced degree under paragraph 
        (1)(A).
            (6) Coordination.--To the extent practicable, the 
        consortium shall consult with appropriate Federal, State, and 
        local agencies carrying out environmental restoration programs 
        for the purpose of achieving coordination between such programs 
        and the program established by the consortium under subsection 
        (a)(1).

SEC. 5. SELECTION.

    (a) In General.--To the extent practicable, the Secretary shall 
provide grants to institutions of higher education under section 2(a) 
in a manner which will equitably distribute such grants among the 
various regions of the United States.
    (b) Priority.--In providing grants to institutions of higher 
education under section 2(a), the Secretary shall give priority to 
institutions of higher education located in urban areas.

SEC. 6. ALLOCATION.

    The Secretary shall provide grants under section 2(a) in a fiscal 
year to each institution of higher education in an amount totaling not 
more than \1/3\ of amounts appropriated pursuant to section 9(a) for 
that fiscal year.

SEC. 7. REPORTS.

    (a) Reports to Secretary.--The Secretary may provide a grant to an 
institution of higher education under section 2(a) only if such 
institution agrees to submit to the Secretary, in each fiscal year in 
which the Secretary makes payments under such grant to such 
institution, a report containing--
            (1) a description and evaluation of the program established 
        by such consortium under section 4(a)(1); and
            (2) any other information as the Secretary may reasonably 
        require.
    (b) Reports to Congress.--
            (1) Interim report.--Not later than 18 months after the 
        date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 
        to the President and the Congress an interim report 
        containing--
                    (A) a compilation of the information contained in 
                the reports received by the Secretary from each 
                institution of higher education under subsection (a); 
                and
                    (B) an evaluation of the effectiveness of the 
                demonstration grants authorized under section 2(a).
            (2) Final report.--Not later than January 1, 1997, the 
        Secretary shall submit to the President and the Congress a 
        final report containing--
                    (A) a compilation of the information described in 
                paragraph (1)(A); and
                    (B) a final evaluation of the effectiveness of the 
                demonstration grants authorized under section 2(a), 
                including a recommendation as to the feasibility of 
                reauthorizing such grants.

SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act, the following definitions apply:
            (1) Base closure law.--The term ``base closure law'' means 
        the following:
                    (A) The Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 
                1990 (part A of title XXIX of Public Law 101-510; 104 
                Stat. 1808; 10 U.S.C. 2687 note).
                    (B) Title II of the Defense Authorization 
                Amendments and Base Closure and Realignment Act (Public 
                Law 100-526; 102 Stat. 2627; 10 U.S.C. 2687 note).
                    (C) Section 2687 of title 10, United States Code.
                    (D) Any other similar law enacted after the date of 
                the enactment of this Act.
            (2) Environmental restoration.--The term ``environmental 
        restoration'' means actions taken consistent with a permanent 
        remedy to prevent or minimize the release of hazardous 
        substances into the environment so that such substances do not 
        migrate to cause substantial danger to present or future public 
        health or welfare or the environment.
            (3) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 1201(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1141(a)).
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Labor.
            (5) Urban area.--The term ``urban area'' means--
                    (A) a metropolitan statistical area having a 
                population of not less than 500,000 individuals; or
                    (B) a State which does not contain a standard 
                metropolitan statistical area but has a population of 
                not less than 500,000 individuals.

SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
$20,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1994 through 1996 to carry out 
this Act.
    (b) Availability.--Amounts authorized to be appropriated under 
subsection (a) shall remain available until expended.