A bill to provide competitive grants for training court reporters and closed captioners to meet requirements for realtime writers under the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and for other purposes.

Summary: Training for Realtime Writers Act of 2004 - Directs the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to make competitive grants to eligible entities to promote training and placement of individuals, including individuals who have completed a court reporting training program, as realtime writers providing closed captioning in video programming. Sets forth: (1) priorities in making grants; and (2) grant application requirements. Limits grants to $1.5 million for a two-year period.

Requires each grant recipient to report: (1) annually during the grant period on the use of funds; and (2) on best practices identified for increasing the number of individuals trained, employed, and retained as realtime writers.

Authorizes appropriations.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Training for Realtime Writers Act of 
2004''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) As directed by Congress in section 723 of the 
        Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 613), as added by section 
        305 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-104; 
        110 Stat. 126), the Federal Communications Commission adopted 
        rules requiring closed captioning of most television 
        programming, which gradually require new video programming to 
        be fully captioned beginning in 2006.
            (2) More than 28,000,000 Americans, or 8 percent of the 
        population, are considered deaf or hard of hearing, and many 
        require captioning services to participate in mainstream 
        activities.
            (3) More than 24,000 children are born in the United States 
        each year with some form of hearing loss.
            (4) According to the Department of Health and Human 
        Services and a study done by the National Council on Aging--
                    (A) 25 percent of Americans over 65 years old are 
                hearing impaired;
                    (B) 33 percent of Americans over 70 years old are 
                hearing impaired; and
                    (C) 41 percent of Americans over 75 years old are 
                hearing impaired.
            (5) The National Council on Aging study also found that 
        depression in older adults may be directly related to hearing 
        loss and disconnection with the spoken word.
            (6) Empirical research demonstrates that captions improve 
        the performance of individuals learning to read English and, 
        according to numerous Federal agency statistics, could 
        benefit--
                    (A) 3,700,000 remedial readers;
                    (B) 12,000,000 young children learning to read;
                    (C) 27,000,000 illiterate adults; and
                    (D) 30,000,000 people for whom English is a second 
                language.
            (7) Over the past 5 years, student enrollment in programs 
        that train court reporters to become realtime writers has 
        decreased significantly, causing such programs to close on many 
        campuses.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF GRANT PROGRAM TO PROMOTE TRAINING AND JOB 
              PLACEMENT OF REALTIME WRITERS.

    (a) In General.--The National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration shall make competitive grants to eligible entities under 
subsection (b) to promote training and placement of individuals, 
including individuals who have completed a court reporting training 
program, as realtime writers in order to meet the requirements for 
closed captioning of video programming set forth in section 723 of the 
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 613) and the rules prescribed 
thereunder.
    (b) Eligible Entities.--For purposes of this Act, an eligible 
entity is a court reporting program that--
            (1) can document and demonstrate to the Secretary of 
        Commerce that it meets minimum standards of educational and 
        financial accountability, with a curriculum capable of training 
        realtime writers qualified to provide captioning services;
            (2) is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by 
        the Department of Education; and
            (3) is participating in student aid programs under title IV 
        of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
    (c) Priority in Grants.--In determining whether to make grants 
under this section, the Secretary of Commerce shall give a priority to 
eligible entities that, as determined by the Secretary of Commerce--
            (1) possess the most substantial capability to increase 
        their capacity to train realtime writers;
            (2) demonstrate the most promising collaboration with local 
        educational institutions, businesses, labor organizations, or 
        other community groups having the potential to train or provide 
        job placement assistance to realtime writers; or
            (3) propose the most promising and innovative approaches 
        for initiating or expanding training and job placement 
        assistance efforts with respect to realtime writers.
    (d) Duration of Grant.--A grant under this section shall be for a 
period of two years.
    (e) Maximum Amount of Grant.--The amount of a grant provided under 
subsection (a) to an entity eligible may not exceed $1,500,000 for the 
two-year period of the grant under subsection (d).

SEC. 4. APPLICATION.

    (a) In General.--To receive a grant under section 3, an eligible 
entity shall submit an application to the National Telecommunications 
and Information Administration at such time and in such manner as the 
Administration may require. The application shall contain the 
information set forth under subsection (b).
    (b) Information.--Information in the application of an eligible 
entity under subsection (a) for a grant under section 3 shall include 
the following:
            (1) A description of the training and assistance to be 
        funded using the grant amount, including how such training and 
        assistance will increase the number of realtime writers.
            (2) A description of performance measures to be utilized to 
        evaluate the progress of individuals receiving such training 
        and assistance in matters relating to enrollment, completion of 
        training, and job placement and retention.
            (3) A description of the manner in which the eligible 
        entity will ensure that recipients of scholarships, if any, 
        funded by the grant will be employed and retained as realtime 
        writers.
            (4) A description of the manner in which the eligible 
        entity intends to continue providing the training and 
        assistance to be funded by the grant after the end of the grant 
        period, including any partnerships or arrangements established 
        for that purpose.
            (5) A description of how the eligible entity will work with 
        local workforce investment boards to ensure that training and 
        assistance to be funded with the grant will further local 
        workforce goals, including the creation of educational 
        opportunities for individuals who are from economically 
        disadvantaged backgrounds or are displaced workers.
            (6) Additional information, if any, of the eligibility of 
        the eligible entity for priority in the making of grants under 
        section 3(c).
            (7) Such other information as the Administration may 
        require.

SEC. 5. USE OF FUNDS.

    (a) In General.--An eligible entity receiving a grant under section 
3 shall use the grant amount for purposes relating to the recruitment, 
training and assistance, and job placement of individuals, including 
individuals who have completed a court reporting training program, as 
realtime writers, including--
            (1) recruitment;
            (2) subject to subsection (b), the provision of 
        scholarships;
            (3) distance learning;
            (4) development of curriculum to more effectively train 
        realtime writing skills, and education in the knowledge 
        necessary for the delivery of high-quality closed captioning 
        services;
            (5) assistance in job placement for upcoming and recent 
        graduates with all types of captioning employers;
            (6) encouragement of individuals with disabilities to 
        pursue a career in realtime writing; and
            (7) the employment and payment of personnel for such 
        purposes.
    (b) Scholarships.--
            (1) Amount.--The amount of a scholarship under subsection 
        (a)(2) shall be based on the amount of need of the recipient of 
        the scholarship for financial assistance, as determined in 
        accordance with part F of title IV of the Higher Education Act 
        of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087kk).
            (2) Agreement.--Each recipient of a scholarship under 
        subsection (a)(2) shall enter into an agreement with the 
        National Telecommunications and Information Administration to 
        provide realtime writing services for a period of time (as 
        determined by the Administration) that is appropriate (as so 
        determined) for the amount of the scholarship received.
            (3) Coursework and employment.--The Administration shall 
        establish requirements for coursework and employment for 
        recipients of scholarships under subsection (a)(2), including 
        requirements for repayment of scholarship amounts in the event 
        of failure to meet such requirements for coursework and 
        employment. Requirements for repayment of scholarship amounts 
        shall take into account the effect of economic conditions on 
        the capacity of scholarship recipients to find work as realtime 
        writers.
    (c) Administrative Costs.--The recipient of a grant under section 3 
may not use more than 5 percent of the grant amount to pay 
administrative costs associated with activities funded by the grant.
    (d) Supplement Not Supplant.--Grants amounts under this Act shall 
supplement and not supplant other Federal or non-Federal funds of the 
grant recipient for purposes of promoting the training and placement of 
individuals as realtime writers

SEC. 6. REPORTS.

    (a) Annual Reports.--Each eligible entity receiving a grant under 
section 3 shall submit to the National Telecommunications and 
Information Administration, at the end of each year of the grant 
period, a report on the activities of such entity with respect to the 
use of grant amounts during such year.
    (b) Report Information.--
            (1) In general.--Each report of an entity for a year under 
        subsection (a) shall include a description of the use of grant 
        amounts by the entity during such year, including an assessment 
        by the entity of the effectiveness of activities carried out 
        using such funds in increasing the number of realtime writers. 
        The assessment shall utilize the performance measures submitted 
        by the entity in the application for the grant under section 
        4(b).
            (2) Final report.--The final report of an entity on a grant 
        under subsection (a) shall include a description of the best 
        practices identified by the entity as a result of the grant for 
        increasing the number of individuals who are trained, employed, 
        and retained in employment as realtime writers.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act, 
amounts as follows:
            (1) $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2004, 2005, and 
        2006.
            (2) Such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007.

            Passed the Senate November 19, 2004.

            Attest:

                                                             Secretary.
108th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                 S. 480

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

 To provide competitive grants for training court reporters and closed 
    captioners to meet requirements for realtime writers under the 
        Telecommunications Act of 1996, and for other purposes.