ABC Act

Summary: Extends the authorization of appropriations for the Inexpensive Book Distribution Program, under which the Secretary of Education contracts with Reading Is Fundamental (RIF).
Establishes and authorizes appropriations for the following new programs. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) contract with a national organization to support programs that pay the Federal share of the cost of distributing books to disadvantaged children and families through tutoring, mentoring, and family education, and to promote local partnerships to leverage Federal book distribution efforts and build on community programs to enhance reading motivation for at- risk children (Local Partnerships for Books program); (2) contract with a national organization to support programs that distribute books to children five years of age and younger, provide guidance from pediatric clinicians to parents and guardians in reading aloud to children, and help build reading readiness skills (Partnerships for Infants and Young Children program); and (3) annually evaluate part E programs and local literacy programs conducted under part E that link children with book ownership and mentoring in literacy.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Access to Books for Children Act'' 
or the ``ABC Act''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO THE ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT OF 
              1965.

    Part E of title X of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 8131 et seq.) is amended to read as follows:

              ``PART E--ACCESS TO BOOKS FOR CHILDREN (ABC)

``SEC. 10500. PURPOSE.

    ``It is the purpose of this part to provide children with better 
access to books and other reading materials and resources from birth to 
adulthood, including opportunities to own books.

           ``Subpart 1--Inexpensive Book Distribution Program

``SEC. 10501. INEXPENSIVE BOOK DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM FOR READING 
              MOTIVATION.

    ``(a) Authorization.--The Secretary is authorized to enter into a 
contract with Reading is Fundamental (RIF) (hereafter in this section 
referred to as `the contractor') to support and promote programs, which 
include the distribution of inexpensive books to students, that 
motivate children to read.
    ``(b) Requirements of Contract.--Any contract entered into under 
subsection (a) shall--
            ``(1) provide that the contractor will enter into 
        subcontracts with local private nonprofit groups or 
        organizations, or with public agencies, under which each 
        subcontractor will agree to establish, operate, and provide the 
        non-Federal share of the cost of reading motivation programs 
        that include the distribution of books, by gift, to the extent 
        feasible, or loan, to children from birth through secondary 
        school age, including those in family literacy programs;
            ``(2) provide that funds made available to subcontractors 
        will be used only to pay the Federal share of the cost of such 
        programs;
            ``(3) provide that in selecting subcontractors for initial 
        funding, the contractor will give priority to programs that 
        will serve a substantial number or percentage of children with 
        special needs, such as--
                    ``(A) low-income children, particularly in high-
                poverty areas;
                    ``(B) children at risk of school failure;
                    ``(C) children with disabilities;
                    ``(D) foster children;
                    ``(E) homeless children;
                    ``(F) migrant children;
                    ``(G) children without access to libraries;
                    ``(H) institutionalized or incarcerated children; 
                and
                    ``(I) children whose parents are institutionalized 
                or incarcerated;
            ``(4) provide that the contractor will provide such 
        technical assistance to subcontractors as may be necessary to 
        carry out the purpose of this section;
            ``(5) provide that the contractor will annually report to 
        the Secretary the number of, and describe, programs funded 
        under paragraph (3); and
            ``(6) include such other terms and conditions as the 
        Secretary determines to be appropriate to ensure the 
        effectiveness of such programs.
    ``(c) Restriction on Payments.--The Secretary shall make no payment 
of the Federal share of the cost of acquiring and distributing books 
under any contract under this section unless the Secretary determines 
that the contractor or subcontractor, as the case may be, has made 
arrangements with book publishers or distributors to obtain books at 
discounts at least as favorable as discounts that are customarily given 
by such publisher or distributor for book purchases made under similar 
circumstances in the absence of Federal assistance.
    ``(d) Definition of `Federal Share'.--For the purpose of this 
section, the term `Federal share' means, with respect to the cost to a 
subcontractor of purchasing books to be paid under this section, 75 
percent of such costs to the subcontractor, except that the Federal 
share for programs serving children of migrant or seasonal farmworkers 
shall be 100 percent of such costs to the subcontractor.
    ``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying 
out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $25,000,000 
for fiscal year 2001 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 
four succeeding fiscal years.

               ``Subpart 2--Local Partnerships for Books

``SEC. 10511. LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS FOR BOOKS.

    ``(a) Authorization.--The Secretary is authorized to enter into a 
contract with a national organization (referred to in this section as 
the `contractor') to support and promote programs that--
            ``(1) pay the Federal share of the cost of distributing at 
        no cost new books to disadvantaged children and families 
        primarily through tutoring, mentoring, and family literacy 
        programs; and
            ``(2) promote the growth and strengthening of local 
        partnerships with the goal of leveraging the Federal book 
        distribution efforts and building upon the work of community 
        programs to enhance reading motivation for at-risk children.
    ``(b) Requirements of Contract.--Any contract entered into under 
subsection (a) shall--
            ``(1) provide that the contractor will provide technical 
        support and initial resources to local partnerships to support 
        efforts to provide new books to those tutoring, mentoring, and 
        family literacy programs reaching disadvantaged children;
            ``(2) provide that funds made available to subcontractors 
        will be used only to pay the Federal share of the cost of such 
        programs;
            ``(3) provide that the contractor, working in cooperation 
        with the local partnerships, will give priority to those 
        tutoring, mentoring, and family literacy programs that serve 
        children and families with special needs, predominantly those 
        children from economically disadvantaged families and those 
        children and families without access to libraries;
            ``(4) provide that the contractor will annually report to 
        the Secretary regarding the number of books distributed, the 
        number of local partnerships created and supported, the number 
        of community tutoring, mentoring, and family literacy programs 
        receiving books for children, and the number of children 
        provided with books; and
            ``(5) include such other terms and conditions as the 
        Secretary determines to be appropriate to ensure the 
        effectiveness of the program.
    ``(c) Restriction on Payments.--The Secretary shall require the 
contractor to ensure that the discounts provided by publishers and 
distributors for the new books purchased under this section is at least 
as favorable as discounts that are customarily given by such publishers 
or distributors for book purchases made under similar circumstances in 
the absence of Federal assistance.
    ``(d) Definition of Federal Share.--For the purpose of this 
section, the term `Federal share' means, with respect to the cost of 
purchasing books under this section, 50 percent of the cost to the 
contractor, except that the Federal share for programs serving children 
of migrant or seasonal farmworkers shall be 100 percent of such costs 
to the contractor.
    ``(e) Matching Requirement.--The contractor shall provide for 
programs under this section, either directly or through private 
contributions, in cash or in-kind, non-Federal matching funds equal to 
not less than 50 percent of the amount provided to the contractor under 
this section.
    ``(f) Authorization of Appropriation.--For the purpose of carrying 
out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 
for the fiscal year 2001 and such sums as may be necessary for each of 
the 4 succeeding fiscal years.

        ``Subpart 3--Partnerships for Infants and Young Children

``SEC. 10521. PARTNERSHIPS FOR INFANTS AND YOUNG CHILDREN.

    ``(a) Programs Authorized.--The Secretary is authorized to enter 
into a contract with a national organization (referred to in this 
section as the `contractor') to support and promote programs that--
            ``(1) include the distribution of free books to children 5 
        years of age and younger, including providing guidance from 
        pediatric clinicians to parents and guardians with respect to 
        reading aloud with their young children; and
            ``(2) help build the reading readiness skills the children 
        need to learn to read once the children enter school.
    ``(b) Requirements of Contract.--Any contract entered into under 
subsection (a) shall--
            ``(1) provide that the contractor will enter into 
        subcontracts with local private nonprofit groups or 
        organizations or with public agencies under which each 
        subcontractor will agree to establish, operate, and provide the 
        non-Federal share of the cost of reading motivation programs 
        that include the distribution of books by gift, to the extent 
        feasible, or loan to children from birth through 5 years of 
        age, including those children in family literacy programs;
            ``(2) provide that funds made available to subcontractors 
        will be used only to pay the Federal share of the cost of such 
        programs;
            ``(3) provide that in selecting subcontractors for initial 
        funding under this section, the contractor will give priority 
        to programs that will serve a substantial number or percentage 
        of children with special needs, such as--
                    ``(A) low-income children, particularly low-income 
                children in high-poverty areas;
                    ``(B) children with disabilities;
                    ``(C) foster children;
                    ``(D) homeless children;
                    ``(E) migrant children;
                    ``(F) children without access to libraries;
                    ``(G) children without adequate medical insurance; 
                and
                    ``(H) children enrolled in a State medicaid program 
                under title XIX of the Social Security Act;
            ``(4) provide that the contractor will provide such 
        technical assistance to subcontractors as may be necessary to 
        carry out this section;
            ``(5) provide that the contractor will annually report to 
        the Secretary on the effectiveness of the national program and 
        the effectiveness of the local programs funded under this 
        section, including a description of the national program and of 
        each of the local programs; and
            ``(6) include such other terms and conditions as the 
        Secretary determines to be appropriate to ensure the 
        effectiveness of such programs.
    ``(c) Restriction on Payments.--The Secretary shall make no payment 
of the Federal share of the cost of acquiring and distributing books 
under any contract under this section unless the Secretary determines 
that the contractor or subcontractor, as the case may be, has made 
arrangements with book publishers or distributors to obtain books at 
discounts at least as favorable as discounts that are customarily given 
by such publisher or distributor for book purchases made under similar 
circumstances in the absence of Federal assistance.
    ``(d) Definition of Federal Share.--In this section with respect to 
the cost to a subcontractor of purchasing books to be paid under this 
section, the term `Federal share' means 50 percent of such costs to the 
subcontractor, except that the Federal share for programs serving 
children of migrant or seasonal farmworkers shall be 100 percent of 
such costs to the subcontractor.
    ``(e) Matching Requirement.--The contractor shall provide for 
programs under this section, either directly or through private 
contributions, in cash or in-kind, non-Federal matching funds equal to 
not less than 50 percent of the amount provided to the contractor under 
this section.
    ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying 
out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 
for fiscal year 2001 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 
4 succeeding fiscal years.

                        ``Subpart 4--Evaluation

``SEC. 10531. EVALUATION.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall annually conduct an 
evaluation of--
            ``(1) programs carried out under this part to assess the 
        effectiveness of such programs in meeting the purpose of this 
        part and the goals of each subpart; and
            ``(2) the effectiveness of local literacy programs 
        conducted under this part that link children with book 
        ownership and mentoring in literacy.
    ``(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--For purposes of carrying 
out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $500,000 for 
fiscal year 2001, and such sums as may be necessary in each of the 4 
succeeding fiscal years.''.