Information Technology Partnerships Act

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Information Technology Partnerships 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) There are more than 200,000 to 400,000 vacancies in 
        various categories of information technology jobs.
            (2) From 1996 to 2005, more than 1,300,000 new computer 
        scientists, engineers, and systems analysts will be required in 
        the United States to fill vacant jobs, which equals 136,800 new 
        workers per year.
            (3) Systems analysts will experience the largest job 
        growth, accounting for a 103 percent increase in the number of 
        new positions from 1996 (506,000) to 2005 (1,025,000).
            (4) The shortage of information technology workers 
        transcends industries, affecting the manufacturing, service, 
        transportation, health care, education, and government sectors. 
        Within each sector, vacancies exist at all levels from aides 
        and mechanics to programmers and designers.
            (5) The information technology worker shortage is having an 
        adverse effect on the viability of businesses in the United 
        States and on the Nation's competitiveness. Industry surveys 
        report that half of industry executives cite the lack of 
        workers skilled in technology as the number one obstacle to 
        their company's growth. An additional 20 percent of industry 
        executives identify the lack of information technology workers 
        as a major obstacle to their company's growth.
            (6) A major factor affecting the short supply of 
        information technology workers is the mismatch between what 
        universities teach and what industry needs.
            (7) It is in the national interest to promote special 
        initiatives which effectively educate and train our domestic 
        workforce to keep pace with these expanding job opportunities.
            (8) Institutions of higher education have the capacity and 
        resources to provide a role of oversight and technical 
        assistance to a wide range of local entities, including 
        community-based organizations, participating in a comprehensive 
        education and training program for potential technology 
        workers.
            (9) Higher education institutions must be responsive to the 
        digital environment and expand both their outreach efforts and 
        on-campus activities to train and certify individuals to close 
        the information technology worker gap.

SEC. 3. PARTNERSHIPS FOR POSTSECONDARY INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION 
              AND EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE.

    (a) Grants Authorized.--The Secretary may make grants under this 
Act, in accordance with competitive criteria established by the 
Secretary, to institutions of higher education, in order to establish, 
oversee the operation of, and provide technical assistance to, projects 
described in subsection (b).
    (b) Projects.--Projects under this Act shall be projects 
implemented by a community-based organization described in section 4, 
or by the institution of higher education receiving the grant, to 
provide postsecondary information technology education and employment 
procurement assistance to eligible individuals described in section 5.
    (c) Restrictions.--An institution of higher education shall be 
eligible to receive only one grant under this Act, but may, subject to 
the requirements of this Act, use the grant to enter into contracts 
with more than one community-based organization. A community-based 
organization shall not be eligible to enter into a contract under this 
Act with more than one institution of higher education.
    (d) Period of Grant.--The provision of payments under a grant under 
this Act shall not exceed 5 fiscal years and shall be subject to the 
annual approval of the Secretary and subject to the availability of 
appropriations for each fiscal year involved.

SEC. 4. COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS.

    (a) In General.--Subject to subsection (b), a community-based 
organization described in this section is an entity that, at the time 
the entity enters into a contract with an institution of higher 
education for a project under this Act, and throughout the duration of 
that contract--
            (1) is--
                    (A) a governmental agency; or
                    (B) an organization described in section 501(c)(3) 
                of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from 
                tax under section 501(a) of such Code; and
            (2) is one of the following:
                    (A) A local partnership (as defined in section 4 of 
                the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994) receiving 
                a grant under section 302 of such Act.
                    (B) An entity organized and operated for religious 
                purposes.
                    (C) An entity furnishing school-age child care 
                services after school.
                    (D) A community-based computer center.
                    (E) An entity furnishing adult education.
                    (F) A library.
                    (G) A museum.
                    (H) Any other entity organized and operated for 
                cultural, literary, or educational purposes.
    (b) Limitation.--An entity shall not be considered a community-
based organization described in this section unless, at the time the 
entity enters into a contract with an institution of higher education 
for a project under this Act, it has demonstrated to the satisfaction 
of the Secretary that--
            (1) it has the capacity successfully to recruit eligible 
        individuals described in section 5 for participation in a 
        project described in section 3, consistent with the enrollment 
        requirements in section 6(b)(5);
            (2) it is providing an educational service, social service, 
        or employment procurement service; and
            (3) in the case of an entity that independently manages its 
        own finances, it has been in existence 2 years or more.

SEC. 5. ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS.

    An eligible individual described in this section is an individual 
who--
            (1) has submitted a satisfactory application to receive 
        postsecondary information technology education and employment 
        procurement assistance through a project under this Act; and
            (2) has a certificate of graduation from a school providing 
        secondary education, or the recognized equivalent of such a 
        certificate.

SEC. 6. DUTIES.

    (a) Institutions of Higher Education.--An institution of higher 
education receiving a grant under this Act shall use the funds provided 
under the grant to carry out the following duties:
            (1) Final selection of community-based organizations 
        described in section 4 desiring to provide, at one or more 
        sites, in accordance with a contract with the institution of 
        higher education and this Act, postsecondary information 
        technology education and employment procurement assistance to 
        eligible individuals described in section 5.
            (2) Entering into a contract with each community-based 
        organization selected under paragraph (1) under which the 
        institution and the organization agree to carry out the duties 
        respectively required of them under this Act with respect to 
        each site described in paragraph (1).
            (3) With respect to each site described in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) provision of such funding for the establishment 
                and initial operation of the site as was specified in 
                the grant application submitted by the institution to 
                the Secretary;
                    (B) approval of final site selection and 
                preparation;
                    (C) initial orientation and training of personnel 
                employed to manage and operate the site;
                    (D) design and certification of the instructional 
                and academic programs, and oversight of the 
                implementation of the programs;
                    (E) oversight of equipment purchases and contracts 
                for equipment maintenance; and
                    (F) selection of an outside contractor for periodic 
                evaluation of the management and operation of the site.
    (b) Community-Based Organizations.--
            (1) In general.--A community-based organization 
        implementing a project under this Act with an institution of 
        higher education, at one or more sites, shall carry out the 
        duties described in this subsection, with respect to each such 
        site, subject to the oversight and guidance of the institution.
            (2) General duties.--The organization--
                    (A) shall undertake final site selection and 
                preparation;
                    (B) shall recruit and hire a site director;
                    (C) shall carry out any supplementary 
                instructional, academic, or educational activities 
                specified in the contract with the institution of 
                higher education that are not described in paragraph 
                (4);
                    (D) shall assemble an advisory committee composed 
                of individuals residing in the community in which the 
                site is located, as well as industry representatives, 
                who desire to assist the organization in ensuring that 
                the goals of the organization are consistent with the 
                goals and needs of the community population;
                    (E) shall provide to the institution other evidence 
                of volunteer support from individuals residing in the 
                community in which the site is located and industry 
                representatives;
                    (F) shall recruit eligible individuals for 
                enrollment, subject to paragraph (5);
                    (G) shall maintain waiting lists of eligible 
                individuals desiring to enroll in the project's 
                programs;
                    (H) shall provide career counseling to eligible 
                individuals enrolled in the project's programs; and
                    (I) shall provide job and internship information 
                and placement, employer contacts, and other forms of 
                employment procurement assistance to eligible 
                individuals enrolled in the project's programs.
            (3) Site requirements.--The organization shall ensure that 
        each site--
                    (A) has a minimum of 20 fully functioning computers 
                with sufficient capacity to perform all of the computer 
                operations that are the subject of the curriculum 
                specified in paragraph (4);
                    (B) in addition to the space for the computers 
                described in subparagraph (A), has--
                            (i) a classroom space with the capacity for 
                        seating a minimum of 30 students;
                            (ii) a space in which to conduct the 
                        required career and employment counseling 
                        functions specified in paragraph (2); and
                            (iii) a separate office for the site 
                        director;
                    (C) is real property subject to the control of the 
                organization or the institution, through a lease or 
                other legal instrument, for a period of not less than 5 
                years;
                    (D) is open to enrolled individuals not less than 
                12 hours per day; and
                    (E) is located within walking distance of public 
                transportation.
            (4) Information technology curriculum.--
                    (A) In general.--The organization shall ensure that 
                each site offers enrollees a curriculum that includes a 
                broad range of course work that will assist them in 
                qualifying for employment in the field of information 
                technology.
                    (B) Courses leading to certification.--Such 
                curriculum shall include course work leading to a 
                certification of competence in areas of information 
                technology recognized by the National Skill Standards 
                Board established under the National Skill Standards 
                Act of 1994.
                    (C) Specific courses.--The computer training 
                offered shall include courses in basic computer 
                competence, on-the-job upgrade assistance, and advanced 
                computer competence.
            (5) Enrollment requirements.--The organization shall ensure 
        that its enrollment of eligible individuals at each site is 
        consistent with the following:
                    (A) Not less than 50 percent of the eligible 
                individuals shall be, at the time of enrollment, 
                individuals--
                            (i) to whom a credit was allowed under 
                        section 32 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
                        for the preceding taxable year;
                            (ii) who are recipients of assistance under 
                        a State program funded under part A of title IV 
                        of the Social Security Act;
                            (iii) who are a member of a household 
                        participating in the food stamp program; or
                            (iv) who are considered low-income pursuant 
                        to regulations promulgated by the Secretary 
                        under this Act.
                    (B) Not less than 50 percent of the eligible 
                individuals shall be, at the time of enrollment, under 
                25 years of age.
                    (C) No prerequisite relating to net worth, income, 
                or assets may be applied to any eligible individual 
                who, at the time of enrollment, is over 50 years of 
                age, except that this requirement shall not be 
                construed to supersede subparagraph (A).

SEC. 7. IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECTS SOLELY BY INSTITUTIONS.

    The Secretary may make a grant under this Act to an institution of 
higher education that desires to implement a project under this Act 
without the participation of a community-based organization described 
in section 4, if the institution agrees to carry out all of the duties 
required of such an organization under this Act, in addition to the 
duties otherwise required of an institution of higher education. The 
Secretary shall, in awarding grants under this Act, give priority to 
institutions of higher education whose grant application includes an 
assurance that the institution will contract with one or more 
community-based organizations in accordance with this Act.

SEC. 8. APPLICATIONS.

    To apply for a grant under this Act for any fiscal year, an 
institution of higher education shall submit an application to the 
Secretary in accordance with the procedures established by the 
Secretary. The application shall specify the institution's preliminary 
selections for the community-based organizations (if any) with which 
the institution proposes to contract, and shall include information 
with respect to preliminary site selections.

SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
$100,000,000 for fiscal year 1999 and such sums as may be necessary for 
each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.

SEC. 10. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act:
            (1) Adult education.--The term ``adult education'' has the 
        meaning given such term in section 312 of the Adult Education 
        Act.
            (2) Community-based computer center.--The term ``community-
        based computer center'' means a computer center--
                    (A) funded by both the Federal Government and at 
                least one private sector entity;
                    (B) located in a low-income community (as 
                determined by the Secretary); and
                    (C) organized and operated for the purpose of 
                providing families with access to computer resources 
                that otherwise would not be available to them.
            (3) Food stamp program.--The term ``food stamp program'' 
        has the meaning given such term in section 3(h) of the Food 
        Stamp Act of 1977.
            (4) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 1201 of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
            (5) Library.--The term ``library'' has the meaning given 
        such term in section 213 of the Library Services and Technology 
        Act.
            (6) Museum.--The term ``museum'' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 272 of the Museum and Library Services Act.
            (7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.

Summary: Information Technology Partnerships Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make competitive grants to institutions of higher education to establish, oversee, and provide technical assistance to postsecondary information technology education and employment assistance projects. Requires such projects to be implemented by certain types of community-based organizations, or by the institutions receiving the grants. Makes applicants eligible for such project assistance if they have a high school diploma or equivalent. Sets forth requirements for: (1) duties of, and uses of project funds by, institutions of higher education and community-based organizations, (2) project sites, (3) information technology curricula. And (4) minimum enrollment percentages of specified low-income individuals and individuals under age 25. Authorizes grants for implementation of a project solely by institutions of higher education without the participation of community-based organizations. But gives grant award priority to institutions of higher education whose grant applications include an assurance that they will contract with one or more community-based organizations. Authorizes appropriations.