II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 978 

To direct the Secretary of Education to establish an award program recognizing excellence exhibited by public school system employees providing 

services to students in prekindergarten through higher education. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 27, 2017 

Mrs. MURRAY introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Education to establish an award 

program recognizing excellence exhibited by public school 

system employees providing services to students in prekindergarten through higher education. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Recognizing Achieve5 ment in Classified School Employees Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) Classified school employees provide valuable 

2 service to public schools in the United States. 

3 (2) Classified school employees provide essential 

4 services, such as transportation, facilities mainte5 nance and operations, food service, safety, and 

6 health care. 

7 (3) Classified school employees play a vital role 

8 in providing for the welfare and safety of students. 

9 (4) Classified school employees strive for excel10 lence in all areas of service to the education commu11 nity. 

12 (5) Exemplary classified school employees 

13 should be recognized for their outstanding contribu14 tions to quality education in the United States. 

15 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

16 In this Act: 

17 (1) CLASSIFIED SCHOOL EMPLOYEE.—The term 

18 ‘‘classified school employee’’ means a public em19 ployee of a State or of any political subdivision of a 

20 State, who works in any grade from prekindergarten 

21 through higher education in any of the following 9 

22 occupational specialties: 

23 (A) Paraeducator services. 

24 (B) Clerical and administrative services. 

25 (C) Transportation services. 


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1 (D) Food and nutrition services. 

2 (E) Custodial and maintenance services. 

3 (F) Security services. 

4 (G) Health and student services. 

5 (H) Technical services. 

6 (I) Skilled trades. 

7 (2) OTHER DEFINITIONS.—The terms used in 

8 this Act have the meaning given the terms in section 

9 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 

10 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 

11 SEC. 4. RECOGNITION PROGRAM ESTABLISHED. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Education shall 

13 establish a national recognition program to be known as 

14 the ‘‘Recognizing Inspirational School Employees (RISE) 

15 Award Program’’. The purpose of the program shall be 

16 to recognize and promote the commitment and excellence 

17 exhibited by classified school employees in public schools 

18 who provide exemplary service to students in prekinder19 garten through higher education. 

20 (b) AWARD.—Prior to March 31 of each year (begin21 ning with the second calendar year that begins after the 

22 date of enactment of this Act), the Recognizing Inspira23 tional School Employees (RISE) Award Program shall 

24 recommend to the Secretary a classified school employee 


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1 to receive the Recognizing Inspirational School Employees 

2 (RISE) Award for the year. 

3 (c) SELECTION PROCESS.— 

4 (1) NOMINATION PROCESS.— 

5 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than Novem6 ber 1 of each year (beginning with the first cal7 endar year that begins after the date of enact8 ment of this Act), the Secretary shall solicit 

9 nominations of classified school employees in 

10 public schools from the occupational specialties 

11 described in section 3(1) from the chief State 

12 school officer of each State. 

13 (B) NOMINATION SUBMISSIONS.—In order 

14 for individuals in a State to be eligible to re15 ceive recognition under this section, the chief 

16 State school officer shall consider nominations 

17 submitted by the following: 

18 (i) Local educational agencies. 

19 (ii) School administrators. 

20 (iii) Professional associations. 

21 (iv) Labor organizations. 

22 (v) Educational service agencies. 

23 (vi) Any other group determined ap24 propriate by the Recognizing Inspirational 

25 School Employees (RISE) Award Program. 


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1 (2) DEMONSTRATION.—Each chief State school 

2 officer of a State who desires individuals in the 

3 State to receive recognition under this section shall 

4 submit the nominations described in paragraph (1) 

5 to the Secretary in such manner as may be required 

6 by the Recognizing Inspirational School Employees 

7 (RISE) Award Program. Each such nomination 

8 shall contain, at a minimum, demonstrations of ex9 cellence in the following areas: 

10 (A) Work performance. 

11 (B) School and community involvement. 

12 (C) Leadership and commitment. 

13 (D) Local support. 

14 (E) Enhancement of classified school em15 ployees’ image in the community and schools. 

16 (F) Any other area of superior perform17 ance, such as health and safety promotion or ef18 ficient use of energy or other resources. 

19 (3) SELECTION.—The Recognizing Inspira20 tional School Employees (RISE) Award Program 

21 shall develop uniform national guidelines for evalu22 ating nominations submitted under paragraph (2) in 

23 order to select the most deserving nominees based on 


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1 the demonstrations made in the areas described in 

2 such paragraph. 

Æ 


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