II

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 245

To establish a National Commission on Educational Readiness.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JANUARY 27 (legislative day, JANUARY 5), 1993

Mr. SPECTER introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred

to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources

A BILL

To establish a National Commission on Educational

Readiness.

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 ‘‘National Commission

5 on Educational Readiness Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

7 It is the purpose of this Act to promote and improve

8 the quality of preschool skills development by coordinating

9 efforts on behalf of public and private organizations to im10 prove and enhance systems of care for children and their

11 families.
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1 SEC. 3. NATIONAL COMMISSION ON EDUCATIONAL READI2 NESS.

3 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established a

4 National Commission on Educational Readiness (hereafter

5 in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’).

6 (b) MEMBERSHIP AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE

7 COMMISSION.—

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall con9 sist of 11 members, of whom—

10 (A) 2 members shall be appointed by the

11 Secretary of Education;

12 (B) 2 members shall be appointed by the

13 Secretary of Health and Human Services;

14 (C) 2 members shall be appointed by the

15 Majority Leader of the Senate in consultation

16 with the Minority Leader of the Senate;

17 (D) 2 members shall be appointed by the

18 Speaker of the House of Representatives in con19 sultation with the Minority Leader of the House

20 of Representatives; and

21 (E) 3 members shall be jointly selected by

22 the Majority Leader of the Senate and the

23 Speaker of the House of Representatives from

24 among individuals who have demonstrated ex25 pertise in areas such as early childhood develop26 ment, comprehensive services delivery for preg-
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1 nant women, infants, toddlers, and preschool

2 children, professional teaching, or nonprofit or3 ganizations or foundations which work to ex4 pand educational opportunities for preschool

5 children, such individuals may include State or

6 local officials responsible for health and edu7 cation policy, parents or representatives of par8 ent organizations.

9 (2) CHAIRMAN AND VICE CHAIRMAN.—The

10 Commission shall select a Chairperson and Vice

11 Chairperson from among the members of the Com12 mission.

13 (3) VACANCIES.—A vacancy in the Commission

14 shall not affect its powers, but shall be filled in the

15 same manner as the original appointment was made.

16 (4) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet on

17 a regular basis, as necessary, at the call of the

18 Chairperson of the Commission or a majority of the

19 Commission’s members.

20 (5) QUORUM.—A majority of the members of

21 the Commission shall constitute a quorum for the

22 transaction of business.

23 (6) TERMS.—(A) Members of the Commission

24 shall be appointed to serve for terms of 3 years, ex25 cept that of the members first appointed—
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1 (i) 4 members shall serve for terms of 1

2 year;

3 (ii) 4 members shall serve for terms of 2

4 years; and

5 (iii) 3 members shall serve for terms of 3

6 years.

7 (B) Members may be reappointed to the Com8 mission.

9 (7) CONTRACTS.—To carry out this Act, the

10 Commission may enter into such contracts and other

11 arrangements to such extent or in such amounts as

12 are provided in appropriation Acts, and without re13 gard to the provisions of section 3709 of the Revised

14 Statutes (41 U.S.C. 5). Contracts and other ar15 rangements may be entered into under this para16 graph with or without consideration or bond.

17 (8) COMPENSATION.—Each member of the

18 Commission shall serve without compensation, but

19 shall be allowed travel expenses including per diem

20 in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by section 5703

21 of title 5, United States Code, when engaged in the

22 performance of Commission duties.

23 (9) ACTIVITY OF THE COMMISSION.—The Com24 mission may begin to carry out its duties under this
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1 Act when at least 6 members of the Commission

2 have been appointed pursuant to paragraph (1).

3 SEC. 4. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.

4 The Commission shall—

5 (1) recommend a national policy designed to

6 prepare the Nation’s children for formal learning,

7 including recommendations concerning appropriate

8 roles for the Federal Government, States, local gov9 ernments and the private sector;

10 (2) recommend to the President and the Con11 gress the specific changes needed within Federal

12 laws and policies to achieve an effective Federal role

13 in such preparation;

14 (3) encourage State and local initiatives on be15 half of children (including legislative and policy

16 changes as the Commission determines necessary)

17 and monitor progress toward school readiness;

18 (4) sponsor national, State and regional con19 ferences on ready to learn activities;

20 (5) establish and operate a national clearing21 house for the dissemination of information and ma22 terials on readiness to learn;

23 (6) establish an advisory council in accordance

24 with section 10;
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1 (7) collaborate with specific entities involved

2 with ready to learn issues or activities such as the

3 National Ready to Learn Council, the National Edu4 cation Goals Panel and appropriate State ready to

5 learn activities;

6 (8) develop and maintain collaborative arrange7 ments with public agencies and professional and vol8 untary organizations that are involved in ready to

9 learn issues; and

10 (9) provide consultation and technical assist11 ance, or arrange for the provision of such consulta12 tion and technical assistance, to State and commu13 nity entities providing or preparing to provide inte14 grated comprehensive health or child development

15 services or educational services to pregnant women,

16 infants, toddlers, and preschool children.

17 SEC. 5. REPORTS.

18 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the

19 date on which all members of the Commission are ap20 pointed in accordance with section 3(b), the Commission

21 shall prepare and submit to the President and to the ap22 propriate committees of the Congress a comprehensive re23 port on the activities of the Commission.

24 (b) CONTENTS.—The report submitted pursuant to

25 subsection (a) shall include such findings and rec-
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1 ommendations for legislation and administrative action as

2 the Commission considers appropriate based on the activi3 ties of the Commission.

4 (c) OTHER REPORTS.—The Commission shall pre5 pare and submit to the President and the Congress such

6 other reports as the Commission considers appropriate.

7 SEC. 6. INFORMATION.

8 The Commission may secure directly from any Fed9 eral agency such information, relevant to the Commis10 sion’s functions, as may be necessary to enable the Com11 mission to carry out the Commission’s duties. Upon re12 quest of the Chairman of the Commission, the head of the

13 agency shall, to the extent permitted by law, furnish such

14 information to the Commission.

15 SEC. 7. GIFTS.

16 The Commission may accept, use, and dispose of gifts

17 and donations of money, services, or property, for the pur18 pose of aiding the activities of the Commission.

19 SEC. 8. MAIL.

20 The Commission may use the United States mails in

21 the same manner and under the same conditions as the

22 departments and agencies of the United States.

23 SEC. 9. COMMISSION STAFF.

24 (a) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.—The Commission shall

25 appoint an executive director, who shall be paid at a rate
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1 not to exceed the maximum rate of basic pay under section

2 5376 of title 5, United States Code, and such professional

3 and clerical personnel as may be reasonable and necessary

4 to enable the Commission to carry out its functions with5 out regard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code,

6 governing appointments in the competitive service, and

7 without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and sub8 chapter III of chapter 53 of such title, or of any other

9 provision of law, relating to the number, classification and

10 General Schedule rates, except that no employee, other

11 than the staff director, may be compensated at a rate to

12 exceed the maximum rate applicable to level 15 of the

13 General Schedule set forth in section 5332 of title 5, Unit14 ed States Code.

15 (b) OTHER FEDERAL PERSONNEL.—Upon request of

16 the Chairman of the Commission, the head of any Federal

17 agency is authorized to detail, without reimbursement, any

18 personnel of such agency to the Commission to assist the

19 Commission in carrying out its duties under this Act. Such

20 detail shall be without interruption or loss of civil service

21 status or privilege set forth in section 5332 of title 5,

22 United States Code.

23 SEC. 10. ADVISORY COUNCIL.

24 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Commission shall estab25 lish an advisory council (hereafter in this Act referred to
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1 as the ‘‘Council’’) composed of representatives of profes2 sional and voluntary organizations, and recognized schol3 ars and experts in early childhood development, education,

4 health, child advocacy and other relevant fields.

5 (b) FUNCTIONS.—

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Council shall—

7 (A) advise the Commission regarding—

8 (i) readiness to learn;

9 (ii) the design, development and exe10 cution of the strategies assisted under this

11 Act; and

12 (iii) the coordination of activities as13 sisted under this Act, including procedures

14 to assure compliance with the provisions of

15 this Act; and

16 (B) make recommendations to the Com17 mission in accordance with paragraph (2).

18 (2) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The Council shall

19 make recommendations to the Commission regarding

20 how best to—

21 (A) promote collaboration and joint activi22 ties to assist communities in assuring the Na23 tion’s children receive the variety of supports

24 such children require to be ready for school;
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1 (B) report on and promote innovative and

2 exemplary projects and programs that highlight

3 integrated, comprehensive services, including

4 how such projects and programs may be used

5 as models for replication in other communities;

6 (C) encourage and support the develop7 ment of State and community ready to learn

8 activities;

9 (D) monitor national progress toward the

10 National Education Goal regarding school read11 iness; and

12 (E) develop, exchange and disseminate in13 formation regarding readiness to learn.

14 SEC. 11. APPLICABILITY OF FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMIT15 TEE ACT.

16 The provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee

17 Act shall not apply to the Commission established under

18 this Act.

19 SEC. 12. EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.

20 Subject to such rules as may be prescribed by the

21 Commission, the Chairman of the Commission may pro22 cure temporary and intermittent services under section

23 3109 of title 5, United States Code, as rates for individ24 uals, not to exceed the daily rate payable for level GS–
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1 15 of the General Schedule set forth in section 5332 of

2 title 5, United States Code.

3 SEC. 13. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro5 priated $1,500,000 for fiscal year 1994 and such sums

6 as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 1995 and

7 1996 to carry out the provisions of this Act.

8 (b) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts appropriated pursuant

9 to the authority of subsection (a) shall remain available

10 until expended.

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