II 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 639 

To establish digital and wireless networks to advance online higher education 

opportunities for minority students. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 15, 2007 

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

to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To establish digital and wireless networks to advance online 

higher education opportunities for minority students. 

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 ‘‘ED 1.0 Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

6 Congress makes the following findings: 

7 (1) Access to technology can improve grade and 

8 test averages, graduation rates, and retention rates, 

9 in addition to increasing the number of graduates in 

10 science and technology disciplines. 


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1 (2) Minority-serving institutions historically 

2 have an important role in reaching an underserved 

3 population, and minority-serving institutions in eco4 nomically disadvantaged areas face particular hard5 ships in acquiring funds to sustain and expand their 

6 technological resources. 

7 (3) Low-income areas are technologically under8 served. 

9 (4) Congress and the technological community 

10 should do all they can to find new and creative ways 

11 to bridge the current technology gap. 

12 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

13 In this Act: 

14 (1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis15 trator’’ means the Administrator of the National 

16 Telecommunications and Information Administra17 tion. 

18 (2) ELIGIBLE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION.— 

19 The term ‘‘eligible educational institution’’ means an 

20 institution that is— 

21 (A) a historically Black college or univer22 sity; 

23 (B) a Hispanic-serving institution as that 

24 term is defined in section 502(a)(5) of the 


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1 Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

2 1101a(a)(5)); 

3 (C) a tribally controlled college or univer4 sity as that term is defined in section 2(a)(4) 

5 of the Tribally Controlled College or University 

6 Assistance Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1801(a)(4)); 

7 (D) an Alaska Native-serving institution as 

8 that term is defined in section 317(b)(2) of the 

9 Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

10 1059d(b)(2)); or 

11 (E) a Native Hawaiian-serving institution 

12 as that term is defined in section 317(b)(4) of 

13 the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

14 1059d(b)(4)). 

15 (3) HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE OR UNI16 VERSITY.—The term ‘‘historically Black college or 

17 university’’ means a part B institution as that term 

18 is defined in section 322(2) of the Higher Education 

19 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061(2)). 

20 SEC. 4. MINORITY ONLINE DEGREE PILOT PROGRAM. 

21 (a) PILOT PROGRAM ESTABLISHED.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—There is established within 

23 the National Telecommunications and Information 

24 Administration a pilot program under which the Ad25 ministrator shall award 4 grants to eligible eduVerDate Aug 31 2005 02:55 Feb 18, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S639.IS S639

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1 cational institutions to enable the eligible edu2 cational institutions to develop digital and wireless 

3 networks for online educational programs of study 

4 within the eligible educational institutions. 

5 (2) GRANT NUMBER, DURATION, AND

6 AMOUNT.— 

7 (A) NUMBER.—The Administrator shall 

8 award a total of 4 grants under this section. 

9 (B) DURATION.—Each grant under this 

10 section shall be awarded for a period of 6 years. 

11 (C) ANNUAL GRANT PAYMENT

12 AMOUNTS.—The Administrator shall make 

13 grant payments under this section in the 

14 amount of— 

15 (i) $1,000,000 for the first fiscal year 

16 of a grant awarded under this section; 

17 (ii) $600,000 for each of the second 

18 through fifth such fiscal years; and 

19 (iii) $100,000 for the sixth such fiscal 

20 year. 

21 (b) PRIORITY.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—In awarding grants under 

23 this section the Administrator shall give priority to 

24 an eligible educational institution that, according to 

25 the most recent data available (including data availVerDate Aug 31 2005 02:55 Feb 18, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S639.IS S639

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1 able from the Bureau of the Census), serves a coun2 ty— 

3 (A) in which 50 percent of the residents of 

4 the county are members of a racial or ethnic 

5 minority; 

6 (B) in which less than 18 percent of the 

7 residents of the county have obtained a bacca8 laureate degree or a higher education; 

9 (C) that has an unemployment rate of 7 

10 percent or greater; 

11 (D) in which 19 percent or more of the 

12 residents of the county live in poverty; 

13 (E) that has a negative population growth 

14 rate; or 

15 (F) that has a median family income of 

16 $32,000. 

17 (2) HIGHEST PRIORITY.—In awarding grants 

18 under this section the Administrator shall give the 

19 highest priority to an eligible educational institution 

20 that meets the greatest number of requirements de21 scribed in subparagraphs (A) through (F) of para22 graph (1). 

23 (c) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible educational institu24 tion receiving a grant under this section may use the grant 

25 funds— 


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1 (1) to acquire equipment, instrumentation, net2 working capability, hardware, software, digital net3 work technology, wireless technology, or wireless in4 frastructure; 

5 (2) to develop and provide educational services, 

6 including faculty development; or 

7 (3) to develop strategic plans for information 

8 technology investments. 

9 (d) MATCHING NOT REQUIRED.—The Administrator 

10 shall not require an eligible educational institution to pro11 vide matching funds for a grant awarded under this sec12 tion. 

13 (e) REPORT.—Not later than November 1 of each 

14 year, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on 

15 Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and 

16 the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House 

17 of Representatives, a report evaluating the progress, dur18 ing the preceding fiscal year, of the pilot program assisted 

19 under this section. 

20 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 

22 appropriated to carry out this section— 

23 (A) $4,500,000 for fiscal year 2008; 

24 (B) $2,400,000 for each of the fiscal years 

25 2009 through 2012; and 


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1 (C) $500,000 for fiscal year 2013. 

2 (2) AVAILABILITY.—Funds appropriated under 

3 paragraph (1) shall remain available until expended. 

4 (g) LIMITATION ON USE OF OTHER FUNDS.—The 

5 Administrator shall carry out this section only with 

6 amounts appropriated in advance specifically to carry out 

7 this section. 

Æ 


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