II

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 1943

To provide for an inexpensive book distribution program.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

NOVEMBER 17, 1999

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

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

A BILL

To provide for an inexpensive book distribution program.

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

3 SECTION 1. INEXPENSIVE BOOK DISTRIBUTION.

4 Part E of title X of the Elementary and Secondary

5 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8131) is amended to

6 read as follows:

7 ‘‘PART E—INEXPENSIVE BOOK DISTRIBUTION

8 PROGRAM

9 ‘‘SEC. 10501. INEXPENSIVE BOOK DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM

10 FOR READING MOTIVATION.

11 ‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary is authorized

12 to enter into a contract with First Book—
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1 ‘‘(1) to pay the Federal share of the cost of dis2 tributing new books to disadvantaged children and

3 families primarily through tutoring, mentoring, and

4 family literacy programs; and

5 ‘‘(2) to promote the growth and strengthening

6 of First Book Local Advisory Boards with the goal

7 of leveraging the Federal book distribution efforts

8 and building upon the work of community programs

9 to enhance reading motivation for at-risk children.

10 ‘‘(b) REQUIREMENTS OF CONTRACT.—Any contract

11 entered into under subsection (a) shall—

12 ‘‘(1) provide that First Book will provide tech13 nical support and initial resources to First Book

14 Local Advisory Boards to support efforts to provide

15 new books to those tutoring, mentoring, and family

16 literacy programs reaching disadvantaged children;

17 ‘‘(2) provide that First Book, working in co18 operation with the First Book Local Advisory

19 Boards, will give priority to those tutoring, men20 toring, and family literacy programs that serve chil21 dren and families with special needs, predominantly

22 those children from economically disadvantaged fam23 ilies and those children and families without access

24 to libraries;
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1 ‘‘(3) provide that First Book will annually re2 port to the Secretary regarding the number of books

3 distributed, the number of Local Advisory Boards

4 created and supported, the number of community tu5 toring, mentoring, and family literacy programs re6 ceiving books for children, and the number of chil7 dren provided with books; and

8 ‘‘(4) include such other terms and conditions as

9 the Secretary determines to be appropriate to ensure

10 the effectiveness of the program.

11 ‘‘(c) RESTRICTION ON PAYMENTS.—The Secretary

12 shall require First Book to ensure that the discounts pro13 vided by publishers and distributors for the new books

14 purchased under this section is at least as favorable as

15 discounts that are customarily given by such publishers

16 or distributors for book purchases made under similar cir17 cumstances in the absence of Federal assistance.

18 ‘‘(d) DEFINITION OF FEDERAL SHARE.—For the

19 purpose of this section, the term ‘Federal share’ means,

20 with respect to the cost of purchasing books under this

21 section, 100 percent of the cost to First Book.

22 ‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATION.—For the

23 purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized

24 to be appropriated $5,000,000 for the fiscal year 2001
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1 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 suc2 ceeding fiscal years.’’.

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