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104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 3921

To recognize businesses which show an exemplary commitment to participating with schools to enhance educators’ technology capabilities and to

make every student technologically literate.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JULY 30, 1996

Ms. WOOLSEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities

A BILL

To recognize businesses which show an exemplary commitment to participating with schools to enhance educators’

technology capabilities and to make every student technologically literate.

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 ‘‘Business and Edu5 cation Sharing Technology Act (BEST)’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSES.

7 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress makes the following

8 findings:
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1 (1) America’s most important investment is in

2 our children’s education.

3 (2) Educational technologies help children learn

4 and teachers teach.

5 (3) Students who learn to use educational tech6 nologies are prepared for both high wage, high

7 skilled jobs, and higher education.

8 (4) Local businesses can play a key role in mov9 ing technology into schools, enhancing educators’

10 technology capabilities and making every student

11 technologically literate.

12 (b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act—

13 (1) to establish a program to give local and na14 tional recognition to businesses which show an exem15 plary commitment to participating with schools to

16 make every student technologically literate; and

17 (2) to make information about these exemplary

18 partnerships available to other businesses and

19 schools.

20 SEC. 3. LOCAL RECOGNITION.

21 (a) HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.—Members of the

22 House of Representative who choose to participate in this

23 program shall notify local educational agencies and indi24 vidual schools in the congressional district which such
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1 Member represents of the recognition program and re2 quest nominations of local businesses for recognition.

3 (b) SENATE.—Members of the United States Senate,

4 who choose to participate in this program, shall notify the

5 State educational agency to request nominations of busi6 nesses engaged in statewide or regional technology part7 nerships with schools.

8 (c) NOMINATIONS.—Such nominations shall, if avail9 able, include—

10 (1) name of business;

11 (2) address of business;

12 (3) Internet address of business;

13 (4) a description of the partnership between

14 school or school district and the business, including

15 the specific services provided by the business to the

16 school;

17 (5) a description of how the partnership is help18 ing to enhance the technological capabilities of edu19 cators or to make every student technologically lit20 erate; and

21 (6) a description of why the partnership is ex22 emplary.

23 (d) SELECTION.—Members shall appoint a board of

24 qualified individuals to select, through a competitive proc25 ess, the businesses engaged in regional or statewide tech-
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1 nology partnerships with schools to receive a BEST

2 award.

3 SEC. 4. CRITERIA.

4 To be eligible to receive a BEST recognition award—

5 (1) a business must be in an active partnership

6 with a school, consortium of schools, or local edu7 cational agency;

8 (2) the purpose of the partnership must be to

9 enhance educators’ technology capabilities and con10 tribute to making every student technologically lit11 erate;

12 (3) the partnership must have a plan to en13 hance educators’ technology capabilities or contrib14 ute to making every student technologically literate

15 which can be shared with other schools; and

16 (4) the partnership activities must be of a high

17 level of quality.

18 SEC. 5. NATIONAL RECOGNITION.

19 (a) NOMINATION INFORMATION.—Not later than

20 April 1st of each year beginning in 1997, the board ap21 pointed under section 3(d) will forward the information

22 regarding the business selected for recognition to the

23 White House and to the Department of Education.

24 (b) CEREMONY.—Not later than June 15th of each

25 year beginning in 1997, the White House shall convene
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1 a ceremony to honor the businesses whose names have

2 been received from such board.

3 SEC. 6. DISSEMINATION.

4 Using online dissemination capabilities and the infor5 mation gathered pursuant to section 3(c), the Department

6 of Education will make information and descriptions re7 garding the programs and partnerships that are chosen

8 for a BEST recognition award available to schools nation9 wide.

10 SEC. 7. PRIVATE DONATIONS.

11 No funds are authorized to carry out this Act. The

12 White House ceremony and the dissemination by the De13 partment of Education shall not occur unless all costs as14 sociated with such activities are donated by private dona15 tions.

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