I

104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 4309

To provide interest subsidies for new school construction and renovation

projects.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEPTEMBER 28, 1996

Mrs. LOWEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities, and in addition to the

Committee on Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by

the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To provide interest subsidies for new school construction

and renovation projects.

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 School Infra5 structure Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 Congress finds the following:
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1 (1) One-third of all public elementary and sec2 ondary schools, serving 14,000,000 students, need

3 extensive repair or replacement.

4 (2) Many public schools do not have the phys5 ical infrastructure, such as adequate electrical wiring

6 for computers and communications technology, to

7 allow students to meet the challenges of the next

8 century.

9 (3) Many school districts need to build new

10 schools to accommodate enrollment growth, which is

11 expected to increase by 20 percent between 1990

12 and 2004 for public elementary and secondary

13 schools.

14 SEC. 3. PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION.

15 The Secretary of Education is authorized to provide

16 interest subsidies to lower the cost of school construction

17 and renovation project costs described in section 5.

18 SEC. 4. ELIGIBILITY.

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may provide inter20 est subsidies to the following:

21 (1) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES.—

22 (A) DETERMINATION BASED ON NUMBER

23 OF CHILDREN SERVED.—The 100 local edu24 cational agencies that serve the greatest num25 ber of children who qualify to be counted under
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1 section 1124 of the Elementary and Secondary

2 Education Act of 1965;

3 (B) DETERMINATION BASED ON NEED.—

4 In additional to the agencies described in sub5 paragraph (A), 25 local educational agencies

6 which have the greatest need, as determined by

7 the Secretary.

8 (2) STATES.—States for use by local edu9 cational agencies that do not qualify for an interest

10 subsidy under paragraph (1).

11 (b) MAXIMUM SUBSIDIES.—

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—To determine the amount of

13 interest subsidy under subsection (a), the Secretary

14 may provide, on a sliding scale based on need, inter15 est subsidies of not more than 50 percent of the

16 total costs of repairing existing school facilities and

17 buildings and constructing new facilities and build18 ings.

19 (2) RULES AND REGULATIONS.— The Secretary

20 shall publish in the Federal Register the criteria to

21 be used to establish the sliding scale under para22 graph (1).

23 (c) DURATION OF SUBSIDIES.—The interest sub24 sidies shall be available for a period not to exceed 4 years.
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1 SEC. 5. USES OF FUNDS.

2 An interest subsidy provided under this Act shall be

3 used to lower the cost of school construction or renovation

4 projects for one or more of the following purposes:

5 (1) Fixing or upgrading classrooms or struc6 tures related to academic learning, including leaking

7 roofs, crumbling walls, inadequate plumbing, poor

8 ventilation, and heating or light problems.

9 (2) Increasing physical safety at the school.

10 (3) Enhancing access for students, teachers,

11 and other people with disabilities.

12 (4) Improving energy efficiency.

13 (5) Addressing environmental hazards, such as

14 poor ventilation, indoor air quality, or lighting.

15 (6) Providing the basic infrastructure that fa16 cilitates educational technology, such as communica17 tions outlets, electrical systems, power outlets, or a

18 communication closet.

19 (7) Constructing new schools to meet the needs

20 imposed by enrollment growth.

21 SEC. 6. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.

22 Upon request, the Secretary shall provide or provide

23 for technical assistance to State, local, and school officials

24 regarding school construction and renovation, including

25 building needs evaluation, enrollment projection informa-
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1 tion, innovative financing strategies, and effective preven2 tive maintenance strategies.

3 SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro5 priated $1,250,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1998

6 through 2002.

7 (b) OFFSET FUNDS.—

8 (1) COLLECTIONS.—Any appropriation made

9 pursuant to the authorization made by subsection

10 (a) shall be made by offsetting collections derived

11 from competitive bidding for broadcast spectrum

12 under section 309(j) of the Communications Act of

13 1934.

14 (2) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this sub15 section, the term ‘‘broadcast spectrum’’ means the

16 band of frequencies currently allocated for television

17 channels 60 through 69.

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