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104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 4180

To provide schools throughout the country with the capability to use new

technology to its fullest potential.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEPTEMBER 25, 1996

Mr. MOAKLEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities

A BILL

To provide schools throughout the country with the capability

to use new technology to its fullest potential.

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 ‘‘Community On-Line

5 Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 The Congress finds the following:

8 (1) A recent General Accounting Office report

9 entitled ‘‘School Facilities—America’s Schools Not

10 Designed or Equipped for the 21st Century’’, found
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1 that while over 75 percent of the Nation’s schools

2 have sufficient computers, most do not have the

3 technology to fully use them, and schools in cities

4 with more than a 50 percent minority population

5 were more likely to have insufficient technology.

6 (2) Failure to upgrade technology in our Na7 tion’s schools will result in a poorly qualified

8 workforce because students will not become com9 puter literate.

10 (3) To become computer literate educators need

11 to be trained to teach children how to use the new

12 technology to its fullest potential.

13 (4) A skilled workforce is critical to ensure pro14 ductivity and competitiveness in the United States.

15 SEC. 3. PURPOSE.

16 The purpose of this Act is to provide grants to librar17 ies, local educational agencies, and community education

18 centers, to purchase, install, and operate the most up-to19 date computer systems, access the Internet, and train edu20 cators to use technology to its fullest potential.

21 SEC. 4. GRANT AWARDS.

22 The Secretary of Education may award grants, con23 tracts, or enter into cooperative agreements (on a competi24 tive basis) with an eligible entity—

25 (1) to purchase, install, and operate computers;
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1 (2) to educate and train teachers, librarians,

2 and others on how to use the latest technology and

3 how to access the information superhighway; and

4 (3) to develop teacher and librarian training

5 programs to help all students to use the latest up6 to-date technology to its fullest potential.

7 SEC. 5. ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity under this Act

9 is a library, an elementary or secondary school, or a local

10 educational agency.

11 (b) PARTNERSHIP.—To be eligible to receive a grant,

12 contract, or enter into a cooperative agreement with the

13 Secretary, an eligible entity shall have formed a partner14 ship with the State, unit of local government, or represent15 atives of the local business community in which such li16 brary, school, or local educational agency is located to pur17 chase computers and provide for interconnectivity.

18 SEC. 6. MATCHING REQUIREMENT.

19 A local education agency receiving a grant under this

20 Act shall provide either directly or through private con21 tributions or State or local contributions, non-Federal

22 matching funds equal to not less than 50 percent of the

23 amount of the grant.
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1 SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION.

2 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums

3 as may be necessary to carry out this Act.

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