I

107TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1149

To amend the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 to create as a component of the Volunteers in Service to America program a technology

corps that uses VISTA volunteers and other persons with expertise

regarding information technology to facilitate the use of information

technology in schools, libraries, and community centers, and for other

purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 21, 2001

Mr. HONDA (for himself and Mr. HORN) introduced the following bill; which

was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in

addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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 amend the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 to

create as a component of the Volunteers in Service to

America program a technology corps that uses VISTA

volunteers and other persons with expertise regarding

information technology to facilitate the use of information technology in schools, libraries, and community centers, and for other purposes.

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

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Education

3 Technology Corps Act’’ or as the ‘‘NET Corps Act’’.

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

5 Congress finds the following:

6 (1) Elementary and secondary school students

7 who receive regular access in school to Internet-ac8 cessible computers enjoy higher quality educational

9 opportunities and are better prepared to succeed in

10 college or the workplace.

11 (2) Local educational agencies have made ex12 traordinary gains in the acquisition of computers

13 and other information technology equipment for

14 schools. The Department of Education reported in

15 January 2001 that each school contains on average

16 100 computers. In 1999, 63 percent of school rooms

17 used for the instruction of students had access to

18 the Internet.

19 (3) However, local educational agencies are

20 dedicating almost all of their information technology

21 resources to equipment acquisition, while informa22 tion technology training for teachers and other

23 school staff receives little financial support. A CEO

24 Forum on Education and Technology study indi25 cated that, in the 1997–1998 school year, schools
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1 expended just five percent of their information tech2 nology budget on teacher training.

3 (4) The Department of Education reported in

4 1999 that only 33 percent of public school teachers

5 with access to computers and the Internet indicated

6 that they were ‘‘well prepared’’ to integrate the use

7 of computers and the Internet into their instruction.

8 (5) As new information technologies are intro9 duced into classrooms, teachers will need regular ac10 cess to professional technology training.

11 (6) The Corporation for National and Commu12 nity Service established by section 191 of the Na13 tional and Community Service Act of 1990 (42

14 U.S.C. 12651) has a proven record of mobilizing the

15 most intelligent, qualified, and altruistic members of

16 our communities for the purpose of meeting our Na17 tion’s most urgent needs.

18 (7) The Volunteers in Service to America pro19 gram, commonly known as VISTA, which is admin20 istered by the Corporation to efforts to eliminate

21 and alleviate poverty and poverty-related problems in

22 the United States, would provide a ready means to

23 facilitate the expanded use of information technology

24 in schools, libraries, and community centers, particu25 larly in low-income areas, and to provide information
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1 technology training for teachers and administrators

2 of school, library, and community center information

3 technology networks.

4 SEC. 3. CREATION OF NATIONAL EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY

5 CORPS AS A PART OF VISTA.

6 The Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 is

7 amended by inserting after section 109 (42 U.S.C. 4959)

8 the following new section:

9 ‘‘SEC. 109A. NATIONAL EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY CORPS.

10 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—As part of the Volunteers in

11 Service to America program established under this part,

12 the Director shall establish a National Education Tech13 nology Corps for the purpose of developing, strengthening,

14 supplementing, and expanding efforts of the Federal Gov15 ernment, State and local governments, and public and

16 nonprofit organizations to mobilize local, State, Federal,

17 and private sector financial and volunteer resources—

18 ‘‘(1) to improve the ability of teachers, staff,

19 students, and other persons to use information tech20 nology in schools, libraries, and community centers;

21 ‘‘(2) to provide information technology training

22 for teachers so that teachers can incorporate the use

23 of computers and other information technologies in

24 classroom instruction; and
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1 ‘‘(3) to provide technical support to administra2 tors of school, library, and community center infor3 mation technology networks.

4 ‘‘(b) RECRUITMENT OF VOLUNTEERS.—

5 ‘‘(1) ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.—In establishing

6 the recruitment procedures under section 103(b) ap7 plicable to the selection and placement of volunteers

8 for service in the National Education Technology

9 Corps, the Director shall limit selection to

10 individuals—

11 ‘‘(A) who already have sufficient experi12 ence or expertise regarding information tech13 nology and its uses to permit their prompt par14 ticipation in the types of activities described in

15 subsection (a); or

16 ‘‘(B) who, with minimal additional training

17 (as determined by the Director), would be ready

18 to participate in such activities.

19 ‘‘(2) RELATIONSHIP TO AMERICORPS.—A par20 ticipant in a national service program assisted under

21 subtitle C of title I of the National and Community

22 Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12571 et seq.), com23 monly known as the Americorps program, may be

24 selected to also serve in the National Education
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1 Technology Corps if the participant meets the eligi2 bility criteria in paragraph (2).

3 ‘‘(c) PLACEMENT.—

4 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall assign

5 volunteers selected for the National Education Tech6 nology Corps to projects and programs that utilize

7 volunteers to perform the types of activities de8 scribed in subsection (a). Such programs and

9 projects may be administered by public or private

10 nonprofit agencies and organizations, community11 based nonprofit organizations, local and State edu12 cation agencies, local and State agencies admin13 istering information technology programs, edu14 cational institutions, libraries, and local, municipal,

15 and State governmental entities.

16 ‘‘(2) TECHNOLOGY PLAN.—A volunteer serving

17 in the National Education Technology Corps may

18 not be assigned to a school to perform services de19 scribed in subsection (a) unless the school, or a local

20 educational agency on behalf of the school, submits

21 to the Director a technology plan that—

22 ‘‘(A) outlines the goals for the school’s

23 education technology; and

24 ‘‘(B) complies with such guidelines as the

25 Director may establish.
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1 ‘‘(3) PLACEMENT PRIORITY.—In the assign2 ment of volunteers under this section, the Director

3 shall give priority consideration to programs and

4 projects to assist schools that—

5 ‘‘(A) are located in urban or rural areas

6 with the highest concentrations of illiteracy and

7 of low income individuals and families; or

8 ‘‘(B) have been unable to secure assistance

9 for information technology improvements and

10 training from other sources.

11 ‘‘(d) PARTNERSHIPS WITH QUALIFIED NONPROFIT

12 ORGANIZATIONS.—The Director is authorized and encour13 aged to enter into partnerships with qualified nonprofit

14 organizations that undertake the types of services de15 scribed in subsection (a) for schools, libraries, and commu16 nity centers to support and expand the efforts of these

17 organizations.

18 ‘‘(e) COORDINATION WITH DEPARTMENT OF EDU19 CATION.—The Director shall coordinate with the Sec20 retary of Education in the training of volunteers for the

21 National Education Technology Corps to ensure that the

22 activities undertaken by the volunteers under this section

23 is consistent with the educational needs of schools.

24 ‘‘(f) AGREEMENTS WITH PRIVATE SECTOR.—The Di25 rector may enter into an agreement with a private sector
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1 business under which an employee of the business who has

2 experience or expertise regarding information technology

3 and its uses will assist, without financial remuneration

4 from the Director, on a full-time or part-time basis—

5 ‘‘(1) the National Education Technology Corps

6 and programs and projects that receive volunteers to

7 undertake the types of activities described in sub8 section (a); and

9 ‘‘(2) the Director in the training of National

10 Education Technology Corps volunteers.

11 ‘‘(g) EFFECT OF FUNDING REDUCTION.—In any fis12 cal year in which the services provided under this part are

13 reduced, the services provided under this section shall be

14 proportionately reduced.’’.

15 SEC. 4. INCOME TAX CREDIT FOR ASSISTANCE PROVIDED

16 TO NATIONAL EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY

17 CORPS.

18 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subpart D of part IV of sub19 chapter A of chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of

20 1986 (relating to business related credits) is amended by

21 inserting after section 45D the following new section:

22 ‘‘SEC. 45E. NATIONAL EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY CORPS AS23 SISTANCE.

24 ‘‘(a) GENERAL RULE.—For purposes of section 38,

25 the National Education Technology Corps assistance cred-
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1 it determined under this section for the taxable year is

2 an amount equal to 20 percent of the sum of —

3 ‘‘(1) the wages paid or incurred by the taxpayer

4 during the taxable year for qualified employee serv5 ices, and

6 ‘‘(2) the amount allowed as a deduction under

7 section 170 for the taxable year for qualified con8 tributions.

9 ‘‘(b) MAXIMUM CREDIT.—

10 ‘‘(1) NATIONAL LIMITATION.—The amount of

11 credit determined under this section for all taxable

12 years beginning in a calendar year shall not exceed

13 $75,000,000.

14 ‘‘(2) TAXPAYER LIMITATION.—The amount of

15 credit determined under this section for a taxpayer

16 for a taxable year shall not exceed the portion of the

17 national limitation under paragraph (1) for the cal18 endar year in which such taxable year begins which

19 is allocated by the National Education Technology

20 Corps to such taxpayer for such year.

21 ‘‘(3) PER EMPLOYEE LIMIT.—The credit deter22 mined under this section with respect to services

23 performed by an employee during a taxable year

24 shall not exceed $25,000 (or such lesser amount de25 termined under paragraph (2)).
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1 ‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section—

2 ‘‘(1) QUALIFIED EMPLOYEE SERVICES.—The

3 term ‘qualified employee services’ means any service

4 furnished by an employee of the taxpayer through

5 the National Education Technology Corps, either di6 rectly as a volunteer in the National Education

7 Technology Corps or as a participant in a National

8 Education Technology Corps partnership entered

9 into under section 109A(d) of the Domestic Volun10 teer Service Act of 1973.

11 ‘‘(2) QUALIFIED CONTRIBUTION.—The term

12 ‘qualified contribution’ means any contribution of

13 tangible personal property to or for the benefit of

14 the National Education Technology Corps.

15 ‘‘(3) WAGES.—The term ‘wages’ has the mean16 ing given to such term by section 51.

17 ‘‘(d) CONTROLLED GROUPS.—Rules similar to the

18 rules of section 1397(b) shall apply for purposes of this

19 section.’’.

20 (b) DENIAL OF DOUBLE BENEFIT.—Subsection (a)

21 of section 280C of such Code is amended by inserting

22 ‘‘45E(a),’’ after ‘‘45A(a),’’.

23 (c) CREDIT MADE PART OF GENERAL BUSINESS

24 CREDIT.—
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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (b) of section 38

2 of such Code (relating to current year business cred3 it) is amended by striking ‘‘plus’’ at the end of para4 graph (12), by striking the period at the end of

5 paragraph (13) and inserting ‘‘, plus’’, and by add6 ing at the end thereof the following new paragraph:

7 ‘‘(14) the National Education Technology Corps

8 assistance credit determined under section 45E(a).’’.

9 (2) LIMITATION ON CARRYBACK.—Subsection

10 (d) of section 39 of such Code is amended by adding

11 at the end the following new paragraph:

12 ‘‘(10) NO CARRYBACK OF NATIONAL EDU13 CATION TECHNOLOGY CORPS ASSISTANCE CREDIT

14 BEFORE EFFECTIVE DATE.—No portion of the un15 used business credit for any taxable year which is

16 attributable to the credit determined under section

17 45E may be carried back to any taxable year ending

18 before the date of the enactment of this para19 graph.’’.

20 (3) DEDUCTION FOR CERTAIN UNUSED BUSI21 NESS CREDITS.—Subsection (c) of section 196 of

22 such Code is amended by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end

23 of paragraph (8), by striking the period at the end

24 of paragraph (9) and inserting ‘‘, and’’, and by add-
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1 ing after paragraph (9) the following new para2 graph:

3 ‘‘(10) the National Education Technology Corps

4 assistance credit determined under section 45E.’’.

5 (d) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections

6 for subpart D of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1

7 of such Code is amended by inserting after the item relat8 ing to section 45D the following new item:

‘‘Sec. 45E. National Education Technology Corps assistance.’’.

9 (e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by

10 this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after

11 the date of the enactment of this Act.

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