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[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1650 Reported in Senate (RS)]

                                                       Calendar No. 557
110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 1650

                          [Report No. 110-257]

To establish a digital and wireless network technology program, and for 
                            other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 19, 2007

  Mr. Kerry (for himself, Mr. Warner, Mr. Pryor, Mr. Smith, Mr. Webb, 
 Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Lott, and Mr. Stevens) introduced the following bill; 
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

                             June 21, 2007

 Committee discharged; referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
                           and Transportation

                            January 8, 2008

  Reported under authority of the order of the Senate of December 19, 
                  2007, by Mr. Inouye, with amendments
  [Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
To establish a digital and wireless network technology program, and for 
                            other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Max Cleland Minority Serving 
Institution Digital and Wireless Technology Opportunity Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE.

    (a) In General.--There is established within the <DELETED>National 
Science Foundation </DELETED>Department of Commerce an Office of 
Minority Serving Institution Digital and Wireless Technology to carry 
out the provisions of this Act.
    (b) Purpose.--The Office shall--
            (1) strengthen the ability of eligible institutions to 
        provide capacity for instruction in digital and wireless 
        network technologies by providing grants to, or executing 
        contracts or cooperative agreements with, those institutions to 
        provide such instruction; and
            (2) strengthen the national digital and wireless 
        infrastructure by increasing national investment in 
        telecommunications and technology infrastructure at eligible 
        institutions.

SEC. 3. ACTIVITIES SUPPORTED.

    An eligible institution shall use a grant, contract, or cooperative 
agreement awarded under this Act--
            (1) to acquire equipment, instrumentation, networking 
        capability, hardware and software, digital network technology, 
        wireless technology, and infrastructure;
            (2) to develop and provide educational services, including 
        faculty development, related to science, mathematics, 
        engineering, or technology;
            (3) to provide teacher education, library and media 
        specialist training, and preschool and teacher aid 
        certification to individuals who seek to acquire or enhance 
        technology skills in order to use technology in the classroom 
        or instructional process;
            (4) to implement joint projects and consortia to provide 
        education regarding technology in the classroom with a State or 
        State education agency, local education agency, community-based 
        organization, national non-profit organization, or business, 
        including minority businesses;
            (5) to provide professional development in science, 
        mathematics, engineering, or technology to administrators and 
        faculty of eligible institutions with institutional 
        responsibility for technology education;
            (6) to provide capacity-building technical assistance to 
        eligible institutions through remote technical support, 
        technical assistance workshops, distance learning, new 
        technologies, and other technological applications;
            (7) to foster the use of information communications 
        technology to increase scientific, mathematical, engineering, 
        and technology instruction and research; and
            (8) to develop proposals to be submitted under this Act and 
        to develop strategic plans for information technology 
        investments.

SEC. 4. APPLICATION AND REVIEW PROCEDURE.

    (a) In General.--To be eligible to receive a grant, contract, or 
cooperative agreement under this Act, an eligible institution shall 
submit an application to the <DELETED>Director </DELETED>Secretary at 
such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the 
<DELETED>Director </DELETED>Secretary may reasonably require. The 
<DELETED>Director, </DELETED>Secretary, in consultation with the 
advisory council established under subsection (b), shall establish a 
procedure by which to accept and review such applications and publish 
an announcement of such procedure, including a statement regarding the 
availability of funds, in the Federal Register.
    (b) Advisory Council.--The <DELETED>Director </DELETED>Secretary 
shall establish an advisory council to advise the <DELETED>Director 
</DELETED>Secretary on the best approaches for involving eligible 
institutions in the activities described in section 3, and for 
reviewing and evaluating proposals submitted to the program. In 
selecting the members of the advisory council, the <DELETED>Director 
</DELETED>Secretary may consult with representatives of appropriate 
organizations, including representatives of eligible institutions, to 
ensure that the membership of the advisory council reflects 
participation by technology and telecommunications institutions, 
minority businesses, eligible institution communities, Federal agency 
personnel, and other individuals who are knowledgeable about eligible 
institutions and technology issues. Any panel assembled to review a 
proposal submitted to the program shall include members from minority 
serving institutions. Program review criteria shall include 
consideration of--
            (1) demonstrated need for assistance under this Act; and
            (2) diversity among the types of institutions receiving 
        assistance under this Act.
    (c) Data Collection.--An eligible institution that receives a 
grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under section 2 shall provide 
the Office with any relevant institutional statistical or demographic 
data requested by the Office.
    (d) Information Dissemination.--The <DELETED>Director 
</DELETED>Secretary shall convene an annual meeting of eligible 
institutions receiving grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements 
under section 2 for the purposes of--
            (1) fostering collaboration and capacity-building 
        activities among eligible institutions; and
            (2) disseminating information and ideas generated by such 
        meetings.

SEC. 5. MATCHING REQUIREMENT.

    The <DELETED>Director </DELETED>Secretary may not award a grant, 
contract, or cooperative agreement to an eligible institution under 
this Act unless such institution agrees that, with respect to the costs 
to be incurred by the institution in carrying out the program for which 
the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement was awarded, such 
institution will make available (directly or through donations from 
public or private entities) non-Federal contributions in an amount 
equal to 25 percent of the amount of the grant, contract, or 
cooperative agreement awarded by the <DELETED>Director, 
</DELETED>Secretary, or $500,000, whichever is the lesser amount. The 
<DELETED>Director </DELETED>Secretary shall waive the matching 
requirement for any institution or consortium with no endowment, or an 
endowment that has a current dollar value lower than $50,000,000.

SEC. 6. LIMITATIONS.

    (a) In General.--An eligible institution that receives a grant, 
contract, or cooperative agreement under this Act that exceeds 
$2,500,000, shall not be eligible to receive another grant, contract, 
or cooperative agreement under this Act until every other eligible 
institution that has applied for a grant, contract, or cooperative 
agreement under this Act has received such a grant, contract, or 
cooperative.
    (b) Awards Administered by Eligible Institution.--Each grant, 
contract, or cooperative agreement awarded under this Act shall be made 
to, and administered by, an eligible institution, even when it is 
awarded for the implementation of a consortium or joint project.

SEC. 7. ANNUAL REPORT AND EVALUATION.

    (a) Annual Report Required From Recipients.--Each institution that 
receives a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this Act 
shall provide an annual report to the <DELETED>Director 
</DELETED>Secretary on its use of the grant, contract, or cooperative 
agreement.
    (b) Evaluation by <DELETED>Director </DELETED>Secretary.--The 
<DELETED>Director, </DELETED>Secretary, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Education, shall--
            (1) review the reports provided under subsection (a) each 
        year; and
            (2) evaluate the program authorized by section 3 on the 
        basis of those reports every 2 years.
    (c) Contents of Evaluation.--The <DELETED>Director, 
</DELETED>Secretary, in the evaluation, shall describe the activities 
undertaken by those institutions and shall assess the short-range and 
long-range impact of activities carried out under the grant, contract, 
or cooperative agreement on the students, faculty, and staff of the 
institutions.
    (d) Report to Congress.--The <DELETED>Director </DELETED>Secretary 
shall submit a report to the Congress based on the evaluation. In the 
report, the <DELETED>Director </DELETED>Secretary shall include such 
recommendations, including recommendations concerning the continuing 
need for Federal support of the program, as may be appropriate.

SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Eligible Institution.--The term ``eligible 
        institution'' means an institution that is--
                    (A) a historically Black college or university that 
                is a part B institution, as defined in section 322(2) 
                of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
                1061(2));
                    (B) a Hispanic-serving institution, as defined in 
                section 502(a)(5) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
                (20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(5));
                    (C) a tribally controlled college or university, as 
                defined in section 316(b)(3) of the Higher Education 
                Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)(3));
                    (D) an Alaska Native-serving institution under 
                section 317(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 1059d(b));
                    (E) a Native Hawaiian-serving institution under 
                section 317(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 1059d(b)); or
                    (F) an institution determined by the 
                <DELETED>Director, </DELETED>Secretary, in consultation 
                with the Secretary of Education, to have enrolled a 
                substantial number of minority, low-income students 
                during the previous academic year who received 
                assistance under subpart I of part A of title IV of the 
                Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a et seq.) 
                for that year.
        <DELETED>    (2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the 
        Director of the National Science Foundation.</DELETED>
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Commerce or the Secretary's designee.

SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the <DELETED>Director of 
the National Science Foundation </DELETED>Secretary $250,000,000 for 
each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012 to carry out this Act.
                                                       Calendar No. 557

110th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 1650

                          [Report No. 110-257]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To establish a digital and wireless network technology program, and for 
                            other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                            January 8, 2008

                        Reported with amendments
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