I 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5022

To strengthen and expand scientific and technological education capabilities 

of associate-degree-granting colleges through the establishment of partnership arrangements with bachelor-degree-granting institutions. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 7, 2004

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

Committee on Education and the Workforce 

A BILL

To strengthen and expand scientific and technological education capabilities of associate-degree-granting colleges 

through the establishment of partnership arrangements 

with bachelor-degree-granting institutions.

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 ‘‘Higher Education 

5 Science and Technology Competitiveness Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 The Congress finds the following: 
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1 (1) The United States is losing its dominance 

2 in the sciences and technology, and faces serious 

3 challenges from highly educated foreign competitors. 

4 (2) The workforce of the United States must be 

5 better prepared for the scientifically and techno6 logically advanced competition of the global econ7 omy. 

8 (3) New scientific knowledge is the engine of 

9 American technological innovation, national security, 

10 economic growth, and prosperity. 

11 (4) The competitiveness of the United States 

12 depends on strengthening and expanding postsec13 ondary educational efforts in science, math, engi14 neering, and technology. 

15 (5) Shortages of scientifically and techno16 logically educated workers will be best addressed 

17 through partnerships between the Nation’s associate 

18 degree-granting colleges and public four-year col19 leges and universities. 

20 (6) Enlarging the traditional role of community 

21 colleges in workforce training by developing seamless 

22 transitions from occupational competency or certifi23 cate programs to associate degree programs in math, 

24 science, engineering, and technology. 
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1 SEC. 3. ARTICULATION AGREEMENT PROGRAM. 

2 Part G of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 

3 1965 is amended by inserting after section 486 (20 U.S.C. 

4 1093) the following new section: 

5 ‘‘SEC. 486A. ARTICULATION AGREEMENT PROGRAM. 

6 ‘‘(a) PURPOSE; DEFINITION.—

7 ‘‘(1) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is 

8 to strengthen and expand scientific and technological 

9 education capabilities of associate-degree-granting 

10 public institutions of higher education through the 

11 establishment of partnership arrangements with 

12 bachelor-degree-granting public institutions of higher 

13 education. 

14 ‘‘(2) DEFINITION.—For the purposes of this 

15 section, the term ‘articulation agreement’ means an 

16 agreement between institutions of higher education 

17 that specifies the acceptability of courses in transfer 

18 toward meeting specific degree requirements. 

19 ‘‘(b) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—

20 ‘‘(1) GRANTS TO PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.—From 

21 the sums appropriated under subsection (g), the Sec22 retary shall award grants under this section to pub23 lic institutions of higher education for the support of 

24 programs to establish and implement statewide ar25 ticulation agreements in accordance with subsection 

26 (d). 
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1 ‘‘(2) ELIGIBILITY OF PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS

2 TO PARTICIPATE IN AGREEMENTS.—Nothing in this 

3 section shall be construed to preclude a nonprofit or 

4 for-profit private institution of higher education 

5 from participating in the development and imple6 mentation of a statewide articulation agreement 

7 under subsection (d). 

8 ‘‘(c) APPLICATIONS.—Each institution, system, or 

9 consortium of institutions desiring to participate in a dem10 onstration program under this section shall submit an ap11 plication to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, 

12 and containing such information and assurances as the 

13 Secretary may require. 

14 ‘‘(d) USE OF FUNDS.—Funds provided by grant 

15 under this section may be used—

16 ‘‘(1) to establish statewide articulation agree17 ments in math, science, engineering, and technology 

18 among public 2-year institutions and public 4-year 

19 institutions to provide a seamless transition for the 

20 transfer of students from the public 2-year institu21 tions to the public 4-year institutions by having both 

22 such types of institutions provide and use a common 

23 core curricula that reflects the workforce needs of 

24 private industry; 
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1 ‘‘(2) to establish articulation agreements within 

2 community colleges between occupational com3 petency or certification programs and associate de4 gree programs in math, science, engineering, and 

5 technology to increase the proportion of students 

6 who enroll to complete their associates degree; 

7 ‘‘(3) to collect data on transfers from 2-year in8 stitutions to 4-year institutions on a regular basis 

9 and to submit such data to commissioners or depart10 ments of higher education, for transmission by such 

11 commissioners and departments to the Secretary, in 

12 order to monitor program progress and success; 

13 ‘‘(4) to develop a statewide articulation guide in 

14 consultation with public colleges and universities to 

15 provide students with descriptions of articulation re16 quirements; and 

17 ‘‘(5) to develop a plan for professional develop18 ment of 2-year college faculty, including inter-insti19 tutional workshops, consultations, and professional 

20 meetings. 

21 ‘‘(e) EVALUATIONS AND REPORTS.—The Secretary 

22 shall collect from State commissioners and departments 

23 the data provided by grant recipients under subsection 

24 (d)(3) for the purposes of evaluating the success of the 

25 program authorized by this section. The Secretary shall 
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1 submit a report on the results of such evaluation to the 

2 Congress not later than 2 years after the end of the first 

3 fiscal year for which funds are made available for grants 

4 under this section. 

5 ‘‘(f) ADDITIONAL DEFINITION.—The Secretary shall 

6 by regulation define the term ‘degree programs in math, 

7 science, engineering, and technology’. 

8 ‘‘(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

9 are authorized to be appropriated to make grants under 

10 this section $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2005 and such 

11 sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding 

12 fiscal years.’’.

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