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[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2724 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2724

  To provide assistance to States to enable such States to raise the 
    quality of instruction in mathematics and science by providing 
      equipment and materials necessary for hands-on instruction.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 23, 1993

  Mr. Sawyer introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To provide assistance to States to enable such States to raise the 
    quality of instruction in mathematics and science by providing 
      equipment and materials necessary for hands-on instruction.

    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 ``Elementary Science Facilities Act''.

SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.

    It is the purpose of this Act to raise the quality of instruction 
in mathematics and science in the Nation's elementary schools by 
providing equipment and materials necessary for hands-on instruction 
through assistance to State and local educational agencies.

SEC. 3. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    (a) Grants.--The Secretary is authorized to make allotments to 
State educational agencies under section 4 to enable such agencies to 
award grants to local educational agencies for the purpose of providing 
equipment and materials to elementary schools to improve mathematics 
and science education in such schools.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1994, 1995, and 1996 
to carry out this Act.

SEC. 4. ALLOTMENTS OF FUNDS.

    (a) In General.--From the amount appropriated under section 3(b) 
for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve--
            (1) not more than one-half of 1 percent for allotment among 
        Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana 
        Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated 
        States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau according to 
        their respective needs for assistance under this Act; and
            (2) one-half of 1 percent for programs for Indian students 
        served by schools funded by the Secretary of the Interior which 
        are consistent with the purposes of this part.
    (b) Allotment.--From the amount not reserved pursuant to subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall allot among State educational agencies as 
follows:
            (1) One-half of such remainder shall be distributed among 
        the State educational agencies by allotting to each State 
        educational agency an amount which bears the same ratio to such 
        one-half of such remainder as the number of children aged 5 to 
        11, inclusive, in the State bears to the number of such 
        children in all States.
            (2) One-half of such remainder shall be distributed among 
        the State educational agencies according to each State's share 
        of allocations under chapter 1 of title I of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965.
    (c) Definitions.--For the purposes of this Act--
            (1) the term ``elementary school'' has the same meaning 
        given such term in section 1471(8) of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965;
            (2) the term ``local educational agency'' has the same 
        meaning given such term in section 1471(12) of the Elementary 
        and Secondary Education Act of 1965;
            (3) the term ``Secretary'', unless otherwise specified, 
        means the Secretary of Education;
            (4) the term ``State'' means each of the 50 States, the 
        District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and
            (5) the term ``State educational agency'' has the same 
        meaning given to such term by section 1471(23) of the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
    (d) Data.--The number of children aged 5 to 11, inclusive, in the 
State and in all States shall be determined by the Secretary on the 
basis of the most recent satisfactory data available to the Secretary.

SEC. 5. STATE GRANTS.

    (a) Application.--Each State educational agency desiring to receive 
an allotment under this Act shall file an application with the 
Secretary which covers a period of 3 fiscal years. Such application 
shall be filed at such time, in such manner, and containing or 
accompanied by such information as the Secretary may reasonably 
require.
    (b) Contents of Application.--Each application described in 
subsection (a) shall--
            (1) provide assurances that--
                    (A) the State educational agency shall use the 
                allotment provided under this Act to award grants to 
                local educational agencies within the State to enable 
                such local educational agencies to carry out the 
                purpose of this Act;
                    (B) the State educational agency will provide such 
                fiscal control and funds accounting as the Secretary 
                may require;
                    (C) every elementary school in the State is 
                eligible to receive a grant under this Act once over 
                the 3-year duration of the program assisted under this 
                Act;
                    (D) funds provided under this Act will supplement, 
                not supplant, State and local funds made available for 
                activities authorized under this Act;
                    (E) during the 3-year period described in the 
                application, the State educational agency will evaluate 
                its standards and programs for teacher preparation and 
                inservice professional development for elementary 
                teachers of mathematics and science;
                    (F) the State educational agency will take into 
                account the needs for greater access to and 
                participation in mathematics and science by students 
                and teachers from historically underrepresented groups, 
                including females, minorities, individuals with 
                limited-English proficiency, the economically 
                disadvantaged, and individuals with disabilities; and
                    (G) that the needs of teachers and students in 
                areas with high concentrations of low-income students 
                and sparsely populated areas will be considered in 
                awarding grants under this Act;
            (2) provide a description of how funds paid under this Act 
        will be used with State and local funds and other Federal 
        resources, particularly with respect to programs for the 
        professional development and inservice training of elementary 
        school teachers in science and mathematics; and
            (3) describe procedures--
                    (A) for submitting applications for programs 
                described in sections 6 and 7 for distribution of 
                payments under this Act within the State; and
                    (B) for approval of applications by the State 
                educational agency, including appropriate procedures to 
                assure that such agency will not disapprove an 
                application without notice and opportunity for a 
                hearing.

SEC. 6. LOCAL GRANTS.

    (a) Application.--A local educational agency that desires to 
receive a grant under this part shall submit an application to the 
State educational agency. Each such application shall contain 
assurances that each school served by the local educational agency 
shall be eligible for only one grant under this Act.
    (b) Contents of Application.--Each application described in 
subsection (a) shall--
            (1) describe how the local educational agency plans to set 
        priorities on the use and distribution among schools of grant 
        funds received under this Act to meet the purpose of this Act;
            (2) include assurances that the local educational agency 
        shall match on a dollar-for-dollar basis the funds received 
        under this Act;
            (3) describe, if applicable, how funds under this Act will 
        be coordinated with State, local, and other Federal resources, 
        especially with respect to programs for the professional 
        development and inservice training of elementary school 
        teachers in science and mathematics; and
            (4) describe the process which will be used to determine 
        different levels of grant amounts to be awarded to schools with 
        different needs.
    (c) Priority.--In awarding grants, the State educational agency 
shall give priority to applications that--
            (1) assign highest priority to schools which are most 
        seriously under-equipped;
            (2) are attentive to the needs of underrepresented groups 
        in science and mathematics;
            (3) demonstrate how science and mathematics equipment will 
        be part of a comprehensive plan of curriculum planning or 
        implementation and teacher training supporting hands-on 
        laboratory activities; and
            (4) include plans for dissemination of lessons and 
        activities using grant equipment and materials to teachers in 
        schools not receiving grants.

SEC. 7. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.

    (a) Coordination.--Each State educational agency receiving a grant 
under this Act shall--
            (1) disseminate information to school districts and 
        schools, including private schools, regarding the grant 
        program;
            (2) evaluate applications of local educational agencies;
            (3) award grants to local educational agencies based on the 
        priorities described in section 6(c); and
            (4) evaluate local educational agencies' end-of-year 
        summaries and submit such evaluation to the Secretary.
    (b) Limitations on Use of Funds.--
            (1) In general.--Grant funds and matching funds under this 
        Act only shall be used to purchase science equipment, science 
        materials, or mathematical manipulative materials and shall not 
        be used for computers, computer peripherals, software, 
        textbooks, or staff development costs.
            (2) Capital improvements.--Grant funds under this Act may 
        not be used for capital improvements. No more than 50 percent 
        of matching funds provided by the local educational agency may 
        be used for capital improvements of classroom science 
        facilities to support the hands-on instruction that this Act is 
        intended to support, such as the installation of electrical 
        outlets, plumbing, lab tables or counters, or ventilation 
        mechanisms.

SEC. 8. FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION.

    The Secretary shall provide technical assistance and, in 
consultation with State and local representatives of the program 
assisted under this Act, shall develop procedures for State and local 
evaluations of the programs that receive funds under this Act.

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